Donations to help kick off creation of tourism video

Vice President of Marketing at Hendricks Power Dana Cochran (left) and Ken Eitel (right), representing the Eitel Community Visions Fund, made a donation to Joe Buser, president of Roachdale Revitalization Cooperative Alliance for the upcoming My Putnam County promotional video. The group was joined by Community Foundation Executive Director Elaine Peck. (Banner Graphic/Sabrina Westfall)

The Roachdale Revitalization Cooperative Alliance received two donations this week, which will help start on a tourism video promoting Putnam County.

RRCA president Joe Buser received donations from Eitel Community Visions Fund and Hendricks Power Cooperative at the Putnam County Community Foundation office.

Ken Eitel and his wife, Jackie, created the fund to help projects that are visionary and forward thinking.

Buser explained the RRCA is working to create a promotional video, titled My Putnam County, to highlight the county's historic presence and economic development, as well as educate people about the county and promote tourism.

The overall production cost of the project is expected to be $14,000, and the $2,000 in donations this week will allow the non-profit organization to rent the equipment necessary to start filming during the Putnam County 4-H Fair.

It was noted while the organization is based in Roachdale, the project was the idea of Buser and RRCA is the non-profit entity through which donations can be made for the county-wide promotional project.

The project proposal for the My Putnam County commercial and promotions will include still imaging on billboards and in the Convention and Visitors Bureau magazine, a 15-second social media video focusing on the county's landscape with a voice over recording about Putnam County. The 30-second commercial for network and public access television and a 60-second video to be used on social media and television will "tell the contemporary story that is Putnam County from a light-hearted yet inspiration viewpoint", the proposal details.

The video will feature scenes from the Putnam County Fair, Greencastle Music Festival, Cataract Falls, Bison Farm, Roachdale Rib and Blues Festival, DePauw University and locations featured in locally-created films.

Two local filmmakers are in town and have offered to lend their expertise and equipment in order to save some money.

"Normal production (of a similar project) is $50,000 to $60,000. With the help of filmmakers and local actors, we are able to save money," Buser noted.

Buser said the target audience will be families and college students in areas within driving distance of Putnam County. The funds raised will help purchase media time in the specified areas to help draw people to Putnam County.

"The release date is Spring 2016, to coordinate with the celebration of the bicentennial," Buser noted.

For more information about the My Putnam County project or to make a donation visit www.RoachdaleRCA.org or call Buser at 765-918-6931.