This past weekend (May 17 - 19) while others were out enjoying the great weather of the 2013 Victoria Day long weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend a Project Re-vision Digital Story Telling Workshop in association with Abilities. The project is dedicated to creating "real life" stories about disabilities and differences that challenge stereotypes and advance social inclusion.
Digital stories are short videos that look like “movies,” but are made with still photographs combined with video footage. These are created in intensive workshops where people learn the fundamentals of representation, storytelling and filmmaking. Digital stories about disabilities and differences ask viewers to explore their responses to physical or mental difference.
It was a very interesting experience. Over the course of three days we produced nine amazing short films. Our group was diverse and infused with a HUGE amount of creative spirit, and varying levels of technical skill. Although it didn't seem to some of us that we would be able to accomplish our goal of producing a 3 to 5 minute film, some how, magically, we all were able to accomplish this with astounding results.
At 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, the final day of the workshop, I had grown frustrated with my project and decided to scap it and start anew. A scary decision considering I had to put the whole thing together before 2:00 p.m. But I managed to do it. While not as perfect as I would like it to be, I think I came up with a nice entertaining piece. It's a departure from my usual dark material. I think the gift of the background musical track composed by Ryan Fitzgerald is mainly responsible for this.
I think I love this type of work and I am hoping to explore it more fully and perhaps produce a few more of these on my own using material I have had lying around un-purposed for a while now. I'd like to thank the facilitators of the workshop for introducing me to this medium. We shall see. In the mean time, take a boo at what came of this project. Hope you enjoy it.
Note: There is a flaw in the vocal track that time did not permit adjusting.
