Hi friend,
How are you? I’m well, trying to slow down while doing some work.
One recent weekend I stumbled across Sky Views Miami Observation Wheel.
It was early morning, and only the staff of waterfront restaurants were gingerly washing the floors, getting ready for the day.
Yet, the sun was burning strong.
Standing right below the wheel allowed me to capture this video.
As you can see, what captured my attention was the on-and-off interplay between the sun and the wheel’s cabins.
Man-made vs. nature.
From there, I was able to repurpose this video for various messages.
Like this inspiring Substack’s note:
Every moment is magic. Can you feel it?
In this case, I use a stationary angle and let the frame tell its interesting story.
While in this video, I used dynamic angle moving the phone to capture the full contours of the wheel.
So even though the wheel was turning, it was hardly noticeable as my phone movement canceled it out and rendered the wheel as if hovering in the air.
I liked the clean effect of color contrast between the intricate white-colored wheel, and the bright blue sky.
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My trigger for taking this video was the natural patterns of the outside palm trees overlaid on the creases of the Venetian blinds.
The squares of the French doors are lightly hinted.
This is another case of man-made interaction with nature, with two distinct patterns that add the effect of “pixelated shadows.”
I bet you already have a ton of creative ideas for ways to use this video.
You can focus on the actual practice of mixing two distinct elements to create a refreshing result, the pixelated effect for over-digitization, and the subdued presence of the squares to illustrate the importance of secondary characters, B-roll, or backdrop props.
Hey, you can even use it as a virtual background for your next Zoom call :)
Why am I telling you all this?
The big idea here is to develop a habit of paying attention to the fine details around you, get inspired, and capture them in video or photos for future use.
How? Follow these steps:
Notice some unique aspect around you that draws your attention.
Capture it in various angles and modes, and save it in a special album.
You may initially not have a clear idea of how you will use it, but that’s perfectly fine.
If you have ideas for an initial concept jot them down as a caption.
Consider this practice as taking “visual notes” for future campaign ideas, and stories.
Case in point: when I took these videos, I had no idea they would end up here, and on other platforms dressed up with different messages.
When you regularly take visual notes, over time you’ll have a rich library of on-hand metaphors you could use to bring to life messages more vividly.
Treat your visuals as your stories’ “turbo-engines.”
See you next time!
Best,
- Shlomi
Shlomi Ron
Founder/CEO, Visual Storytelling Institute
story > visual > emotion > experience