8.16.2009

Two

This is my second film. Or rather, the second version of my first film. Most of the footage was shot with my new Vidster (a toy digital video camera made by Mattel that I scored off e-Bay) with a few still photographs added in to keep things going until the song ends. I've only had the camera a couple of days but I already know three very important things: 1. it's all about the editing software, 2. the trick to success with the Vidster is finding out how to exploit its strengths and overcome its weaknesses, and 3. it has a lot of weaknesses. The point of the Vidster is kind of a mystery to me now that I'm using it. It was marketed as a toy, yet it's not particulary tough and only marginally easier to use than a "regular" digital video camera. The low-resolution video can be charming (depending on the subject), but sharpness and clarity are pretty much impossible to achieve, even with ideal shooting conditions. That's already driving me a little crazy. I shouldn't already be dreaming of my next video camera, but I am. But for now, the Vidster it is, and I'm trying to be creative within the canned confines of its editing software and/or Windows Movie Maker, both of which emphasize cheesy effects and neither of which impress even a novice like me. It's hard, and I'm still not sure if that's because there are so many obstacles or if I'm just not going to be any good at this. The difference is that with photography, I don't really care if I'm any good because I love it so much. I haven't yet felt that joy with video. But it's only been two days... we'll see.


No comments: