Between AI and Human Touch: The Creation of There’s No Such Thing as Dragons Book Trailer

The book trailer for William D. Sandwich’s debut novel, There’s No Such Thing as Dragons, is out now. It features an elaborate slideshow with lots of animated elements. Although William originally wanted to pursue a traditional form of animation, he utilized AI for generating still images—not for chasing the rise in the use of AI trend, but rather, creativity borne from practicality.

“Only the still images in the trailer are AI because I can’t afford a real artist. Fingers-crossed for book 2.”

When asked about the core aesthetic of the trailer, which features a Medieval Europe or 17th-century feel and a black-and-gold theme based on the book cover, William explained his process:

“The aesthetic just happened. The AI pictures were too big, taking up the whole screen, so the top/bottom bars were added—and near-black turned out to be the best choice for them.To match the book cover I made the text near-gold. That settled on the black-and-gold theme.”

William said he utilized Leonardo.ai, an AI image creator, in generating the still images, using prompts including the words “Medieval Europe” or “17th century” to build a world far from the modern period.

“I had to experiment with different models to find some that could interpret my prompt how I wanted. After I got a picture I was satisfied with, I took it into photo imaging software to apply filters for the final look that I wanted.”

William utilized AI to generate the stills, then proceeded with adding his own creative flair in making the images reflect his artistry. He manipulated the visuals using imaging software, hence the final products, after which he assembled the images in an animation editor.

Beyond the technicalities, William shared a piece on his vision for the emotion he wished to evoke:

“As far as the emotion I want to evoke, I want a family theme, a wholesome feel, combined with action.”

William also walked us through the entire ideation process and some of the creative challenges he faced when incorporating AI into the trailer.

“I consider AI as a minor piece of the equation. AI is annoying to get just right, but eventually you find a prompt that is good enough.”

The real challenge, he explained, was making the still images visually compelling. The solution? Movement. By animating the images and adding dynamic elements, he transformed static artwork into an engaging visual story.

Movement extended beyond simple slide transitions. Fireflies—a small but meaningful element from the story—added life to the visuals.

“Thankfully, it’s easy to draw yellow dots.”

William even included playful interactive details. On the slide reading ‘Who knows what you’ll find,’ he intentionally placed a frog off-center, challenging viewers to spot it. These subtle touches invite the audience to engage with the trailer on multiple levels, blending fun with narrative depth.

Music and rhythm played an essential role. William sourced the perfect track by Kistol from OpenGameArt, a video game asset website.

“I made a video game trailer years ago, the only time I did any video editing, and discovered pretty quickly that everything depends on rhythm… The music (by Kistol) almost perfectly matches the slides. I could have tweaked the timing… but the music still ended the video perfectly.”

About the color scheme, it was guided by the book cover: darkness punctuated by spots of gold, reflecting both the story’s challenges and its moments of brightness.

“This is not a good time in Alexandria’s valley, but she finds some bright spots along the way.”

The trailer was designed to hint at the plot without revealing key details, ending on a sweet note with girls around a campfire—a late but meaningful addition.

Importantly, William emphasizes that the trailer is not an AI creation. Rather, it was built in an animation editor using AI-generated still images, with all pacing, movement, and final touches carefully crafted by hand.

Ultimately, this book trailer is a testament to creativity over convention. AI provided raw materials, but human vision shaped the story, rhythm, and playful interactions. Through careful attention to mood, pacing, and subtle visual motifs, William transformed simple still images into a vibrant, engaging trailer—proof that imagination, resourcefulness, and a little digital magic can go a long way.

Beyond the trailer, the audiobook is now available.

There’s No Such Thing as Dragons Audiobook out now!

Written by William D. Sandwich

Narrated by Tim Dalgleish

Codes, Creative History, and a Courageous Little Girl: William D. Sandwich on There’s No Such Thing as Dragons

The audiobook version of There's No Such Thing as Dragons is now live. But what transpired during its initial processes? Before the book became an audiobook. Before the words were published on a page. Before we were introduced to our courageous protagonist, Alex.

It was an immense switch, a brave leap of faith, balancing two boats: one boat rowing from a decade of software development, and another toward pursuing a creative passion. Bootstrap Publications author William D. Sandwich shares his insights, struggles, and victories from his debut novel, There’s No Such Thing as Dragons.

When asked about the reality and history of his creative process, William was able to encapsulate these in a metaphorical manner, “it’s like an architecture.”

William spent decades developing software, rooted in systems built on logic, structure, and precision. It was a huge shift having to work in a rigid, technical, structured field, then describing an adventure, a fictional world, where a young girl takes the lead. When asked whether writing the book felt like an extension of his programming mindset, this is what he had to say:

“A lot of the analytical side of programming comes through when building my set pieces. The battle at the bridge scene, at the end, was built as I actually described in the book: What are my assets? Now let’s go make a plan (Alexandria says a similar thing in the story). I do that all the time when writing. “What pieces do I have lying around, then how can I use them - it’s like an architecture, be it software or story. “Another thing: I find that when writing code, you add lines to get it right. In writing stories, you remove lines.”

There are writers who seem to have been more comfortable with living a life that is exactly in tune with their writing career. But William was a unique force, having to juggle between writing codes and anecdotes, from designing softwares to describing fictional characters. Perhaps it is indeed some sort of architecture: technical, but grand. Rooted in structure, but still a product of a creative mind.

The book was supposed to be a game. But instead of it being played by many, what made him pursue it as a written masterpiece instead? Here’s what William said about its history.

“It never would have been my game. It was an employer canvassing suggestions that got me writing the beginning of a game. Once he sold his company, I was freed but didn’t have the resources to build such a game, so I just kept writing. “Somehow, and this was over ten years ago, I found myself watching book reviews on YouTube even though I rarely read books anymore. So I had the start of a story and decided to just keep writing to see what I could do.” He said, “See what I could do.”

His protagonist, Alexandria, was a heroine of courage. Perhaps it was a direct extension of the courage William has.

William’s book is deeply rooted in themes of unexpected strength and bravery. When asked about how such themes emerged during his process, and whether any part of Alex’s journey mirrored his own as a first-time novelist, he said he was going for a reality-based story.

“I’m really bad at introspection but I’ll say I did want to convey in Alexandria, and the whole story, a no-nonsense, reality-based story. This comes through (I’m hoping) in Alex’s belief in dragons and fairies, and where that gets her.” Plus, a little sneak peak into his work, “Her brother is kind of mean to her, but, spoiler alert, sometimes the a-holes are right. Alex will have more time to reflect on things in book 2.”

Lastly, William was an established force in his field, a creator used to building things people use. As a debut novelist, he does hope readers can “interact” with his book, he said he just wishes to make “There’s No Such Thing as Dragons” a page-turner, one where people can be hooked enough to keep wanting to know what’s going to happen next.

He envisions a book where readers can interact with it imaginatively.

Codes. Programming. Technicalities, then there came a courageous little girl. Some writers can do it all, William is a testament to it. He builds programs and medieval worlds, creates high-demand softwares, and one fictional heroine.

It shows that in the middle of it all, sometimes, our hearts hold on to timeless imaginative pieces we built in our heads. We care for it, nurture it, and protect it from life’s toughest days.

Soon, when the right time comes, we get to write it out and share it with the world.

There’s No Such Thing as Dragons Audiobook out now!

Written by William D. Sandwich

Narrated by Tim Dalgleish

PROMO ALERT!

Listen to it. Love it (we hope). Review it. 💬

We’re offering Audible promo codes in exchange for your honest review—because indie audiobooks grow through real listener voices.

Interested?

🎁 DM us to get a promo code

🎧 Listen on Audible

📝 Leave a review (short, long, poetic, we welcome it all)

Your words don’t just support one story—they help an entire community of independent authors get heard.

HURRY! Limited slots available.

Let’s keep good stories circulating. 🔁

Get your copy here.

.

Introducing N. E. Weisberg

Say hi to our new Bootstrap Publications author, N. E. Weisberg! N. E. Weisberg (Nathan Weisberg) is a middle school social studies teacher based in Carmichael, California, where he lives with his family and a small rabbit. A lifelong lover of history and storytelling, he holds a Master’s Degree in History from California State University, Sacramento, and Bachelor’s Degrees in History and Psychology from Lewis & Clark College.

This marks his debut as a novelist — a new chapter that blends his passion for the past with the creativity that fills his classroom.

Follow us for more updates on N. E. Weisberg.