Ava Lowery produces her first official political ad......

[hwmnbn]

It is up on Crooks & Liars. She is now part of a group of creative types developing these spots for progressive candidates. Their goal is to spread these ads in a viral internet campaign.

We all can do our part by sending these gems far and wide.

This is her first attempt, and I think it is professional as it gets.


http://www.crooksandliars.com/posts/2006/07/18/ava-lowerys-new-santorum-ad/


Way to GO, Ava!!!! :headbang:

[babylonsister]

1. Excellent! Go, Ava! And thanks, hwmnbn! nt

[Atman]

2. This may be heresy, but I gotta say it...I'm not impressed by Ava's work.

Hey, I know it's cool that she's a fifteen year old kid. Big deal. The OP just said "this is as professional as it gets," and I think that's hogwash. People keep calling Ava's stuff "animations." They are nothing of the sort. They are text-based Power-Point slides. She writes the slide copy well, to be sure. But I think the hero worship of Ava is getting ridiculous. Dozens of DUers produce incredible real animations every day, but somehow Ava got the word of mouth. Congratulations to her, sincerely. But they're still just Power Point slides.

:hide:

[Ava]

3. hey.. it's your opinion

however i don't use power-point. :shrug:

yeah.. my vids aren't cartoony animations, but quit frankly i don't think that type of animation really fits a topic like the war in iraq. you should also know that what i create ARE animations... you may not like them and may not think they are advanced, but they are animations.

i've got people sending me hate mail for my little "power point slides", so i must be doing something right.

[msongs]

6. so what are these ads like? sorry, not a broad band user. nt

what are they like, content wise?

msongs
www.msongs.com/demfest1.htm

[Atman]

7. Hi Ava. The hate mail is a good sign!

I know when a cartoon I create hits the mark...I get death threats from fundies. One dumbass last years sent his e-mail death threat from his company computer...took me two minutes to trace it and CC copies to his boss and entire board of directors.

I guess we have a terminology issue regarding your "animations." Sure, stuff moves. So technically, they're "animated." But I'm an animator -- yes, I get paid for it -- and when I spend weeks or months working on a cartoon with sound and lip syncing and camera effects, just to get a few minutes of "animation," I then have a hard time calling what you've done "animating." I've never commented on your presentations before. They are very good and very effective. But I must be totally honest with you, I don't know why they've caught on so, other than the sheer emotion coming from one so young as yourself. Otherwise, many other DUers have toiled for hours producing full-motion sound animations and have received little or no recognition. That's a shame. Nothing taken away from your success, I just find it too bad that so much other good work posted here gets overlooked.

Again, I hope you take my crit hard. If you're gonna be in the creative business (not that you said you were), you'll hear a lot more of it, and far more harsh than anything I said. Thick skin is an artist's greatest asset! Good luck, and here's wishing you continued success!

[Atman]

8. Dupe. Self delete.

nt

[OneBlueSky]

4. what distinguishes Ava's presentations . . .

whatever you choose to call them, is that they have IMPACT! . . . they grab the viewer by the throat and don't let go until the message is delivered . . .

whatever the methodology, it's the results that matter, and her stuff gets results . . . I think she has a great future in marketing . . .

[Spazito]

10. I have to agree re your comment that her productions have impact

Her choices of the photos, the choices made in their progression throughout the work coupled with her choice of music, and whatever else it may be, I find her work has a profound effect on me. After watching something she has done, I don't merrily carry on, I feel what she is trying to portray, her work takes what we read and makes it human, puts faces on the dry numbers. I have seen the work of many of the very talented people on DU, their work is excellent but, rarely, do they move me the way Ava's work does.

I am a layperson, not one who works in the field, and laypersons see, feel, react differently than those in the field, be it the political, artistic or any other field.

Take politicians, for example, examine the speech of a person just starting out, at a lower level, in the field of politics. Many get involved because they feel passionately about an issue or issues and feel the need to take action, to speak about it. Their first speeches are full of passion, they speak from the heart, they reach out. Once they have been in the business for an extended period of time, their speeches are often very different, full of catch phrases, specifically written for their targeted audience and their speech will change for each different audience. There is far less heart and much more "expertise". Losing the heart in exchange for expertise often means the product has less lasting effect, imo

[hwmnbn]

5. Can we see your stuff?......

Yes there is admiration for Ava here. I'm probably her biggest cheerleader. And it's not just the fact she's 15, politically aware, and involved.

She has reached a large audience with our anti-war message. She has appeared in print, on radio and nationwide TV and kept her cool while effectively delivering that message.

How many of our official democratic spokesmen have done that?

I have neither the creativity nor technical expertise to produce these ads, so it does impress me. No one is asking that you jump on the Ava Lowery bandwagon and it's cool if you don't.

But before you piss on her parade, let's see what you've done.



thanks for listening :hi:

[Atman]

9. Sure.

First of all, if Ava is still reading...I tried to add the word "that" to my original sub line. As in "I'm not THAT impressed." Sure, I'm impressed. I'm impressed with Ava's success, here professionalism, her determination and dedication. She is doing great things. I'm just not as excited about them as others appear to be. You may have the same reaction to my work when you see it (you can start with the links in my sig-line). Art is funny like that.

[SeattleGirl]

11. Excellent job, Ava!

Dang, you impress me more and more all the time!

[Ava]

12. thanks SeattleGirl

:hi: