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