On June 13th, 2017, the 120-year-old Wachter Building next to our UpTown Toledo offices was destroyed by fire.
As news of the fire spread, people from neighboring buildings poured into an adjacent parking lot to watch firefighters attack the blaze.
And as many of those people pulled out their cell phones to capture images or video of the scene, I noticed something: they all stood in one spot - far from what was happening - and shot what had to be merely an “overview” of the action.
This was hardly an everyday occurrence: a three-alarm fire was engulfing a historic structure. There were a dozen fire trucks and 70 firefighters onsite; motion; intensity; the sound of sirens in the air; thick, black smoke everywhere; a collapsing building.
And all most people saw - and recorded - was one perspective.
As a contrast, take a look at the video above. It was shot from every side of the burning building. Long, cover shots mixed with tighter views. Pans and tilts, cuts and crossfades. Quick visual side stories of the people fighting the fire, their trucks and equipment.
The Point
Your company’s story is not one-sided. To tell a more interesting version of that story, you have to be willing to look at it from all possible angles. The big picture and the details. The obvious and the unexpected.
Separating your company or product begins with your curiosity about what else is possible. So poke around. Ask questions. And then, tell your brand’s story by compiling insightful “shots” one at a time, giving your customers a unique look into your world.
Remember - from the parking lot, everyone’s view of the fire was the same.
