Laura’s Story

Thanks to all of you wrote in after seeing Laura’s Story when I announced the refreshed www.chasejarvis.com last week (check it). This video is sorta buried in my new Portfolios section, but many of you seemed to unearth it and find intrigue in it too, so I’m following your lead/request to chuck it out here on the blog to facilitate some sharing and/or discussion.

What is it? It’s a short video piece about my friend Laura created using stills, video, and audio voice over. I personally dig it quite a bit. Why? It’s not about beating cancer or war or struggle or winning the lottery. It’s just a real, simple story about a real person who loves to run. Seems to me, we need more of these types of stories.

I was commissioned to create this–and subsequently wrote, directed, and sewed it up– last autumn as a sort of a test piece. It was a successful “pilot” by any measure, receiving immediate client approval to proceed with additional videos for part of a larger series. That is, until just recently, when it’s all been rescinded. Drat. Budgets and other changes put the clamps on the project. C’est la vie. It’s still a cool vibe that you can bet I’ll doing a lot more of in the future.

One takeaway is this: it’s no mystery that we’re going to see an increase in video storytelling as the web continues to mature and as new media usurps the old. That’s something I’m really excited about.

Photo, film, and video geeks read on after the jump to learn more about how this was made. [Click the ‘continue reading’ link below.] —

Cameras: we used Nikon D3 for the stop action imagery and the Red ONE for the motion.

Audio capture: we captured audio via a Sennheiser shotgun mic into a Canon Xh-A1 Video Camera. None of the voice over was rehearsed or scripted. It was recorded simply by me interviewing Laura about running and her life. Sub 20 minute discussion.

Edit stills: used Aperture to edit. Exported to Final Cut Pro.

Edit motion: stop action stills were turned into Quicktime files and integrated into motion workflow; and the Red ONE footage was ripped apart, chopped up, mixed with the still image sequences and put back together all using Apple’s Final Cut Pro.

Edit Audio: Apple Soundtrack Pro II.

Color: all color work up was done with Apple’s Color.

Shoot time: 1 day.

Edit time: few weeks.

Music? Damn, I love the music in this…perfect for the job. Big thanks to Hazelwood Motel. Support them and buy their music here on iTunes.

Huge thanks also to Laura Jane Meagan Matson. You’re a great runner and an amazing person. (And how darling are those kid pictures!) So happy I know you.

I’d love to hear your thoughts or feedback, and I’m banking on there being some questions. In either case or both: let’em rip.

[Lastly, the footy is gorgeous, but looks poopy on YouTube, although it’s best for sharing there… If you’d like better resolution, visit my YouTube Channel and watch it in HD (but, alas, even that doesn’t do it justice…). If you’re reading via RSS, you may need to click here to see the vid.]