Bivin' for a livin'
A director that I have known for years explained, "The true definition of BIV is -- Boring Industrial Video".
If you are "bivin' for a livin' ", well, you know what I mean....we aren't doing art, we aren't making "films", and we aren't making porno (unless you choose to look at it that way) -- just plain old corporate video.
We, BIV-ers are the unsung heros of American media. We roust the the legions of corporate marketers. As they watch the marketing propaganda, they can hold their heads up high, and listen for the true corporate-speak, those familiar words ringing out - "due diligence", "cross-platform", "smart thinking" or "accessibility".
Who the hell talks like this?
Once in a while, we (the universal BIV-ers) can get a vicarious thrill. For instance, agency commercial editors, film and documentary editors have looked down on our legions for decades. They would surmise that the work we were doing is equivalent to "training videos" -- a ubiquitous and relentless snore of a show, that basically is a power point on video.
But not all BIVs are training videos. And granted there is no creativity in a training film, but these films have survived and served a useful educational purpose. Think about Sex Ed in school -- now there is a subject that, without BIV, would have put a lot of teachers and a few kids on the spot. And believe me, some parents too.
Here is that moment of zen, when you are about to watch your film at XYZ corporation's big convention -- the lights go down, the music soars, the message peaks with a startling array of quick cuts to a crescendo, so that when that logo comes up, you know -- you have given them all they want -- you have sold it to the sellers. Wasn't that creative?
If you are "bivin' for a livin' ", well, you know what I mean....we aren't doing art, we aren't making "films", and we aren't making porno (unless you choose to look at it that way) -- just plain old corporate video.
We, BIV-ers are the unsung heros of American media. We roust the the legions of corporate marketers. As they watch the marketing propaganda, they can hold their heads up high, and listen for the true corporate-speak, those familiar words ringing out - "due diligence", "cross-platform", "smart thinking" or "accessibility".
Who the hell talks like this?
Once in a while, we (the universal BIV-ers) can get a vicarious thrill. For instance, agency commercial editors, film and documentary editors have looked down on our legions for decades. They would surmise that the work we were doing is equivalent to "training videos" -- a ubiquitous and relentless snore of a show, that basically is a power point on video.
But not all BIVs are training videos. And granted there is no creativity in a training film, but these films have survived and served a useful educational purpose. Think about Sex Ed in school -- now there is a subject that, without BIV, would have put a lot of teachers and a few kids on the spot. And believe me, some parents too.
Here is that moment of zen, when you are about to watch your film at XYZ corporation's big convention -- the lights go down, the music soars, the message peaks with a startling array of quick cuts to a crescendo, so that when that logo comes up, you know -- you have given them all they want -- you have sold it to the sellers. Wasn't that creative?
You go girl!
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