Ireland 1996: Belfast Murals - Video Montage
1996, the "Troubles" had calmed, but horrific memories were evident when we visited Belfast.
We asked the taxi dispatcher for a "neutral" driver to take us on a tour of the murals. The assigned driver chose to show us deeply troubling murals and graveyards in the Catholic areas. Returning home, I determined to create a video that reflected my feelings -- a plea for peace.
This is probably my earliest effort to deliver a social message using a video montage. The soundtrack is Against The Wind by Máire Brennan. The lyrics are a plea to "take a stand" against the "old ways." I was surprised by the partisan comments that were posted when this video was uploaded to YouTube in 2012. What inspired the writers of those comments?
This old tape-to-tape edit is technically imperfect. But viewers' comments were not directed at the faded color or pixellated transitions. My raw material is limited to what the camera saw on that November day, and therein lies the problem. A casual viewer can mistakenly believe that it is propaganda intended to justify a singular radical viewpoint.
On the surface, this is a nice first effort at a musical video montage. The selected song is inspiring and sets the desired tone. But the message is unclear because of the images presented.
Lessons Learned:
We asked the taxi dispatcher for a "neutral" driver to take us on a tour of the murals. The assigned driver chose to show us deeply troubling murals and graveyards in the Catholic areas. Returning home, I determined to create a video that reflected my feelings -- a plea for peace.
This is probably my earliest effort to deliver a social message using a video montage. The soundtrack is Against The Wind by Máire Brennan. The lyrics are a plea to "take a stand" against the "old ways." I was surprised by the partisan comments that were posted when this video was uploaded to YouTube in 2012. What inspired the writers of those comments?
This old tape-to-tape edit is technically imperfect. But viewers' comments were not directed at the faded color or pixellated transitions. My raw material is limited to what the camera saw on that November day, and therein lies the problem. A casual viewer can mistakenly believe that it is propaganda intended to justify a singular radical viewpoint.
On the surface, this is a nice first effort at a musical video montage. The selected song is inspiring and sets the desired tone. But the message is unclear because of the images presented.
Lessons Learned:
A musical video montage is a good technique for entertaining vacation video.
Make sure that the images and music support the movie's intended message.
Make sure that the images and music support the movie's intended message.
Suggestion
Pre-screen with trusted friends and family members to assure your message is clear.
Copyright Considerations:
Note that this short excerpt from one of my oldest edited videos is intended for illustration and educational purposes only. Please understand that I do not encourage improper use of copyrighted material.
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