Discussion: Orienteering--more than just running video

YouTube video (shared from World of O's Facebook page) that's a great 2-minute intro to the difference between orienteering and "just" running on a track.

that's a great one. Thanks for sharing!

Excellent! A bit of map clips - stream, big cliff etc - would have made it even better.

That's a great little film with a good concept. So was that cliff not big enough?! That stream would be called a river around here.

Excellent

Inspirational - especially having a woman in the O runner role. I think we should link to this from our club website....

Pretty cool.

Now, how about a video differentiating orienteering racing from cross country racing...

Love it! How can we have it play at every running store ?

map clips - stream, big cliff etc - would have made it even better.

I actually liked that it focused on running through rugged terrain to checkpoints, and getting down into the weeds of actual maps. It's apparent at 0:40 that there's a map involved, which is all potential recruits need to know. I wouldn't expect a 3-minute recruiting teaser of tennis to show the details of what the racquets look like.

I thought it was really well done, combining the concepts of those two Italian promotional videos from a few years back (one with track runners which was kinda lame, and one with terrain runners which I liked).

how about a video differentiating orienteering racing from cross country racing...

I think the point is the stark difference between regular running (symbolized on the track) and orienteering. I think anyone familiar with XC running will also see the major differences (checkpoint flags, giant cliffs, no markings, etc).

"one with track runners which was kind of lame"

Kinda lame as a promotional video for the sport sure. Great as a teaching tool for young kids - it's perfect for getting them to understand one of the basic premises of orienteering. That's it's up to the athlete to choose the fastest route and not the course setter or official.

Oh and this new video is great. I'm impressed with the number of high quality videos that have come out over the past year or so.

Comparing orienteering to track running is disingenuous, especially considering the production of the video. Obviously, the track running portion is poorly produced with lame colors and apparently disengaged athletes, while the orienteering portion is better produced with vibrant colors and engaged athletes. Surely "the world's smartest athletes" see thru the charade. If not, they should google the term "straw man".

Rather than engage in "straw man" videos, which the audience you wish to recruit will see thru in three seconds, make the product appeal to people in the other market. Mass starts, friendly aid stations and a friendly social environment would be a start. People who are in charge of orienteering participating in trail races, and understanding why they are so much better would be a start. Many of my other ideas, previously articulated, on both the product and naming side, would be a start.

Putting ones stock in disingenuous, straw man videos without addressing the real issues won't really help, sadly.

Great, keep this thread going until someone comes up and produces the best O video ever!

Maybe Usain Bolt in the track part would of peaked more interest.

Yeah, it is kinda dishonest. The guy looks like he suffered of major indigestion right before the start. It is an obvious fake, and it does not capture the essence of orienteering as “thinking” sport. She just runs thru the forest at full speed, quite recklessly, like a mad cow, never stops or slows down to read the map.
Producers of this video indeed are learning the lesson from the MSM: dumbing down is no longer a bad taste, the audience will be quite happy and excited, as trash is the new norm.

That clip can hardly be called trash; her running is a beautiful thing to watch although certainly there aren't enough shots of the map. If there were even more closeups of the shoes it could be a perfect advertisement for Inov8s (or whatever brand's actually being worn).

Yes! And baseball promotional videos should show more fly-outs and ground balls. Basketball videos should show me more fouls and 12-foot jumpers. I want to see tennis balls into nets! Golf two-putts! Four-yard running plays! I want to be inspired by routine! Yay!

@ GuyO: this one makes it clear that orienteering is somewhat more than X-country running. It's also very professionally produced and edited, short, punchy and features a woman in the lead role. You'd almost believe the same crew were involved, but apparently not. Well done to Germany and Austria!

I usually can't watch these videos and find them so awkward to watch. Mostly because running in them never look's relaxed and efficient like the running looks like when you shoot real athletes in actual races. It is always sprinting like mad for the camera, as fast as one can with pointless jumps over various obstacles for no reason. It does not make it look like serious sport where time matters and no style points given. To me the track running and runner with relaxed efficient stride looks cooler and way more serious sport - that's real sport with no gimmicks. But I know it is not targeted to me. And it may be hard to find runners who can both run fast and look relaxed and efficient.

I like how it shows the awesome fun of running full speed through the forest, and when I have that feeling I'll often jump over unnecessary obstacles just out of pure joy :)
Someone stopping every few meters to peer at their map is probably a tad less inspiring to watch.

That video is great fun. Will show it to my kids tonight.

I love the video, pure and simple, I love the video. I would not be quick to show it to the cover-my-ass, risk-avoiding school administrators around here "Oh my God! Look at that cliff. She might fall and we would get sued!" but a young person looking for something more than just running laps around a track would get it right away.
Promotional ads do not have to appeal to everybody - I look at a lot of ads for Mercedes but I'm never going to buy one but lots of people watching will - they just have to appeal to the target audience and this one I believe would hit the mark with fit young runners looking for a bit more.
I assume the video has the right tags so runners will find it.
(Did I ever tell you about the time the Athletic Council of my school district wanted to cancel any further orienteering after I wrote in my annual report that students running in the district championships had the thrill of seeing some black bear cubs in the wild?)

Great video. Obviously in an ad you are going to highlight the adventure aspect. Next we need " orienteering is not geocaching"

https://vimeo.com/124222427 is a fun one from 1000d, if you have not seen it yet. Not an ad but nice woods.

I love how many orienteers don't like this video - it probably means it'd be a great promotional tool for orienteering.

@Juffy cold is better then, your acid wit has returned.

I wasn't even trying to be funny - all the comments like "it needs more detail", "I want to see the map more", "she doesn't read the map enough" just show that orienteers have no idea how to promote their sport to the general public....but of course we already have plenty of evidence for that. :)

Why does this discussion remind me of the OUSA logo wars contest...?

To make a really good short film it's often best to cut out lots of ideas, scenes, footage. Put everything in and it won't be as strong. This film shows orienteering is a fast and exciting cross country race to the finish line where speed is just as important as for a track race. It rather beautifully sweeps away notions of scouts in heavy boots taking bearings and taking ages. Well done I say!

^ This.

Showing people reading maps, taking bearings and trying to convey the satisfaction of finding a control in deeply technical terrain is counter-productive - you might as well televise competitive Rubik's cube solving. Show them running through the bush at full pace, even if we only really do that in the finish chute. Show the small amusing things, like "whoops, I'm on the wrong side of a 10m cliff!" even if that would make us angry if it happened to us.

Show people something that makes them go "damn, I've been wasting my life running on the footpath."

Juffy, I couldn't agree more with your comment...

I love how many orienteers don't like this video - it probably means it'd be a great promotional tool for orienteering.

I like the video as well, and agree with the thrust of the supportive comments.
I believe this is a very good way to connect with the highest priority target audience.

Also coach´s comment above holds a lot of promise if it was implemented:

How can we have it play at every running store?

another video (viewer discretion is advised).

OK, let's suppose a runner watches this video, likes it and comes to an orienteering meet. Then they realize that before they are able to run like the girl does in the video, they need to learn to navigate really well. How likely is it that they will make the effort? If they are simply interested in running in a forest, they'll just do it for fun by themselves, without competing, or take up trail running so they don't have to learn another skill.

Now, suppose there is another video that emphasizes the map and navigation aspects of orienteering. A "nerdy" kid who is smart enough to realize that she needs some physical activity, but is too "asocial" to play team sports and finds "just" running too boring watches that video, likes it and comes to an orienteering meet. How likely is it that she will be disappointed? I'd say not very likely, because she already knows everything that's important to know about orienteering and because orienteering simply is one of the best sports for someone like her.

This is not a criticism of the video per se. I agree that if you really want to target runners, this video is a good way to do it. What I doubt is that runners really are the highest priority audience. Orienteering is, first and foremost, about navigation. It is possible to enjoy orienteering even if you don't like running. You'll still run out of necessity, but the running aspect will not be the most important one to you. However, it's highly unlikely you'll stay in orienteering if you don't like the navigation challenges it provides.

There's no reason you can't have different videos for different target audiences. I'm not a fan of the way orienteers often try to market their sport by pretty much insulting every other sport, as "boring" and the like, so I don't like the phrase "more than just running" or "just" anything else. But, I did love the video! There was such a feeling of exhilaration and freedom to it.

The old marketing principle is to sell the sizzle, not the steak, and this video certainly sells the sizzle.

Amen

I'll admit to putting it on my facebook page and saying it is what I like to do, and why.

The movies don't portray things as they happen in real life, they portray it in a way that says something. Running through the woods is the thing I do, and it is so much more fun than running around a track...

How many people show up for any sport expecting to be able to perform like in the highlight reels and promotional videos without learning some skills? First day on the snowboard, let's head for the half-pipe?

Quite a few, unfortunately. We get trail runners coming to meets wanting to do the Blue course their first time out.

These type of elitist videos will not promote the sport, at least around here.
People just cannot relate themselves to those very slim, pretty looking, wearing fancy cloths, and something weird with spikes instead of flip-flops.

Trying to think of positive aspects of this video. I like that it associates orienteering with running in a natural forest, as opposite to perversion of running thru man-made landscapes, among buildings, covered with trash areas, on paved surfaces and roads.

^^^^^
So little kids who watch NFL shouldn't go out for pee-wee football?

This video is great. And this is coming from a beginner, from a yellow course guy. My kids watched it and are looking forward to the first O meet this year (May 10th here). They don't expect to be running around the park like this gal did, but they are looking forward to the fun of running through the woods.

Thought 1: The video inspired me to work out last night. I'll just leave it at that.

Thought 2: Some of you are concerned that this makes the sport look too fun, and you can't actually deliver that kind of fun to beginners. That reflects more on the weakness of your club's beginner program than on the video.

@blegg: I am not saying beginners cannot have fun. I am saying that the kind of beginner this video is trying to attract are not likely to have fun at their first event and stay in orienteering. If they just want to run in a forest, they can do it without a map.

My club has a good beginner program, but it is designed for young kids. I am sure they have fun. While there are clinics for older novices, they are probably more likely to first encounter orienteering at a local event.

MChub. You say there is a certain class of people who are not likely to have fun at their first orienteering event. Isn't this a self-identified weakness in your beginner program?

Of course, all clubs have limited resources and nobody is perfect in everything. Focusing those resources on children or map-geeks is a valid strategic choice.

Still, there must be some way to structure a beginner program so that athletes/adventurers are likely to enjoy their first few events, right? Perhaps with a little creativity, you could find a way to make it fun for athletes/adventurers without straining the club resources or ruining the fun for kids and geeks. Just a thought to ponder.

I loved the video.
I've only been orienteering for 3 years. Coming into it, my paradigm was from Boy Scouts (wearing boots, taking forever, counting every step and never taking your eye off the compass) My first event was the last time I walked to the finish control. I've never really enjoyed running but I do it every time I orienteer and love moving through the woods quickly.

It does not take long for someone to understand what needs to be done for this sport. I does; however, take time to master all those aspects... It's what keeps me coming back for more.

I would venture to say most people do not know anything about orienteering, but they know what track and field is. This video shows the differences but also that they are similar in that they are competitive sports.

I googled straw man, and didn't see any ads where the competitor was presented in the most favorable light possible.

My brother and his friends made a similar video (without the track though): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT0ikPf4HOw

and didn't see any ads where the competitor was presented in the most favorable light possible

here

Touché

In one of life's little semi-coincidences, I was dragged out to the touring Banff film festival highlights show last night and only got to see THIS video today. In terms of production quality, telling a (very) simple story and arresting visuals it stacks up very well against all but the very best I saw last night.