Book Trailers: Fun with Multi-Discipline Storytelling
Is anyone ever only one thing? I am an author of four books, but that is not all. My skills fall mostly within the creative realm and it is a joy when I can bring these different areas together.
I have always been a writer and artist, since as young as I can remember. In high school I took art and photography, and got giddy over English class. My undergraduate degree is in visual art—I made conceptual clothing and mixed-media paintings—with a minor in English. My masters is in creative writing. I have been a professional artist and photographer for twenty years.
This background has brought together many artistic disciplines and through them I create meaningful artwork of all kinds. When I approach a new project, storytelling is always top of mind. I ask myself: What creative medium will tell this story the best?
For my memoir, Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing and Pregnancy After Loss, I directed and produced a feature documentary film (of the same name). It was a wonderful, challenging, and rewarding process. I had never engaged with video before, but I realized that it truly is the culmination of so many of my creative outlets.
Photography – I used my photographic eye to frame the scenes and capture beautiful lighting.
Visual art – the film is symbolic and utilizes many wordless ways of communicating that brings depth to the story.
Writing – Not only did I write the book, Expecting Sunshine, but the script for the narration of the film as well.
Creative thinking – The ability to write well and plot a story in book form comes in handy when cutting together scenes for a visual video-based creation.
Expecting Sunshine documentary film has won a plethora of awards and has been screened around the world, from Scotland to the United States to Canada.
For my novels in The 8th Island Trilogy, I brought together all of these skills—and also my ability to make conceptual clothes from way back in my undergrad degree, my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and Design. I created costumes for the fantasy creatures in the three books; Above the Star, Below the Moon, and Inside the Sun. I worked with my friend and fellow artist, Perry Medina, to design and implement body art. I also did the hair and make-up for all the creatures.
What is interesting is how the book trailer process impacted the actual books. As I sketched the costumes, I’d realize that in the books I hadn’t described a character’s eye color, fur color, or some other detail, for example, which I needed to show in the trailer. I would make the decision on this visual element and then add it into the books before their final publishing. It was a funny and symbiotic process.
I want to share with you some of the book trailers I’ve made for The 8th Island Trilogy. A few of them incorporate original music from my friends’ band, the Moonshine Mamas. All of the films were created with approximately 10+ people, most of whom are my friends who volunteered to be a part of the fun. A couple of the trailers are serious in tone, while others are humorous. I hope you enjoy these videos—and can watch them through a different vantage point now that you know what goes into their creation.
Above the Star Book Trailer
Below the Moon Artistic Book Trailer
Below the Moon Behind-the-Scenes Book Trailer Filming
8th Island Trilogy Book Trailer Music Video
Fun Book Trailer + Music Video: The 8th Island Trilogy by fantasy author-Artist Alexis Marie Chute
Watch all the videos on my Alexis Marie Chute YouTube channel by clicking here.
 My books in chronological order:
Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing and Pregnancy After Loss
 Join Us for this Book Series Tour from Jul 7 to Aug 10, 2020!
“A Wrinkle in Time meets The Princess Bride.” – Review by Lee Lee Thompson, The Perpetual You Magazine“Chute’s novel weaves STAR WARS-like characters with a WONDER-like message to form an enrapturing read for booklovers of all ages.” – US Review of Books
“Fast and bizarre… Never a dull moment.“ – Foreward Reviews
SERIES DETAILS:
Series Title:Â The 8th Island Trilogy by Alexis Marie Chute
Category:Â Young Adult Fiction (13 to 17 yrs) (368 to 448 pages)
Genre:Â fantasy, adventure, coming of age, ya, adult
Publisher:Â SparkPress.
Release dates:Â Â Jun 2018; Oct 2019; Apr 2020
Content Rating: PG: Battle scenes and death depicted.
Series Description:
The 8th Island Trilogy includes Above the Star, Below the Moon, and Inside the Sun. Over the three books, we follow the  adventures of a quirky family, the Wellsleys. The main characters are frumpy senior citizen Archie, his daughter-in-law, Tessa, and his ill fourteen-year-old granddaughter Ella.
Archie, searching for his missing son, accidentally transports his family—and a cruise ship full of people—to a magical planet. There, they uncover the truth: all worlds are dying. Yet hope is not lost. A way to restore all that will soon be destroyed is revealed, along with the realization that Ella will play a role no one could have imagined—especially not her.
On the mysterious island of Jarr-Wya, many races of creatures battle for dominion and magic lurks around every corner. When the world falls dark, that is when bravery must shine the brightest, and the Wellsleys will reveal the strength they never knew they possessed—as well as the power of love to save the day.
Books in the 8th Island Trilogy:
Book Details:
Book Title:Â Above the Star by Alexis Marie Chute
Category:Â Young Adult Fiction (13 to 17 yrs), 368 pages
Genre:Â fantasy, adventure, coming of age, ya, adult
Publisher:Â SparkPress.
Release dates:Â Â Jun 2018
Content Rating: PG: Battle scenes and death depicted.
Book Description:
When frumpy senior citizen Archie goes in search of his missing son in the Spanish Canary Islands, he stumbles upon a higher mission: locating a magical cure for his ailing fourteen year-old granddaughter, Ella. Using a portal-jumping device called the Tillastrion, Archie and a stone-headed creature named Zeno are transported to Jarr-Wya, a magnificent yet terrifying island in a connected realm―along with Ella and her strong-willed mother, Tessa, who accidentally stow away on this not-so-secret quest.
What they find on Jarr-Wya is an island tortured by a wicked Star anchored in the sea, and a raging three-way battle for dominion between the stone-wielding Bangols, the fiery Olearons, and the evil Millia sands. Ella’s wit and resourcefulness emerge in this new world, while Tessa is forced to confront her long-buried secrets and a confusing new love triangle. When Ella is captured, Tessa and Archie―with the help of a company of peculiar allies―set out to save her and unravel the terrible mystery of her cure. A mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night adventure of three unlikely heroes, Above the Star reminds us that even the smallest act of bravery can transform our lives and the fates of the worlds around us.
Buy the Book: Above the Star
Amazon ~ Amazon.caÂ
B&N ~ Chapters Indigo ~ Target
Book Depository ~ Google Play
Add to Goodreads
Book Details:
Book Title:Â Below the Moon by Alexis Marie Chute
Category:Â Young Adult Fiction (13 to 17 yrs), 448 pages
Genre:Â fantasy, adventure, coming of age, ya, adult
Publisher:Â SparkPress.
Release dates:Â Â Oct 2019
Content Rating: PG: Battle scenes and death depicted.
Book Description:
Ella Wellsley is not your typical teenager. Cancer left her mute, but not powerless. Trapped in a parallel dimension, Ella rallies her strength to join her family―her mother, Tessa, her grandpa Archie, and her magical boyfriend―in locating the cure to her illness. This cure is entangled in the fate of all worlds, and threatened by the presence of an evil Star anchored in the sea. The Star has thrown life everywhere into chaos―and it is Ella who holds the key to unlocking its mystery.
Caught in a web of betrayal, mistaken identities, secrets, and love triangles, Ella, Tessa, and Archie must overcome their troubled pasts to ensure a future for all worlds. On this journey―armed with unearthly abilities and unexpected allies―each member of the Wellsley family will learn the power of love in the face of their greatest fears.
Buy the Book: Below the Moon
Amazon ~ Amazon.ca
B&N ~ Chapters Indigo ~ Target
Book Depository ~ Google Play
Add to Goodreads
Book Details:
Book Title:Â Inside the Sun by Alexis Marie Chute
Category:Â Young Adult Fiction (13 to 17 yrs), 384 pages
Genre:Â fantasy, adventure, coming of age, ya, adult
Publisher:Â SparkPress.
Release dates:Â Â April 2020
Content Rating: PG: Battle scenes and death depicted.
Book Description:
All worlds are dying, and it’s up to one broken and dysfunctional family from Earth―the Wellsleys―to save the day.
Cancer-ridden Ella celebrates her fifteenth birthday beneath an enchanted mountain, but it is what lies even farther below―the mysterious Star in the sea―that demands she grow up quickly. While Ella grapples with the sacrifice she must make and the lies she is forced to tell, her mother, Tessa, is hell-bent on protecting her.
Through bizarre encounters, love-sick Tessa realizes that she is not the lonely orphan she believes. Her husband, Arden, and father-in-law, Archie, are not the only ones with magical bloodlines. This revelation changes everything. As Archie chooses to embody his unexpected ancestry, he learns that leading the charge in the ultimate battle against evil won’t be as easy as he thought. He’ll need his family―and the strange allies he has gained―by his side to give Ella enough time to set things right.
Can they defeat the unstoppable Millia sands―and another unexpected foe―before everything they hold dear is destroyed? Or will their adventure tear them apart for good? The finale to The 8th Island Trilogy will hold you spellbound until the final page, and long after.
Buy the Book: Inside the Sun
Amazon ~ Amazon.ca
B&N ~ Bookshop ~ Target
Book Depository ~ Google Play
Add to Goodreads
Meet the Author:
Alexis Marie Chute is an award-winning author, artist, photographer, art curator, filmmaker, and public speaker. She has received over 40 noteworthy distinctions for her visual and literary work. Her award-winning fantasy series The 8th Island Trilogy includes, Above the Star, Below the Moon, and Inside the Sun. The series has been described as “A WRINKLE IN TIME meets THE PRINCESS BRIDE” by The Perpetual You magazine, and “Fast and bizarre… never a dull moment” by Forward Reviews. The 8th Island Trilogy “weaves STAR WARS-like characters with a WONDER-like message to form an enrapturing read for blooklovers of all ages” – US Review of Books. Chute’s bestselling memoir, Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing and Pregnancy After Loss, was a top Kirkus title of 2017 and received a plethora of other literary distinctions. The memoir was accompanied by the feature documentary of the same name, which has screened internationally for the last three years. Chute received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and Design from the University of Alberta, Canada, and studied at Media Design school in Auckland, New Zealand. She graduated valedictorian with her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, USA. Chute is a highly regarded public speaker. She has presented on art, writing, bereavement, and the healing capacities of creativity around the world. Contact the Author/Artist for bookings info@alexismariechute.com When not in her art/photo studio or at her computer, Chute loves to spend quality time with her family, read fiction and non-fiction, watch reality TV, paddleboard, and canoe. She is not a winter person but lives in frosty Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with her husband and their three living children.
Connect with the author: Website ~  Twitter~  Facebook ~  Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube ~LinkedIn
Tour Schedule:
July 7 – Splashes of Joy – series spotlight / guest post / author interview / giveaway
July 7 – Working Mommy Journal – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 7 – fundinmental – series spotlight / giveaway
July 7 – Corinne Rodrigues | Booksnista – series spotlight / giveaway
July 8 – Leels Loves Books – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 8 – Book Bustle – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 8 – Living in a Bookworld – series spotlight / giveaway
July 9 – Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 9 – I’m Into Books – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
July 10 – Falling Into A Good Book – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 10 – She Just Loves Books – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 13 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 13 – Books and Zebras – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 14 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 14 – Cheryl’s Book Nook – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 15 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 15 – Blooming with Books – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 16 – Working Mommy Journal – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 16 – Books and Zebras – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 17 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 17 – Writer with Wanderlust – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
July 20 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 20 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 20 – Adventurous Bookworm – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 21 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
July 21 – Stephanie Jane – series spotlight / giveaway
July 21 – Leels Loves Books – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 22 – T’s Stuff – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
July 22 – She Just Loves Books – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 22 – Blooming with Books – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 23 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review of Inside the Sun / guest post / giveaway
July 23 – Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 24 – Falling Into A Good Book – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 24 – Books and Zebras – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
July 27 –  Book Bustle – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 27 – Adventurous Bookworm – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 28 –  Working Mommy Journal – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
July 28 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 28 – Library of Clean Reads – series spotlight / giveaway
July 29 – 411 ON BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHING NEWS – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
July 29 – Blooming with Books – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
July 30 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 30 – Cheryl’s Book Nook – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 31 – She Just Loves Books – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Aug 3 – Leels Loves Books – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 4 –  Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 4 – Cheryl’s Book Nook – book review of Inside the Sun / guest post / giveaway
Aug 5 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 5 – Adventurous Bookworm – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 6 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 6 – Olio by Marilyn – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Aug 7 – Falling Into A Good Book – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 7 – Jazzy Book Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Aug 10 – Books for Books – series spotlight
Aug 10 –Book Bustle – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
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