Here’s a solid web video from California US Senate candidate Chuck DeVore, currently making the rounds.

The effectiveness of this piece is attributed to it’s ability to draw the viewer into a virtual reality dictated by Pelosi’s actual words.

It’s presented in a believable and realistic way, setting the foundation for a true emotional appeal, which only becomes more poignant when the viewer is reminded that these are in fact Pelosi’s true words.

Gavin Newsom produces a high level quality web video to open his campaign for governor of California.

The testimonials from average people, strong economic imagery, and tight positive messaging fits a ‘new kind of candidate’ and campaign for 2010.

I also like the references to his website,  Facebook and Twitter – giving people a place to go to follow the campaign and get involved.

I’ve been posting a number of new web videos here to draw attention to this relatively new medium of political persuasion.  I’ve written in the past about the effectiveness of web videos, but now they seem to be really taking off as a tool for disseminating information, adding extra benefit to the audio / visual format of political communication.

Here’s why Web Videos work:

• The spread of broadband, coupled with the genesis of easy navigable social network sites, has allowed for greater mass distribution and attention of such video pieces.
• The popularity of the media site You Tube has created a simple place for message delivery vehicles to point to, for all online users to see the video, without having to download or worry about having to interact with media players.
• The longer format allotted, mitigates the restraint media producers and editors are under to crank out a spot at :30 or :60 seconds.
• The stretch in format timing allows for arguments and plot lines to be better developed, resulting in heightened effect and interest.

As a consequence, we are seeing a lot of new fresh video pieces on the interwebs.

Campaigns, movements, associations, issue groups, party organizations and think tanks are putting greater resources into web videos and testing new projects through this art form / message delivery system.  It’s great to be apart of and watch this growing field of political activity, as it opens up an entire new creative platform for sharing ideas and beliefs in the political space.

Below is a great example of a web video, that is well done and interesting.  It’s a piece written and narrated by author/screenwriter, Andrew Klavan and produced by Pajamas Media.  The piece features Klavan discussing his view on the liberal approach to countering conservative culture and ideas, which he defines as a strategy as “shut up.”

While this piece does not encompass a wide array of production effects and mechanics, it does the job of making the argument that Klavan makes more interesting.  The visual accompaniment and the timing of the effects definitely enhances Klavan’s well structured argument and serves to strengthen the overall point, which is the truest measure of success for any politically driven web video.

The ultimate benefit of creating this kind of web video is that it’s execution in video format is more effective  than if Klavan just wrote this argument down and posted it somewhere.

I found this gem on Twitter today.  It is an audio / video illustration, titled, “The Crisis of Credit Visualized.” It walks the viewer through the financial components that brought on the current credit crisis that’s gripped our nation.  It’s produced by Jonathan Jarvis, an interaction and media designer.

According to Jarvis, “The Crisis of Credit Visualized distills the economic crisis into a short and simple story by giving it form. It is also argues that designers have the ability to see a complex situation, then turn around and communicate it to others. By giving graphic form to the credit crisis, it becomes comprehensible. Not only do economic activities take shape, but new relationships can emerge between these shapes.”

This type of work epitomizes smart media – defining an important and complex issue in a clear and easy to understand format.

Obama’s Change.gov is already at it with the beginning of it’s part II branding campaign….The Presidency.  Democrats and Republicans alike tout the Obama branding operation as nothing short of masterful.

Already, Obama’s communications team has produced a series of videos showing Obama at various events leading up to the inauguration.

These videos are shot on a high end / HD camera and are edited with excellent skill, as they reveal what appears to be a glimpse  behind the scenes of the Obama’s movements.  The best videos so far feature the Whistle Stop Tour and the Sunday concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

The Obama Team’s emphasis on video coverage, with almost instantaneous posting to their YouTube channel, conveys a greater sense of access that is in line with their message of change through transparency.

Kudos….The videos look great.

New McCain web video, titled THE ONE.  Interesting concept. 

The Obama camp was quick to criticize this new web ad with comments quoted in BEN SMITH’s, recent POLITICO piece, by Obama’s spokesman HARI SEVUGEN:

“It’s downright sad that on a day when we learned that 51,000 Americans lost their jobs, a candidate for the presidency is spending all of his time and the powerful platform he has on these sorts of juvenile antics.”

“Senator McCain can keep telling everyone how ‘proud’ he is of these political stunts which even his Republican friends and advisors have called ‘childish’, but Barack Obama will continue talking about his plan to jumpstart our economy by giving working families $1,000 of immediate relief.”

This week marked the beginning of the not-so-nice campaigning that started with McCain’s Celeb spot, got into the race card fight and ended with this doozie web video.  I also point out it appears the first time the Obama campaign was placed on the defensive by tactics deployed by the McCain campaign.  

Stay tuned…..

 

Below is a new RNC web video as parody of Barack Obama’s visit and speech in Germany.  I must say this is pretty poorly done stuff.  I would expect a lot more from the RNC when it comes to output of media such as this.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am of the view that web videos are best when produced as less-scripted,  more natural, longer form media.  Web videos allow the producer to tell a longer story, get to a punch line in more time and generally carry a more interesting plot line than the basic 30 or 60 second broadcast spot.

However, there is a fine line between funny and sophisticated and not really funny and totally unsophisticated.  I would expect the leadership of the Republican Party would attempt at the former in all instances.  

I ask who does this video truly serve?  McCain’s line of attack on Obama regarding his snub of American troops during his trip abroad was smart and very relevant.  Humorous portrayals of John Kerry’s flip flops in 2004 were playful and funny – tugging at a nagging weakness of his.  The video above – not so much.

I would say the RNC did have some good footage to work with from video taken at this event.  There is something to be said for Che supporters and Marxists who adore Barack Obama – insert liberal loony left.  I simply would have opted to spend more time and money to produce a smarter video. You can either hit the viewer over the head with message or subtly point the viewer in the direction of message – but under the party banner, do it with a little more style.  

I point to the video below, produced by Moveon.org, while I have my criticism there also, it still was very smartly done by individual(s) that sculpted a media piece out of creative sarcasm.