20 — The Visionary Trailer

You have static ads. Does your business have a commercial? In our world, I like to think of it as the trailer to your creative universe.

Compelling video + interview-style words are extremely powerful for telling the story of your work and giving potential buyers the feeling of working with you. Commercials are also Practical PR (see essay 18).

The more creative, the better.

Stay away from:

  • Lullaby music

  • Excessive length

  • Criticizing — paint a positive vision

  • Collapsed body language

  • Talking head only (show your work!)

  • Selling something specific: it’s a general storytelling trailer you can run as an ad (if it points to a specific workshop/season then it will become dated and no longer runnable)

SOME GREAT EXAMPLES:

DIDI VON BOCH: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpdKGgBpwP5/?igsh=MXFoZXpocGZjbWo2Yw==

ROWENA MEADOWS: https://www.instagram.com/tv/B3JxL31BX7U/?igsh=NmVwbTE3d2hqYjM=

MARK POWER: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2IHWeaIyAJ/...

Sigurður Guðmundsson: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2RosFhMWIk/...

ALEC SOTH: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cv4yxIHu6Zl/?igsh=MTIyOXQxeXRwNDg3MQ==

BALLERINA FARM: https://youtu.be/5G8CY6SRkgg?si=5Gw90BJR0N07s-HK

SALLY MANN: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CcdrTkmFA9K/...

DEB ACHAK: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqJNhTXD9Aa/...

To create a trailer, start with a 1 sentence thesis concept. For example: “photography is not at all about the camera.”

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21 — Self-Revelation and Sales

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19 — Content Creation for Creation Business