One of the things we like most about video is audio. It's also one of the things we like least. Which simply means that, used well, audio compels, and used poorly, it's a bore and a bust.

This philosophy, if you want to call it that, combined with our viewing of other cities' promotional videos, led us to the conclusion that what would best sell Buffalo Niagara would be a less-is-more approach. Keep the video short and short-winded.

And thus our idea.

Uniqueness being the holy grail of marketing, we looked for a singularity in the collective WNY cultural experience and married it to our creative approach. We chose the old chestnut folksong "Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight" (made famous in the movie "It's A Wonderful Life," among other places) for our soundtrack, gave it a rock guitar treatment, and went without any narrative voiceover whatsoever, telling our story solely through images and on-screen titles.

In just five minutes, we gave potential convention-goers a breathtaking, not-to-be-forgotten tour of the Buffalo/Niagara region they wouldn't want to miss! (Typical comment made by local residents who saw our work: "Gee, I'd like to live in that place.")

Following is a look at the production process.

Download free QuickTime player