Anyone can create a video and gain access to millions of viewers. The barriers to entry consist of nothing more than a video recorder and an Internet connection. But the rise of anyone-can-make-a-video has generated a fair amount of dreadful stuff. It’s especially challenging for a B2B company to create a video that stands apart …more
I stumbled across a compelling three-and-a-half-minute video with NPR’s Scott Simon sharing his perspective on how to tell a story (video below). It’s captivating, as reflected in the 43,000+ views. Before going further, let’s acknowledge that Scott Simon’s voice by itself is captivating. He could explain a recipe for nouveau meatloaf and I’d listen. Plus, anyone …more
Apple’s decision to pull out of Macworld is a little like Simon Cowell taking a pass on “American Idol.” Sure, the show will go on, but in what form? Naturally, the news caused a stir in the blogosphere, with one of the better posts coming from Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune. Although unlike Elmer-DeWitt, I don’t view Apple’s rationalization …more
I tend to associate infomercials with Ginsu knives and historical videos on World War II. Obviously, the Barack Obama infomercial that aired last month was not in the order-now-and-get-free-shipping genre. Putting politics aside, the video comes across as a powerful communications vehicle. How can you go wrong with world-class production quality, panoramic views of “amber waves of …more
There’s nothing like contrast to accentuate the telling of a story. In our “art of storytelling” training I like to discuss the difference between “what was” and “what is.” The greater the delta between these two points the greater the drama in the story. There’s a terrific example of contrast in Monday’s USA Today profile on Teresa …more
When YouTube debuted, I remember thinking what’s all the fuss? You obviously don’t want me reading tarot cards at the local county fair. Universal McCann’s study on social media on video traction shows that more than 80 percent of Internet users watch video online: With that said, I don’t know if anyone predicted that video would …more
