Thomas Clifford /// Humanizing Business Communications

So I’m on the phone with a fellow producer the other day and out of the blue I say…

“Finally, after all these years, videos now have a home on the web- they’re not homeless anymore.”

“What do you mean?” he says.

“Well, think about it. For so many years, videos- especially videos for most organizations- have never had a venue where the stories were integrated into the larger picture. Remember, videos went out on tapes and then discs. Those stories were islands unto themselves; they were rarely seen in a larger context. Oh, sure, sometimes they’d get seen at meetings, conferences, etc. But really, the majority of the stories weren’t seen in a larger context- they weren’t integrated into an organization’s larger brand or message.”

And so here we are.

Thanks to the web, videos are, indeed, finding a home.

If your organization wants to see how video stories can effectively be integrated into the larger story, take a look at these five examples- you’ll have a instant roadmap to discover how video stories can possibly be part of something larger than just a disc or file.

1. Sputnik Observatory for the Study of Contemporary Culture

If you believe ideas are a form of energy, you’re going to love this site. (A big hat tip to Mark Levy for pointing this site out to me!)

From Sputnik’s “About Us” page:
“Sputnik Observatory is a New York not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to the study of contemporary culture. We fulfill this mission by documenting, archiving, and disseminating ideas that are shaping modern thought by interviewing leading thinkers in the arts, sciences and technology from around the world. Our philosophy is that ideas are NOT selfish, ideas are NOT viruses. Ideas survive because they fit in with the rest of life. Our position is that ideas are energy, and should interconnect and re-connect continuously because by linking ideas together we learn, and new ideas emerge.”

2. Lance Armstrong’s “It’s About You” Campaign
You’re in for a treat with this one. Nike and Lance Armstrong teamed up to raise cancer awareness by launching “It’s About You.” Launched July 4th, the campaign integrates mixed media with the ability to share and tell our own stories. While you’re there, be sure to check out Evan Handlers’s video, “It’s About Telling Your Story.”

3. “The Soul of Athens”
The county of Athens in Southeast Ohio, is steeped in Appalachian culture.
From their “About” page: “Produced by students at Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication and E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, the award-winning Soul of Athens has been placed in the same competitive arena as National Geographic, The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.”

4. “Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary”
My favorite site video/website ever. “Capturing Reality” seamlessly integrates “snack-sized” videos from worldclass documentary filmmakers along with educational material to inspire and educate filmmakers-to-be and film enthusiats.

5. David Lynch’s “Interview Project”
Think you need a big budget to produce corporate videos? Not so. David Lynch’s latest project proves simple video production values combined with interesting people and integrated seamlessly on a site can capture and holed the attention of viewers.

I'll be sharing more sites with you as I run across them. Feel free to add yours here.

Tom

Corporate Videos Finally Have a Home