Posts Tagged ‘kindle’

Sean Ferrell – The Author Talks About the Book Trailer Numb

Category: Book Trailers, Writing | Author: | Date: July 30th, 2010

Thanks for coming back again for the third and final post on writer Sean Ferrell.

The first two posts are below if you have not seen them:

Sean Ferrell – The Author Talks About Writing

Sean Ferrell – The Author Talks About Numb the Character

Today Sean talks about his Amazon Kindle book trailer Numb giving us an idea of how it was created.

If you have not seen it, please take a moment and view it below (you can also view it at Sean’s website and YouTube but if you want a day of ease – clicking one less click – just click play below):

Sean Ferrell’s Numb Book Trailer

Let the interview begin.

Imagine – we’re good at that, writers that we are – Sean Ferrell sitting on a comfy leather chair and I’m sitting on an identical one opposite. The cafe is full of people sheltering from the wind outside. We’ve finished our coffee. There is only silence in our corner. Our faces serious and intense. Then the samurai swords come out. Flick. Flick. No, not really. But the questions and answers are serious and he did answer them with his own email program. Oh Yeah. Ready?

Let the interview begin (again):

~

Q: Was the trailer ad libbed, improvised or scripted?

A: Ad libbed. I spoke into a recorder and did several takes on some lines (like the synopsis of the book). My brilliant brother edited it into one track using the best takes. He then filmed the video and used editing tricks so that the visuals matched my commentary.

~

Q: Who came up with the idea?

A: I did. I wanted to do something simple (one shot, no actors) and quick.

~

Q: Did you have a team to set it up or was it mostly just you and a cameraman?

A: Video was shot in Boston, audio recorded in Brooklyn. The magic of the internet. I recorded the audio and then used a file sharing site to transfer it to my brother. He filmed his own lovely hands (back off ladies, he’s married) with his wife’s Kindle. He created the graphics and sent me the final video via the file sharing site. There were a few minor edits, and then it was done. If it hadn’t been for my brother it wouldn’t have happened, so anyone who hated it: blame Matthew.

~

Thanks Sean ~

Are we going to blame Matthew? No. His hands are too lovely.

The 3 questions just raised more questions. Now I want to know more. Don’t you? This is what I want to know from Sean:

  • Your brother Matthew – is he an editor?
  • Do you think Matthew will buy his wife an iPad or something that looks like it’s not from 1986 (quoting you mate)?

Perhaps you could ask for me. That samurai sword scene did happen and frankly Sean is scared of me. See that Numb book cover? See that man with the ripped trousers? That’s what I did to Sean’s trousers with my samurai sword people. Oh, it’s okay. Don’t worry, he’s still alive.

Find Sean on Twitter @byseanferrell and ask him anything you want. Tell him I sent you.

Oh take a samurai sword.

You don’t have one?

Take a hammer.

No, he knows about hammers. Don’t take a hammer.

You only have a hammer? (Okay, read previous post and be prepared if you really insist on taking a hammer)

What? You have a ceramic mask?

Where did you hear about that? Nevermind. Take it.

Ready?

Wait.

Be prepared. This is what Harley May had to say about the book Numb. Yep, you heard right, she got to read it – THE BOOK NUMB. See previous post and comment from Harley. She knows something about that ceramic mask and she’s not telling me. She might tell you. (If you really insist on taking that ceramic mask of yours.)

Ready?

Wait.

Be extra prepared. Rumors abound – but I am sure that Patty Blount met Sean Ferrell recently. She might be able to give you clues.

Ready?

Okay.

Go. Go. Go.

Move. Move. Move.

*shouting into the internet ethers*

Sean Ferrell can also be found at his byseanferrell.com website if you don’t find him on…you still there?…Nevermind…Well if you can hear me – have a good weekend…and go safely into the night as someone said sometime somewhere…if not, they should…you still there?

(Please note: I don’t work for Apple though conveniently my last name is Mac. And it is my real name. I have no association with Apple whatsoever. And they didn’t disown me either for deciding to go against the path of technology to chase after my dream path – writing novels. I just love their products.)

Similar Posts ~

Sean Ferrell – The Author Talks About Writing

Sean Ferrell – The Author Talks About Numb the Character

“High achievers spot rich opportunities swiftly, make big decisions quickly, and move into action immediately. Follow these principles and you can make your dreams come true.”

Robert H. Schuller – Author

CURRENT STATUS: Reminder, Motivator and Review Meeting (Read on if you want to join me in my Corporation of One meeting)

What l have learnt:

  • Introducing Guestblogging by Jon Morrow. There are free videos. I’ve signed up.
  • Mike Larsen’s 6 Keys to Being a Contentrepreneur has good advice. I read his quote in Christina Katz’s book ‘Get Known Before the Book Deal’: ‘You are in three businesses: the book business, the marketing business, and the people business.’ Get used it people, you are. Hide away that eccentric recluse wannabe side of you. I have to. And you have to too. I know. *Group hug sob sob*
  • I’m in it for the long haul. I’m tired but I’m in it for the long haul. Read Publishing Insiders Wrap-Up: From Blog to Book by Pamela Redmond Satran to see what I mean.
  • Found Fictionaut.com and I signed up to be notified if I can sign up on this invite-only website. It focuses on short stories but there’s no word limit they say.
  • Outsourcing. It makes perfect sense if you have the money to do so. Read BookEnds Spending Money to Make Money.
  • The BookDepository.co.uk tells you who bought what book where. (via Guardian.co.uk) Are you a book voyeur?

What I have done:

  • Participating. That’s work. It is. It is. *getting annoyed* It is work.
  • Cleaned the other bathroom. Okay this isn’t work but there would be angry folk knocking down my door if this isn’t done.
  • Christina Katz left a comment on my blog. Hurrah! Thanks Christina. *grins*

WORD COUNT: Night Walker 136,000 in total. Thursday 29 July wrote 1,000 words. Oh Yeah.

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Sean Ferrell – The Author Talks About Writing

Category: People who Inspire, Writing | Author: | Date: July 26th, 2010

It is with much delight that I get to introduce Sean Ferrell as my guest writer for today. I’m still in a state of shock that he said yes and that it only took a few days to get all this in motion. See what two chilled-out people can accomplish? Imagine we put some drive into it, we’d conquer the world. That’s another story for another time, me thinks.

How did we ‘meet’?

I checked out Sean’s book trailer for his book “Numb” which I found clever and funny and left a comment saying:

Funny book trailer. Is that really you, Sean Ferrell, talking? But that Kindle is ugly compared to the iPad. Sorry, I’m a lover of Apple.

Then he responded:

Yes, it really is me talking, and yes, it really is ugly. It looks like something from 1986.

And we got talking and voila, I asked him if I could interview him and the good giving man said yes – thanks Sean – I wasn’t being sarcastic, in the world of publishing everything works well when people can be both good and giving.

So, the interview is below for you to enjoy as well. Later on this week, pop by again won’t you because we have more of Sean Ferrell answering questions on his main character in Numb and how he created his book trailer. So, don’t forget to come back for that. And of course, as always, I’ll remind you.

This is novelist Sean Ferrell giving advice to aspiring writers like me and you:

1) What advice or tip would you give an aspiring novelist still to make it?

Write toward the things that scare you. That’s where the energy is. Low energy writing is hard to pump up, and it will read as inauthentic. If you write to the things that scare you–revelations about you, your past, your family, whatever–that energy that you’ve used for so long to keep that stuff hidden will infuse the writing with energy and authenticity. If you don’t share it with others, so be it, but you’ll feel better and you’ll know you can tackle anything in your writing. And I don’t mean write memoir. I mean, if there is a topic you’re worried you “shouldn’t” try to handle in your fiction, that’s exactly what you should write about.

Also, find your own process. Don’t invest too much faith in any “process that works” touted by teachers or books or famous writers. Find your own way to get the words out. Try everything, adapt, trust your gut.

2) What noticeable thing has changed since you got the book deal?

I discovered I could fly! Actually, no, I always knew I could fly. What did change was I stopped thinking that publication would cure my writer’s insecurities. I still have plenty of opportunities to question my ability, to see the fault-lines and failures.

Publication doesn’t solve anything. If anything it made me realize that I write because I have to. It’s easy to get distracted by goals: if I can only finish a novel, if I can only get an agent, if I can only sell a book THEN I’ll be happy. And that stuff happens and you still find your shoes smell like shit and the dishes are dirty and not much has changed. So nothing changes, nothing is solved, and you still sit down and start writing again. In a weird way, getting published removed the distraction of publication.

3) How do you feel about author marketing? Has it always been that way?

I think that the way marketing and publishing work now puts much more opportunity into the author’s hands than it used to. I say opportunity and not pressure because honestly who would I rather have out there representing me than me? I am by nature an incredibly shy person. I think all my Twitter followers just collectively wet themselves laughing, but it is true. So, as a shy person I find that blogging and twitter have given me a great way to meet readers and writers, and to enjoy talking about books and to sometimes be stupid. Okay, I am often stupid. I am now on the verge of doing some readings where there will be GASP people GASP in front of me and I feel much better about it than I would a few years ago because social networking has made me feel like those who want to hear me will enjoy it, those who don’t won’t, and I can’t control either response so I’ll just try and have fun.

More about Numb:

Numb, a man who feels no pain and has no memory of how he came to be this way, travels to New York City after a short stint in the circus to search for the answers to his past. But when word of his condition spreads–sparked by the attention he attracts from letting people nail his hands to bars for money–he quickly finds himself hounded on all sides by those who would use his unique ability in their own pursuits of fame and fortune. There’s the best friend who doesn’t quite know how to handle Numb’s newfound celebrity, the savvy talent agent who may or may not have Numb’s best interests in mind, the sadistic supermodel whose idea of a good time involves lion claws and can openers, and the blind girlfriend who might actually see something in Numb others don’t. As Numb navigates this strange world, and as he continues to search for clues from his past, he is forced to confront one of life’s toughest questions: Who am I?
(via Sean Ferrell’s website)

Numb, coming from HarperPerennial in August, 2010

Sean Ferrell – The Author Talks About Numb the Character

Sean Ferrell – The Author Talks About the Book Trailer Numb

Chuck Sambuchino – An Interview: Published Book, Writing and a Writer’s Life (Part 1)

“It is good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good too, to check up once in a while and make sure you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy.”

George Lorimer – Editor of Saturday Evening Post

CURRENT STATUS: Reminder, Motivator and Daily Review Meeting (Read on if you want to join me in my Corporation of One meeting)

What l have learnt:

What I have done:

  • My friend Oosters is to write film reviews on my blog. I have another one ‘Whatever Works’ coming to you tomorrow. Yeah!
  • Author Sean Ferrell is to answer questions that I wanted to know and hopefully will benefit you as well. Hurrah!
  • Author Chuck Sambuchino’s interview as my guest blogger has been confirmed for mid-September. Yeah!
  • Talking to a book group run by another friend to see if they would consider writing their book reviews on my blog. Yeah! You can only but ask, right?

WORD COUNT: Night Walker 133,000 in total. Friday 23 July 1,000 words

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