Different media is effective in different ways depending on your audience and your message. Broadly speaking, mass communication methods have a wide but indiscriminate spread. They also detach the producer from the audience. More local methods are effective within local communities but can seem less credible. It is important to remember that the most effective and powerful method is to use a selection of these media, don’t concentrate all your efforts just on the video for example, back this up with a leaflet campaign locally and then telephone and personally invite a variety of key people.
You may also want to bear these options in mind for later on after you have made your video, as you may want to use some of these methods to promote your video. Your choice of media depends on what you aim to achieve. Read through the following information to expand your knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the various media.
Strong on visual impact but weak at getting across detailed information. It is not easy to access the wide reaching broadcast networks such as TV and the cinema, and it can also be expensive. The Internet is a good alternative but it can still be limited quality even with broadband.
A good photograph is a powerful and inspirational medium and can become very symbolic. For example, look at the changes brought about, in part, because of the stills that came out of Vietnam. It is not easy to access the national networks of magazines and papers with an image alone and there are very few other venues. Taking good pictures is an acquired skill - even the best photographers take many images to get one good one.
A great way to create a professional-looking video when starting out is to use still images and audio. By using still images in video editing software with a recorded voice-over or music you can bring a subject to life without having to learn too much about video filming techniques. This is also a great way to get around the problem of shaky or otherwise difficult to use camera-work.
The radio is widely acknowledged to be one of the more intimate forms of mass communication. People tend to have it on as a constant companion in the work place and in the home. Local radio overcomes some of the disadvantages associated with mass media. Recording good sound is difficult in lively environments and access to these channels is again not without difficulty. Internet radio is a growing medium with some potential.
Like radio, people tend to approach the Internet as a more personal form of communication and trust it as a reliable source. It can combine a variety of media and has a high level of interactivity and the possibility for feedback. Although creating a website is still quite a technical task, more and more companies are attempting to make it easier and offer templates on their site, like Blogs, a form of online diary. However, more than half of the population have yet to gain access to the Internet, despite government targets.
The highest aim of all advertisers is to access personal networks. It is widely regarded as the most powerful recommendation for any product. Keeping satisfied customers is highly valued, along with the power of word-of mouth.
A very tailored and personal approach with great effect, however this is time consuming and limited.
Again, a very personal and effective local method. Printing can be expensive and distribution difficult and tedious. It is worthwhile tailoring your distribution method to your audience if you can.
Powerful, cheap and surprisingly effective. The novelty value and distinctiveness in a conformist society seems to work well for this format. You will need wide distribution for this to be an effective method.
This is a great way of putting a message across although there is a bit of an art to writing them and they are more effective with an image. Local press are often looking for stories and will often use your text changing little (although they may still give their reporter the credit!) and it’s free! The printed medium is still well respected. The national papers are more difficult and all papers have an editorial slant, which may not favour yours.
It may be that you use a variety of different media within your presentation. Maintaining interest and spreading the impact of your message will greatly increase your effectiveness.
You can combine a variety of media, text in video, video on the Internet, images and text for press releases. The important thing is to use the media most powerful for your message. Stills in documentary are often used because of the lack of footage (stills of the First World War for example) but now they have a place and effectiveness of their own. Obviously long lines of text are out of place in video just as lengthy dialogue is out of place in a music video.
Video is strongest when the combination of sound, image and movement all give different aspects of the same basic message. Each aspect of your presentation should be worthy on it’s own but doubly powerful in conjunction with the other aspects. The elements should focus, not distract, the audience. Editing in music videos usually occurs on the beat of the music, this reinforces the beat and makes the cuts flow unnoticed. A good photograph not only combines all aspects of a story but also injects a wider sense of humanity or intimacy with the subject.
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