I laughed when I saw the latest technology satire, as it took me back to the days of 2″ VTR tape. That’s right, when I was just starting out in the business, the industry was moving from 2″ video tape to 1″ for studio work and Betacam for field work. That was about the time when professional Super 8mm film was attempting to take over the 16mm market.
I hope you enjoy a good laugh…
The new children’s series Iesodo (pronounced Yay-Sa-Doe) features two episodes per DVD, special features for parents and a website link for discussion materials. The lead character is Iesodo, a white dove who represents Christ. He is the head of a flock of six birds who are like disciples, always learning as he teaches lessons.
Each episode has a creative bent on Jesus’ miracles that is put into a child’s world. For instance, Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, while Iesodo feeds thousands of birds with five acorns and two fish. Likewise, Jesus called to Peter during a storm and had him step out of a boat and walk on water, while Iesodo asks one of the birds floating on a log to walk on the water.
Some people might be bothered by the stories being just a little off from the Biblical account because children might accidentally confuse the differences between Jesus and Iesodo. It may have been better for the series to match the specific miracles or come up with very different ones to avoid the concern.
The animation itself is done very well, although some scenes have more color saturation or better lighting than others. The songs are easy for kids to follow and the characters are very likeable. Even the Pharisaical birds are fun to watch.
My favorite character is Maggie (voice by Erin Bethea known for Fireproof), a Palestinian Sunbird. Her character and singing are entertaining, which will surely bring a smile to the kids watching each episode.
The series was first developed for television and may be a true contender in the video market – 2nd to Veggie Tales. If you want a new refreshing way to teach Jesus like stories to your children, then Iesodo is for you.
For years filmmakers have suggested that story is more important than media, platform or business. Last week I read a report about large retail and corporate businesses that compete with similar products, at matching price points, and in the same marketplace. The ads and marketing campaigns are so similar that the only marketing tool left to sway the consumer’s decision is called “story.”
The hundreds of pages of survey data boiled down to the fact that consumers now make purchases based on the company’s presented story. Consumers no longer consider price, as expectations suggest all items are similarly priced. Nor do they consider quality of product, as all products can be manufactured at equal levels.
The beverage industry, which was monopolized by two companies for decades, learned about the importance of story when Nantucket Nectars captured significant market share. Placing short brand stories on each bottle enhanced the campaign. The marketing ploy was successful and caused other companies to distinguish their brands by using storytelling techniques.
Blockbusters, sports, horror and Christian films are no longer unique within the industry. Filmmakers are now forced to find deliberate ways to distinguish their film from similar stories. The Fast and Furious franchise used the sense of belonging and family to distinguish each sequel from the numerous race car knock off films created by competitive studios.
A film’s uniqueness is what separates the quality film from the “me also” films. Many times a corporation will attach a spokesperson to its campaign to help create a deliberate separation between similar products. However, maintaining a celebrity spokesperson can be costly, forcing companies to create new distinguishing and promotable story lines.
Without the delineation, the latest sports film can sound just like the last one. When the Major League Baseball film 42 released, there was little to distinguish it from The Express, Remember the Titans and Glory Road.
Even the trailer of those films suggest it was just another sports film:
The key to breaking a film out of a tie situation with its “me also” films is designing a marketing story that is unique and highlights parts of the story that are significantly different than anything else. Without helping the audience to discern the specific differences prior to watching the film, the release will just look like all other like-minded releases and will generate about the same dollars at the box office. In other words, the film will tie with all others in its sub-genre.
The differences reflected in the marketing story can be about the above line talent, story, visuals, etc. But it’s important that only the film’s uniqueness’s are promoted – After all, how many slasher films can you watch?
What are your thoughts about differentiating films? Are all apocalyptic films the same? What about time travel films? Or, Jesus films?
CJ's Corner 