Key Features / Remixes

A connection to the original subject. A remix always hearkens back to the original subject in some way. Sometimes the connection is obvious—Dr. Lal takes center stage in both the video profile and the print profile, though each profile shares a different aspect of his story. Other times, just a fragment of the original subject inspires the remix. For example, the science behind Dr. Lal’s work is mentioned only briefly in the print article but becomes the sole focus of the explainer video.

A modification of the earlier work. By definition, a remix involves change. Something in the writing situation changes—like the writer’s purpose or audience—and that change requires other modifications as well. The writer might need to work within a new medium, or adopt a different stance, or write in a new genre to get their message across most effectively. When the creators of the “Rare Earth” article needed to explain the complex concept of regenerative agriculture, they determined that a visual medium would better suit their purpose than a print-based one.

Attention to genre and media / design expectations. Often remixes require a change in genre or a change in medium (or both), and effective remixes meet audience expectations for the new genre or medium. The profile video of Dr. Lal, for example, uses background music, on-screen titles, and clips of recorded footage—all of which are typical features of a profile (genre) delivered through a video (medium).