What's the big idea?

As I was standing in the checkout line at Walmart yesterday, I of course had about 15 minutes to kill. That's when I started thinking about these 32" TV's they have hanging silently all over the store. I have yet to have been wooed by one of these displays, assuming they are there to advertise products in their store. In fact, I have never seen anyone actually watching one of these displays. With satellite, wiring, rigging, TVs, and electricity to run it, I'm guessing they spent a good $50,000 to $100,000 on the system... per store. For what?

I think this was a great idea that wasn't thought out very well. Why didn't they mount them in an area where they knew people would have nothing to do except stand around.... like.... a checkout line! Then, they could advertise products that would be placed within arms reach of the line that I'm in. You would only need to produce 10 minutes of video that could be looped. I'm sure there are flaws with my idea, but at least I put some logical thought into it. I was trying to figure out a way to express the root of the problem I saw at Walmart but was having a hard time expressing it... that is until I talked to Michael Taylor last night.

By the way, Michael Taylor is a great Christian friend, the best jib operator this side of the Mississippi, and knows a great deal about professional video/film production in and outside the church. He phrased it for me. "Good ideas are worth a dollar. A good plan is worth investing in." That's it! Planning.

As Jack Chew and I began to work out the details of our alternate venue, we did what Jack coined forecasting (long-term planning). We tried to our best to look at each aspect of the project from every angle. One of us would come up with an idea, and the other would play devil's advocate and try his best to destroy it, make it sound like a horrible idea. It was great to have egos out of the way, with mutual respect for each other, allowing only the best plans to rise to the top. We used Visio drawings and, with the help of Rich Belgie, used Martin 3D ShowDesigner to visualize what the gym alternate venue would look like. The result is a great HD alternate venue in our gym that everyone is ecstatic about.

Planning should take 50 times longer than implementation... Maybe more. See your ideas through to a comprehensive plan. It will not only serve to impress your bosses, a good plan is evidence of great stewardship.