Once Upon A Time...

It is safe to say that we as human beings are creatures of stories. From cavemen painting stories on cave walls to the 140 character tweet, there is an intoxicating element to a story told well. Telling a compelling story has a powerful way of breaking down the barrier of logic to impress and embed messages into the human psyche.

In the Fast Company article,  Why Storytelling Is The Ultimate Weapon the author challenges brands to spend more time creating content that just does not tell the features and benefits of a product or service, but craft a story around the product or service that compels consumers to lose themselves in the story.

He also points out fictional stories are more effective than writing stories that are based on evidence and argument. Claiming that studies have show that, "...our attitudes, fears, hopes and values are strongly influence by stories.

When I was looking to do a documentary film on a competitive eater it was very important for me to make sure that we were able to develop a story that transcended the "sport". Even if a person did not understand or did not agree with the gluttony fest the story of the subject of the film would be told in a way that would resonate  with the audience.

What I have found that there is more in common with humans than differences and its the story that connects us. The foundational message of the film was to persuade people through an unconventional and in some cases unwarranted means that we are all the same.

We all have the same fears, hopes, joys, concerns, etc. and companies for a long time have failed to show the human side of their businesses. However, they are learning due to the more competitive landscape in the marketplace that they need to look make sure that their company story is embedded into the overarching communication strategy.

What Are Your Thoughts On Your Companies Communication Strategy?

Are You 4G?

The article written by Chris Baylis of Tribal DDB Amsterdam was very challenging. As I begin to put together my creative agency one of the traps that I don't want to fall into is doing business as usual. Using 20th century advertising strategies in a 21st century world does not work. 

The way Chris Baylis illustrates it is the difference between being on a 2G network and a 4G network. He uses the mobile phone network comparison to  show how most agencies take a more linear approach to helping clients create advertising relying on the  traditional advertising methods. (TV, Print, etc.) 

On a greater note even as technology changes, going "digital" doesn't necessarily mean that you are being innovative. Agencies are just digitizing old methods.

I admit I fell in this trap when I was working on my first documentary film for a client. It was meant to be for promotional uses and to help establish the company brand, but looking back I can see that I approached it from a "2G" or "3G" perspective. I pretty much looked at other company's in the same space and looked for ways to make a better product. 

However, now I realize I was following a marketing method that was leading me down the road of just interrupting the audience and not offering any real value value outside of producing a "cool" film. Making the transition from becoming a "3G" creative agency to a "4G" agency is helping clients create culture with their products and services, because consumers are more connected and more savvy than ever before.

Consumers have become the center of the value chain because they have the same technology as the brands have. The power has shifted to the consumer and that can be a hard pill for a lot of agencies to swallow.

Chris Baylis leaves agencies with the following  tips to help upgrade them to 4G:

• Remember that you are in the innovation and disruption business, not the interruption business. 
• Truly understand your value in the marketplace and charge a premium for your services, even in an economic slump.
• If your client's do not want to listen to you find new ones.

What Are Your Thoughts?

"Passion Project", Kareem & CrowdFunding

Passion Project 
I am currently shooting a documentary in regards to the world of competitive eating, at first it started off as a “passion” project. I was very fascinated by the sport through a good friend of mind who happen to be an up and coming competitor.

The documentary, like any project had certain costs that I just absorbed because of the nature of the project, but after listening to this podcast I learned something very significant regarding having the capacity to deduct the expenses that I incur from my main salary.

In the Storey v. Commission of Internal Revenue case the court ruled that the filmmaker, Ms. Storey, “had met her burden of proving that she set out to make a profit in her filming of Smile ‘Til It Hurts.” The court also ruled that she was able to deduct her losses from the income that she earned as a lawyer.

This case will have a positive impact on the documentary film industry as a whole, because in most cases documentary films are most done out of the love of a certain topic.

Kareem's Documentary Woes
I grew up watching the Laker star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I even saw the documentary film that he produced that was based on his book, “On The Shoulders of Giants:My Journey Through The Harlem Renainssance.”  Though the documentary was good, I had no idea how much Kareem had to go through to get the film produced.

According to reports, he hired a film production company for $1 million to have the film due to be considered in the Sundance Film Festival.

The hired production company ends up not following through on the promises of producing a full-length film and caused Kareem not to show the film on his desired date. If I was Kareem, I would have been upset as well, seek $3 million dollars in damages.

My take away from this case is, if I am  hired to do a documentary film for a client. I should take the time to ensure my client that I am able to handle the size of the project.  Also, an area where the production dropped the ball is not getting all required liscenses to include in the film, which delayed production.

CrowdFund Your Next Film
One thing that I have learned in co-producing my first short documentary film is that it takes money to actually make it great. Sometimes, finding investors who are willing to bet on you and your film could be hard to come by. Investors automatically want to know how they are gonna make their money back.

In comes President Obama’s, “JOBS Act”, (JumpStart Our Business Startup Act). This act is geared to help up and coming start-ups get access to capital through an alternative method, called crow-sourcing.

Sites like, KickStarter or IndieGoGo have already been springing up, but this Act will give real investors an opportunity to gain equity in projects.This is good to know as I begin seeking investment to help finish the film.

Podcast References:

Passion project

http://www.entertainmentlawupdate.com/2012/05/episode-031-terminations-taxes-and-takedowns/

Kareem’s Documentary

http://www.entertainmentlawupdate.com/2010/04/entertainment-law-update-podcast-episode-10-use-the-force-big-boy-and-watch-out-for-beyonces-undies/

Crowdfunding films

http://www.entertainmentlawupdate.com/2012/04/episode-30-jobs-act-crowdfunding-limited-editions-and-more/