I've had the privilege to work with many talented people in my career, and I'm always thrilled when I walk into a video shoot and the 'talent' is charismatic, camera friendly, and capable of delivery great and usable results. The mini engineers in our recent 'What would you do with the LPC4357-EVB from element14?' video shoot delighted in all these ways and more. The concept was a collaborative effort between the Newark element14 creative and technical marketing teams, as well as a number of important stakeholders from NXP. We put our heads together to find a unique and fun way to introduce the feature-packed LPC4357-EVB. After deciding to focus our content around the board's ease of use and versatility, we concluded that children would be the best spokespeople to deliver our message. What ensued was a truly memorable moment.
Employees from Newark element14's Chicago office were invited to bring in their children into our studio where we handed them a board and asked them questions about technology and engineering. The lines in the video were mostly fed to the kids (aged three to eleven) but the responses, reactions, and moments captured on video were priceless. The first child (three and a half years old) didn't say a thing for over 40 minutes. Another was certain that circuit boards were things you could ride on. Most told us engineers were the 'men who drive trains'. Without exception, every child's eyes lit up when they were given the board. Though they didn't know what it was, how it worked, or what it was used for, they could see the intricacy of the design, the rich spread of components, and the alien feel of a technology that normally operates hidden behind a protective facade. That happiness brought on by the knowledge that they were holding the same type of tool used to power many of their favorite machines, toys, and sources of entrainment was uplifting. My cameras have recorded many great moments over the years, but this was a unique and heartwarming opportunity.
I should also mention that working with our supplier partner (NXP) was a treat. Video production, like many things in life, is truly a collaborative effort. When a team of people can come together with a common goal of doing something great, fantastic results are often achieved. I think we pulled off something special this time around and look forward to working with NXP on future projects!
Stay tuned for two additional videos featuring these child stars in the coming months --- we just need to negotiate contracts with their very proud parent 'agents' first!
George Pfeiffer
Creative Manager, Multimedia and Video
Newark, element14
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