Making the Most of Down Time

We are just barely into September and I’m sitting on my deck as I write this. Summer goes by way too fast in Wisconsin, and I refuse to squander even one day of warm weather and sunshine by sitting in my cave chained to my desk.

I also refuse to squander my down time. When work is a little scarce (as it is with many of us in the current economy) I need to get creative with how I spend my time. I’m one of those people who work best under deadlines – the more I have to do the more I get done. But when I have less to do it seems that my pace slows and I don’t accomplish as much. So, I make up or find additional things to do. Like take a class. Read about industry trends. Experiment with my little prosumer HD camcorder. Write more short stories and poetry. Etc.

Right now I’m reading a book by Wisconsinite Stephen Woessner called “Search Engine Optimization: Increase Your Google Rankings, Double Your Site Traffic.” My business partner and I went to one of his workshops at UW La Crosse on search engine optimization and learned a lot. The book is a great recap of the presentation and I’m sure I’ll refer to it often as we plan the re-design of our website. And I am happy to tell you that Stephen will be presenting for our chapter of the Media Communications Association - International this spring on SEO and marketing.

At the end of last year I bought a nice little Canon Vixio HD camcorder. I’ve done a little shooting with it, but haven’t had a chance to try edting any of it. So, within the next month I plan to write, shoot and edit a short story. My main stumbling block is finding the right method for digitizing the footage. (Yes, I went with tape for a variety of reasons.) Even though I have no aspirations to shoot and edit for my clients (I'll stick to writing, directing and producing), it would be fun to learn how to do it for myself or my family, and may help me as I write shot descriptions in scripts.

Some writer-friends and I started a writing group a few months ago. We are having a blast exploring screenplay, short story, poetry, and creative nonfiction formats. I believe that working in other genres reenergizes my scriptwriting, making for fresher concepts and crisper narration. Who knows, maybe I’ll even try my hand at writing a book some day. Whether it would be a work of fiction or industry related I can’t say, but the general idea is intriguing.

Of course, marketing is also a very good thing to do when you have time between projects. My business partner and I are developing a marketing plan that includes our main target markets, what message to tailor to each market, and how to reach the most people with investing the least amount of cash. We’d rather go heavy on the time investment and save the cash for the highest return ventures only.

So, what are you doing when work gets a little slow? How do you make the most of down time? Send me your response and I’ll post a compilation of answers.

Thanks for reading!

Who should tell the story - advice for script writers

A story can be told by just about anyone. But a good story must be told in the right way by the right person. For example, you probably wouldn’t have the Jolly Green Giant as a pitchman for feminine hygiene products any more than you would use an interview with the Pillsbury Doughboy to sell weight lifting equipment.

As producers and/or writers, one of the first things we need to determine is who should tell the story. Should it be an on camera narrator or a voice over? Or, should all the information all be presented through interviews clips?

When deciding who should tell the story, it’s a good idea to consider the project’s objective and the intended audience.

Does you project need to educate, persuade, motivate, sell, or train? Knowing the objective – and the type of information that needs to be included in the program – helps determine whether the project calls for an on camera narrator, voice over, or interview.

For example, an installation video targeted to professional technicians would work nicely with an on camera narrator to demonstrate the procedures. The narrator would probably be scripted to sound like the audience members, using familiar trade language in a conversational manner.

A visitor orientation video might be better served with an off camera narrator rather than a real employee on camera to protect shelf life. If a real employee is used as an on camera narrator and the employee leaves – especially if they go to a competitor – the entire program has to be redone. Using an off camera narrator also keeps the focus on the facility and allows for easier updates if the company is sold in the future.

Of course a program for a teen audience would not normally call for a formal adult on camera narrator. But it might work well to have a teen on camera host. Or, if the subject is a serious social issue like drugs or gangs, interviews with teens and others directly affected by the issue carry a log of weight and lend credibility to a skeptical audience.

Whatever the project and target audience, make sure the project’s voice reflects and speaks to the sensibilities, language, and ideals of the audience.