Last week, Chris and I had a shoot scheduled to help a local non-profit group. They needed video footage and still imagery from around the town to use in a marketing video to promote an event they have scheduled this summer. While this was a fun little outing, what can we do to repurpose the footage and/or images?
Image: Project
Inside of a silo.
One of our favorite spots is at the edge of town with several abandoned silos that were used, not too long ago, to store food. Ignoring all trespassing signs, I took a photo of the inside of the silo because the light and textures were screaming to be captured. An image like this is good to use in a video to put text on top, maybe even a title screen. Or…? What I’d use it for is probably much different than how they’ll use it.
Repurpose Image: Stock
Abstract from the inside of a silo.
For the second image, I applied a rectangular to polar filter that works really well with only certain images to create a unique abstract look. According to emails we receive from Shutterstock, abstract images are in demand. Since it takes only a few extra minutes, why not make an additional image and upload it? Everyone needs a passive income source, right?
When you look at an image, don’t take it at face value. Look beyond the main subject. In other words, look beyond the noun. I’ve recently focused on how powerful it is to think in adjectives and verbs. Not nouns. Then go one layer deeper and think about color, texture, shape, and repetition. Now you can explore unconventional ways to repurpose!
Repurpose Image: Social Media Post
Abstract image plus graphics.
This is a visual illustrating how we spend our time on the road.
At first glance the abstract image might not fit your needs, but what if we add graphics on top? What about a pie graph? What else could you do with this image? Maybe use it in an infographic or white paper? A social media post? Animate the graphics in a video with narration?
Think outside the noun. Then think in layers.
And think about what you’re good at when it comes to creating content, what streams of income or affiliations you already have set in place, and how you can complete more projects with fewer visual resources. After all, the visuals always take 10x longer to capture and edit than what you anticipate. Or is it just me that gets sucked in for hours upon hours playing with pixels?
Ideally, we’d love to have a solid workflow similar to this. The sky is the limit for repurposing images or footage. Having a pipeline of ideas, or known needs, is key. Since you’re already editing, it’s easy to edit for two or three additional messages in the same session. You’ve probably noticed that once you save, export, backup, and move onto the next project it’s easy to tuck those files away forever – where they’ll never be retrieved again unless the client calls. Don’t let that happen! Capitalize on your time, talent, and pipeline when you repurpose visual content.
