I recently caught a screening of a new documentary called “This Space Available” about the overproliferation of outdoor billboards and commercial messages. The film was inspired and executive produced by Marc Gobé, global branding expert and author of Emotional Branding.  The film, and the wonderful conversation I had with him after, raised some interesting questions and concerns around outdoor advertising and its effects on the physical landscape and the human psyche.

In recent years there has been a virtual arms race of bigger and bigger billboards. Two remarkable images from the film were, first, a large building next to Red Square in Moscow completely wrapped by an enormous BMW ad that stretched for a city block, and another ad hanging from a historical bridge over a canal in Venice. In the United States, there have been reports of billboard companies cutting down and even poisoning trees that block views of billboards, and a staggering percentage of billboards illegally placed and virtually unregulated. The film argues that this isn’t just about the aesthetic value of trees versus billboards (some of which are visually beautiful), but about quality of life in a community and corporate responsibility and branding.

Is it possible that egregious ads or billboards that block scenic views or clutter landscapes can be harming their brand’s image? How much outdoor advertising is too much? Some cities like Sao Paulo, Brazil, have banned outdoor advertising completely. In the U.S., there is a grassroots movement afoot to ban outdoor advertising or at least to restrict it and enforce compliance with regulations. Meanwhile, in the advertising industry, digital billboards are evolving and presenting a sophisticated new medium for delivering consumer-directed advertising. Digital billboards are also, interestingly, providing a new landscape for visual and media artists.

Where is the dividing line between art and advertising? How do you feel about outdoor advertising and the new digital billboards you may see popping up along the highways? Or, if you live in Dallas, how do you feel about the entire exterior of the new Omni Hotel downtown being essentially the world’s largest billboard?

I don’t know the answers to these questions, but as a creative strategist, this provocative film certainly has me thinking. What is the impact that outdoor and digital advertising can have on a brand? Can brands use these mediums in a socially responsible way that enhances our communities? Let me know your thoughts.

The annual LaunchAbility event titled “A Special Evening With…” is one of the big moments of the year for AMS Pictures.  We’re proud to be a part of the fundraising efforts that help children and adults with disabilities gain the independence and confidence to live a meaningful life.  While the numbers on dollars raised for this important cause are still coming in from the benefit concert at the Morton Meyerson Symphony Hall, we all felt the event was a huge success and Kenny Loggins was indeed a crowd pleaser.  Serving up his signature hits including Footloose, Danger Zone and I’m Alright, Kenny also included new arrangements of such favorites as House on Pooh Corner and Whenever I call You a Friend to great reactions from the crowd.

Beyond great entertainment and a wonderful evening, it’s truly great to feel the support of an audience that cares about the LaunchAbility mission and are there to show their support and encouragement to helping so many.  In 2012, LaunchAbility will no doubt set yet another record in the number of lives touched and advanced through their tireless efforts thanks in no small part to each and every person in attendance.

We’re glad we can help and be a part of the family.

How about that one annoying video that is, surely, a pessimistic parody of how the music video industry is run today?

(Oh, look, apparently the edited parody of the parody got more viewing hits than the video it was parodying. Remember, folks, there’s a parody out on YouTube for every single mainstream form of media you can think of.)

What’s that, you say? Old news? Everybody knows about them? They’re famous?!? And now available in HD?!?

What is it about these videos that have skyrocketing view counts? What causes them to go viral? Kevin Allocca, trend manager at Google, gave a TED talk that explains the three main factors for Why Videos Go Viral.

What kick starts these videos into gaining virtual popularity status is recognition by what Allocca calls the “Taste Makers.” Essentially famous celebrities, noteworthy blog writers, and other people in highly influential positions spread the word out the next ‘hot thing,’ causing it to gain a lot of attention quickly. Parodies also often increase the attention given to the original videos.

The next ingredient to getting your video viral is inviting your audience to participate and allowing them to become a part of the act. Your video should be inspirational, and harness creativity. You will know you are successful when remixes and (you guessed it) parodies (!!!) are created in honor of your original upload.

The final ingredient of the viral video syndrome is its unexpectedness. Many studies have concluded (and it is also fairly obvious) that people respond to videos that surprise, amuse, and generally play on emotions. Because accessibility by anybody to these videos is simple and easy, it is the viewers who determine how popular your video will be. This concept has proven to be tried and true with corporate marketing videos, as well. Allocca refers to this current form of media as the “entertainment of the future.”

Can you think of other factors that contribute to videos becoming viral? What is your favorite YouTube video? Leave us a comment below! Nyan!

Okay fine, so I’m still a die hard Yankees fan, but I’ve become a tried and true Rangers fan as well, having lived in Texas since 1982. (Yes, you can imagine things can get a little heated with my folks around the telly!)

Working with the Texas Rangers Baseball Club to produce the 40th Anniversary Opening Video has been a pleasure and an honor, and everyone in the Rangers organization from the top down is a class act.

Check out the gallery below for some of the great pics we have from our first Opening Day experience.

And… GO RANGERS!!!

The AMS Pictures Production Team for Texas Rangers Opening Video (L-R):
Corey Jones, Director; Larry Rodriguez, Producer; Taylor Witt, Director of Photography; Eileen Yedwab, Senior Director of Client Strategy

One of the privileges and challenges of working in a creative industry is the need to keep your own creative juices flowing. It’s important to step outside of your own sphere of influence and be exposed to other realms.  Many of the stories of innovation have been fueled by happenstance interactions between people from different disciplines and perspectives.  All of this is a great excuse to consider it part of my job – as well as personal enrichment – to be involved in the arts community. Fortunately, the Spark Gallery at AMS Pictures gives me another outlet to do just that, like with the AMS Pictures Spark Gallery of art, displaying works by Ali Golzad this month.

The collection includes pen and ink drawings as well as large “recycled art” from his Invisible People collection.  Invisible People is a deeply personal collection of work created from ordinary materials—corrugated cardboard, a Sharpie pen, and Elmer’s glue.  The elegantly crafted dimensional sculptures are modeled after real photos of children in war zones and impoverished conditions. A war refugee himself, Ali was forced leave his family in Iran and flee to Sweden at a young age.  He can identify with the plight of children in war, and this collection of works, on materials discarded as trash, alludes to the ways children are often the victims of war, discarded and forgotten.

I have had the privilege of knowing Ali and his wife Sondra, a native Dallasite, for many years, and it’s exciting to have the opportunity to exhibit his works. They are both a testament to the power of art to unite the community and spread a message of peace and compassion.  It’s meeting interesting, good-hearted people like Ali and Sondra that keep me inspired and motivated to stretch my own creative wings.

We invite you to stop by AMS Pictures and see the exhibit in hopes it will do the same for you!  Selections from Invisible People will be hanging in the Spark Gallery in Town Square all of April and into May.  More of Ali’s work can be seen here.

UPDATE:

We had a small gathering of family and friends on Friday April 6, and a great time was had by all!

Ali Golzad with AMS Pictures CEO Andy Streitfeld

Ali & Friends pose in the AMS Pictures Spark Gallery

Ali explains his creative process to a patron

CDI desired to have a timeline video created to remind its internal team about the company’s history, hoping to draw renewed inspiration from the production. A large percentage of CDI’s employees were not aware of the past that had gotten the company to where it is today. This creative strategy got everybody on the same page and set the stage for what was to come.

The production was a success. It was shown at national sales meeting events, with excellent feedback from the top to the bottom. The production continues to be shown at board meetings and other live events, and is also available for employees’ review.

The greatest challenge was having no existing material to work with, so in order to tell a specific personal story about the company, we had to search through various amounts of stock banks for images to express emotion and be clear in the products created. Because of the nature of the industry, the video had to be particular about what images were shown, making sure they represented exactly what was being talked about. Along with our talented editor, Jeff Hays, I devised ways to create new footage when existing footage was non-existent by finding suitable B-roll. There was absolutely no shooting involved, and the video simply consisted of visuals that told a story along with the voice over.

The experience reminded me that story is key, and the writer we had for the piece (Mitch Logrovitch) set the stage for a successful video. Research was required in order to make the story come to life and prevent it from being merely factual and dry. We present the CDI story in an appropriate but engaging way that seeks to inspire the CDI team.  The video relates to others in that it looks back in time, but the aim was to set this piece apart from other bland video productions. It involves history elements that not only CDI participated in, but that are relevant to the nation at large.

Imagine a snapshot of American history since the 1950’s. The video leaves you with the vibe from that era. The story of a business’s humble beginnings to becoming a successful powerhouse is a dynamic story that many people can relate to and be inspired by.

Always an evening to remember, the musical performance is punctuated with a sincere sense of family and support for the organization and so many people find assistance through the generosity of everyone who attends.  This year, our creative concept for the video worked to remind the crowd just how much they really can make a difference with the simple act of filling out a donation card.

“The power of the pen” was the catch phrase that connected viewers to the very pen they were handed as they entered the auditorium.  As the script reads “The Pen is Mightier than the Sword and… [a pen can] give Confidence to a child who is different or with disabilities, the promise of Independence to an adult with cognitive disabilities and Hope to their families.”

The amazing gift that is LaunchAbility is that for every $1 raised for families in need, $17 is returned to the community in reduced needs for social services.  AMS Pictures, as a committed community partner, is proud to be a part of those efforts.

We would also like to extend a special Thank You to Jason Garrett, Florence Shapiro and Scott Murray for graciously donating their time and allowing us to film them as a part of our message. And a big ‘Thank You’ to the whole AMS Team for working so quickly/efficient and being so flexible.  Production is a team sport and we’ve got nothing short of a winning team.

Beyond Pix Studios Acquires Bayshore Studio on Eve of Destruction; Embarks on Restoration, Facelift and Upgrade of Historic Space

Studio Reopened as @Bayshore  on March 9  in San Francisco.

Bayshore Studio played a central role in San Francisco’s thriving production industry for 17 years , but was slated for demolition after closing its doors in late 2011. Beyond Pix Studios acquired the facility in January to preserve, restore and re-open the space as a resource for the San Francisco production community.  The studio is the only acoustically-designed and full-service sound stage production facility in San Francisco, with more than 6500 square feet and a 50×50 foot stage with a cyc wall.

“It’s been a tough 5 years for our industry as a whole, but I see a rebound gaining momentum, especially in the Bayshore district.  As a new groundswell of film and video companies have opened in that area during the last 6 months,  it makes sense to preserve the Bayshore Studio space for local companies to leverage as the rebound continues,” said Ray Santiago, Beyond Pix Founder.

New Look and Services @ Bayshore

In addition to a facelift, @Bayshore will operate differently than in the past.  The new studio will support the local industry by making itself available in a wide array of configurations – from fully equipped and staffed to being rented as a dry stage.  Clients will now be welcome to use @Bayshore as an open source and bring their own staff, equipment, roll up their own trucks, etc.

“The re-opening of the old Bayshore Studio is an enormous asset to our community, as it’s never good to lose such an important resource. Beyond Pix has a great reputation for being honest and fair, as well as giving back to the community, so we totally support their endeavor,” said Janet Coleman, owner of JCX, a company providing expendables to the San Francisco film and video communities for more than 20 years. “I know they’ll be a big success!”

@Bayshore  is now open for business and can be seen by appointment. It is fully functional and operational, although renovations continue.

History of Bayshore Studio

Bayshore Studio operated as the only acoustically-designed, full-service sound stage in San Francisco for 17 years.  It hosted local, national and international productions ranging from commercials and corporate videos to music videos and independent feature work.

The company fulfilled a need for a real sound stage in San Francisco and worked with musicians, corporations and politicians including Metallica, Charles Schwab and Senator Dianne Feinstein.

The audience isn’t just listening, it’s alive and kicking! On its feet, feeling the vibe, getting the message. One-of-a-kind, real life, magical, unforgettable experiences.  That’s what we do!