>Why Video?

Nikki Howells, Executive Producer

There are several tour options available for reaching visitors, but how do you choose which method to use?  Paper leaflets have become a thing of the past.  Besides not being green, printing costs for one year can cost as much as developing a Ranger media tour that will last for years.  Audio tours are nice, don't get me wrong, but what if I want to see what is being described in the audio clip?  There have been numerous times in my travels that I've been reading about a historic figure, or an artist behind a painting and wondered, "What did they look like?"  This is why I believe the Ranger systems are so powerful.  They bring history to life, right before your eyes!  You can be walking down a city street in the 21st Century, while watching a video clip of the same street in the 1950's!  It's incredible!

We are a visual nation.  Youtube and video postings have become a part of our culture.  More videos are shown in the classroom; video podcasts are becoming mainstream.  The next time you are on a plane, look around.  Most people aren't reading books anymore.  They are watching their laptop movies, or ipods.  It is the reality of our changing culture. But why?

Research shows that half of our brains are devoted to site and about 70% of the total capacity of the brain devoted to processing sensory information is devoted to handling visual information?* It’s no wonder then that we enjoy watching videos so much.  And even after three years, the effects of creating the video tour for the Martin Luther King, Jr. historic site have still left an imprint on my mind.  How much more effective is it to learn about the struggles in our nation at that time than to see it in the eyes of the people experiencing it, and to see the injustices being done as if I had been there at the same time. 

Take a moment to look at the photo below.  I chose this photo because this is one of the images that has stayed with me.  At first glance, you look at the boy being attacked by the dogs.  But look again.  And now look at the people in the distance watching.  You can see the concern on their faces for this boy.  How can you explain to someone the emotions that are going through the individuals in this photo?  And the answer is, you can't.  That's what imagery does.  It allows you to see the emotions, while putting you in the photos and videos as if you had been on that same street at that very moment.  And that is why we use video.

For more information regarding BarZ's content productions services, visit our Building a Tour page.

* Geography Discipline Network, 2001