Crafting a Trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

A while ago, I had an idea for a trailer for the acclaimed Legend of Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom. But could I make a trailer for the video game? I couldn't make the trailer I had in my head (although AI could probably mock something up for me, in this instance I didn't want to rely on it), but I was sure I had the tech and editing know-how to be able to make something decent. I set myself a brief.

I created a simple creative brief: create a 30-second trailer using in-game shots. Avoid major spoilers. And I gave myself a two-hour time limit.

Now, in terms of equipment, I relied entirely on the Nintendo Switch, my mobile phone, a few free apps, and my laptop. The Nintendo Switch has a feature whereby pressing the capture button will record up to 30 secs prior. It also has a feature that allows for sharing captures and videos via a QR code (you follow the link and from there you are able to download the captures you need). And then I allowed myself to be creative.

I had to identify what aspects of the game I wanted to highlight, without containing any major spoilers. I started a storyboard, and then I started gathering the in-game footage. I utilised the in-game camera in the same way I would a real one, thought about the shots I wanted and so on. There were a few occasions where I had to re-shoot the footage I wanted, I also filmed some B-roll. Then I used the Switch's in-system editing capabilities to trim the clips I'd recorded. I shared them and downloaded them onto my phone, and then further edited them as needed. Then, using a free app, I compiled the footage, added transitions and some text, and chose some music (there was an offering from within the app, and I was sure to note the artist for future crediting).

On the whole, I'm really pleased with my trailer. This is actually the third draft, as the first two needed trimming if I wanted to adhere to my brief. I think the result is a more concise trailer that is tighter than it would have otherwise might have been.

The track featured in the video is called Up in Flames, by Andrew Jordan (click here for the Spotify link).