The Benshi

Here’s a really nice, fun, creative video with a great sense of lightness and humor about a depressing problem. It isn’t full of instructions on, “What you can do.” But it doesn’t need to be.

MOTIVATION IS ENOUGH. Nice video. Makes you want to learn more. Mission accomplished.

plastic

AROUSE (MORE THAN FULFILL)

It’s so hard to get anyone’s attention in today’s world. The KONY 2012 people knew this, and did an impressive job of addressing it. They have succeeded in giving their subject “name recognition” that is worth its weight in gold.

So above is a cute little video about plastic trash on beaches. No, it doesn’t end with a long detailed list of “What You Can Do,” but so what? If you’re one of the people who think you’ve spotted the fatal flaw in people’s efforts because they don’t present their “What You Can Do” laundry list, you’re probably coming at this stuff from too cerebral of a place.

Al Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” is dismissed by many as ineffective because it didn’t tell everyone enough at the end of the film what to do to solve the problem; however, that’s not the strength or purpose of film/video as a medium. That’s what websites and written materials and public speakers are for. Films are better off simply as motivational tools, to get people inspired to seek out the resources to guide them into action, rather than trying to bog the film down with a bunch of information.

I don’t know how many times I can say this — film is not an effective informational medium. Use it for motivation.

Towards that end, this is a great video. Mostly motivational, which is fine.