by Steve Badertscher
If you're like me, everything seems to be moving at warp speed during this time of year. Softball games here, baseball games there, helping the kids cram for final exams, and an endless list of graduation parties and weddings to attend, not to mention balancing all of that with the flurry of activity at work. (Which reminds me, there's also a few blog posts waiting to be written.) It brings to mind one of my mom's favorite little sayings: "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get."
Well, I took a few minutes between all of those activities to watch this video I ran across on YouTube recently. I don't know if it helped me relax any from the current hectic pace, but it sure made me reflect on some of the reasons I feel like someone's constantly pressing the hyperspace button on the game of life. It contains some truly staggering facts and statistics that I'm sure you'll find fascinating. Enjoy!
Credit: Opening video at Radio Ink Convergence conference.
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Spring Has Sprung (And So Should You)
by Steve Badertscher
While enjoying a cup of coffee on my patio yesterday, I really was in awe of the beauty that can be seen in all of God’s creation. It was evident in every direction I turned.
Living on a wooded lot, the first thing I noticed was that the trees are filling in and budding. My rapidly growing grass is currently a thick, lush green. Even the dandelions seem to have some redeeming qualities these days. It also seemed as if the animals have a little more pep in their step as the squirrels scurry from branch to branch and the birds serenade them with warbling reminiscent of a Disney movie soundtrack.
Beyond just recounting what a beautiful evening it was, it also reinforced that now is the perfect time to capture outdoor marketing communications visuals.
Our agency will be shooting footage over the next couple of weeks for a video we are creating to promote Marion, Ohio. This is the prime time of the year in the Midwest for capturing nature at its best. There will be a window between now and mid-June when the grass will be lush green, the skies will be crystal blue (when it’s not raining!) and most every flowering plant will be colorful and in bloom.
So if you have old photos of your facilities that need to be updated due to an expansion, now would be the time to schedule shooting new images, whether you need video or stills. Or if the most current annual report photo of your plant has a parking lot full of cars produced pre-1970, now might be a good time to remedy that for the future.
Also, if you need to update outdoor video footage for your training or product videos, shooting now while the grass isn’t brown, the trees aren’t bare or the snow isn’t flying (been there, done that) leaves a much better impression of your company.
Spring has officially sprung, and you should too. Schedule that outdoor video or photo shoot today. This current window of great scenery is something you should take full advantage of.
Flickr Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/booleansplit/
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Show, Don't Tell
by Steve Badertscher
There is a church in our community well known for their unique Easter tradition. That is, they celebrate the events surrounding the crucifixion in a very dramatic and memorable way. During Holy Week, many churches incorporate clever wording on their message boards to remind us that Jesus died for us. This particular church draws attention to the events of the crucifixion on an entirely different level. Let me explain.
According to scripture, following his death, Jesus’ body was removed from the cross and buried in a rock-hewn tomb. And on the third day, Jesus rose again from the dead. So to dramatically tell the story of the historic event, the church reenacts this scene in the front yard of their church. For 3 days and 3 nights, two congregation members dress as Roman soldiers, complete with helmets and spears, and stand guard at the huge stone covering the entrance of the symbolic tomb they have created.
What captures your attention is the fact that these two “soldiers” are live human beings who painstakingly stand vigil not only during the day, but throughout the night as well. All while “dressed” in the attire of the period (read: no Carhartts). Anyone who has experienced April weather in Ohio knows that the days are often cold (and the nights even colder), especially when it’s raining. Often times 30 mile per hour winds accompany the rain (or sleet). Ironically, the inclement weather adds to the dramatic impact of the event, as you can’t help but have empathy for the wet, shivering soldiers. (Love thine enemies?)
And when the stone is rolled away and the guards are conspicuously absent in front of the empty tomb on Easter morning, it visually punctuates the message to every passerby that “He is risen” in a way words can not.
Observing this awesome display this past week somehow made me think about how marketing communications messages could be delivered with similar impact. Not being delivered by Roman soldiers, per say, but by being visually dynamic. By showing the story.
How about you?
Are there ways to better demonstrate what you’re trying to communicate on your Web site via video versus just writing about it? In other words, show the prospect what you’re trying to communicate as opposed to telling them.
For example, could you demonstrate that your product gets the work done in half the time of your competition by showing split-screen video comparisons in real time? Instead of talking about your product being tough and impact resistant, could you demonstrate the same by having trade show attendees throw baseballs at your product samples on the trade show floor?
The next time you need to tell a prospect something, think of potential ways you might demonstrate the information visually, instead. Show, don’t tell. It might just have more impact.
There is a church in our community well known for their unique Easter tradition. That is, they celebrate the events surrounding the crucifixion in a very dramatic and memorable way. During Holy Week, many churches incorporate clever wording on their message boards to remind us that Jesus died for us. This particular church draws attention to the events of the crucifixion on an entirely different level. Let me explain.
According to scripture, following his death, Jesus’ body was removed from the cross and buried in a rock-hewn tomb. And on the third day, Jesus rose again from the dead. So to dramatically tell the story of the historic event, the church reenacts this scene in the front yard of their church. For 3 days and 3 nights, two congregation members dress as Roman soldiers, complete with helmets and spears, and stand guard at the huge stone covering the entrance of the symbolic tomb they have created.
What captures your attention is the fact that these two “soldiers” are live human beings who painstakingly stand vigil not only during the day, but throughout the night as well. All while “dressed” in the attire of the period (read: no Carhartts). Anyone who has experienced April weather in Ohio knows that the days are often cold (and the nights even colder), especially when it’s raining. Often times 30 mile per hour winds accompany the rain (or sleet). Ironically, the inclement weather adds to the dramatic impact of the event, as you can’t help but have empathy for the wet, shivering soldiers. (Love thine enemies?)
And when the stone is rolled away and the guards are conspicuously absent in front of the empty tomb on Easter morning, it visually punctuates the message to every passerby that “He is risen” in a way words can not.
Observing this awesome display this past week somehow made me think about how marketing communications messages could be delivered with similar impact. Not being delivered by Roman soldiers, per say, but by being visually dynamic. By showing the story.
How about you?
Are there ways to better demonstrate what you’re trying to communicate on your Web site via video versus just writing about it? In other words, show the prospect what you’re trying to communicate as opposed to telling them.
For example, could you demonstrate that your product gets the work done in half the time of your competition by showing split-screen video comparisons in real time? Instead of talking about your product being tough and impact resistant, could you demonstrate the same by having trade show attendees throw baseballs at your product samples on the trade show floor?
The next time you need to tell a prospect something, think of potential ways you might demonstrate the information visually, instead. Show, don’t tell. It might just have more impact.
Flickr Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/frield/
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