A Puppet Show That’s Not for Children

By Neal 

Warning: This book trailer contains NSFW situations as enacted by shadow puppets.

I think I might have written something a while back about how I thought straight-up music videos might be an effective book trailer technique, and this 90-second film for Kathe Koja‘s Under the Poppy might just offer evidence in support of my theory… if, that is, you’re sufficiently motivated to visit the novel’s website after viewing. (Or, for that matter, to just go straight to the book and find out more about the story the film tells!)

As Koja explains on her blog, the film is a collaboration between her, director Diane Cheklich, and puppet master Al Bogdan. It’s certainly one of the most striking visual aesthetics of any promotional video I’ve seen for a book in a while…