Promoting the City

I recently posted the new Welcome to Yorkshire advert on this blog, analysis its strengths and weaknesses. But narrowing it down to just focus on the regional capital...

The recently revised Vision for Leeds states that by 2030:

"Leeds will punch its weight as the biggest city in the north, making sure that decision makers and opinion formers understand the city and what it offers, its potential and the needs of its communities.

"By 2030, Leeds will be locally and internationally recognised as the best city in the UK

By 2030, Leeds will be fair, open and welcoming. Leeds will be a place where everyone has an equal chance to live their life successfully and realise their potential. Leeds will embrace new ideas, involve local people, and welcome visitors and those who come here to live, work and learn.

By 2030, Leeds' economy will be prosperous and sustainable. We will create a prosperous and sustainable economy, using our resources effectively. Leeds will be successful and well-connected offering a good standard of living.

By 2030, All Leeds' communities will be successful. Leeds' communities will thrive and people will be confident, skilled, enterprising, active and involved.
This is all very well, but may seem to some as pie in the sky. You may be wondering how this has any link to me as a designer. I believe I, like all citizens of Leeds, have a crucial role to play in turning this dream into reality. Leeds must become a pioneering centre of design, and should not settle for mediocre design standards while London sucks up the country's talent.

Therefore I feel it is my purpose, as a video maker and designer, to promote the city. I intend to make a video, or perhaps a series of videos, elevating the city of Leeds. I will take inspiration from videos that I consider of a high standard, and initially try to emulate them or learn tricks from them. I hope that this will help me develop my own style of video making that can promote Leeds in a pioneering way- because there are hardly any video makers doing this successfully now. The Welcome to Yorkshire advert is good, but nothing more. It should be the standard, not at the top of its game as it is now in the region.

So first things first; look at what's out there already!