MarkBarbieri
Semi-retired
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2006
- Messages
- 6,171
Several months ago, I started re-editing old video footage. The task got me to thinking aout how I see video and photography differently. I have found that I love good photographs of everything. I'm much more selective about the videos I want to see.
I love looking at pictures from old trips, shots of waterfalls, sunrises, flowers, buildings, kids, trees, and just about anything photographed well. I think part of that is because it is comparatively easy to take a good photograph (relative to shooting a good video) and part of it is easier to just look at a picture. With a picture, it can flash by on a screen saver, bring back wonderful memories, and be gone. With video, I feel like I have to sit down and watch it.
That's not to say that I don't love old videos. However, I find that the videos I enjoy aren't the long shots of waterfalls, mountain streams, waves crashing on beaches, etc. The ones that got me stop and watch while I was editing were the ones that showed regular life. It was the videos taken in our old apartment, the kids playing around the house, our old neighborhood, and other "ordinary" events that engrossed me.
For that reason, I decided to put together a list of good video projects that I thought I'd still want to watch 20 years from now. Below is what I've come up with so far. I'd love to hear your suggestions.
1) Child interviews - Sit down with each child and ask him questions about life today and what he thinks his future will be like. Some sample questions are "What do you like most about your school?" "What makes your teacher a good teacher?" "Who are your best friends and what do you like about them?" "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?" "What are you going to be when you grow up?" "What is your wife going to be like?" "What does your dad do at work?" "Why do people like you?"
2) "A Day in the Life" videos - Follow each person in the family through a typical day. The emphasis is not just on what actions they perform, but what is life like at this point in time. Show how breakfast is cooked. Show the vehicles used to get places. Show scenes from the drive. Show what my office looks like in 2007. Show what the kid's school looks like.
3) Our house - Make a video (with a mix of video and photographs) showing our house. Show all of the rooms and how are they used. Show the kitchen as it exists today. Show all the current "toys".
4) Where we live - Make a video about our town and neighborhood. Show where we shop. Show where we work. Show where we play.
5) Interview friends - Record short interviews with a variety of friends. These will be a mix of them telling us about themselves, about us, and about their relationship with us.
6) Some targeted subject vidoes - As an example, my 4 year old has developed a technique in Wii Boxing that is destroying all of his opponents. I plan to make a 5 minute video showing him in an over-dramatized boxing match. Other subjects might be a soccer game, playing in the pool, or a local adventure. The important thing is that each will be kept relatively short and will tell a focused story rather than just being a collection of shots.
I love looking at pictures from old trips, shots of waterfalls, sunrises, flowers, buildings, kids, trees, and just about anything photographed well. I think part of that is because it is comparatively easy to take a good photograph (relative to shooting a good video) and part of it is easier to just look at a picture. With a picture, it can flash by on a screen saver, bring back wonderful memories, and be gone. With video, I feel like I have to sit down and watch it.
That's not to say that I don't love old videos. However, I find that the videos I enjoy aren't the long shots of waterfalls, mountain streams, waves crashing on beaches, etc. The ones that got me stop and watch while I was editing were the ones that showed regular life. It was the videos taken in our old apartment, the kids playing around the house, our old neighborhood, and other "ordinary" events that engrossed me.
For that reason, I decided to put together a list of good video projects that I thought I'd still want to watch 20 years from now. Below is what I've come up with so far. I'd love to hear your suggestions.
1) Child interviews - Sit down with each child and ask him questions about life today and what he thinks his future will be like. Some sample questions are "What do you like most about your school?" "What makes your teacher a good teacher?" "Who are your best friends and what do you like about them?" "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?" "What are you going to be when you grow up?" "What is your wife going to be like?" "What does your dad do at work?" "Why do people like you?"
2) "A Day in the Life" videos - Follow each person in the family through a typical day. The emphasis is not just on what actions they perform, but what is life like at this point in time. Show how breakfast is cooked. Show the vehicles used to get places. Show scenes from the drive. Show what my office looks like in 2007. Show what the kid's school looks like.
3) Our house - Make a video (with a mix of video and photographs) showing our house. Show all of the rooms and how are they used. Show the kitchen as it exists today. Show all the current "toys".
4) Where we live - Make a video about our town and neighborhood. Show where we shop. Show where we work. Show where we play.
5) Interview friends - Record short interviews with a variety of friends. These will be a mix of them telling us about themselves, about us, and about their relationship with us.
6) Some targeted subject vidoes - As an example, my 4 year old has developed a technique in Wii Boxing that is destroying all of his opponents. I plan to make a 5 minute video showing him in an over-dramatized boxing match. Other subjects might be a soccer game, playing in the pool, or a local adventure. The important thing is that each will be kept relatively short and will tell a focused story rather than just being a collection of shots.
