Look to the Horizon | Content Says It All
During my 15+ years of media and video development, a question I've frequently been asked early in the discovery phase is, “what software should we use to build our media?” A close second in terms of common Client questions? Well, that would be, “Will it play on my fill-in-the-blank-new-mobile -technology-name?” With software and hardware changes, upgrades, and new releases, many people are caught up trying to use the next-great-thing because they heard about it or read about it. Admittedly, there is a “cool factor” to building the app for the newest-super-cool-tech gadget, but that cool factor isn’t maintained if you don’t have the content developed for your media.
To that same point, no matter what awesome animation software your media was developed in, if there is weak or no content, it will be forgotten at best, and possibly ignored completely.
GOOD CONTENT GOALS
Number 1 - What are the 2 or 3 main message take-aways?
Number 2 - How much time will I have to communicate with message take-aways?
Number 3 - What tone best supports my content take-aways?.png)
For corporate messages or higher ed classrooms, the first step in your project is to focus on the content. If someone lists several different softwares or even web solutions (like Content or Learning Management Systems) and wants an opinion, it is the ideal moment to stop the conversation and confirm what message or content they want to deliver. Always KNOW WHAT you are saying before you decide HOW you will deliver it.
Use these 4 steps to assess your content and prepare it for your media development:
1. Create Content inventory
2. Identify Content messages
3. Prioritize key messages
4. Outline content structure
When you know what message you want to deliver, you’ll also be able to shape the content to fit the time allotted. And, you’ll be able to determine the tone you need to fit your message and your timeline. Those 3 content goals work together to create your solid foundation.
Horizon’s team has animators, videographers, audio technicians, graphic designers, Web programmers and motion graphic artists. And the first question asked for any project is: what do we have for content?
Content drives all creative projects. We know because Horizon has been delivering content by telling our Clients’ stories for over 30 years. We’ve worked with big business, higher ed, and small business to tell stories. From our portfolio you’ll see how strong writing leads to winning story telling for every format.
Because no matter how it is built or designed, the content says it all.