Recently I wrote on the topic of clichés and their ability to devalue what we have to say. That post can be found here if you want to read it in full.

The theme of that post was illustrated through the timeworn expression; “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This phrase is what brought me to the heart of today’s topic.

Video.

Is a video worth the same amount? Are videos worth more? Are they worth the individual images that make it up, or is it based on a total?

Take this as an example of this point. Please be aware that the video must be played on Vimeo. If you watch the film, it is short, you will see that it doesn’t state anything new. You could simply look at a still, take this one for example:

You have learned everything you need to know. At best many video repeat their message over and over, redundancy is not bad when used properly but it can also mute your point. My youngest niece enjoys YouTube, she follows people there and on Instagram and she engages. When I have watched some of the videos with her it became apparent that much of what is said could be summed up in one or two sentences (and that grammar is no longer taught in school). Much of the time is spent trying to extract as many minutes out of these videos as possible, until, the inevitable happens and any semblance of a point is lost. If I or my husband were to do that they would accuse us of rambling, when you are twenty you are an influencer.

Video is a powerful medium, but it needs to create a narrative like text or photos to be powerful.

Heather