The subject of the video below grabbed my interest and curiosity from where I saw it first on engadget.
But as I watched it, I was mesmerized first by its elegance. Not being a film critic, the simplicity of its form (no music, no spoken words beyond the ambient), the detailed closeups impressed me. But more than that, if there was not a title on the video, and I just watched it, there is a smartly created sense of mystery as to what is happening, slowly revealed.
Done straight up documentary style, with an opening credits sequence, hip music, and some professional announcer voice, it would have no magic or charm.
Thankfully, it was not done that way.
I only wish they would have not titled the video in a way that totally gives it away. I could have done something to mask it, but imagine you have not seen the title…
If I were teaching video or storytelling, I would most certainly use this video as one example of a powerful style. Sure one could copy it, but there are elements you can use in other pieces, be it the slow unveiling of the action, or the edit cuts, or the use of detail, lighting, camera angle.
And woah, 2380! Wow.
Awesome, thanks for this….will be very, very useful. And I agree about the title, I’m gonna find a way to mask this.
I was expecting Jim’s comment to be a rant that the oranges weren’t open enough, or that electricity is a consumption device.
D’Arcy,
I heard iPad is the proud sponsor of the Ted Talks franchise. Goes great with your BMW 🙂
Reverend, if I could afford a BMW, do you really think I’d be hanging out with you?
I’m just starting my class of twelve year olds on the topic of number as a concept that can be presented in multiple ways besides the Hindu- Arabic numeral system. This video creates a great opener for me to have them look and think about what mathematical questions the clip brings up. “How could you represent that number? How many oranges is that altogether? How much power can an individual orange provide?” and yes maybe, how many oranges would one need to power other tech devices?
I look forward to seeing what you class project does, Graham. I’ve always thought it interesting to use the patterns of geometry in nature– it may be above 12 year olds, but there was some brilliant work done in the 19th Century by D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson (see “On Growth and Form”)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Arcy_Wentworth_Thompson
Or, my cartoon favorites, Schoolhouse Rock-
http://www.schoolhouserock.tv/Multiplication.html