Making a Movie Trailer

By Chester Campbell

I’ve just started working on a book trailer for The Surest Poison. I have an idea for what I want to do, but at the moment I’m frustrated by not finding photos I need to put it together. You’d think a CD with 30,000 pictures would have the one I’m looking for. It doesn’t. However, I’ve located a site on the web called Fotolia.com that says it has 5,697,796 images. Surely something out of that will work.

I updated my movie program, Pinnacle Studio, to the Ultimate version. I just need to don my director’s cap, grab my megaphone, and shout “quiet on the set.” Hollywood, here I come.

Somehow I don’t think it’s going to be that simple. I’ve done a couple of trailers. This one wasn't bad for a first effort, but I think it's a bit short of Oscar material. I’d like to do voice-over, but I don’t have the voice for it. I have a friend from church who does narration for musicals and such. He has a great voice. I’m not sure if my ancient audio equipment is up for the job, though.

I’ve learned a few things since doing my last video. Things like apply the old KISS principle: “Keep it simple, Stupid.” Don’t mix in too many weird transitions. Stay with a simple one that keeps the flow steady. I want to vary between still photos and movie footage. I may have to get out the old camcorder and do some shooting on my own.

I like scrolling narration. I haven’t checked out the new program yet, but I hope it lets you scroll off into the sunset. I think that’s really cool. I seem to remember it being used quite effectively in “2001: a Space Odyssey.”

I’d like to throw in a few sound effects, too. I discovered lots of links to free sound effects at http://www.stonewashed.net/sfx.html. I couldn’t find the sound of fire, but it turns out that paper crumbling makes the same sound.

I find lots of people who do their own trailers use Kevin McLeod’s royalty free music. He has a long list of songs in various categories. I used his music for both of the trailers I’ve done and will no doubt repeat that with this one. His site is www.incompetech.com. It costs nothing, but he encourages a $5 donation. A small price to pay.

I’ll let you know how this one turns out in a future Murderous Musings blog.

Exporting American Pop

By Mark W. Danielson

I love traveling the globe. It’s wonderful seeing the world through other people’s eyes, exploring different cultures, and experiencing new things—but there is no escaping America’s influence overseas. Working in the cargo industry as I do, it’s clear that we import more than we export. The exception to this is our exports in entertainment and fast food. In foreign cities large and small, it’s rare to escape Starbucks, McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. Coke and Pepsi are household names in any language. Movie stars appear on enormous billboards. Even Tommy Lee Jones has his face on Japanese vending machines, promoting a beverage called BOSS. Regardless of how other countries may disdain our politics, they still crave our movies, TV, music, and fast food. Some even dress to emulate their favorite stars, such as the Japanese urban cowboy I saw, boot-scooting his way through a crowded Osaka sidewalk.

Some protest that these American fast-food chains are corrupting other cultures and hurting local businesses. While this point has some credence, there is no turning back. After all, if this food wasn’t fast, cheap, and tasty, it never would have succeeded in the United States, not to mention the rest of the world. Besides, city planners had to approve each of these franchises, so don’t blame us. It’s up to them to decide how much is too much.

Disney is everywhere. Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, and Donald Duck greet visitors to Singapore’s airport, inside and out. Disney theme parks are now in Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. In Osaka, the Cinderella Chapel Hotel boasts a twenty foot Cinderella statue atop the building. I also noticed Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty stickers on a strip club’s window as I walked by, though I have no idea as to their significance. Osaka also has a Vegas-style Hotel LOVE, with The Hotel Miami right next door. Curiously, neither of these hotels caters to American tourists.

American rock and roll is being played in bars and fast food joints around the world. Even my hotel in Penang had a 1960’s American music radio station. In the bigger cities, some outdoor televisions play American music videos. American TV shows and movies are dubbed in numerous languages to accommodate foreign audiences. Sadly, the few English speaking channels often broadcast our worst TV shows, such as Jerry Springer in Almaty, Kazakhstan. I’m not sure who decides what to put on the air, but clearly what is being shown does not represent the United States any more than CNN’s limited stories represent other countries. Sadly, most news stories tend to portray nations in a negative light, which means it’s up to each citizen to accentuate the positive.

My intent here is not to cause an outcry, but rather to identify our successful overseas exports. For better or worse, it’s nice to know that the United States offers the world something that makes people happy, and for that, I’m grateful. As much as it appalls me that our fast food chains are everywhere, kids around the world always smile while chomping their burgers and fries. For them, life is even better if they can eat while watching Sponge Bob Squarepants. So with that, I wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year.