Advice & inspiration

MediaStorm founder Brian Storm advises journalism community to partner and collaborate

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Brian Storm, founder and president of MediaStorm, came to UNC today to speak to multimedia students about the importance of visual storytelling. I also had the opportunity to speak with him over lunch, and it was rejuvenating to hear him talk about his successful multimedia venture and his thoughts about the future of journalism. Below is a recap of his talk during UNC’s Photo Night.

Brian started the talk off by showing the packed room of students, journalists, and educators a portion of “Driftless,” their latest story about a farming couple in Iowa.

He noted that this piece was a “classic cliche of a journalism story” because it has a simple storyline, yet it has huge issues in it like love and quality of food.

He then showed the group “Intended Consequences,” a story about rape victims from the Rwanda genocide. When it ended, he told us that he hoped we felt horrible.

“I think this is one of the reasons why we have to do stories like this,” he said. “People don’t know – it just passes them by … We’re really starting to focus on these ‘and then what? …’” scenarios.

Brian walked us through MediaStorm’s business model, which is made up of four main components:

1) Multiple platform publication
2) Project specific multimedia agency – “we represent projects, not producers”
3) Interactive production studio
4) Evangelism and training

Brian cares most about number one and four, although number three is his primary money maker.

While he noted that some people may think he’s crazy for freely giving away his business model, he said that he thinks the industry would be worse off if people didn’t use his model to break off and either educate the next generation or attempt their own start-ups.

Brian mentioned that as a small company, he can be nimble and try new things. He estimates that he spent $100,000 to produce Intended Consequences. But then it drove millions of hits and donations to related non-profits, and thus he said it was worth it.

“On projects with MediaStorm, I never think about the money,” he said. “We’re a purpose-drive company, not a profit-driven company.”

Last year MediaStorm had their best financial year ever despite the economic crisis.

The biggest take-away from the lecture was when Brian compared the viewers of his projects to an old woman who either emails her friends about a cat stuck on a ceiling fan or a serious, issue-driven story like Intended Consequences.

This is “the single most important thing happening in journalism right now,” Brian said. Content that gets people’s attention is on either end of the spectrum. “The stuff in the middle is not relevant. It’s just noise. Go big or go home.”

Thoughts from Brian …

… on storytelling:

• I’m not going to tell you that multimedia is the answer to all of our problems. But it’s a big piece of it.
• It’s not about multimedia – it’s all about these touch points that we can use to inform people.
• The average newspaper reader looks at a photograph for .2 seconds. With video, you get to determine how long the viewer looks at the image.
• When your character smiles, you care about it. So show those shots.
• The reason we shoot video interviews is so that our subjects can come alive.
• I think we should put hooks in a story to compel people to do something about it.
• 80% of communication is body language. This is why video is so powerful, you can make that cut to capture that beautiful moment.
• When your character is giving the key line of your narrative, I want to see them on screen.
• We’re not here to take someone’s picture, but to give them a voice.
• I want subjects to tell me their own stories in their own words.
• We see in cuts, we don’t need to pan down with our camera. Our brain will make the connection so edit a sequence in cuts.

… on MediaStorm’s tricks:

• We work from a subtraction process … we take out what isn’t interesting.
• We look for little signs that can match the audio and timing. Sometimes you can be literal …
• We use text b/c it is the non-emotional way of giving information. Viewers read the text in their own voice.
• The reason we do the epilogue is because most people think that photojournalists are paparazzi and I want to provide that sense of transparency.

… on career advice:

• You have to find what you love, and be great at it. If you’re trying to do it all, you’re useless. But if you understand it all, and appreciate it all, then you are very worthwhile.
• Learn about business and get an entrepreneurial spirit. Learn about marketing and spreading social awareness.
• Find like-minded individuals and keep in contact with them.
• The non-profit space is going to be one of the biggest spaces for journalists in the next couple years.
• Web sites are going to battle for your product very soon.
• If you focus on your product, you don’t need to waste money on marketing.
• Some of the hardest decisions you’ll make in journalism is what not to do.
• Great product is key to exposure.
• Being sticky is a really hard thing to earn as a producer.
• You never know something until you have to teach it.

Other posts that might interest you:

• Jenn Ackerman and Tim Gruber advise photographers to learn the business behind the photo
• Transitioning from photography to multimedia
• 10 must-read blog posts to catch up from the holidays

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