GVI’s blog

Faces of Psychiatry

2011-05-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

Recently finished four profiles of psychiatrists for the APA. The project was created to show the face of modern psychiatry. No more couches and old white men in beards. In fact, our four psychiatrists included two women and two men.

So who were they? The first was the highest ranking psychiatrist in the Armed Services. She helped reorient the military toward addressing brain trauma and issues like PTSD. She also reached out to the NFL and families of troops to address the stigma that prevents people from seeking care.

The second psychiatrist mentors Residents and helps run an outpatient clinic. We saw her in action and she tries to give her young doctors new ways of seeing and understanding their patients.

The third, a child psychiatrist, has a private practice and works in a hospital ER. We watched his interaction with "patients" and were struck by his empathy and ability to put people at ease. And he liked being able to help adolescents navigate the often rocky path of moving toward adulthood.

And the fourth, a research scientist at NIH, has spent his career trying to understand and then combat the stranglehold of addiction. In recent years he's been working on strategies for involving communities to effectively reach out to kids at risk. And they've been having some success.

So what have I learned from the experience?

The face of modern psychiatry is a rainbow of people and possibilities.

That the brain remains one of the most complex and mysterious parts of our bodies, and yet, there are often effective treatments that can make a huge difference in the well-being of patients.

That there is a great need for the services that psychiatry can offer and yet, a stigma persists against getting treatment.

That there are many practice options open to psychiatrists, and yet among many policy makers, illness of the brain is still not viewed the same as illness of the heart, liver or lung.

That there is great optimism among the psychiatrists we spoke with.

And that they find fulfillment and fascination in their work.

In all, an inspiring project. And an excellent example of what I like best about what we do, which is learn about people and practices we would most likely never encounter in the routine of daily life. And also, I got to ask a psychiatrist, "tell me how you feel about that..."

Printing Press Then and Now

2011-02-09T10:32:00.001-08:00

As part of our series for the Folger Shakespeare Library celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the King James Bible, we did a short video on the printing process. This illustration gives you a good idea of what was involved in a typical print shop back in the day. There's one person inking the plate, another operating the press, still others setting type, one person checking what's been printed, a young boy apprentice in the foreground helping out. Way in the background you can see a woman bringing in a load of paper. And above on drying racks is the results of the days efforts.

It would take weeks to print a book, thanks to the labor of all those people.

The printing process has certainly changed. A typical printing press for a modern newspaper is a pretty self-contained unit, It can run up to 3000 feet per minute (that's a lot of newspapers) and it also cuts and shapes the paper to size. Obviously requiring a lot less people per page. But I'm wondering if this behemoth isn't also rapidly becoming as outmoded as the first print shop pictured above.

Perhaps a better example of the printing press of the future is the little item pictured below.

The Face of Modern Psychiatry

2011-02-04T14:37:00.000-08:00

Working on a short documentary for the American Psychiatric Association. The APA wants to put a face on modern Psychiatry and the video will profile four Psychiatrists. What stands out is that these days Psychiatry bares little resemblance to the early days of Freud, Jung and the rest of the gang. In fact, modern Psychiatry has transformed itself from an argument over competing theories of personality to a modern medical practice based on research and science. And yes, psychiatrists still do therapy and they can use brain imaging to shows its effectiveness. I guess you could say they've moved from an emphasis on the "mind" to a focus on the brain.

And the video? One psychiatrist we're profiling is a government research scientist trying to combat addiction. His agency is partnering with local communies to put in place early intervention and prevention strategies. The second works with brain trauma and helped create a strong public outreach and education program. The third works with children and adolescents in private practice and the ER, working one-on-one with patients in both an office and hospital setting. And the fourth manages an out-patient clinic for a University Hospital. She's concerned with caring for patients and mentoring young psychiatrists-in-training.

And while it is not the focus of the video, many people still give mental health a low priority compared to physical health. There is still a stigma attached to it and we seem to have difficulty understanding that mental illness is a disease and not simply a lack of will power.

Hopefully, the video will help us gain a little insight and a new perspective on these issues.

Art for Art's Sake

2011-02-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

Google is changing how we experience museum masterpieces. The Google Art Project is a partnership between Google and 17 of the world's leading arts organizations. A short video explains what they are doing.
And for some of the museums, there's a virtual tour of the galleries as well. Easy access for anyone with a computer and curiosity. If this keeps up, we'll never have to leave the comfort of the old rockin' chair...

Photojournalism: Something Old, Something New

2011-01-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

It all started with a

blog in the NYT about the death of photojournalism. Quoting Neil Burgess, former UK Bureau Chief of Magnum: "Magazines and newspapers are no longer putting any money into photojournalism. They will commission a portrait or two. They might send a photographer off with a writer to illustrate the writer’s story, but they no longer fund photojournalism. They no longer fund photo-reportage. They only fund photo illustration."

His comments remind me of one of the great examples of modern photojournalism that originated in the NYT photography blog, Lens. One in Eight Million was groundbreaking, based on the simple concept that NY is a city of interesting characters. Each piece (running about three minutes) plucked a New Yorker out of their every day life and told their story with a sound montage of their voice and evocative B&W photography by a NYT photographer. The people came from all walks of life and the series described as an "ode to the city," won an Emmy for "new approaches to documentary." I found "One in Eight Million" fascinating, posted several blog entries about it, "One in Eight Million" "Letter to Michelle McNally" , told friends and colleagues. It takes empathy and considerable skill to create a compelling story arc in three minutes. You can still see the pieces by following the link above.

But that was that. For whatever reason, the NYT decided to end it. I'm sure that Emmy was a bittersweet moment for the series producers and photographers.

I see other examples, too. Here's a link to NYT Photographer Chang Lee's innovative "Second Chance" series that also died on the vine. It launched in the NYT website in June, 2009 and I believe ended later that year. I wrote several blog posts "A New Way of Seeing" and "Capturing the Stillness" about his work, too. Chang was incorporating video and photography to frame a person's story in key "moments." He created those moments to allow the viewer time to pause and reflect, and gain a deeper insight into the story he was telling. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Chang Lee helped show the truth behind the cliche.

So, for about a year or two, the NYT was one of the most innovative sites on the web for using video and photography to tell stories. And yes, I still see the names of their great photographers in picture credits, but now it's news photography, not explorations of ideas, issues, people, environments, etc. that seemed to offer such promise in the early days of Lens.

Well, I can't end this post with such a downer, so I want to point you towards something new. New to me, anyway. And that's a new site devoted to photojournalism. It's called Fraction Magazine and it features a wide variety of work, much of it devoted to telling stories with pictures. And reviews. And sometimes wonderful surprises, like the work below, created in the 40s by Gita Lenz. Her work, recently rediscovered and published, was featured in the Edward Steichen-curated exhibit "Abstraction in Photography" at the Museum of Modern Art and calls to mind some of the great work of that era.

And these days, Fraction is a great place for those interested in new ways of using images to capture character and exploring the art and ambiance of storytelling. And, hopefully, it will be around for a long time as a source of inspiration for all of those involved in the visual arts.

Time and Space

2011-01-21T14:47:00.000-08:00

Working on a short video celebrating the contribution Planning Director Amanda Burden makes to the City of New York has me thinking about space in more ways than one. I've been editing and interweaving the comments of five people (architects, planners, innovators, etc) describing the impact she's made on the city. I organized their dialogue thematically, added pauses between their thoughts and selected music to bind everything together and create an emotional arc. I've found that designing video this way makes it easier to absorb their thoughts. So all of this had to be accomplished before adding images of a revitalized New York.

And while they're all talking about Amanda Burden, creating a livable city, urban design, space and sustainability, I'm thinking about how to create a different kind of space within the boundaries of this short three to four minute video.

First, some background:

Editing what people say is quite a different experience than editing their words on paper. Most people tend to speak quickly; their thoughts tumble out a melange of phrases, repetitions, with stops, restarts, stutters and an often twisted sentence structure. Reading allows you to stop and consider. But video keeps on rollin' by, so if you're not careful with the words, music and images, it's easy to bombard, overwhelm or simply bore your audience. So how one fills up the space in a three to four minute video is the difference between ho hum and wow.

And what makes it more complicated is this:

When we speak face-to-face we can usually decode what someone is saying by paying attention to their tone of voice, emotional cues, hand gestures, facial expression and body language. But making a video, we usually try to avoid "talking heads," so all those comprehension cues get thrown out the window as we cover up their visual insights with images. Which makes the ability to carefully edit and place spoken comments all the more important.

And you have to do it invisibly, making it seem and sound like the words weren't edited at all.

Once you've mastered that skill, you need to orchestrate how the words are delivered for maximum impact. Any seasoned public speaker knows that timing is the riverbed through which the words flow. It's what comedians and actors live for: Timing. And that's also crucial when editing and structuring someone's words.

And no, I don't change their meaning. I use editing to enhance what they're saying, making their remarks succinct and crystal clear. And then I surgically add space between the phrases, sometimes even adding full stops, to create, with the music, an internal rhythm. Giving greater weight and impact to the words that remain. And giving the viewer the space to process what's being said.

It's a little like a poem,

where the visual space

on the page

gives the words

greater meaning.

Ultimately, it's more like designing than editing, with each moment constructed as a brief embrace and then sending them on to the next.

What You See/What You Get

2011-01-17T10:39:00.000-08:00

Is what you see inevitably what you get? Well not necessarily. Here's an example of what I mean:

Working on a video for the US Conference of Mayors about JFK and the Call to Public Service. Using still images from his presidency and moments from his speeches to capture that sense of who he was and how he inspired others. And opening the piece with just a few comments from mayors talking about how he inspired them and the nation.

Since this was to be an introduction to the video, I wanted to keep the comments short and succinct. So I chopped up their statements to pare down their thoughts and organized them to get the flow I wanted. So far, so good. But then the question: what images should I use? It would have to be something to visually play off what was being said.

Since this video is being created for the 50th anniversary of his presidency, I wanted something dreamy and nostalgic for starters. That, plus the right kind of music, would give more emotional weight to the opening and more power to the comments. When I saw this photo, I decided to shape the introduction around it. This photo is a great example of the difference between seeing and perceiving. What do you "see" when you look at this image and how do you perceive or take in what you are "seeing?" In considering the creative process, each question gets a different answer. Here's what I mean:

Objectively speaking, the photo above shows President Kennedy consulting with his brother Robert, who was then Attorney General. Their body language shows a personal and "private" moment and reflects the seriousness of what they are discussing. The president is obviously distracted by something or someone. Probably the photographer. He is looking away from his brother, and facing the camera. That's the first thing I "saw." But I perceived something else. If the photo was cropped to focus just on the President, it would give the image a totally different context. Still a serious moment, but more abstract. And now you can read much more into the photo. The President's gaze seem as if he was looking right at the viewer, as if sending a message. Which makes it very engaging.

And look at the background. You can see leaves, but they're white. Meaning it was a sunny day and the Kennedy brothers were in shadow, probably standing under a portico at the White House. Also, the photographer was some distance away, using a telephoto lens, which flattens the image. Now the background is out of focus, making the image a little less "real" and more abstract. If the photo was exposed for the sun striking the leaves, the President would be in darkness. But printing the photo so you can clearly see his face also gives it a grainy quality. Again helping make the image more abstract. And that abstraction takes you out of the "reality" of the moment and makes it easier for you to add in someone's thoughts or feelings. The bottom line? You get a dreamy, almost ghostly quality to the image. Perfect for a representation of nostalgic memory.

The Power of Ideas

2011-01-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

When our nation's Mayors talk about what encouraged them to enter public service, their focus often centers on President John F.Kennedy.

We've been listening to his speeches and selecting images from his presidency to create a short documentary for the US Conference of Mayors. And one thing that comes up over and over is how much he seems to resonate with every day people. You can see it the photos. A gift for empathy and an ability to inspire. Coupled with a call to help others. The kind of role model that asks us to reach out to serve others, and by doing so, serve our nation. That's the power of ideas.

David Hockney, iPad Artist

2011-01-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

David Hockney, ever the experimenter, has found a way to capture and present his art, via the iPad. Here's a link to his latest exhibit. His art involves vibrant color, dreamy images, and the fascination of seeing the work evolve. Perhaps that's the best part of this new creative experience, witnessing the artist constantly change the essence of the object. And as such, seeing the object continually redefined in terms of form, texture and color. I find the process hypnotic. And the interview on the web site illuminating, like his work.

A Black and White World in Color

2011-01-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Dorthea Lange, Walker Evans, Jack Delano, Russell Lee. Great photographers of their day, hired by the Farm Security Administration (now the USDA) to photograph America. They traveled our nation documenting how everyday Americans lived and were coping with hard times. It was the first effort of its kind. And the legendary work they produced personifies the Dust Bowl era. The photo of the Migrant Woman and Children by Dorthea Lange is perhaps the best known.

And the whole period is engrained in our collective memory in black and white.

But there's also

work in color.

Who knew? It was one of our first Kodachrome moments as photographers used the new color film stock to give a different view of those difficult times. Does color prettify the images? Is trouble better communicated in black and white? What do you think? The images at the Library of Congress are available here. A haunting memory of how we were.

Glow in the Dark

2011-01-04T11:53:00.001-08:00

Neon creates its own fantasy world. I think that electric glow carries its own magic. Certainly draws your eye. Recently the NYT did a piece about one of the few remaining neon shops in NY, Let There Be Neon. The shop was founded by Rudi Stern who used to do neon shows for the psychadelic guru Timothy Leary. There's an homage to Stern on their web site and a nice slide show of some of their stuff. But many say neon is no longer a sign of the times. No longer a city's defining moment - Tokyo, Las Vegas and Times Square not withstanding.

But there's another side of neon beyond the prosaic. There's the work of inventive neon sculptor Lili Lackich, long known by her signature piece, MONA, originally created for the Museum of Neon Art. Her work is displayed in her book, Neon Lovers Glow in the Dark available on her website. Her website is a fascination in itself. And a great reminder that artists help us see the world through a different lens.

Collaboration

2010-12-29T20:44:00.001-08:00

Creativity, in our business is all about collaboration. Camera and Sound. Producer and Editor. Director and Actor. And so it goes. Collaboration can be bliss or chaos. Sometimes both. When two conflicting visions vie for a voice, sometimes the result is glorious harmony. Say, as in the work of Leiber and Stoller, whose book details how they came up with some of Motown's greatest hits. What was it like? Here's an inside view of their approach to working together: "I can't remember if it's Mike or Jerry who describes their relationship as a 50-year-old argument," says David Ritz, who ghostwrote Leiber and Stoller's joint memoir. In their words, it was "long, long years of stepping on each other's words and toes and sentences."

And then there's the dynamic duo, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In Keith's new book, Life, he describes yet another turbulent collaboration, but a winning partnership too. And that dichotomy is also the subject of a recent NPR story on the powerful energy unleashed by polar opposites.

For me, the key to a successful collaboration in music or any other creative effort is to find a way to harness that energy. I think it's normal, even predictable to have different approaches, different points of view. That's part of the creative process. But then it's about listening, hashing it out, exploring and synthesizing. You can travel parallel paths, zig and zag, but eventually you have to come together. And when you do, you can really rock and roll.

DBA and the Age of Anxiety

2010-12-28T18:23:00.000-08:00

Given all the Holiday gear newly acquired in all our households, it's now time we prepare for that electrifying malady known as DBA. What's DBA, you ask? With DBA we're talking the latest viral video ploy: Dead Battery Anxiety, as created by a Charleston, South Carolina firm Slant Media for Philips Electronics.

Yes, it's a little stupid, which is what makes it funny. And yes, it conjures all those TV ads touting the drug of the day. So there's that familiar strain about it. And it's a little self-conscious too, which seems to play fine on the Web. And there's that "hey, we're in on the goof, cause we're as cool as you" hipster attitude. If you strike the right tone, it works well with the genre. And I think this one has appeal.

The ads are simply shot and edited (good for the Web). Fun punch lines. My favorite is "Plug Hawk Tazed at Airport" because it just relies on physical action and that funky consumer camera look. You can watch them all at the DBA website.

The NYT wrote about the campaign in Stuart Elliot's advertising column. We learn that consumers "worry about power" constantly, since smart phones are kinda dumb about how much power they use. And the campaign was designed for the online world, because Philips and Slant think their consumers have pulled the plug on TV and print.

So there you have it. If you want to follow their rules for a viral campaign, hang on to a style everyone already knows, add some humor, keep it simple, make your point and get out of the way, and don't try to be too slick. That's my take away.

Radioactive, the Book

2010-12-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

A new "graphic novel" biography of the Curies, Marie and Pierre, is getting rave reviews. The Press Release:

A VISUAL JOURNEY INTO THE LIFE OF MARIE AND PIERRE CURIE AND THE HISTORY OF RADIOACTIVITY, AS TOLD THROUGH THE DAZZLING ARTWORK AND WRITING OF

ACCLAIMED AUTHOR AND ARTIST LAUREN REDNISS.

To create the visuals for the book, she combines vibrant backgrounds captured on photographic paper via the rays of the sun and her stylized line drawings. And she is a powerful storyteller, as her work is described in this NYT review: "... it’s a deeply unusual and forceful thing to have in your hands. Ms. Redniss’s text is long, literate and supple." The review continues: "The electricity in “Radioactive,” however, derives from the friction between Ms. Redniss’s text and her ambitious and spooky art. Her text runs across and over these freewheeling pages, the boundaries between word and image constantly blurring. Her drawings are both vivid and ethereal."

Here's two examples from her book

Like all powerful artists, she offers a new way of seeing and thereby new insight into the world we live in. Not to mention that the Curies themselves make a fascinating story. And coupling her distinctive visuals with a talent for language should put Radioactive high on anyone's reading list. And, hey, the cover glows in the dark.

Just Joe and a Great Idea

2010-12-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

Any one working in our business knows its hallmark is collaboration. Yeah, we hear about the Director as Auteur and the Client as King. But nothing happens without a bunch of people working together. One-man-bands only work on street corners. So here's a new approach to an old concept. Maybe brilliant. Maybe unworkable. But like any new idea, it's worth a closer look. And if what you see is any example of what may be, then it could be a definer for how we creatives will come together to play in the web sandbox in the next decade.

Joe Gordon-Levitt is the proud creator of HitREcord.org which is a site for many people to work on a project as each contributes and/or reforms the work. It could be as simple as a remix or as complicated as a grand production with Joe as the Director/Prime Mover. Joe's concept explainer video is here. And a fantastical collaboration video, inspired perhaps by his great work in the (500) Days of Summer can be seen in the fanciful Morgan and Destiny's Eleventeenth Date - The Zeppelin Zoo. Check out the language. That in itself is worth the price of admission.

One Man Makes a Difference

2010-12-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

An essential part of America's mythos is that one person can make a difference. We celebrate those that do and encourage others to follow their example. Today NPR ran a story about one such person, Bernie Marcus. Upset about so many of our troops returning with brain damage, he wanted to help. Funded a program to do so and pitched it to the VA, saying he would help finance it. According to the NPR story, the VA said thanks and did nothing. Bernie, a co-founder of Home Depot, went ahead on his own to set up Project Share, and the results of his philanthropy are documented in the story.

A number of years ago I worked for the VA on a biography of Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, noted heart surgeon. What I learned from that experience was that DeBakey served in WWII, learned about medical trauma, developed the concept of the MASH unit to provide immediate attention to wounded troops and successfully fought the military bureaucracy in order to institute it during the Korean War. He also helped create a system to track surgical outcomes, trained hundreds of surgeons and continued to work closely with the VA to insure quality of care. That was a time when the VA was a proud institution.

I think the NPR story is a good example of how big organizations can become tone deaf to their original mission. And in the process lose touch with the needs of the people they were set up to serve. It's a process that seems to repeat itself over and over again. Making the NPR story an excellent example of what good journalism can accomplish.

Both Sides Now

2010-12-20T17:35:00.001-08:00

Lt. Col. David Richardson makes his home within two worlds that often collide. Sometimes he's an abstract artist. Other times a marine. Fascinating that he can keep the two facets of himself compartmentalized. But understandable as well. I know nothing about his service in the Marine Corps. But I very much like his art. It's bold and yet inviting. The work seems to take you on a journey, and within the splashes of color you can get lost in its checkered landscape or invigorated by unraveling the fabric of some unknown army off to war. I think he's found a way to envision his own symbols of territory, might and power. Much of his work at a local gallery in Washington, DC is inspired by the Trojan war. Fitting, right?

To rise to the rank he now holds, he has to have a mind that's orderly; that deals with systems, evaluation and logic. To work as an abstract painter, he has to have a mind that's creative, open to experience, in touch with an emotional landscape. I find the contradictions fascinating and empowering.

Because to understand how to communicate effectively, and to work successfully in our business, you need to be able to flow freely between those two worlds. You should possess all the evaluative and creative qualities evidenced in the two lives of Lt. Col. Richardson. And, given how separate those two lives must need be, I admire that he gives voice to both. That definitely takes commitment and courage.

And why does he do it? Here's a quote from a NYT article: I was never interested in painting ugly paintings,” Colonel Richardson said. “We often say to the general, ‘Here is the bottom line up front.’ My bottom line up front is I want to create something beautiful. To me there are enough disturbing and ironic things in life.”

Making it Real

2010-12-20T06:52:00.000-08:00

Sound in a video or movie is the "making it real" part of the puzzle. We think about the images and often those are what stick in our mind. But it is sound that brings it all to life.

Imagine a beautiful landscape and the sound of birds. Sets you up for a good feeling. Now imagine the same landscape and the sound of approaching helicopters. Could be trouble coming.

Same picture, different realities, thanks to sound. And creating a sound scape for video or film can be enormously satisfying. A long long time ago I was hired to do sound design for a USDA film, "Day of the Killer Tornados." I know, sounds like a joke. But this was a long time ago. And while a dramatic story was told about the Government's tornado early warning system, most of the images had no sound whatsoever, just narration and a few moments of dialogue. It was my job to find and sometimes create the missing sounds. As one of my first jobs as an editor, it was a great lesson for me in how sound can bring the story to life.

NPR recently ran a piece entitled the Sounds of Star Wars. It talks about sound effects and how they found signature sounds for those movies. And created R2D2's memorable character in the process.

What’s with those new discs?

2010-12-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

We don’t normally spend a lot of time talking about equipment, but we’ve been working with Sony’s XDCAM system for a little over a year, and it deserves a few kind words.

XDCAM started as a disc-based field recording system for standard NTSC. The camcorders now shoot gorgeous HDTV images on discs that use technology similar to Blu-ray DVDs. The real difference is that the video is recorded as individual files, rather than as a continuous stream on a videotape. Each file is recorded twice; you get both a low-res “proxy” file to view or edit and a high-res HDTV file to finish your program with.

The proxy files are easy to put on a disc for screening on a PC, and you can quickly load them into the Avid for editing. In fact, they load so quickly that it offsets a good bit of the extra cost of shooting in HD. As the video is recorded directly on a disc, you have a piece of physical media with your original footage that you can keep on your shelf.

While this may seem trivial, a lot of digital video is now recorded on reusable memory cards and then transferred to portable hard drives for storage. I’ve never been comfortable with this. It’s not unusual for video to be transferred incorrectly and the mistake not noticed until the original memory cards have been reused. Then you’re out of luck. That won’t happen when you record directly to an XDCAM disc. It’s a much more robust solution.

XDCAM is great for mastering, too. While it’s essential to keep a master copy of each project, videotape masters are obsolete. Our solution is to archive projects on XDCAM discs. Not only do we put a hi-res digital copy of the finished video on the disc, we put all the files related to the project on the same disc: the Avid project file, files for a DVD, a video file for the Internet, raw graphics files, etc. So you have everything you need in one place if you need to change the video down the road.

Over the years, I’ve found that it’s good to be skeptical about the never-ending stream of new formats that come along. XDCAM was worth waiting for.

Introducing Budrus, A Powerful Documentary

2010-12-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

Feature documentaries are difficult to make. They take time, money, an unflagging commitment to work through numerous obstacles and grit. And with all of that, you often run the risk of sinking into a predictable and one-sided conversation on a complex issue. The documentary, "Budrus" is none of that. It is a compelling portrayal of the power of an idea, namely using non-violent protest to effect change in the war-torn Middle East. It shows how one person can make a difference. And it is made with the kind of skill that plunges the viewer right in the middle of the action. I found it very moving and informative. It's made by an international organization, Just Vision, dedicated to promoting non-violent solutions. The woman who directed and edited it, Julia Bacha, was an editor of another great documentary, "Control Room," her first film effort. She's very talented and I highly recommend it.

Fiona Tan at the Sackler

2010-11-26T14:49:00.001-08:00

There's a fascinating video exhibit at the Smithsonian's Sackler Gallery. Fiona Tan: Rise and Fall presents the first major presentation of her work in America. Tan uses video to explore identity, memory, our place in the world and how we might understand and experience another person. Fiona Tan was born in Indonesia, grew up in Australia, her father is Chinese and she lives in Amsterdam. Her struggle to understand her own identity is a jumping off point for her art. More to the point, her work is unlike any video presentation we're familiar with. She pushes the realm of portraiture into uncharted territory. Yet her work inspires me to see things differently.

One piece, Rise and Fall, compares two women, one younger, the other older. They seem to be musing on their lives, on each other. Are they the same person, encountered at two stages of their lives? Is the older woman remembering the past? Or the younger imaging her future? Tan's languid images are striking in their simplicity. She has a wonderful eye for composition, often inspired by the Dutch masters. Each moment unfolds with a sense of mystery, while building a strong connection between the two women. It is quite a meaningful experience, yet no words come between us and the powerful images.

Another work, Provenance, explores portraiture as a fluid construct. We meet a person; see the artifacts of their life that surround and define them. Again, each person is presented without words, yet the profiles have a surprising sense of intimacy. The images are stylized, feel more like paintings than video, and are an example of her effort to create a new way of capturing identity.

Her pieces reveal themselves slowly, almost hypnotically. Go when you have some time to give to the experience. There are many unexpected pleasures that await. The exhibit runs through Jan. 16th at the Sackler Gallery.

The Vision Thing

2010-11-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes David Brooks makes me mad. Other times, I think he's absolutely brilliant. Like other columnists I read, he makes me think. Can't ask for much more than that. And not too long ago he wrote about America's economic future. I liked what he had to say and so I'm sharing it here. His column, "The Crossroads Nation," appeared in the NYT this November. And he lays out an optimistic vision for what kind of nation we could be. I suggest you read the whole column. But here's an excerpt:

"... economic power in the 21st century is not going to look like economic power in the 20th century. The crucial fact about the new epoch is that creativity needs hubs. Information networks need junction points. The nation that can make itself the crossroads to the world will have tremendous economic and political power."

Too often we get so caught up with the issue of the day we lose sight of the big picture. Where are we going and how are we going to get there? I think we'd all like our leaders to spend a little more time developing "that vision thing." Because, without a road map for where we want to go, we're more likely to stumble around in the wilderness...

NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts

2010-11-19T09:16:00.001-08:00

Radio's great. You get to paint your own pictures and no place provides a broader canvas than NPR. But not too long ago I stumbled upon their Tiny Desk Concert and loved it. First of all, finding a venue for new music is not easy. The old independent radio stations are pretty much a thing of the past.

Into the breech steps NPR. And not only with music, but with video too. Like this one, featuring Lost in the Trees. NPR's concept: bring the performers into a corner of the office, move away the desks to create a little space and shoot it simply, focusing on the music. The resulting performance has a lovely, intimate quality. Watching it, you feel like you're one of the NPR staffers just out of frame, hanging out to listen. And the musical variety is broad and stimulating. You also have a front row view of the performers, you can feel their connection as they play together; see how they listen and play off each other. Really watch the creative process unfold as you listen to their work. Also, because it's an acoustic experience, there are no electronics for the performers to hide behind. And the video makes it clear, it's all about the music. The variety of performers mixes the old with the new. You can link to the series, which started in March of this year. The old ones are archived. A great, innovative use of video for a radio network. And something to brighten your work week.

The High Line - Why I Love New York 2

2010-11-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

We walked the High Line a few weeks ago. It's like the boardwalk with the city playing the part of ocean. All around was the bustle of urban life ebbing and flowing 50 feet below. Yet above the fray we could relax, ponder, sit, observe, chat, view, read, photograph, admireand exclaim in the company of hundreds of fellow city surfers. All of this taking place from an aerial vantage point hovering above the flow. Surrounded by plantings and such elegance of design. Design that incorporates the remnants of its original mission: providing rail freight to the West Side's meat packing and industrial enterprises. And taking fanciful flight, with an amphitheater complete with viewing window of the street, benches that rise right out of the walkway like waves, wooden lounge seats that roll on tracks, and a plentitude of artifacts, all preserved in homage to its rail yard past. And an instant creator of community. Amazing outcome for a project slated for demolition.

These photos may give you a little of the flavor.Good Magazine's first issue featured a video about the High Line's history that is a great background piece. Andthe New York Times has a whole section on it in their archives, including slide shows, multimedia and a piece on the people who perform for the high line strollers.

The Underbelly Project - Why I love New York Pt 1

2010-11-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears, does it make a sound? If over 100 street artists create intriguing, original work that no one can see, is it there? How about work created in a secret underground location known only to the artists and a select few. A never finished subway station, long abandoned, then rediscovered and tagged with intriguing images, then abandoned to the stuff of urban legend. This is The Underbelly Project. And it models a vision right out of the work of William Gibson where part of the plot of the second book in his latest trilogy focuses on virtual art only visible to a select few.

In The Underbelly Project, an abandoned subway station in the bowels of New York City serves as the exhibit site. And an excellent article in the New York Times describes the event and how it came about. The exhibit celebrates the punk sensibility of street art. In another era, it would be the surrealist or the dada sensibility. You could say the process of making the art makes its own statement - it's Art for Art's sake.

So why am I writing about this? I like the sheer audacity that they did it. I like that two street artist/curators saw the opportunity and went for it. And that 100 artists saw the elegant irony of their vision and went for it, too. That they did it for the fun and exuberance of it. And then to be thrust instantly into the mists of urban legend. And the best work, as you'll see in the slide show and video that accompanies the article, conjures the mystery of the unseen and unknown. And in an almost perverse way, it celebrates the vibrancy of America's greatest city. A city where anything seems possible.

Natalie Tran

2010-10-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

YouTube has introduced me to a number of people who've found their calling as video bloggers. My latest fascination is Australian Natalie Tran, who goes by the name Community Channel. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about her:

Natalie Tran is a digital media student and a second-generation Vietnamese Australian with more than 720,000 subscribers and more than 268 million views.

As of July 2010, there are 238 videos available on her YouTube channel and she's the most-subscribed of all-time in Australia and the 22nd-most subscribed of all-time on YouTube.

Here's Forbes. Yes, Forbes the business magazine:

Natalie Tran isn’t just some 22-year-old who lives in her parent’s house, makes look-at-me videos and posts them on YouTube for kicks.

OK, she is.

But her clips on Community Channel have also made her one of 10 global independent YouTube stars who have earned more than $100,000 in the past year.

She's funny, has a great sense of the absurd, talks about the daily flotsam and jetsum of her life with a wry sense of humor. And she brings in her cultural heritage to the mix, which gives her life commentary and observations all the more flavor. And every video ends with her responding to comments from her viewers. Making you feel like one of the Community Channel posse. Her self-effacing attitude makes the whole experience fun. And then you go on to screen the next one.

So she gets to share the world of Natalie with all her video viewers and get paid for it too. Not a bad gig.

Getting it Right

2010-10-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

Bob James, aka The Mighty Copywriter, writes an informative and stimulating blog, Copy Points exploring issues around marketing, communications and the art of effective writing. I've read a number of his pieces with interest, and his latest touched a nerve. Entitled "Is it Real or is it Sominex" he talks about how advances in technology are enabling the budget-challenged corporation to produce "business casual video." In other words, a do-it-yourself approach to producing corporate video.

But the typical amateur, as Bob blogs, creates amateurish work:

"That's because technology—in the hands of amateurs—cannot compensate for amateurism. Cheap technology, moreover, only encourages amateurism to spread,like a plague."

Well, of course I agree. But there's another part of the story I'd like to talk about. Because, for me, the issue is not just about advances in technology reducing the professional's "advantage". Amateur work is usually amateurish for a reason. Because a professional in our business has the ability to understand where the audience is coming from. How they think and what they value. And professionals enjoy a creative expertise honed by years of crafting messages.

Too often, corporate communication from an insider's point of view is just that: written from the "insider" point of view. They don't see the company as others do, who live outside their corporate silo. Again, that's what the professional has to offer. We understand how to shape a message so it reaches people "where they live." And what I learned from all those years doing political media is this: how you frame the issue and ideas defines how people respond and understand what you are trying to say.

The essence of amateurism misses all of this. It is high on enthusiasm and energy, which is great and really connects, up to a point. And that, to be fair, is some of its appeal; as insider corporate communications are so often deadly and boring.

But that's usually where it ends. Amateurs lack the professional's dispassion and insight. They go for the obvious, lack subtlety, and rarely employ the power of well-chosen images and evocative music. And they are not phrase makers. I've watched one nationally-recognized political consultant routinely spend hours trying out different variations of a phrase until he found the most potent combination for his client. And I've seen how the media picks up that concept as their own and runs with it. Because he spends all that time and creative power to get it right. And that's the bottom line, really. Getting it right.

As they say, you can have it quick, cheap or good. Pick any two.

A Voice in the Wilderness

2010-09-20T11:53:00.001-07:00

We are so visually oriented, but music is another way of sharing and perceiving and, I suspect, is universal to all cultures. Music offers a wide range of emotions and composers shape their sounds to create pictures in the mind. But where do they find inspiration? And how does one create a work of substance? Well, sometimes, you need to listen to the silence. For me, I often need to block out the "background noise" before I can find the inspiration I'm looking for. So I was very tuned into the story of contemporary American composer, Robert Kyr as broadcast recently on NPR. Kyr journeys to a remote monastery in New Mexico to seek the silence of the desert. And I found this story on he finds his muse very moving.

And if you'd like to explore his music further, here's a link to one of his CDs.

It's a Wrap

2010-07-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Introducing the Sniper Twins, two hiphop pals creating their own brand of viral videos for the corporate world. Barry Flanagan and Dax Martinez-Vargas, former high School buddies, attended the same film school and eventually found their way to MTV, making on air promos. But their claim to fame, such as it is, has come from doing the corporate video thing, only, doing it their way.

Their first big effort, "Computer Friends" (over 700,000 plays on Youtube) was a spec project they eventually "sold" to Seagate Technology. According to one article, "payment" was in the form of hard drives. Okay, but they clearly had a good time making the video and it's fun to watch them do a send up of office geekdom as they revel in the bits and bytes of their computer rap.

Their next effort, "Chocolate Shoppe," shows them rapping and prancing through a Hershey Chocolate Factory, plopping on their chairs doing the "chocolate drop." Sweet. And I suppose they got a lot of lettuce for their video praising the virtue of salads. And so it goes.

While I applaud their efforts, using the trappings of rap to brand a corporate image or market a product is, let's face it, a bit of a stretch. Although, given their enthusiasm, they almost pull it off. But the corporate thing gets lost in the funky egoism of their rap. It's hard to wag your finger around a coherent message and they wrap each video with the Sniper Twins logo. So dudes, what are you really branding?

I checked the Seagate Website to see how the video was being used and failed to find it. Oh well.

But kudos to them for taking the leap. And given the in-your-face flavor of new media, I'm sure we'll be hearing more from the Sniper Twins.

As a PS, check out the video they did for Reese's, Flippo's BIG Stunt. Perfect.

A very creative site

2010-06-21T12:37:00.001-07:00

Stuart Elliott, who writes on advertising for the New York Times, describes an innovative website and marketing campaign for a brand of gin. The website, full of whimsy, nostalgia for a bygone era, and a clever pastiche of images is worth a gander.

Mr. Elliott writes: The Web site, billed as the Curiositorium, is a digital curio cabinet, stuffed with all manner of offbeat, oddball sights and sounds that are intended to bring to life the brand’s promises that it is “a most unusual gin” and “it’s not for everyone.”

Best yet, the product it touts actually came on the scene just a few years old, but then, who's counting? The creative team designed their product and site to look like something alive and well in Edwardian England. Full of fanciful images, perusing their site is fun and inviting. They even invite you to become part of their exclusive little club. And of course you'll want to try their product.

But for me, the site is a great case study for how creative minds can transform something as mundane as a bottle of gin into a nostalgic celebration full of romance and feats of derring do.

This is One Time Being Number Two Ain't So Bad

2010-05-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

I guess it's official. It's on the web, so it must be. We, as in the proud city dwellers of Washington, DC and its' surrounds, are second in the nation when it comes to "living the good life." So says Portfolio.com: We lead in four categories: "with the largest concentration of management and professional jobs, the highest share of big houses, the best percentage of college-educated adults and the lowest poverty rate for families.

I wonder about that last one. Living in Capitol Hill, I see people living in poverty hovering around the fringes of affluence. But obviously also a great number of the educated and accomplished. Not to mention the area's cultural and ethnic diversity, and the explosion of the arts and music, theater and restaurants that define a great city.

So, I'm delighted with our new designation.. Considering how, not too long ago, we were known as the murder capitol of America, a city many people found sketchy even during the daytime, it's a real coup to be number two.

And having an educated, accomplished population means continuing economic vitality and innovation. Which is probably the best news of all.

Dreaming of the Circus

2010-05-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm sure a lot of people have shared this fantasy, some time in their life: "If things get really bad, I'll just run away and join the circus."

Maybe not so much anymore, but once in America, when the circus came to town, everyone lined up for the parade. It was a very big deal. Well, the flavor of that era was captured by a great unknown photographer, Frederick Glaiser. He photographed circus people for over thirty years, and perhaps because they all knew and accepted him, the photographs are quite revealing. There is a very natural, unromantic style to his work as he raises the curtain that separates the circus folk from the rest of us. Or maybe he just captured images from a more innocent era. What ever the reason, I love looking at those frozen moments from a distant America.

His work is featured at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Florida. And the NYT wonderful Lens Blog gives you a quick overview of his work. And you can buy a book featuring his work from Eakins Press.

creativity in the digital world

2010-05-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

Advertising has always been a magnet for the creative mind. And in the old days, you'd often find an art director paired with a copy writer to dream up the next big thing. But a recent NYT article describes a much more integrated approach for the world of digital media. A new program at the University of Colorado, Boulder addresses the need for the next gen "creatives" who must possess technical, business and creative skills.

The pace of digital media work is much faster as technology and formats continue to evolve. So Boulder Digital Works has designed a flexible project-based approach to match the ever changing digitocracy. I'll let them speak for themselves:

There are only a few dedicated digital programs in the US and they tend to focus on individual specialties, such as advertising, business, design, or technology. In real life — at leading advertising and digital agencies, start-ups, and software companies — business, creative, and technology people work in an integrated setting and are expected to be multi-disciplinary thinkers and problem solvers.

I really like that concept. So many people who work in the creative milieu are only really comfortable within their limited skill set. Which puts them at a disadvantage. To be a good editor, you need to think like a producer. To be a good producer, you need to think like a good writer. And so on. To become successful collaborators and do our best work, we need to understand our client's needs, what they're trying to accomplish and why. That gets translated to the project's goals and underpinnings...what are we doing and why are we doing it. The big picture. Everything flows from that.

It took some serious mentoring on my own professional journey to help me understand all that. So I'm happy to see that world view being taught to the next gen. I guess that's what progress is all about, right?

How We Tell Our Stories

2010-04-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

The other day I ran across a striking two-part video series looking at runaway kids, called "When No One's Looking" It's an intimate view of how runaway kids try to survive on the streets and the threats to their safety. Their story is told in two short news-style documentaries that have become typical of what the NYT is offering on their Lens Site. And while I applaud what they are doing, I'm also reminded that this is not something they've just discovered. Years ago there was a landmark documentary, "Streetwise" centered in Seattle by Mary Ellen Marks, Cheryl McCall and Martin Bell. That was back in 1984, when street kids were first made visible by the Academy Award nominated documentary. You can watch it in segments on YouTube.

I'd like to talk about these two projects, a little bit. And about why, even as they deal with similar content, they create two quite different experiences.

The goal of the NYT documentaries is news. The story is told primarily by the journalist, Ian Urbina, and likely motivated by a government report describing an increase in juvenile runaways. The point of the story is information and we are always looking at the kids from a distant perspective. In the two seven-minute pieces we spend very little time with any one kid, so, as typical in news, they become illustrative models for the story's content. Their plight is made more compelling because their story is told in video and video puts a human face on an abstract issue. Several faces,actually. But by the end of the piece we are ready to move on, left with the sad understanding that these kids have essentially become invisible people. This is what can happen when no one's looking out for them.

"Streetwise" is a riveting example of a feature documentary. The story is told as captured moments from the lives of of real kids. You never hear from the filmmakers but they have clearly won the trust of the kids as they invite you into their lives on the street. I remember the film as having no narration other than the words of the kids. And we're able to spend a fair amount of time with each of them, which helps us get to know them as people. That is really important and is what makes the movie so powerful. We see the counterpoint between their playfulness (after all, they are still kids) and the tough life they've found thrust upon them once they'v run away from home. We also see how, living in a world without adults, they try to help each other.

In both environments there is an older, more streetwise kid who tries to help the younger ones. And in both cases, the kids often feel they have no where else to go. But by the time the "Streetwise" documentary is over, you're rooting for all of them, hoping they'll find a way to build a life for themselves. And you feel a connection to them, for through the film you feel as if they've become part of your world. If you go to YouTube to watch it, you'll see comments from people talking about that sense of connection and wondering what happened to the kids. Even though it was 26 years ago...

Creating work to include that human connection is what makes video most compelling and most effective. The key is how you package the content. When I used to work on PBS documentaries or on political campaigns that's what I went for: to let the human side shine through. And when I work on projects for clients, whenever possible, that's what I go for. Because what you include and how you present it is just as important as what you're trying to say. So I look for that telling moment, that gesture or look or interaction that makes the viewer feel the human connection. And I try to find a way to use images to enhance the emotion of what we're trying to communicate. And use those visual moments as the vehicle to drive home the content.

"Streetwise opens with one of the kids talking about how much he likes to "fly" And then we see him jump off a bridge into the water below. And in a way that strong visual is a metaphor for the whole film. Kids living on the edge... plunging the depths... trying to survive. And you know, instinctively from that opening visual, that what you're about to see will be very different from what you know about the world you live in.

Decoding the Messages Behind the Message

2010-04-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

The NY Times reports that the Feds are launching a new campaign to help educate kids about advertising. A sample ad is at the left, for eco-friendly jeans made by an imaginary company. This ad and others are similar to those used to target kids, and I guess all of us.

As noted in the Times article, the government enlisted the aid of Scholastic, the educational publishing company and Fleishman-Hillard to create the ads, a website and game to help kids decode ad messages and "become critical thinkers."

Over the years I've spent a lot of time crafting messages for persuasive media, political campaigns and issue ads. So I've learned first hand how powerful a medium video can be to deliver those messages. And while kids are certainly a lot more media savvy in some ways, they and all of us are susceptible to the subtle messages so often embedded in advertising. We're so used to them, they don't even register in our consciousness.

As the lines have become blurred between fact and fiction, news and advertisements, political rhetoric and reality, etc. the ability to think critically is more important than ever. Nobody likes to be manipulated. So I'm glad that we're making an effort to help kids understand the motives and messages behind the message.

Apple's iPad

2010-02-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

From what I've read about the new iPad, I think there's maybe more there than meets the eye. It certainly offers new hope for the publishing industry. Lots of change already starting there. So much has been written about it, but here's a link to a thoughtful piece about Apple's new device that puts it in a very interesting perspective.

Copenhagen

2009-12-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

I can't really say that when we won the competition to produce the State Department's video on America's response to climate change that we fully appreciated all that we were getting into. The project as described was to be mostly interviews and the timeline very tight (about two months to get it done).

But we presented a different approach, suggesting that going on site, hearing from real people and seeing first hand some of the public and private initiatives around the country would be very powerful. And a potent message to counter the skeptics who felt that the United States had been asleep at the wheel on this issue.

Yes, the quick turnaround and complicated subject was a challenge, but an exciting one. We sent two producers to different sites around the country to capture a glimpse of the state of the art of weatherization initiatives, solar, wind, and nuclear power, cellugesic biofuels, carbon capture and storage, the future of electric cars and hydraulic hybrid technology, smart grids, and the like. And we had to become instant experts on those and other subjects. And while all that was going on, events made the content areas a constantly shifting target. But the entire GVI staff pitched in to make it happen, and our client tells us from Copenhagen that the video has been very well received. You can check it out for yourself on Youtube.

Esquire is Augmenting Reality

2009-11-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, so if reality isn't real and varied enough for you, Esquire Magazine has come up with a whole new way to experience their magazine. You can read it, of course. But you can use their cool new augmented reality feature to watch magazine induced videos. Just follow the link to learn all about it. And even though they're really really excited about how you can shape your Esquire user experience, of course, someone else actually conceived, shot and edited the videos. And do you really want Robert Downey yelling stuff at you? Well, maybe you do. And it is pretty cool that you can imbed one format within another (we've been doing text on a video screen forever. So why not video on a text page?) Anyway, you can check it out, or read a longer piece about it in the Advertising column at the Wall Street Journal.

Up in the Air

2009-11-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder about how they shoot in all those airport and airplane scenes for TV and film? Well, instead of complicated maneuvers miles above terra firma, or wading through a mountain of redtape to shoot in an actual airport, they're actuallyworking on an airplane set at one of two companies: Air Hollywood or Aero Mock-Ups. Hollywood and documentary producers go there to shoot everything airline, from baggage screenings to cockpit dramas to crowded jet interiors. You can read all about it at the Wall Street Journal travel section. Or watch a fun video intro to what they offer at the Air Hollywood site. It gives you a whole new perspective on air travel...

Capturing the Stillness

2009-09-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

The New York Times' Chang Lee has another breakthrough with his piece on Wonjun Park, an artist suffering with cancer at the end of his days. Chang Lee's video on the NYT Lens site is beautiful in its simplicity and moving in its silences. It sets the tone with comments by Park anticipating the ending of his life, as we see him submitting to another round of chemotherapy "My body started to leave my spirit."

Feeling numbed by Western medicines' attack on the cancer in his body, we see Park struggling to give meaning to his life through his art. Perhaps that is how he will be able to honor his spirit.

Once again in his Second Chance series, Chang Lee mixes photography and video to create an indelible portrait. But most profound are the moments of stillness and his use of photography to stop time and allow us to reflect, just as Park is reflecting on his art and life and art. They beautifully interwoven in this video haiku.

Women in Film and Video

2009-09-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

This week WIFV DC celebrated their 30th anniversary. I was just starting out as a film editor back then and remember very well when it started. It was just a handful of women who came together to help other women in a business that was totally male dominated at the time. 30 years later it's a vital organization with over a thousand members who generate millions of dollars in projects through out the Washington Metropolitan area. It's still a great meeting place for those starting out as well as seasoned professionals. And a wonderful example of the concept, "if you build it they will come."

The New New York Times

2009-07-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

Perhaps no other newspaper is as forward thinking about the Internet and "new media" as the New York Times. They've been running a lot of video on their website, much of which I've celebrated on this blog. But where is it all heading?

According to a WSJ article, they have been giving advertisers tours of the living room of the future. Here's how the WSJ described it:

"a small room with a brown couch, a large flat-screen TV and four smaller screens on another wall. The set-up is designed to mimic how a reader will be able to receive Times content. In a demonstration, a staffer receives a Twitter message from a friend recommending a video from Times food writer Mark Bittman. Mr. Zimbalist (VP of R&D) touched the recommendation on one screen and dragged it to the flat-screen TV, which plays the video. A recipe associated with the video then appeared on Mr. Zimbalist's iPhone with an ad for a nearby Whole Foods store."

Hard to tell where the content ends and the advertising begins. But newspapers are in dire straights and they have to find new ways of making money. That's also why they're considering charging readers for access to their online content. If they continue to improve and add to their online content it very well may work. I find there's always something interesting that catches my eye. And I'm planning to write about another NYT Chang Lee video next week.

Cost v. Quality

2009-07-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you need to respond to outside pressures, like cutting costs for example? Something has to give, right, but the choices you make can have long range implications.

When Martin Guitar was faced with that question, they decided they could not compromise the quality of their instrument. After all, that's what their reputation was built upon, and they knew that if they reduced quality they'd find themselves on a slippery slope. After all, Martin guitars have been the first choice of music greats like Elvis, Gene Autry and Eric Clapton -- who once said if he could be reincarnated as anything, he'd want to be a Martin guitar.

So they took another approach. Quality guitars are made by hand, and Martin did not want to lay off workers during the downturn. So they decided to produce the guitars just as they always had, but without the decorative inlay pattern that added a touch of style but didn't affect how the instrument performed. They picked this option during the depression and it kept the company humming along. You can read the whole story in the WSJ.

So what's the takeaway? Cost and quality can meet in the middle. It just takes some flexibility and planning. And like Martin Guitars, keeping your eye on the big picture.

Seeing is Believing

2009-06-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

What we observe is different than what we see. Because it's all about context. Walking down the street, for example, we notice someone's face. And we immediately recognize, yes, that face belongs to another person walking down the street. But within that moment of perceiving, we also often sense or create a context. People give off clues about themselves and we respond to those clues -- here's a business person, a student, an artist, a tourist, someone who's happy, sad, whatever. If we stop to think about how we respond to what we see, then there's a lot of additional information that kind of hangs around whatever it is that we are looking at. We only have to pay attention to how our thoughts are interpreting what we are observing.

A good example of what I'm talking about can be found in Jeff Scher's short animated video, "The Parade" Here's how Jeff describes his work in The Animated Life section of the New York Times website: We can’t help it. We are fascinated by faces and bodies alike. Every face tells a story, and the story is a mystery. The clues abound and we read them instinctively in the blink of an eye. Jeff is a painter and experimental filmmaker who sometimes uses his dreamy watercolors to animate his films. He teaches at the School of Visual Arts and at NYU Tisch School of the Arts

I like his work, it's playful, mysterious and insightful. And it reminds about how context operates like a shell around content. So you could say, seeing is believing. But the opposite is true too, believing is constantly shaping what we are seeing.

A Little Learning Goes A Long Way

2009-06-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

I went to Yale University this afternoon to audit an American Lit class on one of my favorite writers, J.D. Salinger and his book, Franny and Zooey. As I listened to Professor Amy Hungerford plunge into the text to find deeper meaning in the story, I thought again about Salinger's terse style and his unique way of telling a story. And the really cool thing was that I didn't have to travel, or register or anything. I just listened to her lecture online, courtesy of an educational website, Academic Earth and their web video collection. Their site lists "thousands of lectures from the world's top scholars." And it's free! Prof. Hungerford's contribution is 25 lectures on the American Novel since 1945. What a great idea, placing all that knowledge and expertise online for for anyone who has a yen for learning.

Letter to Michelle McNally

2009-06-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

(Michelle McNally oversees photography for the New York Times)

Michelle, I wanted to say how much I enjoy the photography and video on your website. I've worked professionally in the film and video world for over 35 years, primarily as a writer and editor, and think what you guys are doing is the best video work on the web, by far. I include not only the emotionally-rich work of Todd Heisler in the wonderful series One in 8 Million, but the Lens blog, the Vows series and especially the work of Chang Lee, who’s eye for the telling moment is helping him create a new style of story telling. Of course, the news pieces are great, but I would expect that. It's the wide-ranging variety of work outside of news that brings a richness and vibrancy to the site that distinguishes it from all others. And it’s exciting to see what video on the web can be, in the hands of experienced and talented people. So I just wanted to say, I’m a big fan of what you and your staff have accomplished and look forward to all the good pieces still to come.

A New Way of Seeing

2009-06-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

New York Times staffer Chang W. Lee is a master photographer. His beautifully composed images are regularly featured in the NYT website. If you follow the link above to visit his profile site, you'll see some striking international feature pieces that will make it immediately obvious why he's won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography. But as a still photographer, he's stayed away from working with moving images until a recent profile of jazz singer Deanna Kirk -- featured on the NYT Lens site.
I found his approach to creating her video profile fascinating. In one sense, I could describe his piece as a sequence of captured moments; a collection of images, some frozen and others unfolding. Just what you might expect, you could say, from a still photographer.

But I think he's accomplished much more than that. In a sense, he's presenting what amounts to almost a new way of seeing by stripping down everything to its' essence. With his approach to storytelling, he's moved away from the traditional tools of video shooting and editing. No zooms, pans, or cutting within a scene from wide shot to closeup or medium shot or what ever. And while he certainly moves his camera around as he shoots from a wonderful variety of angles, he uses just about every image to create its' own scene. (The traditional way depicts an event from a variety of angles and edits them together to build a scene with a beginning, middle and end.)

And with an artist's eye for the telling moment, his freeze frames and video moments work together to create a sophisticated and intimate portrait of a modern woman, jazz performer and engaged mother. Through his gently-paced images, we see Deanna as she tries to recapture the career she put on hold when her son was born and embrace the music that was her first love. And we hang out with her as she shares some of her hard-won truths about being a single mother caring for her young son. And as the stream of her words wash over us, the video images fade in and out or pause to heighten the impact and suggest a deeper exploration of the thoughts, gestures and moments that make up a life. In all, an innovative and stimulating approach to telling a story. And a very creative way of showing a life in flux.

"Old guys like me will still be calling it television"

2009-06-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

If anyone has a crystal ball about the future of television, it's John Malone. Recently, at the All Things Digital conference he was interviewed by technology guru Walter Mossberg. They talked, of course, about money and how the web and TV are merging. I think we're really at that point of convergence that everyone was talking about a few years ago. And it's the iphone and its' imitators that bring me to that conclusion. Will we all be walking around with one little device that can do what ever strikes us? Sooner rather than later. Anyway, when asked about the future of television, Malone said: "Probably in five years old guys like me will still be calling it television, but I think it will come from anywhere... it's everything, everywhere, in increasing quality, increasing quantity and lower cost. That's been the whole trend."
And as far as the money thing, he talks about why cable has done so well -- because, in the viewers mind, cable was providing content by charging for connectivity. And, Malone says, in the future, people will pay for content if it connects with quality and convenience. And who will be providing that? Meet the Aggregators. Companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple. And maybe Liberty Media, Malone's company, too.
Okay, that's pretty much the future of the media and video world from one man's vantage point. But one thing I certainly agree with, is that quality matters. And putting quality work on all those everywhere devices will make it stand out above everything else.

Jeff Zucker on the Future of Broadcast

2009-06-03T06:36:00.001-07:00

All Things Digital (a wonderfully informative website, if you don't know it) recently held a symposium on the future of video for broadcast and the internet. Two interviews stuck out, one with Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal and the other with John Malone (which I'll take up in the next blog). As you would expect, much of the focus was on money, but then again, that's what makes the televised world go around, right? So from Zucker's point of view, what works for television these days is the big event or the big drama or comedy series. But the programming "middle" is a muddle. Too much competition from other places, including the web. And, as far as the future goes, the the big issue is revenue. Zucker was quoted some time ago as saying that the media companies are replacing analog dollars with digital pennies. (Meaning the web advertising revenue streams are a trickle compared to what used to pour into the broadcast pond. Now, he thinks with Hulu and the like, they're swimming in digital dimes and he's looking forward to the day of digital quarters. So you can see the problem. And where will all the money come for programming? There's also a longer interview on the All Things Digital Website.

Now What is it Exactly That You Do?

2009-06-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

Unsung heroes in the film and video world, editors are the interface between ideas and action. Still, it's hard to explain what we do. Ralph Rosenblum wrote a book, years ago, "When the Shooting Stops, the Cutting Begins." He worked with Woody Allen, among others and has great dramatic films on his list of credits. I liked it, and it was a great introduction to innovative thinking and the creative moment in feature film making. And a quick check at Amazon lists hundreds of books about the subject. But the feature film world always has a plot, characters and a story. The documentary editor has to find a different way to create a story. It's an elusive goal and a good documentary editor does a lot more than just put a bunch of sound and images together.
Recently a BBC editor, Bill McKenna, was named "Editor of the Year" by the White House News Photographers Association. He put together a short video, The Power of the Picture Editor, to explain what it is, exactly that he does.

How to make the boring desirable

2009-05-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

All you need is Catherine Zeta-Jones and a wonderful imagination. That's what Unilever had when they created a Hollywood style promotion called "Alchemist"for Lux Shampoo. Now, don't take this the wrong way, but how boring is shampoo? Now, I like clean hair as much as the next person, but when it comes to something as mundane as all this, you're looking at a major marketing challenge. I mean, how do you get their attention? That's why I like what Unilever's Asian arm decided to do, which was make an everyday brand adventuresome, exotic and simply wonderful. Which the filmmakers accomplished in spades with their seven-minute commercial. Who says shorter is better? And another thing about it, as the story unfolds, you are wowed and let in on the joke at the same time, which makes it all even better. Just another great example of what can be accomplished when you allow yourself to re-examine the same old, same old.

Something to Howl About

2009-05-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Last year a new client asked us to help them change public policy in Alaska regarding hunters who track and kill wolves from Airplanes. It is the only state in America that permits it, other places ban the practice as unsportsmanlike and barbaric. We were hired to make a video to make the case for changing the law. A great challenge, since wolves are up there with snakes and vampires as creatures of the night that terrorize and kill. So, the first thing we had to do was show the other side of wolves. They are smart, loyal, devoted to their families, and symbols of the natural world, untamed and free. We made our video and our client put it on the web. Recently they gave us this feedback:

Nearly ½ million people have seen the video

The video recruited Ashley Judd to the cause

The video has been made into 5 ads targeting Gov. Palin

Video and the ads raised the profile of the Alaska wolf campaign during the presidential elections

Coverage of the issue on:

Tina Fey on Saturday Night live twice

Bill Maher, CNN Larry King Live, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, NYT, Wash Post, AP, Politico and on and on and on

And Cine just gave it their highest award, the 2009 Cine Master Series Award in the Professional Non-Telecast Non-Fiction Division. That's alot to howl about.

One in 8 Million - New York Characters in Sound and Images - The New York Times

2009-05-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

One in 8 Million - New York Characters in Sound and Images - The New York Times

Maggie Worth, the singing waitress, is just one of One in Eight Million people who make New York the greatest city on earth. She's also one of the people captured in the NY Times website devoted to profiling the men and women who inhabit that eccentric, charming and vital place that so many call home, New York City. Here at this site they answer the question, "who am I?" in their own words. Images from a professional photographer help bring their thoughts to life. Another innovative use of the web that I find fascinating. Maybe it's the voyeur in me, but I'm curious about people, who they are, how they live, what they find worthwhile, and how the world looks from their vantage point. And here it all is, featured as an innovative way of presenting the insightful moment. Featuring real people telling their stories. And a new one added each week.

strength in numbers

2009-04-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

It's great when a client takes the time to give you feedback about the results of your efforts. Here's what one said about a complicated PSA project we recently completed involving several days shooting and nine actors:
This afternoon I had a brief conversation regarding the PSA.
"Mr. Y" is "delighted" with our approach and commented on the likability of the actors
and how well it was written for the audience in VA. As you may already know, this is
quite an accomplishment.
What distinguished this project, for me, was how it involved so many people from our shop. One person wrote the script, another produced it, another shot it, another edited it, another did the graphics and another managed it as Creative Director. All bringing their own creative vision to the project. And all working together seamlessly as a team.

On another recent project Ali, my co-editor, and I did "tag team" editing for a series of award videos for another client. Facing an extremely tight deadline, we decided to each play to our strengths to get the job done. So I created the structure for each piece and then handed it off to Ali for finishing. Not how we usually do things, but like everyone else here, we did what we had to do to make it happen. And that's one of the great strengths here - making our collaborative model with everyone working as a team, quite powerful. Strength in numbers.

The Guy's Manual

2009-04-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Being a guy, I was delighted to learn about the Guy's Manual -- powered, as they say, by Grape Nuts. I've always wanted a manual to help me with the finer points of being a guy and now finally there's a manual is full of helpful tips, like how to take your fiancee's poodle for a morning jog, how to install your own home entertainment center, or how to cram a whole nights work into four hours because you just got playoff tickets. You get the idea. All very droll, this Guy's manual. Full of Larry Losers and Hapless Harrys who learn to do the tough stuff with the help of good old Grape Nuts, all told in funny little video vignettes.
I should warn you though, just like Doritos, you can't just do one. And there are dozens of videos out there, dealing with sports, work, family, relationships and cars, all ready to grab your funny bone.

Sharing our stories

2009-03-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

The New York Times website has a great interactive feature, inviting people to share their creative energies in describing living through hard times. The project is called The New Hard Times and it features reader created videos. At the site you have Jackson Pollack's descendants reading letters and showing art work he created during the Great Depression, another reader's photo montage of images from that period set to music, interviews with people who survived that devastating era and so on. What an innovative approach to discovering what we all can bring to the table of ideas. And a great creative outlet as well.

They've even posted their own video encouraging you to submit yours.

Crystal Ball Time

2009-02-27T13:27:00.000-08:00

Every month or so this tech mag Streaming Media shows up in my in box. Like most of that ilk, it has long articles about which codec is the best for uploading to the web and which CDN is really hot. I mean, boring. But every once in a while I find something in there that peaks my interest. The January issue had an advertisement section asking web tech CEOs to tell us what they saw for the near future. As you would expect, most said that their particular technology was poised to help us all monetize and maximize the user experience. They seem to like that kind of language, kind of an arrogantly friendly approach to selling their wares.

But a few actually had something to say. Here are some of their more interesting quotes for your consideration.

"It's an exciting time for video on the Internet. Online video has become mainstream and represents a viable alternative to traditional television viewing. Video played a larger role than ever in the recent election with millions of people using their broadband connections to watch the presidential debates. Online video will become the typical 'web experience' that users associate with the Internet, and will become just as instantaneous and real-time as web page browsing is." --Grant Kirkwood, CTO of Mzima Networks

"We believe Internet TV is poised for new, rapid growth because of the financial downturn. As enterprises, associations and government agencies scramble to cut costs the potent value proposition offered by Internet TV stands out." -- Dave Gardy, Chairman & CEO of TV Worldwide

"I'm often surprised by claims that the rise of online video represents a huge shift in consumer behavior. Looking at the videos that people watch, the actual information being consumed hasn't changed - the medium of delivery has. Instead of surfing for a funny web page, consumers are now surfing for a funny video. The truth is ... video has become the vehicle for conveying that information." -- Dan Castles, CEO Telestream

So, I think what one see's in one's crystal ball depends a lot on attitude. There has always been an ebb and flow in demand for projects in our industry. But looking at the past few years the web and other virtual venues have created a whole new area for video. So just as the typical length of projects has shortened (remember when a typical client video would be 20 to 30 minutes?) the need for different forms and approaches (like podcasts) has grown. And I believe there will always be a need for good judgment, clear thinking and creativity. For me, that's what effective communication is all about.

Doing Well and Good at the Same Time

2009-02-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

How do you make video that gets noticed? By thinking outside the box.

As reported in the WSJ, auto maker Fiat was strapped for cash and struggling to promote their brand. So a few years ago they came up with an audacious but attention-getting concept: show their Lancia brand as helping improve society. That's right, buy this car and make the world a better place. So they made a commercial featuring their cars and human rights activists, in a spot supporting San Suu Kyi, a democracy activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize living under house arrest in Myanmar.

And, because Fiat presents it as a public service announcement, networks in nine European countries (Fiat's big market) agreed to show it free of charge.

So let's think about this for a minute. So often we think the easiest way to get from point A to point B is a straight line. But what I see is that the memorable, standout moments come from the unusual and the unexpected. It's that juxtaposition of what you assume and the surprising discovery that make work stand out. It could be a new way of thinking, a new way of describing the commonplace or using familiar images words or music in an innovate way.

Years ago I worked a Governor's re-election campaign. He was an old time pol and what's worse, he looked like one. Middle age, wide of girth, and somewhat dull. So to give him some verve and buoyancy in his commercials, I used classical music in a celebratory style, like Vivaldi.

Suddenly, he had a friendly gravitas. The exuberant music made him seem fun, accessible and active.

Just like the pseudo-somber Fiat spot makes the Lancia seem a suitable platform for democracy's heroes. And taking the approach they did garnered a lot of attention and free publicity. Doing good and doing well, right?

Lessons From a Turnaround Artist

2009-02-23T13:03:00.000-08:00

Michael Kaiser, president of the Kennedy Center, has made a career out of breathing new life into arts organizations once on life support. He recently wrote a how-to book about his experiences, "The Art of the Turnaround: Creating and Maintaining Healthy Arts Organizations" and just this month started an online hotline for troubled arts groups.

I think some of the issues facing struggling arts organizations are similar to issues facing some of our clients, so I read his interview in the WSJ with great interest. Here's what caught my attention:

"When there are economic challenges, the first things that staffs and boards cut are programming and marketing, and that's the worst thing you can do. You're guaranteeing yourself you'll have less revenue next year, and that's how sick organizations get really sick." He went on, "If you start by cutting the programming, rather than everything in the back of the house, you're signing a warrant that everything will just get worse, worse, worse."

His solution is "great art well-marketed."

I think what he's focusing on makes sense, namely that programming and marketing are really the beating heart of the organization. They're what make it vital and without it, how will people see the work?

Since we often find ourselves creating programs to help our clients market ideas and information, I'd like to offer three questions to consider before launching the next video project: How can we re-purpose the work to reach a broader audience? How can we reach new arenas and viewers? How can we insure a longer shelf life for the material?

We recently completed a video to introduce an alternative energy process that could have enormous potential in our battle to protect the enviroment. But the process is complicated and not everything could be adequately covered in the short overview video we created. Knowing this upfront, our initial proposal included re-purposing the material to create short video packages for the web, each one exploring in greater depth an issue raised in the video. Not only is it a good way to do more with less, it also opens up the possibility for greater outreach as well.

This is a more effective and cost-efficient way of working. And I think the key to all this is to spend some time thinking about programming and marketing from the very beginning. Planning for it ahead of time can really pay off.

Meaning What?

2009-02-16T06:56:00.000-08:00

An article on a recent front page of the WSJ described a city's angst over a controversial Mustang sculpture by artist Luis Jimenez. Here's how the paper describes it, "The mustang rears on splayed hind legs-his nostrils flaring, his eyes glowing red, his taut body a slick, sweaty sheen of blue. Anatomically correct - eye poppingly so- the 32-toot-tall sculpture makes quite a statement..."

The article, "A Horse of a Different Color Divides Denver" goes on to describe how Jimenez's sculpture at the gateway to Denver International Airport has the town in an uproar. It's been called "mean," "terrifying," "a demon horse" and a local developer launched a campaign to remove it.

But when I read this piece, I realized immediately it was a horse of a different color. Not too long ago we created a series of artist portraits for the Smithsonian American Art Museum. One of those featured Luis Jiminez. A gentle, soft spoken man, he was proud of his Hispanic heritage and had a great love of horses and the expressive moment. His work adorns the entrance to the Museum and is featured in public places across America. I was sure his flair for dramatic expression drove his creative impulse to create what he probably saw as a proud and heroic creature and an embodiment of the adventurous Western Spirit.

Unfortunately the artist passed away last year. But his widow was quoted later in the article: "You look at the piece and you know it was built with love." She said that the stallion's neon red eyes are an homage to the artist's father who ran a neon sign studio in Texas. The keenly articulated stallion's body is a symbol of freedom, strength and the American West. And it makes her think of his beloved horse "Blackjack" that hung around just outside his studio.

Which brings me to think about how differently people can perceive the same thing. Of course, that's why art exists, to make us think, feel and experience in new ways. But it also is a lesson in how we interpret and find meaning. And how easy it is to get lost within our own assumptions and ways of seeing without testing them in the outside world.

And we encounter this often in our work as we try to translate our client's needs into a visual language to effectively communicate their vision. And help them move from their organizational world view to reach and impact a wider audience. And with almost everything ending up on the internet, it's even more essential that we all get it right. So the meaning and intent will be clear. And the message will be heard.

deja vu all over again

2009-02-02T13:54:00.001-08:00

While most people watch the Superbowl for the game, some put their focus on the commercials. It may be the year's most expensive advertising slot and a lot of creative energy and marketing dollars were spent honing a message. And now the spots can live on another day, namely on the WSJ website. I found it inspired. They have a feature front and center on today's homepage, inviting you to rate the best and worst superbowl TV spot.

For me, this is a great example of thinking outside the box. Here's why: they could have just had an print article about the spots or they could have put up a few sample videos of what they thought were the best spots. But by putting all the spots there and inviting readers to vote, they made the whole thing interactive and fun. And they branded each viewing with a WSJ logo and music. So you're constantly reminded the spots are brought to you by the Journal. It's an innovative and creative way to make yesterday's news fresh and inviting. And of course the companies like it because people get to see their commercials again for free. So everyone wins. Which is the best result for out of the box thinking.
You can check it out at

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-SUPERBOWL09.html

My favorite is the Bud Light Swedish commercial featuring Conan

Art of the Interview

2008-10-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

If nothing else, Errol Morris has perfected the art of the interview. And more than that, he has a keen talent for drawing people out. Which means he's able to present them as their real or authentic selves. And that kind of authenticity really communicates, making his work at once powerful and intimate. That's the magic of using real people in video and political campaigns.

The New York Times has an interesting article about the history of using real people in campaigns, written by Errol Morris. In addition to his well-known documentaries, he makes his living producing commercials and political campaigns.

Having worked on many campaigns myself, I know effective interviewing is a subtle art form. You have to use a great deal of skill to create something that seems so real and unedited. You have to gain a person's trust, make them feel at ease, be patient, empathetic and gently lead them to the place where they will let down their defenses and say what is on their mind. It's not something that you can force or fake. And watching the raw footage, you can feel when those moments are there and when they are not.

You have a greater ability to manipulate the words and to some degree the sentiment if you take the person off camera, edit their comments, and add strong images and music. That's what you usually see with politicals, but Morris takes a more pure and difficult approach.

And you can see some of his current work in the political realm at People in the Middle for Obama. No matter your party affiliation, it's worth a look at how he's able to craft a message. Each person is shot against a white background. And their comments are pasted together to create an informational moment. There is basically nothing there except the person and their comments, yet the overall effect can be quite moving.

You can see the same technique employed by Jennifer Crandall and her wonderful people portraits at "On Being" a special video feature of the Washington Post. Jennifer's series has been running for some time and creates an in depth look at character and life story through a similar approach to the art of the intervew.

No More Deja Vu

2008-06-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about what makes video so effective and reflecting on a project we completed last year and one we're about to begin this year. Last year we went to the Denver School of Science and Technology to show how innovative design can create a dynamic and highly effective environment for learning. The results of that effort is on our website, as part of the Great Schools by Design series we're doing for the American Architectural Foundation.

The point of the video was to show how the extraordinary use of space, place and design has transformed teaching and learning. In the video we hear from many people touched by the project: the architects, teachers, students, the school principal and founder. Even the mayor had something thoughtful to say. And we spend a lot of time showing different aspects of the school, exploring everything from the physical design to the overall vibe.

So, you might ask, why does the piece work so well? I'd say the answer is in how the piece is put together. First of all, there's no narration. People express themselves in their own words. So that brings in a level of enthusiasm and passion that helps carry the ideas. Second, there are few facts. Facts and data work well in print. Ideas and feelings work well in video. So the video focuses on how people feel about the new school, what they like, what excites them, why it feels special and so on. While we do include some specific information, we tend to show instead of tell. And that leads to the next point. The piece has a beginning middle and end. Because we structure our pieces to tell a story -- starting in one place and ending in another -- and along the way we take the viewer on a journey of discovery and understanding.

And now we're about to embark on the next video in the series, about a primary school in Portland, Oregon. This school serves younger kids, so there will be perhaps less to tell and more to show. And the big challenge will be to find a new way to tell the story. So it won't be deja vu all over again.

eye candy

2008-04-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

I read a Portals column by Lee Gomes in the Wall Street Journal recently that made me think about video effects and graphics and how they so often seem to define the current approach to making programs. These days software programs and video clip art make it easy to add effects. And that certainly seems to define the video look. Jazz it up with lots of eye candy. Below is a link to a video example of what I mean.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid86195573/bclid132209461/bctid1511037209

Gomes relates a story that puts it very well. Quoting from his column:

"The Daily Show" satirist Samantha Bee once visited the Washington bureau of Al-Jazeera English, the Middle East news channel that U.S. Cable and satellite companies won't provide for their American customers. Ms. Bee set about making the show more palatable to Yanks. She did so not by changing its perspective on events, but by redoing its look. Full-screen shots of solo anchors talking calmly at their desks were tossed out, replaced with computer-rendered crawls, tickers, charts and graphs. None of the fake graphics imparted any useful information. That was part of the joke. The show's writers were making the point that as far as TV news is concerned, nothing says "Made Proudly in the USA" better than video game-style graphics that keep viewers in a perpetually agitated state.

Later he quotes Dean Velez, a veteran of the news-graphics business, "Just because you can use Apple's LiveType to animate text with fire doesn't mean you should use Apple's LiveType to animate text with fire." Amen to that.

The truth is, if your piece is vital and compelling then graphics just get in the way. And if it is boring and full of facts, then graphics will appear to make that bitter pill go down better. But basically, all that eye candy is a poor excuse for not doing a better job at making a compelling program.

In the final analysis, good producing, shooting and editing beats anything else. And around here, our work, sans eye candy, is still winning the awards.

facts v. ideas

2008-04-24T07:44:00.001-07:00

When it comes to writing narration copy for video, why are so many "writers" in love with facts but have such a hard time with ideas? Let's face it, facts are boring. Who cares? Facts sound like they mean something significant, but unless you understand the context and how your fact relates to what came before and what will come later, what's the point? Facts just fill up the spaces. And I like spaces. Spaces give you room to feel, contemplate and understand. Spaces are what it's all about.

Now, I'm not talking about a fact like "this is the tallest building in the world." No, that's a fact that carries it's own context. Namely, that there are scads of other buildings and this one, right here, is the biggest. No, I'm talking about a fact like "this building is 387 feet tall." All I can say to that is, "so what?"

Here's the problem: facts get in the way of understanding. They appear to be important, otherwise why include them? But by themselves they just hang out there, standing in the way of insight and comprehension. They are poor substitutes for concepts and ideas. And, if nothing else, we're in the idea business. That's what we do: create programs that help people understand the issues, what's important and why.

So recently, we took on project for a new client, a trade association, who came to us to do a series of very short pieces honoring their nominees for a prestigious award. Each nominee would get a 25 second video explaining their project. The videos would be shown at the awards ceremony and then they would announce the winners.

I saw the videos that were done in the past and they were fairly typical, with wall to wall narration full of facts and devoid of insight. Not a pretty picture.

We thought, these should really be like memorable campaign spots. You know, "Morning in America" or the famous Daisy Countdown. They should present concepts. Show, not tell.

So we took that approach, writing sparse, open narration filled with ideas. Not a fact to be found. Letting the visuals tell the story. And when it works, you feel like you've taken a little journey, starting one place and ending somewhere else.

You can do a lot in 25 seconds, when you make every word count. And, let's face it, facts are a dime a dozen. Ideas can change the world.

A Good Story Appeals to Everyone

2008-03-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

In today's WSJ, "A new study shows that Coca-Cola's Super Bowl ad starring Charlie Brown was the most talked about ad online" according to a company that monitors blogs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiMf5cCDy1I

The article went on to interview the ad makers:

WSJ: "Coke has long struggled to create ads that resonate with teens but don't rub older drinkers the wrong way. How much did that issue weigh in your head when dreaming up this spot?"
Hal Curtis (the spot's creative director): "A good story appeals to everyone. And a story that is well told appeals to young and old."
Coca-Cola's Pio Schunker: "We are at our best when we speak to universal values that appeal to everyone rather than try and skew it to specific segments."

Understanding the audience and how to best reach them does not lie exclusively in the domain of ad makers. It's something we also deal with. For example, one of the things you could say we bring to the table is an outside-of-the-organization world view. As you know, organizations have their own internal culture, jargon, and priorities. And those don't always communicate well to people on the outside. So while we believe in understanding the world from our client's point of view, we're also able to view their issues with a fresh eye.

You might way we can provide a different perspective. So, whenever I work on a project I ask these questions: Does it make sense? Can an audience not familiar with the subject follow the logic? Does it hold our interest? Is it compelling? Or, to come at it from a different angle, does it tell a good story? That's our job, to make sure that it does.

And then it will have a broad appeal. Which creates a greater impact and makes for a more memorable piece. Like the coke commercial.

More for Less

2008-01-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

I like to clip articles. Going through my collection, I rediscovered a story that ran in the WSJ about Magnatag. As the journal article described it, Magnatag "thrived making highly specialized versions of an item that couldn't be less special--the erasable whiteboard." You can go to their website and see some of those versions at www. magnatag.com.

Okay, you might say, so what? Well, here's what: I like it because it's an example of how you can rethink what you have, or what you're trying to communicate and version it to meet the specific needs or interests of your audience. For example, we're working on a project for a client that includes producing an identity video for the general public. And then we'll create different packages from the material for a variety of uses. One version will be for members, another will be to recruit new people to the organization, others will be used as outreach vehicles to specific audiences. You get the idea. And that way each video will be tighter, more focused and more useful for the viewer and our client.

So in a way, you could say we're taking advantage of the Magnatag approach. Instead of making one whiteboard and hoping it will work for every occasion, the old "one size fits all" approach, they take the basic material and refashion it to meet the needs of their clients.

Just like the video work we'll be doing for our client. Which is a great way of getting more for less.

Howtoons

2008-01-21T10:35:00.000-08:00

Dan Bailes:When the Web first became popular, it was all about something new. Soon, every organization had to be part of it: have a web presence, their own website, reach out and communicate. And some do that well. But too often the website model organizations seem to select is that of the newsletter or the brochure. They may work as print but are boring and unattractive on the web. You've got to tell stories. And make a strong visual impact. First, capture the eye.

We're always looking for new, effective ways to communicate. Which brings me to Howtoons. What is howtoons? Take the old boring how-to idea and express it in comic book mode. Like it's part of a story. Howtoons. http://www.howtoons.com/

The whole concept of the site is exploratory. Go there and you'll see what I mean. You have to move your cursor over an illustration and you get a message. You can check it out or move to another picture. You're immediately engaged and curious. You want to know more. And when you go to check out some of the how-to concepts, they're also illustrated, comic book style.

It works very well for what it is, a way to get kids to explore, learn something and do an activity that could be both educational and fun. Okay, you say, kids stuff. But why do we adults often act as if we think that communications for us should be educational and dull?

I think it's because we too often focus on the message and not enough on how we package the message. What's the best way to say what we want to say? That's where the creativity comes in. And hopefully, the fun.

Change, part one

2008-01-09T08:01:00.001-08:00

Dan Bailes: Okay, so all we seem to hear about these days is "change." Everyone seems to want change, talks about change and yet so often when change comes, it's disruptive and unsettling. No, I'm not talking about the elections. I'm talking about change in the workplace. Here at GVI we just swapped out our old Avid systems for brand new Avid systems, new monitors, the works. The same, but different, which got me thinking about change.

In my work experience as an editor I've had to master three completely different technologies. First film, then video, and then computer editing. And not only were the technologies completely different, I also had to learn new ways of thinking and approaching how I should go about my work. I want to write about those differences in another post, but for the moment I'd like to focus on something I've learned in the process.

Most of my professional life I've worked on my own, often as a freelancer, although I've also had my own business. Over the years I've developed close working relationships, but always on a project by project basis. So I've pretty much had to depend on myself to shepherd myself through these technology and workplace changes. Fortunately I found that I was pretty adaptable and eventually I was able to thrive within all the changes. Of course, editing is mostly about judgment, creativity and experience and technology is only a means to an end.

But the changes were also stressful. Since I pretty much had to educate myself, there often was no one readily available to ask. Sometimes I'd get stuck or frustrated, knowing there was a better way, but not knowing how to get there. And of course, not being sure or not knowing is a byproduct of change. And that can be quite unsettling.

At GVI, I've had a different experience. We support each other. And that support makes the transition fun and exciting. I'm looking forward to learning about the new features and new systems. And now I have backup, so the stressful part is gone. And thinking about it, it's the same for programs I've produced here, too. When I wasn't sure or didn't know, I had plenty of people here to consult with and brainstorm. And that's the key to making change a positive instead of a negative. Having support and back ups, so you're not in it all by yourself. And then also sharing your own process and what you're learning so that everyone benefits.

Olan Mills Schadenfreude

2008-01-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

Bob Burnett: Go to this fun blog of photos from studio photography shoots from over the years for a moment of diversion.

While I was enjoying the photos at the expense of others, I began thinking about the importance of how people "look" on camera and the importance of the proper location and set-up in order to enhance a message. We recently did a production project for the Diversity Group of Booz Allen Hamilton that was very well received. The feedback we had was not only was the content of the interviews exceptional but everyone looked great--which enhanced the credibility and impact of the video. The moral of the story---a few minutes discussion about "look"---and thoughtful lighting, make-up and locations--can make a huge difference in how effectively you communicate.

"I have seen the future, and it is called Shuffle"

2007-12-20T12:15:00.001-08:00

Bob Burnett: "I have seen the future, and it is called Shuffle—the setting on the iPod that skips randomly from one track to another." --Alex Roth

This quote is from New Yorker writer Alex Roth's essay "Listen To This" which is his take on classical music and the "modern world". I think the same thing can be said for visual/video work too. It seems people don't just shuffle music; video gets shuffled too---be it streaming media, Netflix, TiVo, meetings with visually-embedded power points, hand out DVDs or weblinks to other motion video. The beauty of digital capability for me isn't that our work is easily sent around the globe but that it can be delivered in small parcels of specific information.

Videos don't have to be "about everything" as it was once assumed.

Today's digital thinking frees up possibility for communicating in specifically effective ways---you can link embedded streaming video with additional written information on a web page, you can use more of the content from a shoot as supplemental information (outside of a three minute meeting opener). We frequently will produce a polished piece and will do a series of interview "string outs" of additional material for use in break-out sessions or on a DVD as added content. You can even "break the ice" with someone by sending them something on youtube. None of these ideas are considered out of the ordinary because ordinary doesn't exist anymore. We go into client meetings now and discuss ancillary distribution as a major part of the production planning process.

So shuffle away and enjoy the options.

Don't Need a "Whether" Man

2007-12-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

Dan Bailes: I've always believed in the power of creative thinking. Which often bubbles up from quiet contemplation, an inspired leap or simply the power of well-chosen words, visuals and music to present a complex issue. But often times we're confronted with a "focus group" mentality of Dilbert-like reasoning -- that clouds up creativity with "whether" men. Whether it should be this way or that or perhaps something else entirely. "Whether men" need to make sure we don't say or do anything that might displease someone. Or they wonder whether it should be, perhaps, something else entirely.

The problem is: going for the least common denominator automatically weeds out creativity. And qualifying and justifying and second-guessing the work turns the emphatic into the innocuous. When you take the easy, safe route you rarely arrive at a worthwhile destination.

Maybe this will inspire you. I recently read an article in the WSJ that talked about how one individual was moved to "do something" and the result was life-changing. And not only his life, but his family's and his community's and possibly his nation's. One person, who was determined to go forward with an idea that made sense. And he didn't let circumstance, or a lack of resources or the naysayers turn him from his path.

The Web is a Window

2007-10-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

A recent report from the Association of National Advertisers notes that 80% of Americans are now online and spend as much time on the Web as on TV. Pretty amazing, that. But most marketers allocate only 5 - 10% of their budgets to digital media. And many organizations we work with, who are in the business of information and advocacy, likely do less than that.

Which makes this a good time to talk about ways to use the Web to get your message out there.

The Web is more about experiencing than reading. The path to the brain is through the eye and ear. The written word is so last century. (True confessions: I see myself as a writer, so I'm exaggerating to make a point. But Web writing should be sparse -- more about headlines and concepts -- not turgid bureaucratic prose that so many organizations use to conceal rather than enlighten).

I recently had reason to visit the site of a large NGO organization which manages projects around the world. Their annual budget is quite substantial. Yet their Web presence consisted primarily of page upon page filled with long written passages describing their activities and programs. There were almost no visuals whatsoever. No video, no flash. Filled with jargon and memo style language.

How would I describe the Web experience for this particular site? Not so hot.
What could they do to make it work better for them?

Throw out most of the verbiage. Use video to make it all real. Video can show what it's really like when words fall short. Video can make the difference between knowing and understanding. Video can make people laugh, cry or get angry. And those feelings can move people to act. And all of it can be right there on the Web site amplifying the text and serving the mission. Some quick examples of how they could use video include:

** Short video stories about the people they are serving.
** Video profiles of people out in the field doing the work.
** Video reports on how they are making a difference.
** Short video packages describing
the challenges they face
the needs they are meeting
their goals and vision for the organization.
** A short recruiting video to bring in new people
** A fund-raising video
** A history of the organization and its evolving mission
** A short documentary on an issue important to the organization

Of course, some of these can also be placed on other sites like YouTube with links back to their site.

We recently finished two advocacy videos for Defenders of Wildlife. Within just a few short weeks almost 100,000 people have viewed the pieces and heard their message, all because of the Web. Does that mean well-planned and placed video can make an impact? You bet.

The Web is your window. Open it up.

Why use a big camera?

2007-10-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Now that you can buy a camera that can fit in your pocket, e.g. The Flip (www.theflip.com), you might ask “Why would you want to carry around anything bigger?”

There are a ton of technical features that enhance the picture and sound on a broadcast camera, but the biggest difference is the lens.

Consumer cameras are designed for ease of use with auto-focus, auto-exposure and slow zooms (the Flip is just an extreme example). While this prevents you from ruining a shot, it gets in the way of getting a great shot.

The large professional lenses on broadcast cameras let you set the shot quickly and the focus is much sharper. You can zoom in closer and zoom out wider. These features aren’t as important when capturing medium shots of your family and friends. But if you’re looking to creatively tell a story – and capture images that really stick in your mind – you need a professional lens. The pictures really do look better.

Music online for productions and that little issue of rights

2007-09-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Bob Burnett: I remember a time when music and sound effects for productions meant cueing up vinyl LPs and transferring selections to audio cart or reel to reel. Don't believe me, huh? I have photographic proof of yours truly circa 1980 wearing Buggles-like glasses doing just that exercise.Later on with the advent of Avid digital editing technology we were able to (in real time) transfer CDs to videotape and digitize them into the system. It took time, but it was a nice step.
Now, everything transfers directly into the edits and into sound design as a digital file.

In addition to maintaining a rather huge library in-house of CD's, we're also able to audition and download music for productions online from many different libraries. It's also possible to get alternate versions of selections from an online source beyond the CD we keep in house.

The big factor now isn't availability and ease--it's licensing music use. Many of the productions we work on end up online--and as is the case with actors and narrators, there are additional fees for internet usage. That includes youtube. Just because its a no-rules free for all doesn't mean you are legally allowed to "call" youtube uploads don't count as part of your production licensing. It does seem the marketplace is getting more savvy to the needs of their clientele. Many music companies now feature blanket agreements for usage as not-for-sale DVDS or for internet use. The only word of caution is that it's very easy to "get what you pay for" with blanket-style libraries.

That's where we come in---we're happy to work with you when music is something that's desired for a production but in the past had seemed unreachable due to budgets. If you are perplexed by the whole process just give me a quick shout out and I'll help make something happen for you.

Jargon

2007-08-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Dan Bailes: We're an impatient people. Time is money. So when we have something to say, we want to get it out there and out of the way. Jargon is quick. Jargon is in the know. Jargon is inside the box. Jargon is also stultifying.

When you throw it into the mix, it is a total idea stopper. When I hear jargon I'm suddenly more aware of the speaker than the words -- the flow of ideas smashes into a wall of questions. They keep on going but I'm asking myself, do I understand what that bit of jargon means? Jargon does not invite you in, it keeps you out.

When WSJ Business Tech blog writer Ben Worthen wrote about "Tech Terms We Hate" he used the example of the IT word "user." He was quite eloquent on the subject, so I'd like to quote him here:

Today, all the term does is emphasize technology at the expense of the task someone is trying to perform. To an IT person, you aren't writing a message, you're using email. To see how ridiculous this is, try applying 'user' to some routine activities. Someone who is grocery shopping becomes a supermarket user; a driver becomes a vehicle user.

See what I mean. It takes the person out of the experience. And Washington seems to be a city overflowing with jargon, government acronyms and pundit double speak. Whoops, I guess that's a bit of jargon, isn't it? Lifted that expression from Mr. Orwell's 1984.

Anyway, when I interview people for a video I'm always aware of how they answer. When I hear jargon, I'll ask the question again, usually acting like I didn't understand what they were telling me. That often makes them want to rephrase the answer, looking for words to help me understand what they are saying. And when I edit a person's interview for a video, I always try to edit out jargon from their comments. That way, the flow of ideas moving right along.

And after all, no one ever complained that someone's words were too easy to understand.

Whip It Into Shape

2007-08-07T14:23:00.000-07:00

Dan Bailes: Horray for Blendtec blenders. Who knew product demo videos could be so much fun? In case you don't know Blendtec, they're the ones who created the wacky "Will It Blend?" series of videos now playing on their website, Youtube and elsewhere.

So what's the deal here? Well, what can be more mundane than a blender, right? We're talking whipped potatoes, purees, smoothies, maybe even carrot or spinach juice. Ah, then again, maybe not. But blenders: they chop stuff up. End of story. So if you were head of marketing for Blendtec, what would you do to whip up some enthusiasm for your product?

Here's their cool solution: instead of breathlessly showing us how to concoct the latest pineapple, pear and passion fruit frappe, they whipped up something weirdly goofy but effective. Their recipe? Take one boring product, mix in some mundane objects and blend it all together with a dash of some Dave Letterman style humor. And voila, a stroke-of-genius web video series is born, branded

with one silly but wonderful question, "Will it blend?"

The answer is a video series that's flamboyant, foolish and lots of fun. And what a great product demo! It shows so simply and elegantly what they're all about: chopping stuff up.

I've just skimmed the surface looking at some of their videos. But one favorite is their latest video feature on the iphone. There is something positively delicious watching what happens when the much-touted technological marvel, the iphone, meets another great piece of technology, the Blendtec Total Blender. A total mashup. You can check it out their site and the iphone video at http://www.willitblend.com/

Another favorite is their recipe for creating a debt-free lifestyle, which you can find at http://willitblend.com/videos.aspx?type=safe&video=creditcards

What makes a great communications idea "great" is not just what you have to say but also how you go about saying it. And what makes Blendtec's approach so appealing and memorable is that instead of taking themselves and their product so seriously (hey, it's a blender) they're willing to let everyone in on the joke. The corny music and semi-serious presentation make it even funnier. And they open the door for viewers too, by inviting them to suggest other things to blend. So viewers become part of the process--which makes them more willing to buy into the message. A truly inspired campaign: it's clear, direct and elegantly simple.

Oh yeah, and according to their marketing director, they've had record sales for every month since the launch of their Will It Blend? video campaign.

Which should tell you there's a lot of sense in all this silliness.

Sometimes, the Best Things In Life Are Free

2007-07-25T14:01:00.001-07:00

Dan Bailes: Technology can be a great tool or your worse nightmare. And unless you’re a techie, when you’re ready to buy a new piece of personal tech gear you’ve got to wade through the river of hype and hope that’s out there to find something that works for you. Or you can do what I and lots of other Wall Street Journal readers do, which is turn to Walter Mossberg and see what he has to say about it.

I’ve been reading and enjoying his columns for years. He writes clearly and effectively as he tackles complex tech and tech gear in language that anyone can understand. He also tells it like it is, unlike a lot of the blue sky type reviews that seem to populate so many trade magazines. He’s a strong consumer advocate and cares as much about ease of use as he does about what the gear actually does.

The only downside is that up until now, you pretty much had to subscribe to the WSJ or it’s website to have access to his wit and wisdom. But now you can just go to a new free website and not just read him, but some of his WSJ colleagues as well. The website’s called All Things Digital and there you’ll find “news, analysis and opinion about the digital revolution”.

It’s fun, informative and just the thing to check out before you plunk down your hard earned cash on the latest greatest tech wonder. Or you can just go to the site to get a heads up on what’s coming down the pike.

What You See Isn't Always What You Get

2007-07-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

Dan Bailes: Someone once said “your view of the world is shaped by what you see when you wake up in the morning.”

Those words came back to me after yesterday’s screening of a rough edit with a client. This was one of those situations where we were working on a video project that had two mandates—1) introduce people to the organization’s programs and services 2) use the video as a fund raiser.

The client wanted both mandates to focus on the value the organization brings to patients and their families.

So… here’s the topic I’m really getting at: how do you go about making a video that has two different goals? What do you show and what do you see? In preliminary discussions with the client we decided to focus more on the first goal –introduction of services– with the assumption that if you do something that works well for patients and their families it will also work for fundraising. So I began creating a warm and welcoming piece for patients and their families about how to use the organization’s services for the first time. Our hope was the video would put people at ease and assist them to learn about how the organization had helped other patients (like themselves) in need.

As I worked with the editing, I tried to put myself in the place of someone in the audience. One thing I’ve learned from working on hundreds of political campaign and issue ads is to first understand the mindset of your audience and then hone your message to fall within that point of view.

I found we had a host of comments from people who had been helped by the organization—so there were a lot of moments to choose from. There was so much worthy material our first edit draft was way too long – given the large amount of quality comments it felt like the perfect moment to ask our client to help us decide what should stay and what should go. After watching the edit draft they made a decision. We should change direction and orient the program more to potential funders—if it worked well for them, it will also work well for the patient/family members. With that simple change in perspective, we now saw everything in a new light—our lengthy first edit became much easier to tackle; the new direction in thinking made it obvious what should stay and what should go.

Of course we would need to re-edit the piece—but that’s okay—because we knew where we were going; the content now had clarity. Knowing where a piece is “going” brings new energy into the edit room.

And once you clearly understand who your target audience is and what you want to tell them, everything else falls into place.

Dancing About Architecture

2007-07-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

Bob Burnett: I was once kiddingly called an “Urban Planning Geek” while serving as a Planning Commissioner in my community. And I proudly admit to being one. I take great interest in observing traffic patterns and parking. I also like to chat about “floor area ratio” and “building fenestration”.

Excellent building fenestration!

Part of the reason I’ve become so planningcentric is because GVI has created video projects about planning, architecture, affordable housing, school design, green buildings, new urbanism, etc. for the American Architectural Foundation, The US Conference of Mayors and the National Association of REALTORS among others. I’ve been able to talk to incredible people and see fascinating places. Imagine my surprise when on a recent visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City I came across a video monitor that was playing a multimedia presentation called “Picture a City”.

It was amazing. Here among some of my favorite artwork in the world I found myself smitten by a planning video.

To make “Picture a City”, Squint/Opera, a group of urban design savvy filmmakers/animators out of London, merged together urban planning ideas with graphic design, music, video and still photography to make a short video-styled communication tool that advocates a new approach to thinking how the city of Bradford, England should redevelop in the future. That’s right—a less than 5 minute music-driven presentation without a narration track that made perfect sense and inspired action. And in addition to being used as an effective communication tool for Bradford I had to pinch myself because I was watching it in the Museum of Modern Art! I know the late Frank Zappa once snidely said, ”talking about music is like dancing about architecture” but he never saw visual dancing about architecture that is possible the way it is now. In a production idea dancing happens when you allow the visual elements to lead the way. Your viewer is able to absorb and interpret the content – and come to their own understanding of the information in new and interesting ways they may never have considered. No white paper, cluttered 25 bullet-item powerpoint or panel discussion video will ever capture that sort of fresh thinking.

We recently produced a video called “Schools Designed for Learning: The Denver School of Science and Technology”. Like the Bradford approach taken by Squint/Opera, the video lets the information unravel—driven by images of the school, music and the thoughts of the teachers, students and administrators of the school. I can proudly say the universal reaction has been “I wish I went to a school like that!” which is music to my architecturally dancing ears.

And best of all the video has been available not just as a DVD but as a streaming video on the American Architectural Foundation’s webpage and is on youtube where organizations and people around the world are linking their blogs and webpages to the video as an example of positive school design.

Dinosaurs

2007-05-22T15:34:00.001-07:00

Okay, so they were big and lumbering, mean and nasty and almost nobody likes them after the age of 12. What does it mean to be a dinosaur? Stuck in the old ways, irrelevant and, oh yeah, bound for the bone yard.

So when Rich Silverstein, adman and image wizard (his agency did the “Got Milk?” campaign) says “no client wants an agency that’s a dinosaur” who could argue? Here’s what he said in last week’s WSJ, “No client wants an agency that’s a dinosaur, and you have to be relevant. To stay relevant, you have to do new work for different types of clients.”

Part of what Rich was talking about was the importance of working on different kinds of projects for different kinds of clients. I totally agree with that. One thing that makes working at GVI fun is the variety of clients and projects we deal with over the course of a year. A quick glance at the Portfolio page of our website will show you what I mean: http://www.g-v-i.com/pages/portfolio.asp

Practically speaking the videos you’ll see there come from working in many different styles. Some projects are fast-paced, zippy and fun. Others are more serene, with a touch of elegance. One is somber and perhaps a little surreal, another takes us back in time to the Gilded Age. There are educational pieces, profiles, explorations of art and the artist and people-centered documentaries. What you won’t see there is a typical “GVI style.”
The issues we confront may be similar, but the solutions are quite varied. So maybe we’re more like chameleons than dinosaurs.

Because how we approach each project is based on the audience and what we need to accomplish. That’s really the key. And then we work on shaping a program and message to meet those goals.

And that’s my second take on all this. Because I think many of the old dinosaur values still apply. People still respond to work that looks good and addresses their needs and interests. And I still begin each project the same old way: I listen, reflect and then offer my best judgment on the way forward. But when I do the work, I like coming up with a different approach or trying something I haven’t done before. And I look for ways to keep the piece fresh and vital.
So maybe being a dinosaur isn’t all bad — as long as you stay light on your toes.

The Moment

2007-04-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

Short videos for the internet, ipods and cell phones are pretty popular at the moment. Their small image and file sizes suit the technology and their length matches our short attention spans. I think the reason we watch them is that they attempt to capture a “moment” and if they succeed, we’re drawn in and amused, intrigued or outraged. And, of course, we send them on to our friends, relatives and co-workers.

Capturing a moment – or a series of moments – is the key to creating any video. It’s how we engage the audience so they’ll be receptive to the larger messages we’re looking to get across. It’s something we spend a lot of time on when we produce our programs.

We also spend a lot of time sifting through the latest news, trends, techniques and possibilities for using, creating and distributing video. We’ve started this blog to share our ideas on these subjects and hope that the moments you spend with us are helpful to you.