Go Behind the Scenes with AMS Digital
A Real-Life Example of the Creative Process for Video Content
You don’t often get to hear our thoughts about the creative process. In this video producer Steve Henning and videographer Jackie Henning take us behind the lens of a very special project.
Troubleshooting Technology
Mike Marsh is not exactly someone you’d expect to get excited about wildflowers. Mike works as an optician in Helena, and after work he is an avid outdoorsman who raises and trains Large Münsterländers - a breed of hunting dogs. He lives in a rural area, surrounded by the wild flora he began innocently taking pictures of with the camera on his phone.
One of Mike’s sisters noticed he had been getting caught up in the post-election negativity and Covid angst on social media, and suggested he make a positive contribution to Facebook by posting some of his wildflower photos. In January 2021 he began posting one each day to social media. It wasn’t long before Mike’s new hobby turned from hunting animals to hunting wildflowers.
Surprised by the positive response to his images, he further enhanced his posts by pairing poems to each wildflower. Even more people reacted to his posts.
After posting a picture a day for almost an entire year, Mike was invited to be a guest speaker for one of the Montana Native Plant Society chapters based near Helena. Their monthly meeting was scheduled over Zoom.
Exciting as the opportunity was, Mike faced the issue of showing his images and poems over the internet, without having a direct internet connection that reached his rural home. How to present this? Maybe with a Power Point presentation, shared from the meeting host’s screen?
That’s where AMS Digital quite literally came into the picture. Mike contacted Steve Henning, AMS Digital’s producer with whom he’d previously worked, and explained his dilemma.
Video is the Solution
To us, the answer to Mike’s problem was simple: film and create a video to be played as the presentation so Mike’s narrative could be carefully articulated, timed to stay within meeting schedule constraints, and played over Zoom by the meeting host. Mike could join the meeting by cellphone, and be available for Q&A after the video played. Knowing all that had to be done, the AMS Team quickly got to work.
During a short visit to our studio back in February 2022, Mike filmed an interview for the video and provided pictures with complimentary poems that best showcased the natural beauty of his cellphone photography. From there, we went through the collected footage and images to organize it into a well-crafted and engaging narrative. Once it was edited and completed, his video presentation was ready for viewers who went on to give the twenty-eight and a half minute program rave reviews.
“Really nice program tonight! Such a pleasant and enjoyable and insightful presentation too.”
Andrea Pipp
“Mike did a fantastic job of botanical photography joined with appropriate poetry and his personal experiences in the narrative. It was so much fun to see the excitement and enthusiasm of someone discovering the magic of finding new wildflowers in Montana. All around, it was an inspiring program. Thanks for your role in bringing this program to us!”
H Wayne Phillips
Utilizing video to tell a story is both convenient and limitless. For example, this video can now be used for other online presentations, as well as websites and social media. Mike’s video has even been aired on a TV channel in Montana! Videos like this are great for making additional content that supplements your story and gives it an extended shelf life.
The title of his video presentation - May Your Life Be Like a Wildflower - was taken from a Native American Proverb chosen by Mike Marsh. It reads:
“May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day.”
Tell Your Story with AMS Digital Productions
We thrive on providing creative solutions that tell your story the way it was meant to be told. If you’re interested in how AMS Digital can help you with videos for websites, social media, and more, contact us or give us a call directly at (320) 758–3333.
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