Photo-A-Day #1713

My new favorite Christmas movie is now Disney’s Prep and Landing. We’ve seen it about 4 times now and each time I watch it I catch new things and find more to laugh at. From the elves bonking the sleeping kid on the head getting him into his room (what parent hasn’t done that bringing their kids to bed?) to Thrasher in the Oakleys chopping the candy cane, this movie has so many great little touches. That is a mark of a great Pixar Disney effort, the little touches. This mini movie works on several levels.

But first, if you have not seen it yet take a moment to watch it on Hulu.

Why Prep and Landing Works.

The show works as entertainment and causes laughter for kids as well as parents. It also takes something that many people are familiar with, Christmas, Christmas specials, Christmas songs and pretty much all things Christmas and it changes things ever so slightly yet stays true to the Christmas spirit. The special also blends these traditional images with a modern flair of spies and high tech gadgetry.

Are There Lessons for Bloggers in an Animated Christmas Special?

Prep and Landing builds upon established collective knowledge. It is highly likely that many people have seen a Christmas special, read Christmas stories or have heard Christmas songs in the past. It is also likely that many people have had an experience of seeing a spy movie or some high tech gadgets.

As a blogger you can look for topics that have universal appeal, tweak them and add your own spin. By working from a point of established knowledge you can tap into a built in audience.

Pay Attention to the Little Things

Pixar Disney always has so many visual details in their projects they are masters at attention to detail. From the call signs of each character to visual jokes on the gadgets. So, when you are a blogger you need to look for those small details that make the difference. Are you linking to others, have you checked your spelling, are you getting your point across?

Can You Write for Multiple Audiences at Once?

Parents and kids alike love Pixar Disney movies because they are smart in that they appeal to kids and adults. Adults get those subtle inside jokes and kids get colorful characters and tons of fast paced action. As a blogger if you can write posts that are accessible to multiple audiences then you can grow your audience larger and larger.Are you able to write advanced technical posts so that a non-technical audience can understand and so that your technical audience doesn’t get bored? Can you write blog posts about your family and the mundane aspects of life in such a way that it appeals to an audience wider than your Christmas card list?

Think about how you can appeal to a wider audience and go implement that knowledge.