Advancing technology opens up doors to new possibilities all the time. When it works, technology offers some powerful tools for productivity and artistic expression. Unfortunately, sometimes the very technology that is supposed to enable almost limitless potential, can instead stand in the way of accomplishment.
On Saturday I recorded what was supposed to be vlog entry #4. When it came time to edit the video into a more polished presentation, some serious road blocks got in the way. What should have required only a handful of hours to complete, quickly turned into a loosing battle against my glitchy video editing software. Attempting to salvage something usable from the failed project, I ended up with some new creative ideas – things that might not have come to mind had my stubborn video editing software cooperated with me.
One of my biggest pet peeves is anything that wastes my time. Free time is an elusive beast in my life these days. Mine might have been better utilized had I focused on something a little more straight forward. Instead, I spun my wheels while trying to get my video app. to do what it was supposed to be able to do, but refused to.
When it comes to video blogging, most people take a simple approach: record oneself talking to the camera and then publish the video with little or no editing. It’s basic, easy, effective and doesn’t require much of a time investment. Of course, I am not like most people. I usually prefer to dress up my videos, if only a little. Video production is somewhat of a creative outlet for me and I enjoy stretching my creative muscles. Whether or not I’m any good at it, creative expression is an essential part of my life.
All dressed up with no place to go, I shot some video to share that moment in time with others. There was no important message to deliver in the video, it was a simple chat session and supposed to be fun.
Even if no presentable video results from my efforts this past weekend, at least I ended up with a handful of decent images, including the photo used in this article. It is a still frame from the raw footage that has been transformed into a simple artistic expression of a failed video presentation.
Sometimes less is more. In this case, the single image is more effective than the thousands that would have made up the final video.
There isn’t anything really outstanding about the photo used in this post. I just liked how I looked in that moment and it seemed to provide a fitting expression in light of my uncooperative video tools. The “cut-out” look against video-static was a quick solution to an othetherwise plain, blah-background, and fitting to the theme.
It’s interesting how things turn out sometimes. I prefer things to go according to plan, but life often forces us in other directions. A failed project gives birth to new creative ideas that might not have been realized had things worked out as expected. It is a part of the creative process for many artistic types.
Instead of writing about and posting my latest video blog, I am reflecting on how there is usually some kind of silver lining in situations that don’t work out as hoped. From simple creative projects gone wrong, to more profound and meaningful things – one can almost always turn the remnants of failure into some kind of success.
Perhaps you have set out to accomplish something that didn’t go as planned, but still resulted in a positive outcome – maybe even better than was initially envisioned. How have you made the most of things that turned out differently than expected? Please take a moment to share a silver-lining experience or two of your own.
Update: Feb. 5, 2010
I ended up re-doing the simulated TV static background with a manipulated authentic one. The original image can be seen here, though only the background is different.
Update: April 16, 2010
I ended up publishing a shortened version of this video. It can be seen here.
Lady Gabrielle,
This is a terrible thing to say, but your techno troubles actually made me feel better about my own inability:)LOL
After basically getting my butt handed to me by my computer over the last six weeks I don’t feel so bad knowing that someone like you has problems from time to time as well.:)
I had a crash a few weeks ago while finishing tax preparations (result of malware that I know nothing about) and thought my world was going to end.
Your site is awesome and you obviously have skill (you’ve helped me in the past & thank you) but things don’t always go as planned do they? Glad it all worked out in the end.
More often than not our greatest failures are stepping stone to our greatest accomplishments.
As always you look fantastic and I hope your house hold is doing well.
Affections,
Nikki
Wonderful post, Gabi!
To answer your challenge, I relay to you the experience of having being stood up after arranging to meet another t-girl for the first time – a girl who seemed to me to be a sympathetic, bubbly and extraordinary sort.
As it happens, I found new details about her on another site just today, and it turns out there is a side to her that I find deeply disturbing.
You never know what you’re going to get, meeting online contacts, but paradoxially, sometimes you can find out so much more even before you meet than you could have the old-fashioned way. I’m sure there’s a useful subject for a post for my blog in there, too.
I thank my lucky silver-lined stars that she never showed up for our meeting. I avoided a possible confrontation, as well as picking up material for my blog – and for a comment here on this fortuitously compatible post of yours!
Karma? Could be.
A case of life, lemons and lemonade? :)
Sorry to hear the project didn’t work out. Hobby time can be illusive and I think it can be really frustrating when a project just won’t come together.
Still, on the bright side, you did get something out of it!
@ Nikki – Thanks for the kind words, Nikki! :) I’m sorry to hear about your computer troubles. Working on the taxes can be taxing enough, let alone running into a malware attack during the process. :o
As for me – it was a matter of my editing software not rendering the edges of a garbage matte properly when scaled down from the original video source frame size. The edges of the garbage matte should not be visible, but they were wherever the pixel values were not absolute (due to the anti-aliasing of scaling down). Don’t you just hate when that happens? lol Sorry – video geek here. :) It was the result of shoddy programming on the end of the software developer, and I spent considerable time trying to find a “quick” solution to the problem, but could find none (either myself, or on google). There are always work-arounds when it comes to video editing and visual effects, but it’s just not worth the hassle sometimes. I shouldn’t need to do all that extra work considering the editing app. is SUPPOSED to do it for you. If the features don’t work, why are they available within the software?!! Then again, it was an outdated version of the software, but I work with what I have and make the most of it. And this concludes today’s t-video-geek mini-rant! :P
@ Janie – I’m happy to hear you were stood up! lol I believe that’s the first time I’ve ever said that. As you pointed out, it really did work in your best interest, even if you felt bad in the moment of being stood up. If that wasn’t silver-lining enough, you got some good blog material and the comment you were kind enough to share with us here! :) Actually, I think your situation will make for an excellent in-depth and informative blog post. I’m sure you’ll also be a bit more cautious in the future, too… if at all possible. We all roll the dice as soon as we leave the front door, regardless of where our destination for the moment is – be it work, play, or laundry-day.
@ Lynn – Lemons and lemonade, Lynn! You nailed it! :) No sense in complaining about life’s lemons when you can made some sweet lemonade with them instead, right? Not sure if I’ll actually attempt to complete the video blog as was intended, but I did grab some nice frame captures from it, and I might just edit it together into a rough “outtakes” reel. I had some trouble getting the thing started, and kept tripping up… literally! lol There’s even a “birdie” flip in there… along with me ranting about not having a real video studio to work in. Frustrating at the time, but kind of funny to watch in retrospect. lol
Ha!! That pic looks something I would compose. It is intriguing to say the least. Like the outfit too. Fence nets are fun, both to wear, and to get into.
Thanks, Pythos. :) Black is my favorite color, and I just LOVE my fishnets! :D I wish, I REALLY wish fishnets were not associated with “hooker gear” – one of the things I spoke about briefly in the video. It’s a look that I simply love – I love it on genetic women and I love it on me, too. I really hate that certain items have been thrown into the “tasteless” or “cheap” categories by many. No matter, though. I’ll explore the looks that I enjoy and could care less about what people “read” into it.
Black and dark blue or red are mine.
This is what I say when people say fishnets and or mini-skirts, or any clothing is “the clothing hookers wear” My retort is usually “Well that’s because hookers have the guts to wear that clothing.”
I love fishnets, fencenets, and black hose. Love them all.
I like elegant looks the most, but having a kind of “kinky” look is fun to. Once again it is only kinky because “kinky” people have the guts. LOL.
Interesting take on things, Pythos. Having the “guts” to wear things that others do not. Even more interesting would be to see exactly what people would wear if they had the guts to wear whatever they liked regardless of it being fashionable, in style, or socially acceptable. I think most people refrain from exploring looks (whatever those looks may be) out of fear of what others might think… all the while, perpetuating the notion that one needs to look a certain way to be considered “normal” or approachable or whatever.
In terms of the cliche “hooker gear”, the local prostitutes usually sport flannel and jeans and look more like run-down soccer moms on drugs. Next time I see someone wearing flannel and jeans, shall I scoff at their absurd presentation of “crazy prostitue style”? Really, how can anyone take those “deviant” flannel-wearing people seriously? ;) Better mark that point for elaboration in a future post…
Lady Gabrielle,
AWESOME CHANGE!
Nikki
Thank you, Nikki. :) I would have done that the first time around, but I kind of rushed it in order to publish it when I did. Couldn’t help but play with it again later.