when tragedy strikes, competition needs to take a rest
OPINION:
here we are, a day after yet another senseless shooting …this time 12 lives taken in Virginia Beach. I worked in this market a few years ago and know how competitive it is. But I also believe that when things like this strike a community, whether it is a hurricane, tornado or a disgruntled employee, the drive to be first, to “win the day” should be replaced by “what can we do to help our community?” and when I say we, I mean ALL media…all tv, radio, newspaper etc should get together as ONE to do what they can.
I once managed a market-wide red cross fundraiser that included multiple radio stations and all TV stations to do a day-long drive to raise money for the red cross…we put our competitive nature aside for that day, and together raised a large amount of desperately-needed money for a very good cause.
Why not do the same now…I already see one of the stations in the Virginia Beach market saying how THEY are going to be there and raise money…that is great…but how hard would it be for all the stations to collectively do the same…I can tell you from experience that it’s NOT hard at all…and the outcome collectively will be much for effective than individually.
stepping down from my soapbox now…
Don't Ignore the Music!
The ancient Greek philosopher Plato once said, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” I love that quote because I believe it is so true, not only in general, but also when it comes to producing an effective marketing campaign.
For me, finding just the perfect cut of music to enhance, and sometimes drive the message is vital. Music is just as important as the script, the video and the graphics. I have even been known, on occasion, to send a producer back to the edit bay to find new music because it was clear they had treated their music choice as an afterthought.
Take these three spots for example...when I produced them, I spent a few hours listening to hundreds of music cuts, searching for just the right ones that matched the personality and feel for each of the talent featured. If I had just picked the first music cut I came to, these promotional spots would not have been nearly as effective.
Sadly, more and more creative industry facilities have diminished the creative process...they’ve adopted the “hurry up and get it slapped together” mentality where producers feel pressured to get it done quickly, so they ignore the important element of choosing the perfect cut of music.
“Please Don’t Ignore the Music!” Give it the same respect that you give to the script, the cinematography and the edit.
Here’s a simple tip when pressed for time: When you are searching that database of music, you'll find cuts you like but may not be right for your current project. Don’t pass them by, download them right then and add them to a maybe file for later use. And when you are pressed for time, go to that folder. After a while, that internal database you’ve created will be full of great cuts you can find and use quickly.
Remember, Music gives life to everything, including your next video project.