Inspirational vs. Corny.

Rob B

Rob B

Seeking advice or tips.
I want to do an inspirational video for my gym. Get fit, live longer, reach goals and and all that.. I used to love that ytube video with an inspirational speech over images of athletes 'conquering' goals. Now that it has been a while and there are half a hundred knock-off's the concept went from inspirational, to corny.

I feel that the v/o is a great idea, but maybe if I can make it seem more personable and less pulpit'ish it might work. Possibly add some levity so it does not take itself too seriously. ..not sure, what do you guys think about 'inspirational' videos that do not end up being corny.

thx.
 
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If you're into the material and it's motivating, it'll probably be inspirational.

If you're not into the material, is poorly made, demotivating, it'll probably end up being corny.

I did some self improvement stuff a while back. Yes it's over the top, to a lot of people it's stupidly over hyped, but if you're in that place at that point in time, it's inspirational. You have to know your target audience and forget about everyone else.
 
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Inspirational is actually seeing results. That's why "The Biggest Loser" is in season 14.

These types of projects take a long time. You'll need to focus on quite a few different people over a long period of time and show noticeable results. And the corny vs. inspirational comes from the interviews and the performance of the VO just as much as how the VO is worded.
 
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CraigL said:
When they're good, they're good:

http://vimeo.com/56267591

CraigL
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Wow, thanks!.. haha, that is inspirational to me as a film hah. I think it works so well on me because nobody is telling me how good they are.. or how inspired I should feel.

mussonman said:
you have no chance. it'll look corny no matter what
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Trying to avoid that.

Alcove Audio said:
Inspirational is actually seeing results. That's why "The Biggest Loser" is in season 14.
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Yeah I feel the VO could easily be the empty calories of leading the viewer to feeling inspired. The way it was done in the Everlast clip was very smart in that regard.
 
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What if you spoofed inspirational commercials, by making one that is ridiculously cheesy? And then you end it with just a regular person at the gym, making fun of that cheesy inspirational commercial, while they work out, and they explain that they're just a normal person, doing their best to stay healthy.
 
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I imagine the tough part is NOT preaching to the choir.

It's difficult to motivate new people that are comfortably indifferent to their current state.



You're looking to motivate and inspire that thin margin of potential customers that are in transition between "current state of comfort" and "dissatisfaction with it."

"I'm not healthy. And I want to or might consider changing that. One venue is... " Your gym.

I know "being fat" isn't any sort of value system.
There are plenty of healthy fat people.
There are plenty of unhealthy thin people.
One is not diametrically opposite of the other.

So, somehow you have to appeal to those "unhealthy" transition people considering changing their current ways.


Who are they?
Where are they?
And specifically WHAT DO THEY THINK THEY NEED?

Script your inspirational video accordingly.



Personally, I can't stand the early-early morning infomercials showing a bunch of 4hr/day fitness freak men and women pimping various "fat burner" sit-up and cycling et al machines or systems.
I know darn good and well...

119340-cropped-w540xh461.jpg


... and...

product1-s.jpg


... and...

Sit%20up%20bench(2).JPG


... didn't get that way using those machines.
Pfft. Yeah. Right.

I wanna see Fatty Patty and Skinny Pete doing this stuff.

I'm more of an "Average Joe's" kinda guy than a "Globo Gym" kinda guy.

tumblr_lw2k4wgK7n1qkzoulo1_500.jpg
vs.
cob.jpg


What do you gotta do to get me to quit watching movies for an hour every other day and goto your gym instead?
 
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rayw said:
What do you gotta do to get me to quit watching movies for an hour every other day and goto your gym instead?
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Well, I don't go to a gym, but I work out every day for about an hour (stretch, cardio, interval training (weights & floor work]); doing Foley can be strenuous. I've got a chase scene coming up later this week and have to Foley three characters each running for almost three minutes....
 
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Cracker Funk said:
What if you spoofed inspirational commercials, by making one that is ridiculously cheesy? And then you end it with just a regular person at the gym, making fun of that cheesy inspirational commercial, while they work out, and they explain that they're just a normal person, doing their best to stay healthy.
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I like this idea, I think a parody would work really well.

I quite often see the infomercial for ‘The Insanity Workout’, which has some really intense, ripped dude shouting instruction at some people who look way too comfortable considering the “high intentsity” of the workout they’re taking part in. A parody of that could be really funny.

How about having before and after shots of some newly trim guy, but the ‘before’ shot is actually of somebody else (or even something else (Jabba the Hut???)).

The whole thing could end with the sentiment that it’s all not really necessary, just regular exercise will do the trick (or something similar).
 
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Try just talking to some real people from the gym. Don't film them - just record their voice. Have a conversation, not an interview. Make it casual, comfortable, so that they'll be honest and open and their sincerity will come across.

Now take those interviews and cut the best parts together to create your voiceover, so that it's not somebody preaching to the audience but closer to the internal dialogue of normal, real people at the gym - or who might consider going to the gym. Use that edit as the 'script' which drives what you shoot to both illustrate and contrast with what they are saying.

Basically, create something that's sincere and truthful and you can let people be inspired, rather than trying to inspire them.
 
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..damn, awesome advice all around.

Everyone has terrific instincts. Flashy muscle riddled shots are the norm, but oh so cheezy.. I really like the 'average joes' approach. It goes over extremely well, because the market is mostly average joe, but they always act like it's pre-olympian athletes.
 
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ItDonnedOnMe said:
Try just talking to some real people from the gym. Don't film them - just record their voice. Have a conversation, not an interview. Make it casual, comfortable, so that they'll be honest and open and their sincerity will come across.

Now take those interviews and cut the best parts together to create your voiceover, so that it's not somebody preaching to the audience but closer to the internal dialogue of normal, real people at the gym - or who might consider going to the gym. Use that edit as the 'script' which drives what you shoot to both illustrate and contrast with what they are saying.

Basically, create something that's sincere and truthful and you can let people be inspired, rather than trying to inspire them.
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This.
 
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