Oscar-Winning Copy

Oscar-Winning Copy:
Taking Your Craft to the Movies

========
Scene One:
 A dark bar on the seedy side of town.
 But not just any bar, a copy bar.

 A place where copywriters, some good, some bad
 park it for a while between gigs. It's not a
 family place...if you know what I mean.
========
She quietly slipped into the dark copy bar via
the back door. I caught sight of her instantly.

Jet black hair, grey-blue eyes, red lipstick.
A walk that stopped conversation.

She poured herself into the empty seat next to me.

"Come here often?" I asked.
"Only when I need something," she countered
staring a heart-shaped hole right through me.

"What could a dame like you be looking for
in a place like this?" I asked looking around
the place.

She smiled half-smile, her grey eyes warming a shade.
"Copy. Good copy."

-----Cut, Wrap, That's a Print People!-----------

OK, perhaps my little vignette is a bit dramatic.
I've never been to a copy bar.
But the idea is kind of intriguing.
And it sets the stage for this article.

With the Oscars only a recent memory, I've
been thinking about what makes for award
winning copy.

Perhaps taking your copy to the movies is
the answer. Let's see...

=======================
Lights, Camera, Action!
=======================
Sometimes, good writing, even copywriting, contains
the same elements of an engaging film.

They tells a good story, or involved a bit of drama.
Sometimes they use metaphors or set the stage via the use
of compelling scenarios.

In today's article, we're going to look at five elements
used in filmmaking that we can use in our copywriting
to better characterize our unique businesses.

====================
Always a Storyteller
====================
Good writing, like good cinema, always tells
a compelling story.

Read any book on copywriting and you'll hear the
same suggestion: Tell a story.

Why? Because everyone loves a good story.
No one sits down to read the junk mail they
find in their mailbox.

People purposely sit down to read a novel,
or short-story. Why? Because it speaks directly
to the heart.

Good copy always shares this quality with good writing;
it speaks directly to the hear of the reader.

Next time you're working on your web copy or writing
a letter to your readers or clients, try beginning
with a story.

=====================
Infuse a Bit of Drama
=====================
How do you infuse drama into your copywriting?
Drama is a natural component of storytelling.

Let's say you want to sell a product.
You begin by telling your reader about a satisfied
customer who loves your product.

But you can't begin there. You must begin at the
beginning. With a story about your customer's
experience before using your product.
That's where drama can be used.

"Lynn's brow furrowed. Her eyes narrowed.
But this was nothing new. Day after day, Lynn
struggled with (insert problem). Before she
found (insert product), she often had days like this."

Drama...a bit corny here, but dramatic nonetheless.
Drama's natural placement is just before naming the
benefits of of the product.

=============================
Humor: Drama's Country Cousin
=============================
I think writing humor is hard.
Not impossible, but not easy either.

Some say I have a talent for writing humor.
Some say I only think I have a talent for writing humor.
Whichever may be true, I find it challenging and often
am forced to rewrite comedic prose and copy numerous times.

(The first six chapters of my comic novel are still
under revision.)

The reason is because what we, as the writer, may find
humorous, our audience may not. Humor is more dependent
on cultural influence than is drama.

Still, well-placed humor can go a long way in easing the
reader into our copy. Last week's guest columnist, Sean
D'Souza, is one who employs humor with just the right amount
of emphasis to get his point across.

Check out his writing here:
www.psychotactics.com  

========================
Tension: Not Just for Shoulders
========================
Bonnie carries the weight of her day in her
neck and shoulders. I am often called upon
to relieve said tension with my amazing powers
of healing massage.

(That's what I call it anyway...)

Tension can serve a healthier purpose in copywriting.

There's a scene in The Pelican Brief, the film based on
John Grisham's bestselling novel that stars Denzel Washington
and Julia Roberts, in which both are sitting in a car that the
audience knows has a bomb placed under the dashboard.

Through dialogue and subtle action, Julia Roberts prevents
Denzel Washington from turning the key four times in sixty
seconds. The tension used in this scene is to manipulate the
audience; it's to get us on the edge of our seat.

Tension, while not used in so obvious a fashion as this scene,
can be used for the same purpose in copywriting.

Tension is best used, coupled with drama, in the copy
that precedes talking about the wonderful benefits of
our product or service.

"Got this problem? Have these symptoms?
Tired of putting up, day after day, with
same old way of living that makes you long
for something better? Something better than
(insert painful, itching, burning problem)?"

Feel the tension? It's expressed when talking about
the problem faced by the reader. You talk about it in
many different ways in order to build tension.

When used skillfully, tension can be used to manipulate
your reader to the point of desperation...desperate for
the promise your product of service makes.

=======
Action!
=======
Michael Mann makes action movies.
Bad Boys and Bad Boys II come to mind.
Fast cars, huge explosions, lots of reckless violence.

While I'm not condoning the gratuitous use of violence
in copywriting, I do believe that good copy always contains
an element of action.

Action words move copy along.

Which is more effective:

"She sat beside me."
of
"She poured herself into the empty seat next to me."

Personally, I like the idea of someone pouring themselves
into an empty seat beside me. But that's just me. :-)

==============
Final Thoughts
==============
Go see a movie. Take the time and see a few.
And go alone. Make it part of your work this week.

When you see a film by yourself, you're more likely
to see it from a technical point of view.

You're not worried if Joe and Jane beside you is
enjoying the film or not.

Focus on the elements of story, drama, humor,
tension, and action. How does the director
use these elements in the film?

If you focus on these elements, you'll see them.
Make a habit if this and your copywriting skills with reflect it.


Let me know how it goes and what films you see?

Thanks for reading,

Barry