Squatch Kick! - Four-Legged Bird Public Mural Project

Four-Legged Bird Public Mural Project
Project Creator:  Jason Jones

Talk about fantastically delightful, this little Kickstarter project is a quaint, yet rousing, utilization of imagination writ large - a wall mural project that has a very functional use. It makes sense, it has a very achievable funding goal, and it is a wonderful example of using art to effectuate a positive change of the status quo.

Here, the status quo is a wall. Namely, it is the exterior wall of a building which enjoys the magnificent good fortune of being located right next to a fast flowing river of cars and trucks, smack dab beside a highway that is busy, busy, busy!

What can I say? My imagination loves robots! 'Twas the project image that caught my eye, but it is the mural concept, itself, that seized my enthusiasm.

The project page for this particular Kickstarter is a robust example of how to use imagery to capture the human eye, and to retain the attention of page visitors. My eye lingers, it darts across the tall page of images that cement my interest to this project. Kickstarter is a visual medium, and this particular project page just oozes with elements of visual interest.

Ironically enough, the proposed mural image was a bit less grand that I would have hoped for. I only wonder whether it will focus the attention of all of that traffic upon the shop, itself, which sits on the other side of that wall upon which the mural will grace with its forthcoming presence, or whether it will simply be a moment of visual grandeur on the way to somewhere else.

But, make no mistake - this is a crowd funding project that holds great merit. I am drawn to it, even beyond the visual variety of the project page, to the project, itself. Indeed, how can one not be drawn to a mural? It is art that is larger than life, art that not only aspires to be big, but is big. Big, I tell you! BIG!!

The people behind this project, both the mural artist and the shop owners, have a certain flair to them. They take a great picture!

Smiles, and youth, and color. They have the equivalent of visual vigor! They make a great video. They make a persuasive case. I am sold on what the four-legged bird has to say.

And, what about that name for their place of business? The Four-Legged Bird - Tell me that isn't cute. It's a fanciful name, and if a shop with a fanciful name doesn't warrant a mural project to be associated with it, then pray tell me, what manner of shop does?

None, that I can think of!

It is said that the early bird gets the worm. Well, what about the four-legged bird? I'll tell you what a bird of that nature gets - It gets backed!

But, even more than that, what this quadruped of the fowl variety gets is Squatch kicked!

You see that big mass of blank wall? That right there is the problem in need of a fix. The wall isn't falling apart, so don't make the mistake of assuming that, therefore, it isn't in need of anything. Indeed, it is, and what it needs is to be made better use of.

And it can do that by serving as host to a decorative, colorful mural, one with visual impact, one which catches the eye of passers-by. Because plain isn't good enough, that's why!

Why settle for visual mediocrity? That's not anyone's definition of beauty - not anyone that I ever met, anyway.

But, what of the muralist's other work, you ask? How do we know that he is up to the task at hand?

By taking a moment or three out to behold that which he has wrought, before. That's how!

How many buildings are in the world? And, of those, how many are plain Janes, bereft of visual delight? Art is a portal of infinite doorways to the mind, to the heart, and even to the uttermost depths of the human soul.

Art serves a purpose. It motivates. It inspires. It makes people feel better. It makes the world a far more beautiful place.

Indeed, imagine the world without it, if you can. I can't. Honestly, I really can't.

Nor would I want to!

A four-legged bird might just have one heck of a kick. This one does, anyway. It has a kick with the visual heft of a Squatch behind it!

To the trio involved with this project, I just had to toss my two cents worth in about this project with four legs.

If you happen upon this article and do nothing else, at least take a few moments out to watch the project video for this Kickstarter. This mural needs to take flight! You can join me in helping that to happen.

To help this four-legged bird fly a little higher in the Kickstarter sky, I'm Squatch Kicking this thing!

Do the right thing, and ruffle both wallet and purse feathers, alike, that this project - this mural - may take flight!

Project: Four-Legged Bird Public Mural Project
Project Creator: Jason Jones
Kicktraq Link
Kickspy Link

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Crowd Funding Tip # 7 - Think in visual terms

Kickstarter is a medium that is visually-oriented. By that, I simply mean that, if you want to get somewhere with your Kickstarter project's funding campaign, it is extremely important for your project page to incorporate visual elements that have visual impact. In other words, you want to use photographs or artwork to inject heavy doses of visual stimuli into your project page.

Why? To wow people! To grab their attention. To get their adrenaline flowing. To give them reason to be excited about finding your project. To get the job done!

Do not be afraid of having too much visual impact. For a Kickstarter project page, there's no such thing as having too much visual impact. The more, the better, as far as I am concerned - and I look at quite a few Kickstarters, let me tell you.

The image above is from a project called LEGENDS OF LOG giant size annual. I chose it to serve as the lead in image for this article, because I haven't had a chance to write an article about that project, yet, but I really love the image. It has strong visual impact. It is an image of a charcter that is a log fighting some type of creature with gigantic teeth. It sends a strong visual message. It is of a scene with action going on in it. It is a scene of a battle. Thus, it is very dynamic. The color is bright, even vibrant in instances. It catches my eye. I look at it and I say to myself, "Hell, yeah!"

Your project page needs either ART or PHOTOGRAPHS on it. Period. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Preferably, your project page will feature BOTH. If you're not an artist, or if you can't afford one, then use photographs. In no instance should your project page be comprised of only a project image and a mass of text. Rather, you want to have both a project image (or, more preferably, a project video - of which the first image in the video will double as your project image) and additional images running down the length of your project page. I have yet to encounter a project page that turned me off, due to having too many images on it. More than a few, however, have turned me off from them, simply because they lack visual energy.

If you're using photographs on your project page, keep in mind that people in photographs are almost always objects of visual interest. Scenes of nature are, as well. The lighting of the subject being photographed matters, as does visual contrast. If people can't tell what's in the photo, then you might want to give second thoughts to it.

Also, many will encounter your project first, by way of viewing a small thumbnail image for your project. If that small image lacks visual impact, then your project may get skipped over more frequently. Hence, why you want good visuals, for the sake of grabbing people's eyes, for the sake of commanding their attention. It's the visual equivalent of grabbing somebody by the shoulder and telling them, "Hey, look over here!"

To get your project funded successfully, you need to attract a crowd. It's called crowd funding for a reason, remember? In order to attract a crowd, you need to get people's attention. The more attention that your project page attracts, the more likely it becomes that your crowd will be bigger than it otherwise would be, had you not succeeded in grabbing people's attention.

Videos also serve to add visual interest and visual impact to a project page. Your chances of reaching your funding goal are better, if your project page has a video. Period. So, unless you're just a glutton for punishment, fore go punishing yourself, by not having a project video. Create a video, or have a friend create one for you, or if nothing else, then pay somebody to create a video for your project page.

People woefully underestimate how well that they look or come across, in homemade videos. The video doesn't have to be perfect. You don't have to be perfect. A million excuses will net your project nothing, while simultaneously costing your project out the ass. It's OK to be shy. It's OK to stumble or stutter during the video. Just create one - no matter what! It is to your own project's best interest, that you have a project video. Having additional videos on your project page beyond the project video are optional.

In summation, to be seen, your must be visual. If you do nothing else, be absolutely certain that you inject a lot of visual elements into your project page. Grab their eye! Be seen, for crying out loud!

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