Recently my thoughts have been pretty far removed from advertising. Maybe not as far removed as most people, I still tried to stay current, but at least advertising wasn't running my life.
This may be because I'm working more on my own projects or a post-Super Bowl hype-hangover. Regardless it's not a bad thing at all.
Quite to the contrary. I've taken my own advice and explored a whole bunch of everything. Art, entertainment and local restaurants have helped me recenter myself and this time "away" has been really rewarding.
In particular two videos I watched really impressed me. By impressed I mean I was completely floored.
Now, one video is just a mashup of amazing vidoes, haunting music and a great voiceover. The other is a man displaying the artistry of his craft. Both tell the same story.
Simplicity can be powerful. You don't need the best tools to produce something awe inspiring.
I've blown glass and made glass beads. It's a particularly temperamental medium and the way The Ocularist handles it is awe-inspiring. But look at his setup - a torch, some glass rods and a few metal tools. It's hardly modern, it's hardly unique. Anyone could buy the tools he has. But his skills and confidence help him create something amazing.
Those are more than just glass eyes, they are art that becomes a part of someone.
And look at the NASA video. A voiceover, powerful visuals and a music track. All of them used before but the art is the way they were brought together this time. Again, the tools are not unique but what the creator brought to it is.
So even if you don't have the best tools- don't have the latest photoshop or video editing program - do what you can with what you have. Because it's the idea and the artistry that make something compelling. Not the expense of making it.
Get out there and make something regardless of the tools in front of you.