George Bush tried to get some good press when he ’surprised’ the troops with a visit in Iraq. But once again, ‘mission (not)  accomplished… when an Iraqi journalist throw not one, but both his shoes at the outgoing US president.
(The journalist had a pretty good arm, but Bush must be used to ducking, becuase he was just as quick! Sorry. I couldn’t help myself there! *)
I was actually surprised at the quick and humorous response from the President.  “All I can report is a size 10,” he said. “I don’t think you can take one guy throwing shoes and say …read more

Sure, sure. The big news on election night was that Barak Obama was elected the 44th president of the US.
However, I think a story got buried as a result: CNN using ‘hologram’ technology. (The reason why hologram was in single quotes is that the image isn’t a real hologram.)
It was really cool to see (and if you missed it, the video is below). But it got me thinking what it means for people being interviewed using that technology.
You see, as a publicist, I have always advised people to look their best on camera, especially concentrating on the waist up, and …read more

I have to admit I expect very little from companies jumping on the Olympics bandwagon.
A logo in the corner of their materials, and many TV ads leading up to and during the Olympics seems to the extent of the imagination of many companies pouring millions into their sponsorships.
What a change to see the beauty of the HBC website promoting their official gear for the Canadian Olympic team. They are so elegant. And artistic.
Yes, you can click on a link to get to an online store, but the best reason to visit the site is the arresting solarized photos of …read more

I had to pass on this link.
For anyone who has wondered about the Latin text that graphic designers since the 1500s use when presenting a design, this site traces Lorem ipsum (etc.) back to the 2000-year-old source, and includes translations.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Even better, they’ve got a text generator that gives you however many paragraphs of obscure latin text that you need, without obvious duplication of phrases.
(Now, if lipsum.com would get rid of the annoying banner ad that talks to you. I can’t stand any …read more

Great news! The local TV news wants to drop by and interview you!
Bad news! You are wearing something that will look ghastly on television.

Always keep a neutral dark suit, pantsuit, skirt/blouse or other ensemble handy that you can jump into if you regularly act as a spokesperson.
I was reminded of this fairly standard bit of media relations advice last week by Roger Francis, of Gryphon Reputation Management.
Roger has done work with the media and media training for a couple of decades, but this bit of advice is just as valuable today as it was in the 1980s.
Gaudy prints, …read more

With the increasing ease of capturing images for personal and professional use, more and more people are capturing and distributing photos and videos. But are they prepared to deal with the legality of their use? 
If your job requires you to take photos, video or audio of strangers, you should always carry photo ID and have a business card you can hand out. If you’re going to need written approval for use of the images, bring blank model releases with you. It’s much easier to deal with that while the person (or their parent) is at hand. Tracking them down …read more

A photographer is spotted taking pictures of children. Someone worries he might be up to something, and calls the police.
They track him on community security cameras and a cop pulls him over.
His question, after being stopped for possibly taking inappropriate photos: Why didn’t the person just ask him why he was taking pictures?
This is a cautionary tale about taking pictures of people you don’t know. Your motives, especially if you’re taking pictures of kids under 18, are suspect.
Yes, it would probably be more neighbourly to just ask what you’re up to, but if someone thinks you might be taking …read more

There’s something about getting back to basics. To some, it seems like a step backwards.
Now, imagine you need just the basics. Suddenly, the beauty of someone explaining a topic in simple terms is invaluable.

Lee and Satchi Lefever have posted another in a series of short videos on social media. This one looks at Twitter from the four-foot level (literally, that’s about how high the video camera is mounted above the poster board that is used to illustrate the explanatory items).
Corporate video-makers, are you paying attention? 
Check out the video:

Technorati Tags: lee lefever, common craft, twitter, simplicity, video, understanding, language level, …read more

It’s possible to attract people to a communications program without a video, but given the nature of the work, why wouldn’t you use video to get your message out?
Easier said than done. A few videos on YouTube show the pros and cons of attraction by video.
Toronto’s Centennial College Centre for Creative Communications has a number of vids out there. Let’s look at a six-minute video promoting all aspects of the school – art, design, journalism, PR/advertising, new media, game design and development, and related courses.
It’s not a bad little promo, quickly sequencing through images that get across the diversity …read more

My friend Stuart Davis regularly pulls together photo/sound packages for the Vancouver Sun. Sometimes it’s other photographers’ work and sometimes his own.
The latest one is a nice look backstage at Ballet B.C., with some beautiful photos, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons playing in the background, and the voices of some of the dancers and choreographers.
The photo essay can be found at this link for a while. After a while, you have to go to the menu for Sun Galleries and scroll down to the Ballet BC item.
Technorati Tags: photography, photos, photo essay, vancouver sun, stuart davis, vivaldi, dance, ballet bc, dancers, choreography, …read more