We are shocked to see ourselves in video. We look weird and we sound strange. It's easier to just stay behind the camera. This month, however, I got in front of the camera, to take a little taste of my own medicine and to see what my video subjects are experiencing.
Starting with the Video Outtakes
Pointing the video camera at myself this month was a humbling experience. My inner introvert was annoyed and critical. My inner entertainer, on the other hight, was amused. This is a short compilation of outtakes that has made me oodles more sympathetic to people who struggle with their own image on video.
Recreating a lost video
I consume a lot of internet content about videography - cameras, lenses, audio equipment, lighting, camera angles, storytelling, editing, color correction, file storage and formats. Sometimes, a video I watch really gets into my head. It speaks to me in a language I already know and I go back to it over and over, internalizing the lessons. [Sort of like when I saw Waiting for Guffman.]
But what happens when that video disappears into the ether?
It is a classic love story: girl meets video, girl loves video, girl loses video under millions of hours of YouTube content, girl is forced to re-create video from scribbled notes and fond memories. This is the story of how it was found and lost.
And this is the recreated video.
It features my high school friend, Marianne, who you may remember as the spontaneous traveler in Baked Alaska. She's a darn good sport. Roll the film, please.