Not to brag, but we’ve gotten the art of complex photo and video shoots down to a science given the number of photo-worthy tourism clients that have invited us in to capture their destinations. But sometimes, when our talent includes small humans or members of the animal kingdom hell-bent on doing whatever they want instead, shoots can include some pretty funny moments and a bit of creative problem solving. Associate Creative Director Joe Conti shares some insights on what it’s like to wrangle kids and critters on set.

Tell me about some of the shoots you’ve directed that involve kids and animals.

Kids are part of most almost every shoot we do because most of our clients are family-friendly destinations – Corning Museum of Glass; Cabarrus County, North Carolina; Niagara Falls USA; Dutchess County, NY. Recently we orchestrated shoots featuring both kids and animals for the Aquarium of Niagara and Great Lakes 360 brand launch videos.

Can you think of a time when things just did NOT go as planned?

The Aquarium has a balloon fish exhibit, which is a cylindrical tank you can crawl underneath and stand up in the middle of to see fish swimming around you. Our kid actor was supposed to slowly stand up with a face of wonder and awe looking at the fish. We budgeted about a half hour to get the shot. Instead, it took multiple attempts with several kids and almost 90 minutes to get one of them to sort of emote properly with a lot of prodding, coaching, demonstrating and coaxing. I ended up crawling in there myself to get the kids to laugh and loosen up to get the facial expressions we were hoping for.

Who is easier to work with – animals or kids?

The big animals like the sea lions are by far easier to work with than kids because they’re trainable. They do what we need them to do every time. We had a shot where we wanted a sea lion dive into the pool and swim across the glass window where we were shooting. It only took one or two takes. Smaller, wilder animals are a different story. There was coral reef at the Aquarium where the plan was to dolly back and forth to capture the fish swimming. All the fish were there when we were setting up, but as soon as we started shooting, they all disappeared. There’s precious little you can do about that besides throwing food in to get them to start swimming around again.

What about on the flipside – has any animal or child surprised you by knocking it out of the park?

At the Corning Museum of Glass, we did a shoot for their Make Your Own Glass experience earlier this year. We had a little girl and a little boy who were so adorable and charming and emotive. The little girl just lit up the camera naturally and needed very little direction at 6 years old. They just don’t think about it too much when they’re that young. She sat down at the mosaic table and just started making stuff exactly the way we needed her to with no direction. When they’re a little older, they get more self-aware that they’re being filmed and tense up a little bit; it takes more to get them to loosen up and act naturally.

Any tricks you employ to get child talent to follow directions?

I personally rely on being a parent for ten years and a former gymnastics coach for kids aged pre-school to high school. Being able to tap into that experience is helpful to read individual kids and see what they need in terms of direction or encouragement. It also doesn’t hurt that I’m 36 but act like a 12-year-old most of the time. I can be goofy and relaxed with them and they relate to that.

Joe’s patience and dedication pays off, giving us the footage we need to create videos and photos that capture the wonder and fun of the destinations we represent. Here are a few spots showing some of our young and aquatic talent in action:

One of my first projects when I interned at FourthIdea was brainstorming ideas for the office’s interior design. This involved studying the space, observing the properties, and considering elements that could be repeated throughout the office and break up the hard surfaces that are often found in workspaces. The solution? Plants!

Plant Perks

Bringing a bit of nature into our workspace brings several benefits: according to NASA research, plants can remove up to 87% of air toxins in 24 hours. Studies have even shown that having well-placed plants throughout the office can increase productivity by 15%. Filling our space with plants helps reduce noise, anxiety, and can even creates a natural privacy buffer in our open floor plan. The welcoming atmosphere created for office visitors is a huge plus, too.

With a circular design and several large, tall windows surrounding everyone’s workspace, the plants can happily thrive along the window sills behind our desks, and provide a fun lens through which to view the surrounding downtown skyline. I find it grounding to take a break from my work and glance at the philodendron Birkin next to my desk, noticing new leaves emerging.

Care & Maintenance Routine

I don’t follow too strict of a watering schedule, but I do try to look closely at the plants at the beginning and end of the week. The plant care cards provided to us from Put A Plant On It were a great starting point for me, being unfamiliar with several of the plant species. Now that I’m more familiar with the temperaments of the different plants, I know when to water them. For example, the peace Lily Sensations in the conference room let me know when they need water by looking very, very sad when they’re thirsty (they’re drama queens). Once you water them thoroughly, in a few hours they perk right back up!

Occasionally, if I’m going to be out of the office I’ll ask a point person to water the plants in my absence. However, this usually doesn’t end well (see above about the drama queen plants).

Results & Reactions

It’s been fun taking care of the plants and seeing my coworkers take ownership of them too. Phil, also a plant father, is often the first to point out new growth on the ZZ plants near his desk. Joe has observed that the conference room snake plant is in fact taller than him, and has even adopted a pothos for his home office. We’ve also relocated a few Chinese Evergreens to Sophie’s work area, and she has been taking very good care of them. For some reason, Joe insists on calling them Sophie’s “birds of paradise,” even though that’s not correct. We just let him continue to call them that. Either way, they are thriving under her care!

Tips

In general, I’ve found it better to give plants a very thorough watering less often, than it is to give them small sips amounts of water too often. Also, consider how many plants need watering in your office, get a can that is large enough to do the job—our office watering can is laughably small, which means several trips to the faucet. Lastly, be sure to keep an eye on office pets around plants: Lou likes to throw dirt around occasionally to entertain himself. 🙂

Yes, you read that right. I’m here to break the stereotype that spreadsheets are just for account executives. In actuality, they are a valuable tool no matter what your job responsibilities are. When it comes to being a designer or art director specifically, spreadsheets can help us to be more creative. Sound paradoxical? Allow me to elaborate. 

One project in particular where spreadsheets made life easier was the 2024 Destination Niagara USA travel guide. This was a massive undertaking consisting of 76 pages featuring 18 articles, half being refreshes from the previous year and half being brand new. I was the lead art director on this project and knew that a deliverable of this scale could easily become overwhelming and messy if organization was not a priority right from the start. I immediately made a color-coded spreadsheet listing all of the articles, with columns serving as checkpoints for where each one was at in the process. 

Well, you heard it here first folks: art directors and spreadsheets are a match made in heaven. I hope one day all of the designers out there find a little room for spreadsheet-ing in their big ol’ creative hearts.

As tourism marketing pros, we move heaven and earth to bring visitors to our DMO clients. There’s nothing more satisfying than the thought of thousands upon thousands of people flocking to a city or region, booking hotels and setting out, cameras in hand, to experience the sights.

Until all those people decide to arrive in ONE DAY.

That’s the forecast for two of our clients, Destination Niagara USA and Visit Rochester, NY, whose cities are on the path of totality for the historic April 8 solar eclipse.

It turns out that some of the attractions we highlight profusely in both cities’ travel guides and video footage are also the very best spots in the whole world to see this celestial event. In January, National Geographic named Niagara Falls the most picturesque place to view the eclipse and named Rochester the city with the best museums along the path of totality. Both cities, along with Buffalo, have appeared as big red dots on every map, on every newscast, for over a year, highlighting the best places to put on those cardboard glasses and stare at the sky. 

As a result, visitors from around the world are flocking to both destinations in what appear to be record numbers, snatching up every available hotel room, Airbnb, VRBO, and friend’s extra couch to be there to witness this rare celestial phenomenon.

At first, it sounds like a great thing—a rare opportunity for organic visitation, exposing throngs of people to the sights, culture, food and people that define these destinations. Or maybe not. Instead, masses of visitors descending on a city for one day to witness less than four minutes of action in the sky creates really interesting challenges for DMOs and hospitality businesses responsible for welcoming and hosting so many people. Rochester expects 300,000 to 500,000 visitors, while Niagara Falls and Buffalo are predicting to see closer to a million (each). To put those numbers in perspective, Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium only fit 65,000 to watch Super Bowl 2024.

What little lodging hasn’t already been booked is priced astronomically high. Business and institutional closures are being announced by the minute, shutting tourists and locals alike out of government buildings, museums, grocery stores, shops, restaurants, and even some parks. Parking is expected to be non-existent, and traffic pros are cautioning about an immovable gridlock of vehicles all trying to reach viewing destinations and pop-up events simultaneously. Tourism and hospitality employees are making contingency plans for how they’ll get themselves to work Monday. Concerns over too many people with too few resources prompted the Canadian side of Niagara Falls to preemptively issue a state of emergency the week before the event.

But, it’s also possible that this brief, eclipse-inspired visit to Niagara Falls or Rochester will spark visitor interest in returning to catch the sights unincumbered by crowds. Some of the best parts of both destinations will still be available for enjoyment, including the Falls themselves and surrounding parks, Rochester’s artistic and architectural gems, and the friendly residents who will undoubtedly do their best to welcome and help visitors as best they can. With years to prepare, many organizations and institutions have gone all out to plan viewing parties, days-long celebrations and special treats ranging from eclipse-inspired craft beers, ice cream flavors, and creative souvenirs. The Mayor of Rochester, Malik Evans, expects the event to have an incredible economic impact on the city, with visitors bringing in between $10 and $12 million from Saturday through Monday, the day of the eclipse.

We are sending our clients in both of these spots copious amounts of energy, good vibes, and a little bit of luck as they become the front row seats to an event of a lifetime. We hope the planets align in their favor!

We’ll post an update in the days following the eclipse to report whether predictions matched realities here in Buffalo and in our client cities along the path of totality.

As a small creative agency, staying ahead of the curve and maximizing efficiency are essential for success. One powerful tool that can help achieve these goals is artificial intelligence (AI). At FourthIdea, we’re using AI to streamline our workflow and enhance our creative processes. Here’s how we do it.

1. Start Small, Think Big

While AI has tremendous potential, it’s essential to start with manageable projects and gradually expand. Begin by identifying specific tasks or processes that could benefit from automation or optimization using AI. For FourthIdea, this meant integrating AI into our creative ideation process with tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney. By starting small, we were able to gain familiarity with AI technologies and assess their impact on our workflow before scaling up.

2. Collaborate with AI

AI shouldn’t replace human creativity; instead, it should complement it. We encourage our team to view AI as a collaborative partner rather than a threat. Foster a culture that embraces experimentation and innovation, where team members are encouraged to explore new ways of working with AI tools. At FourthIdea, we’ve found that combining human creativity with AI-driven insights leads to more innovative and impactful solutions for our clients.

3. Embrace Automation

AI excels at automating repetitive tasks, freeing up valuable time for your team to focus on more high-level creative work. Identify areas of your workflow that are ripe for automation, such as data analysis, email responses, or project management. By automating these tasks, you can increase efficiency and productivity while reducing the risk of human error—allowing your team to devote more time to crafting compelling campaigns for our clients.

4. Stay Ethical and Transparent

As with any technology, it’s essential to approach AI integration ethically and responsibly. Be transparent with your clients about how AI is being used in your creative processes and ensure that it aligns with their values and objectives. It’s also important to respect artists’ rights and adhere to best practices when it comes to image and content generation. At the agency, we’re in the process of creating an AI user guide to help us navigate through the gray areas that this new era has generated. 

Yes, I did use AI to help me write this.

Why wouldn’t I? It’s no different that providing creative direction to the human members of the FourthIdea team. I created a very well-defined prompt that outlined the  structure of the post and the points I wanted to make. Ultimately, it provided me with a start, but I still had to shape it to my vision. Integrating AI into an agency’s workflow can unlock new possibilities for innovation and efficiency. By starting small, collaborating with AI, embracing automation, and maintaining ethical standards, agencies can harness the full potential of AI to drive success for agency and clients like. At FourthIdea, we’re excited about the opportunities that AI presents and are committed to exploring new ways to leverage this transformative technology in our work.

AI Apps + Usage

ChatGPT+Gemini: Research, Data-Analytics, Strategy-Planning, Emails

MidJourney: Image generation for ideation, ad comps, and storyboarding

Eleven Labs: Voiceover generation for video rough cuts

As someone who wears two hats – a creative director at an advertising agency and a director of local theater – I’ve discovered a surprising overlap between these seemingly disparate roles. In both worlds, the ability to craft a compelling narrative and bring a vision to life is paramount. As it turns out, directing a play has honed my skills as a creative director, with a focus on the power of vision statements and the art of storytelling. Here’s how…

1. Crafting a Vision Statement

In both theater and advertising, a clear vision is essential to guide the creative process. When I direct a play, I always start by crafting a vision statement that encapsulates the story I want to tell and the emotions I want to evoke. This vision statement serves as my North Star throughout rehearsals, helping me stay focused on the core message of the play from scene to scene. Similarly, as a creative director, I rely on brand position statements to align my team and clients around a shared vision for each project. Whether it’s a brand campaign or a theatrical production, a strong vision sets the stage for success.

2. Bringing Vision to Life

Once the vision statement is in place, the next step is to bring it to life on stage or screen. In directing a crucial scene from “The Lion In Winter,” I encountered a challenge that forced me to revisit my vision statement. The script direction for a particular scene wasn’t aligning with the overarching vision of the play. The vision statement reminded me that King Henry should always operate from a position of strength. With this clarity, I made a decision to deviate from the script and have the spotlights on each of the sons blackout as Henry rejected them. This simple yet powerful change transformed the scene, reinforcing the central theme of power dynamics within the play.

3. Collaboration and Communication

Directing a play requires collaboration with a diverse team of actors, designers, and technicians. Clear communication is key to ensuring that everyone is aligned within a shared vision. Similarly, as a creative director, I collaborate closely with art directors, copywriters, and clients to bring concepts to life. By honing my communication skills in the theater, I’ve learned how to effectively articulate where we are in relationship to goals and provide constructive feedback to ensure that everyone is working towards a common vision.

4. Adaptability and Problem-Solving

Theater is inherently unpredictable, and as a director, you must be prepared to adapt to unforeseen challenges. Whether it’s an actor falling ill or a last-minute set malfunction, the show must go on. This ability to think on your feet and find creative solutions to problems has proven invaluable in my role as a creative director. In the fast-paced world of advertising, unexpected hurdles are par for the course, and the ability to adapt quickly is essential to delivering successful campaigns. The key here is to be flexible. When you present option “A” but the client wants “B,” there’s usually a “C” option that satisfies everyone. Rigid thinking can derail any production.

As the Curtain Closes

Directing a play has taught me valuable lessons that have directly translated into my work as a creative director. From crafting vision statements to making creative decisions, the skills honed in the theater have helped me become a more effective leader and storyteller. Whether you’re directing a play or leading a creative team, remember the power of a clear vision and the importance of bringing that vision to life with creativity, collaboration, and adaptability.