Reflections for video #1

- Interview reflection

1. What is the essential story behind the piece you created?

I was on a search for a personal development physical technique that workshop participants could safely use to feel the rush of accomplishment. I felt that the techniques that most motivational gurus were using were dangerous and appealed mostly to the male energy within a person. I wanted something more feminine that would still kept the participant actively engaged and that was difficult enough to do that the participant would feel a great sense of accomplishment in its completion.

2. What was your purpose in creating this piece of new media narrative? Do you feel you were successful in communicating your purpose?

The purpose of this new media narrative was personal as well as a motivation for other coaches. I was proud of myself for having accomplished the fork and spoon bending and wanted an opportunity to show off my prowess. I also wanted to encourage other female personal development coaches to continue to search for the perfect fit within their presentations and not be swayed by what was popular at the moment.  I feel that I successfully communicated that I was proud of my accomplishment, but not so sure that one video by itself can increase people’s confidence enough for them to go against the popular convention of using crazy stunts to hype up their events.

3. Who was your audience? Do you feel you were successful in reaching your audience?

My audience was friends, family and colleagues. My friends and family thought the video was cute. My colleagues doubted that I actually bent the spoons. They wanted a repeat performance, which I was glad to do, but did not capture on video. I think that the length of time it took for the first bending to be successful makes for a boring video and you don’t really know when the spoon will buckle, so it is difficult to have patience to show the process. Also, there are many videos on you tube debunking the spoon bending as a hoax since most people who video themselves are illusionists. My audience has been hand selected, so there aren’t a lot of trackable views for the video. I haven’t made the video public because I am featured in the video and don’t have on any make-up and my hair isn’t perfect, so I am a bit self-conscious about showing it.

4. Why did you use your particular approach to media production and media selection? Were you successful?

I chose to use photos of popular gurus and their techniques so my audience could relate the familiar. Some of the people have gone through these same experiences and/or have sat in the audience listening to those gurus. I have had conversations with many people who have said they were afraid to try the crazy stunt and wondered if they missed out on any life breakthroughs. I think that trying to video myself bending a spoon in real time would not translate the same drama as a board being broken or walking on fire, so it is a bit of a challenge. I am hoping that actually seeing the before and after pictures of the fork and the spoon will motivate people to want to check it out further.

5. What did you learn during the process of crafting your media piece that you can use in creating future new media narrative?

I learned that I need to feel confident about the photos of myself that I put inside of the videos because it takes so much time to create them, it isn’t worth it to then sit on the finished product and not circulate it because of something I could’ve taken care of in pre-production. I also realize that there are more applications of the finished video than I may have thought of when I originally was creating the video. Again, the amount of effort required to create the product deserves to be honored by carefully choosing what will work the first time through. There isn’t always a budget (time or money) to do a second pass at a project.