II, Fadely, and next Gen

Multimedia is usually discussed in terms of presentation and delivery, but rarely do I hear real insight into the consumer’s POV, as was recently stated by Chuck Fadely in an interview on II’s website:

Q) Where do you believe multimedia fits into today’s society and how will that role change over time?

A) I was struck by a recent comment from a friend on Facebook about Lady Gaga. They couldn’t understand how someone with unimpressive musical ability could be so popular. I commented that the next generation doesn’t listen to Lady Gaga, they WATCH her. The next generation is visual, not verbal. The next generation has video and multimedia in their DNA at a fundamental level, in much the same way that language shapes thought in previous generations. Multimedia has become a basic form of communication. Thirty-one BILLION videos on YouTube in a month. ‘Nuff said.

via Innovative Interactivity | Innovative Individuals: Chuck Fadely.

I have many writer friends, and yes there’s a place for meaningful text. But the issue I find important is the point of engagement with an audience–it must be visually dominant. In the vein of Inspire, Inform, then Entrust as a cycle for media involvement with users, it’s the Inspire point that must be visually dominant, and text or other layers of Inform-ation can vary once you captivate or ‘wow’ them.

In the end, it’s a number of factors that determine whether a piece of media or story is a success, but I think Chuck tapped into one of the more important factors that need to be appropriately considered during production…