I have a 14 year old nephew who’s extremely talented. And he’s a whiz with gizmos. Give him a computer, he’ll master it in a few half hours. Give him a musical instrument, and he’ll have you singing along in no time. Give him a camera and he’s ready to shoot in minutes. And damn, he does manage some stunning pictures and videos.

A few years ago he’d have been labeled a prodigy. Today however he is just called Normal.

Literally at every street corner we find talented young kids who have amazing skills. And it warms my heart whenever I see them. What troubles me and pains me however is when these very talents are extrapolated into skills they have no idea about.

Corporate Films is one of them.

Suddenly people have begun to believe that a collection of some nice photographs and perhaps some slick videos constitute a corporate film.

Oh wait!!! Did you say there has to be a voice over for the film? Hell, that’s not a problem. Getting one of their Call Centre Friends to read out the Corporate Brochure seems to be the answer.

Theme, did you say? It’s a Corporate Film didn’t you know. A few shots of the office, a few shots of the products, a few testimonials from clients and an interview of the boss are sufficient. What theme do you need?

I don’t blame the kids. They’re just doing what this generation has learnt better than anything else. Cashing in.

Cashing in on technology I guess, is acceptable. The cameras have become better, more versatile, more accessible. Even accessories are just a Flipkart away.

But what else they are cashing in on is dangerous. And that is ignorance.

Ignorance of the client. Entrepreneurs who have no corporate background or exposure. Sultans of this new era where ideas rule. And icons often wear shorts and drink beer behind a table that’s in front of a window that overlooks a Golf Course.

Which is why you have corporate films that look like Wedding Films or Marriage Videos with a new set of actors. Lovely pictures, great music et al. And like the wedding videos they are enjoyed only by the people who are in them.

But…

Since when did Corporate Films begin to be films that management enjoyed more than the market, the audience, the employees…

I can see many eyebrows being raised and hardcore professional managers with IIT and IIM written into their socks objecting. And their objections can easily be put into a Power Point Presentation.

Because that’s all they know. That’s all they’re comfortable with. And they look for films that are nothing but animated power point presentations.

But Corporate Films are much more than that. Their Macro Level approach seldom has room for Micro Level detailing. They are tone setters, not do-it-yourself manuals. They lay the foundation for a relationship between the presenter and his audience. But they are not the bricks that build, nor the roof that protects.

Some top managers are wonderful presenters. They become a curtain raiser by themselves. They dictate the tone and pace of their presentation.

If you are one of them, consider yourself blessed. And you can ignore all that I am saying.

If you’re not, for heaven’s sake get a professional on board. Someone who understands the importance of communication and its relevance. Someone who can use the easier available skills and craft messages that have impact.

And yes, learn to differentiate between a wedding photographer, an events photographer, a passport photographer and a corporate communicator. And let the wedding film makers live happily ever after…by themselves.