Let me start by saying that I actually really enjoyed “Easy Day” by the folks over at Costa Ludus. I’ve had the chance to meet and talk with Chris, and I like the fact that he is trying to do something different in the industry with videos like this.

What I found better than the actual Webvertisment was the Behind the Scenes video. Why? Because it gave me a huge tech-boner. Not only were there guns and awesome gear from folks like Raven Concealment and Ares Gear, but there were cameras (mmmm…. RED), shoulder rigs, lights, special effects, boom mics….I mean, how is a guy supposed to concentrate on the action, when there is all of that video gear just teasing me like a Crazy Horse employee at a Crye party? Check it:

But here’s the downside of a video like this: Every company and their parent is going to want to create the same thing. I saw it in the dot com boom in the mid/late 90s, in the social media wars a few years ago, and we’re gonna see it here. We’ll see companies that want to script web series and plot lines for their video ads. They will go from being perfectly good 30 second spots to 3 minute trailers with bad acting and poor production. Add to that the fact that Facebook is now going to be forcing video ads on your timeline and this is a recipe for disaster. It will be like the few weeks leading up to SHOT where companies scramble to make a name for themselves, but instead it will be all year long.

Secondly, a lot of media houses and production companies will not even be able to come CLOSE to what was produced here. There are a TON of GREAT indie houses out there (*ahem*) but obviously this video has a bigger budget than some companies can afford.

Longer form, well produced videos ARE what is next. Shoddy youtube channels will die, and the next generation of directors and producers will rise to the top.

So what? So nothing. It’s all good. Sit back and enjoy what Chris and his team are able to do because he works hard and is a good businessman.
Do what YOU do best and show the products that you create in the best light possible, and in a way that you can afford. If you want video, great, just don’t expect Scorsese on a high school budget.

If you’re in the market to make the Michael Jackson “Thriller” of gun ads, good for you. Just don’t suck at it. Costa raised the bar for a lot of folks today. The industry is changing. Do you have what it takes to keep pace?

“Easy Day” – Behind The Scenes – YouTube.