This is part of the Bittersweet Book Launch case study, where Dan Blank and Miranda Beverly-Whittemore share the yearlong process of launching her novel. You can view all posts here.
by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
One of the ideas for a book trailer we brainstormed was of a small child drifting alone in a rowboat. Luckily, we had a child and rowboat on hand, so this weekend, with the benefit of movie magic, we were able to make it look like my four-year-old was set adrift solo without actually doing so. But the coast guard didn’t know that– they heard the cries of “mama,” glimpsed what looked like a kiddo alone in a dinghy, and made sure to slow waaaaaaaaay down to show us we were being watched, only to have my brother-in-law spring up from his hiding place at the bottom of the boat. Glad we had that kid in a life preserver!
Preparing for his close-up:
Last-minute costume change:
The director:
Just before the coast guard showed up (check out my brother-in-law’s head popping up at the back of the boat- I swear he was in there!):
