Hammering Away at a Common Misunderstanding
One of my favorite stories in American folklore is the story of John Henry. Paul Bunyan and his axe were great, as is Pecos Bill, but neither can hold a candle to John Henry. It undoubtedly helped that the story had a natural antagonist with the railroad company and their big machine. Plus I liked and still like the idea that even when he was a baby, on his daddy’s knee, he had a hammer in his hand. Of course as I’ve grown older and grown to understand, the story has some dark turns to it, but I still think of John Henry as a hero. If I could rewrite history, he’d beat the railroad company and stick it right to the man, just like he deserves. (I’d also like to point out that if I could rewrite history I’d fix a lot of things that are way more important as well, but I’d definitely make John the winner.)
I’m bringing this up for a reason, and it’s not to decide who the greatest American icon is or to talk about the injustices of corporations in American history. I just want to talk about which is greater, the man or the tool.
I don’t believe that anyone that has ever heard the story of John Henry thinks it’s the hammer that made him great. I’m sure the hammer was important, but it didn’t make him a larger than life hero. I’m willing to bet he could use just about any hammer if it had enough weight to it. It wasn’t the hammer that gave him his magic, the magic was already inside of him and not in a Harry Potter way, but more like in a skilled laborer sort of fashion. John Henry wasn’t a Fix-it-Felix, he was a man of endurance, strength, and fortitude who mightily wields a mighty hammer.
You know who does have a magic hammer? Thor. But when his hammer is shattered by his evil sister, he finds that he still has the magic inside of him (spoiler alert if you’re really late). Even for Thor God of Thunder, the hammer is just an extremely powerful tool.
actual magical hammer powers
This scenario can be explained again and again but what does it have to do with a digital media and video production company in Central Illinois? Well you wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve shown someone a video and the first question they ask is “what camera do you use?” We’ve even had some customers looking to buy the same cameras that they saw us use on set, hoping to achieve the same results.
It’s not the camera. You can buy a great camera and the videos won’t automatically be great. Let me say it again for the people in the back, it’s not the camera. I love the camera, but it’s not the camera.
Now I’m a lifelong Bruce Springsteen and for many years now I’ve dreamed of buying a Fender Telecaster just like the one Bruce Springsteen uses. I’d plug it in, turn the amp all the way up, and instantly turn into the Boss, the greatest person to ever be born in the state of New Jersey (please give my apologies to Shaquille O’Neal and Whitney Houston). But the truth is, we’d find out very quickly that I’m still not a great guitarist, and just having the guitar doesn’t make me able to write good songs. I can’t write a song as good as Thunder Road, Rosalita, Born to Run, or Pink Cadillac and that last one isn’t even a good song.
looks like a white cadillac to me Bruce
My point is that it’s not just the camera, it’s the other elements that make our video productions stand out. It’s planning and development. It’s pre production. It’s finding good on camera talent. It’s having adequate lighting and knowing how to use your lights to enhance the scene. It’s great locations and scenery. It’s knowing how to operate the technical equipment. It’s understanding exposure. It’s choosing the right lens. It’s flying the drone smoothly and at the best angles. It’s post production. It’s color grading. It’s the small and tedious parts of the editing process. It’s composition. It’s a myriad of factors and it’s realizing that no one creative project is the same as the one before it.
I think it’s often underestimated the skills that go into so many people's jobs and abilities, not just video production. You think you're a mechanic until you start to work on your car. You think you're a carpenter until you start a new project at home. We build a new respect for others when we try to do their jobs and fail or succeed. Nothing is easy.
My first day as a wedding photographer
I also believe that most people have the ability to do all of the above mentioned jobs. Everyone starts somewhere. If you want to learn the ins and outs of cinematography, you can. If you want to be a guitarist, you can. We would even be excited to talk to you about what camera or guitar you are interested in buying and give you tips. But I also believe that if you are looking to market your company’s products and services, then the best choice you can make is hiring a video production team that understands the goals and can execute your vision. The goal is to make videos that you can actually use to grow your business, not to learn how to do a whole new trade while operating your business.
So please, before you buy a camera and hire a full time employee to handle all your video marketing and multimedia needs, contact us first. We provide a free 30 minute consultation to find out what your needs are, what we can offer, and if hiring us as your video professionals is the right fit for you.
As an added bonus, this is my favorite song about John Henry, because Drive By Truckers and Jason Isbell are next level. Honorable mention to this song by Bryan Cates called John Henry and also this Andy Squyres song that mentions John Henry as well because all of these guys are next level songwriters.