| "Let's make movies!" exclaims fictional stuntwoman | | | | -- the communication mode most likely to influence us |
| Rayleen Gibson, a character played by Tracey Ullman | | | | will continue to be visual. |
| in the award winning HBO comedy series "Tracey | | | | Nearly every person alive today has grown up in the |
| Takes On" carried on cable television several years | | | | heyday of mass media marketing. We're all |
| ago. It was Rayleen's signature parting-shot signoff line. | | | | consumers of advertising -- much of it on television. |
| The exaggerated way she barked it -- similar to a | | | | This probably won't change. But the TV folks have |
| ship's captain to the crew -- added to the show's | | | | taken note that the Internet is no longer a faint whistle |
| humor. | | | | heard blowing in the distance. They realize it now has |
| If a vision of "Let's make movies!" is flashing on the | | | | become a large, lumbering freight train -- headed right |
| silver screen of your mind, this article may be just the | | | | into town -- bent on wreaking havoc to their bottom |
| ticket to get you into a front row seat at the show. | | | | line. And they known it's on track because they can |
| There are lots of uses for corporate video. Increasingly | | | | feel the ground shaking. I'll discuss more about the |
| popular are video news releases announcing a new or | | | | Internet and high technology later. Considering these |
| improved product. Many companies have found value | | | | facts, I hope you're now "sold" on the advantages of |
| in "how-to" instructional videos aimed at consumers. | | | | corporate video! |
| There are infomercials and testimonials continue to be | | | | With recent advances in technology -- relatively |
| one of the absolute best forms of advertising. Videos | | | | inexpensive digital video recorders, computer software |
| of a few happy customers praising your company | | | | and hardware -- it would seem that movie making for |
| could work magic for your marketing efforts. And you | | | | the masses is "an idea whose time has come." Well, |
| wouldn't necessarily need to buy any broadcast time | | | | yes... and no. |
| because all this -- and more -- can be loaded on your | | | | Indeed, top notch consumer hardware and software is |
| company's web site. | | | | available. Just ask any teenager who aspires to |
| Do your new employees feel welcome? In mid-size | | | | become the next Steven Spielberg! But the successful |
| and larger organizations, it's often difficult for a busy | | | | and convincing production of a corporate video |
| CEO to personally greet each new employee with a | | | | requires an element not found in a collection of wires, |
| handshake. Until the CEO can schedule face time with | | | | chips, lights, lenses, hard drives, LCD monitors, |
| a new recruit, a welcoming message from the "top | | | | keyboards or other electronic gadgetry. That element |
| dog" on DVD may work wonders. Into the narrative | | | | is intellectual skill -- and the expertise required to tell a |
| the boss can weave words about the company's | | | | story in a unique way. Because this skill is a learned |
| mission statement, relate a brief history of the firm, | | | | trait, most writers don't have it. Let me explain. |
| communicate a vision of its future, and explain how the | | | | Keep in mind, Hollywood movies and most prime time |
| organization expects each employee to treat its | | | | television shows are designed to entertain. Script |
| customers. If you opt for a hard copy, the recruit can | | | | writers ply their trade with entertainment in mind. Their |
| take a DVD home and share it with family members. | | | | story lines rely upon aspects of conflict and drama as |
| Or the boss' full motion message can be placed on | | | | "hooks" to get audiences emotionally involved. |
| your corporate web site. | | | | Because you psychologically identify with the good |
| Then there's the U.S. Department of Labor | | | | guys, you're "in their corner," you root for them. When |
| Occupational Safety & Health Administration -- | | | | watching a comedy, you laugh at the "nutty guy" |
| commonly known as OSHA. Its web site says, "Nearly | | | | because in real life you know someone who's almost |
| every working man and woman in the nation comes | | | | exactly like him -- psychologically you to tend to |
| under OSHA's jurisdiction (with some exceptions such | | | | identify with the character. You're hooked. With |
| as miners, transportation workers, many public | | | | comedians and talk show hosts, you generally either |
| employees, and the self-employed). | | | | love them or hate them -- depending upon how close |
| OSHA's mission is to assure the safety and health of | | | | their humor content or world view matches your own. |
| America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; | | | | As in the other examples, you're prone to identify with |
| providing training, outreach, and education; establishing | | | | the performer. |
| partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in | | | | With corporate video, writing objectives are different |
| workplace safety and health." The statement is a | | | | from those of entertainment. Though a good |
| shining example of bureaucracy in full bloom. But write | | | | corporate piece needs to contain elements of |
| off its real meaning at your own peril! When these | | | | entertainment -- after all, we don't want viewers to fall |
| folks walk into your office flashing their badges, rest | | | | asleep! -- Its primary purpose is to enlighten, or to |
| assured the results will be no picnic! Customized | | | | teach, or to inform. Thus, when telling a story in the |
| videos can be used as a tool to aid your company in | | | | corporate arena, the writer and producer need to |
| its efforts to comply with OSHA standards. Videos | | | | have a working knowledge of how adults learn. The |
| can be utilized during new employee orientation and for | | | | entire corporate video production is built and scripted |
| on-going or "refresher" training of seasoned personnel. | | | | using this pedagogy. |
| And as I've said before, they can be part of your | | | | For example, most adults are competency-based |
| company's web site. | | | | learners. They want to learn a skill or acquire |
| In today's fast moving culture, video may indeed be the | | | | knowledge that can be quickly applied to their |
| most effective method to communicate ideas. For | | | | immediate circumstances. Work-related situations |
| years it has worked well for the folks on Madison | | | | present a more appropriate framework than academic |
| Avenue where big advertisers and broadcast and | | | | or theoretical approaches. In other words, the astute |
| cable networks meet. People like to watch. | | | | writer or producer will employ active demonstrations |
| Though movie theater attendance has been steadily | | | | using full motion video, rather than showing a talking |
| declining -- perhaps due in part to the growing | | | | head communicating abstract theory -- or, worse yet |
| popularity of the "third screen" (the Internet) -- we're still | | | | -- by displaying numerous lines of text on the screen. |
| able to get our movie fix via DVD. Pundits say the | | | | Talking heads or lots of text signal a certain |
| Internet is about to change that too, claiming traditional | | | | subconscious response in contemporary viewers. The |
| television sets will soon be replaced by super-duper | | | | message is "go to sleep!" And that is not part of |
| computers that will download program content directly | | | | making a Killer Corporate Video, but is more likely the |
| from servers. But regardless of the device -- from | | | | norm. Preventing it is the subject of part 2 of this |
| small screens on cell phones to 60 inch home theaters | | | | article. |