Mary Hutchinson, direct response maven from "Inspired Direct" outside Boston sent me this most excellent post that you should forward to anyone considering going on TV or starting a non-profit or religious media ministry: ... read more

Word of Mouth Works!If you work with religious or non-profit organizations, you know just how limited marketing and media production budgets can be. That's why I've always kept an eye out for alternative marketing and promotion avenues. Things that create a "buzz" without costing an arm and a leg. ... read more

Ever struggled with firing someone? I was teaching media professionals in Santiago, Chile a few years ago, and found this post I had written shortly after the visit. One morning before class, I was reading in the last section of Acts 15 and the beginning of the next chapter from the New Testament. It was about a division that arose over a potential partner in ministry: ... read more

Many of our media clients wonder about internet behavior - when do people buy? How do they navigate sites? When's the best time to unveil new products? Can you predict online buying or donating behavior? How do we maximize online advertising? If you're one of those people who's trying to figure out how to position your organization or products on your website, here's some enlightening information from ComScore Networks, a Chicago Internet market research company: ... read more

When you link this blog to your website and feature us on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, you help raise us in the blogging stats, which makes us available to thousands more readers. The more we get linked, the more people become part of the conversation about faith and media! Help us move up! ... read more

In a media-driven culture, we are bombarded with advertising messages on a regular basis - some say as many as 3,000 per day. It's a complex media jungle out there, and the truth is, that clutter is why so many programs fail today - they just can't get noticed. Today, to "cut through the media clutter," the best method is often a whisper, rather than a scream. At Cooke Pictures, we've been working lately with our clients on some guidelines for video editors to help them understand how to make their programs contemporary and effective. In that process, ... read more

I spoke to a class of university film students at Biola University in Los Angeles, who asked me to give them some career advice before graduation. A friend, award winning advertising writer David Morgenstern, shared some tips with me for the class that he had given to USC film students a few years ago, and they were so fantastic, I wanted to share them with you:

... read more

Listen to these quotes

Question: "If you could live forever, would you and why?"
Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever."
--Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.

"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." ... read more

Matthew PhllipsMatthew Phillips pointed out this list from Evan Williams blog on "10 Rules for Web Startups". It's been around for awhile, but the list is still right on. Truth is, sounds like most are good rules for starting up any media company. I'd love to hear your thoughts. What's your experience? ... read more

Charlotte, NCAs the debates on healthcare, military defense, Acorn, and other issues fill the news, I'm seeing more and more questionable sources cited. I'm reminded that a couple of years ago, watching the evening "Eyewitness News" on WSOC-TV Channel 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina I heard an interesting statement from anchor reporter Kim Brattain. The station was covering a story in Charlotte where a small child was put in the care of three 20-something men only to have the men "get distracted," resulting in the child eating a significant quantity of the guy's cocaine. I guess they just kept their stash laying around on the coffee table. Needless to say, ... read more

Beethoven re-wrote each piece of music he created at least a dozen times...

Historians have discovered over 2,000 preliminary drawings of the Michaelangelo's "Last Judgement"... ... read more

Los Angeles comedy writer and performer Dan Rupple has discovered the media's shift toward narrowcasting has even effected the world of comedy. Rupple says today's audiences want it fast, want it their way, and want it random. Just as the old "mass" media model of creating one program and sending it out to a mass audience is quickly dying, so is the idea of a mass audience for comedy. With the advent of personal digital devices, downloadable media, and narrowcasting, audiences are looking for ... read more

As a television and film producer and director based in Burbank, California - the home of global entertainment giants like Warner Brothers Studios, Walt Disney Studios, NBC, Nickelodeon, The Cartoon Network, and more, I meet a lot of Christians who come to Hollywood to seek their fame and fortune. There's no question that Christian media professionals can make an impact in the entertainment industry, and we shouldn't shy away from putting our imprint as people of faith in that arena. ... read more

Recently, I spoke to a class of film students at Biola University in Los Angeles, who asked me to give them some career advice before graduation. My friend, award winning advertising writer David Morgenstern, shared some tips with me for the class that he had given to USC film students a few years ago, and they were so fantastic, I wanted to share them with you. ... read more

For a long time I've encouraged my clients to use customer's personal stories more effectively. In my experience for instance, phone response rises in infomercials during personal testimonies. Apparently a host can talk all day about a product, but when the viewer sees someone like him or her actually using the product, something clicks. They think, "Hey - if it works for him, maybe it will work for me." That's why I counsel product manufacturers, non-profit organizations, churches, and ministries to ... read more

I work with a few clients who feel like "the more the better" with creative work. They want everyone they can think of to be part of our creative or marketing meetings. But when it comes to brainstorming and creative teams, Jeff Bezos at Amazon.com says to keep them small.

Usually, when I'm involved in creative meetings with clients, most organizations want 20-30 people in the meetings and that's just too large ... read more

Aside from directing and producing numerous television programs and films, over the years I've also had the opportunity to help various churches and ministries begin media outreaches. From weekly television programs, to one-hour specials, to television commercial and advertising campaigns, I've worked with all types of Christian organizations, helping them take a message of hope to a culture desperately in need. In most cases, when I receive a call from a pastor, evangelist, or other ministry leader, thei ... read more

Fun site of the week: Who's Alive and Who's Dead. If you love the old TV stars we grew up with, this site will tell you who's still left on the earth and who's passed on. Check it out. It lists by individual and by show. Who thinks of this stuff? ... read more

Media professionals remember that back in the days of the legendary battle between videotape formats VHS and Betamax, the final victory was won by VHS, but few know why. The reason, according to industry experts was that the porn industry made the decision to move to VHS, and because they were such a powerful force in video sales, Betamax (which many experts believed was a better technical format) disappeared off the scene. ... read more

If you've ever been in a branding meeting or workshop with me, you've heard me talk about "unifying the brand." My contention is that with 90% of major (and minor) organizations, if you look at the website, print advertising, TV promotions and programming, podcasts, and more, they could all be coming from five or six different organizations. None look similar, often are completely different looking, and only occasionally ... read more