Video Montage - Choice is a Weapon

I recently completed a montage for the song "Weapon" by Matt Good. The montage ended up being a great project, because I learned that I love to use a video camera. This was my first real experience with a video camera. My family didn't even have one on vacations when I was growing up (yet I still have all the memories, weird). The way the video was produced was exactly the opposite of what I had planned going in to the project.

I'm going to deconstruct how the video was produced below; here's the video;

Chris Gaudry Montage from Chris Gaudry on Vimeo.

Originally, I planned to conceptualize a story, and have actors, a storyboard, etc... As I began to plan the logistics of a video like that, things such as sets, creative shots, actors, and such, I realized how much work would have to be put into the video in order to make it a reality. Really, it wasn't necessary. The point behind the project was to develop some basic camera skills and video editing skills.

So I picked a day to shoot, and hoped to be inspired by the surrounding environment. I really lucked out, because when we showed up at the Forks, the Winnipeg Fire Department's water rescue squad were doing training exercises on the water and ice. So naturally, we asked them if we could shoot, and they said yes. It wasn't like they were trying to be discrete, they were training at the Forks on a Saturday.... good PR.

Later in the day I decided to shoot some kids skateboarding at the skate park. The first time we shot, it was really cold outside, but still lots of people. I was really impressed at the dedication of some of the kids at the park. I ran in to the same people three Saturdays in a row. If you look closely, the same guy is in my video wearing different clothes every time. He volunteered his time, I didn't plan to have him there. In fact, Mike Choi (the lead) was the only actor, and we didn't use a script at all.

I probably could have just submitted the footage that i got, with any song, and that would have been sufficient, because the footage was so interesting. But it also occurred to me that I might be able to make a story out of the footage by tying it together somehow. The idea to have Mike fall in the water seemed obvious, but the challenge was that I had to imply that he was falling in the water with the footage, because we obviously couldn't have Mike fall in the gross, freezing cold Red River (or is it the Assiniboine there?)...

Them came the idea of picking a song that would work with the footage. I originally planned to pick the song first, and try to make a story around a song. In the end, I chose a song to match the footage. Because the lead character dies in the end (or that is what is implied), it seemed very dark. Matthew Good seemed like a good choice. After all, his second last album was called Hospital Music, and was apparently written during a period MG spent in the hospital after trying to off himself. So yeah, dark.

The song has 6 main parts to it, but the last two parts (5, 6) are essentially the same as 3 and 4, so I edited the track to 4 parts (almost like movements in the song), which worked out to be just over four minutes. Once I had the track ready and imported into Final Cut, it was essentially just a matter of using the footage I had to fit the parts of the song.

The main thing I think is missing from the story are the reactions of people. I think some shots of people's reactions to the rescue would enhance the emotional aspect of it.

Now comes the part of explaining why I put my cat, well, having a bath in the credits. I am not a particularily dark person, and so I had to add some humor to it, because I though it lacked some of my own personality. And, I only get to be in college once.

I'm very excited to start work on my next project...