OH-tour…

Yeah, someone let me work a camera again. You’d think they’d learn but these are new people and they’ve been warned about my inability to hold a camera straight, luckily the shots will be very short and we can always fill the screen with titles and still photos.

But I get this weird feeling when I shoot. I can’t stop grinning. I love capturing images and telling a story through visuals. I love special effects, black and white cinematography and the graininess of super 8 to express strong dramatic content.

But that’s not what I do for a living. Nobody wants drama in my end of TV unless it’s completely manufactured to take place right before a commercial break. Tell me you didn’t think that was a coincidence. I spend a lot of time looking for manufactured cliff hangers designed to bring the viewer back after raiding the fridge. It’s called story editing and I spent most of my winter doing just that. Raiding the fridge, yes.

Working on a creative piece with creative people who are creating original music and original ‘moments’ is an incredible gift for me. It happens rarely and the only way I get to play is when I’m between contracts and I do it for free. I love these chances to explore the creative side of images to invoke emotion. It’s the hardest thing to do without getting kitschy or too cliche. You have to pull back at just the right time before it’ ‘embarrasses the viewer’. As grace would have it I’m doing this for a church. It’s a very creative church with lots of people willing to take risks and try knew ways of serving the gospel.
I’m excited about the videos we’re producing and it’s so much fun to get my neighbors and friends to be part of the vision. It’s an incredible challenge and I wish it were my full time job so I could do it forever.

That’s not going to happen though, I only have the rest of the week before I start my next contract. There’s something about a regular paycheck that makes it all ok. For now.