Clive Thompson wrote an interesting piece on how YouTube is changing the way we use video/film in our society. While the majority of his argument stems from the

It isn’t quite a documentary; it isn’t exactly a conversation or a commentary, either. It’s some curious mongrel form. And it would have been inconceivable before the Internet and cheap webcams—prohibitively expensive and difficult to pull off.

This is what’s so fascinating about online video culture. DIY tools for shooting, editing, and broadcasting video aren’t just changing who uses the medium. They’re changing how we use it. We’re developing a new language of video—forms that let us say different things and maybe even think in different ways.

With over 100 years of the moving picture and we have still be drastically limited in how we use the medium do to cost and time restraints. Over just the past 10 years have peoples home computers been powerful enough to edit their videos on par with the pros, and costs have come down drastically since then.

The Evolution and Change in Cost

Video is now following a similar path as Writing and Photography have before it. The costs to enter into either of those markets is now negligible. The barrier to entry is all but removed. For photography consider $4000 for a camera, computer and website verses $10-20k for comparable quality equipment (large format camera, darkroom, chemicals, and tons of trial and error) a decade ago and we writers can now digitally typeset their whole work which used to be a lengthy time intensive/prohibitive process.

We have seen this with the rising of movie industries like Nollywood that would struggle to survive without the cheaper equipment.

Marshall McLuhan pointed out that whenever we get our hands on a new medium we tend to use it like older ones. Early TV broadcasts consisted of guys sitting around reading radio scripts because nobody had realized yet that TV could tell stories differently. It’s the same with much of today’s webcam video; most people still try to emulate TV and film. Only weirdos like MadV are really exploring its potential.

The next step for the church?

So one question for the church is; How can we use video for something other than promos, commercials, documentaries, and films? And how can we incorporate the communal thrust of modern American society?

How might live video look beyond just an interview? Are there different goals we can use video to achieve?

So many questions, and so few answers.

Same old goals get the same old excitement.

Ever notice how excited people get about anything new. They talk about it and want to be a part of it if they can. Most often for us this happens vicariously because these new things are distant to us personally. These new things generally consist of new TV programming, relationships in our peers, or a new gadget that comes out.

There are websites, magazines, and multi-million dollar industries revolving around each of these because they feed off our human excitement about something new.

So what happens when we aren’t new anymore?

One probably many non-profit organizations face on a regular basis is going stale. The freshness that exists around new things fades when organizations get older. It is this reason NGOs try to make the most of their first year or two.

We can’t be new and young all the time, and there are benefits to being established (especially for fundraising). So how do we go about keeping this excitement?

This isn’t going to be rocket science.

Think about the organizations that you’ve been a part of and ask this question, when were you most excited about that membership?

Chances are they had a purpose or goal that you were really excited about. I remember the first time I found a great photo sharing website (flickr.com) and I told everyone about it because I loved sharing my photos with friends. A few years, and thousands of photos later, I’m still a member of the site. Though not as active there as I once was.

So aside from being new, what are some things that cause excitement?

• New Growth
• New Programs
• New Staff
• New Facilities
• New Publicity.

While our underlying goal is to see new growth (both in members, exposure, and our ability to reach our stated goal) and since facilities and new staff are so costly, this leaves the remaining two options to discuss.

There are many ways to even blend new programs and publicity together. Often the local media are looking for feel good news pieces and this is where we step in. If you don’t know them, try having lunch with someone from the local newspaper to share with him what your organization has been doing. Or even better, something new you are just starting.

These new (or reinvented) programs will spring up from your organizational goals. The more focused your mission statement more effective these programs will be at reaching your stated goal. Pair that with your more relaxed management and culture of innovation and your organization will come up with concepts and programs that people want to hear about, and be a part of.

What have been some ways that your organization has built excitement?

Leave a note in the feedback!

Additional Resources

Images: Strawberries by *clairity*, Science Experiment Gone Bad by Bethany L. King, and Box Lunch by jurvetson