Short Form Video

Getting lost in a rabbit hole on YouTube is one of my paths to happiness. There are a lot of beautiful material made by fantastic creative individuals like Kyle McDougall, Bryan Birks and Brae Hunziker. All three of them shot primarily in film but it does not stop me from getting inspired by their creative process and aesthetic.

Telling a story via short plays and photography montages have been projects I’ve invested time in since I was a teenager. That journey has morphed in the past two to three years, changed, inspired by what I’ve seen on YouTube and informed by my own personal development journey. The biggest change in my approach is that I’ve started making these pieces of work for myself, focusing on what brings me joy and lifts me up.

I discovered the work of Julian Schöll a week ago. His short form video, less than 90 seconds, are a series of short clips joined together in a cinematic style that is very different from my general photography style. However, what impresses me is how seamlessly one scene flows to another, how the music enhances the mood and the soft rich tones of the clips. Most importantly, I get a sense that Julian made these clips purely for himself and he is not looking to pander to view counts or even answer anyone’s innocent question like, what is happening here? The only clue he gives is the location. Everything else and nothing else is required to enjoy the short video.

Inspired by his approach, I’ve made a short clip. It is an experiment and very different from Julian’s aesthetic. However, it is a start and my own style will evolve in time. I find it easier to model people that inspire me and in doing so, learn and grow.

A few days later:

Unhappy with the original output, I spent more time with the same material and made a new version. All in the name of self improvement.