Every year, I join a contest just to try something new. In September of 2020, I joined two. They were not on my plan, but I decided to join anyway since they are interesting and I want the prizes.
One of the two contests was Erwan Heusaff's GoPro 9 Giveaway. As soon as I saw the action camera trending on Twitter, I decided to check it out and was very impressed by its capabilities. My most favorite part about it is its dual-screen.
I have a GoPro, but it is the Hero 4 Black (kinda old version) and what's frustrating about it is it does not have a screen. You need to buy an external watch control or use your phone app. Using the phone app is okay until you are in a wet or dangerous environment.
Anyway, I was convinced that I want it! Then, my passion project sister, Rach, shared Erwan's call for entries. Of course, I want to join. The contest mechanics is simple and straightforward:
Create a one-minute video with the theme: "Storytellers Never Die"
Anyone from anywhere can join as long as they meet the deadline and follow the instructions. I learned about the contest mid-week last week, and I promised myself that I will think about it on the weekend. The weekend came, and no matter how hard I try to think of a story I want to share, I couldn't come up with anything.
I did not force myself anymore. I even thought I won't make it. But since Rach is such an encouraging spirit, I decided to try again. That's when an idea and strategy hit me.
I know I have this message to say; I just need to work around it. I checked all my hard drives to see what GoPro and other travel videos I have. Then, I tried to come up with a story that will stitch them all together.
I just shared my truth, and here's the output:
Editing Notes
My sister helped me shoot the indoor clips. Since I had a complete story in my head, the shooting was a quick one. I dreaded the editing part. I was unsure if the concept will work out, but we will never know unless we try, right? Thankfully, I've got these awesome transitions, so I was able to pull it off. I also did not know that it will turn out that cool (at least for me).
The sound effects were also crucial for this video. I wanted it to be an immersive and fast-paced experience, plus easy to comprehend since I did not have a VO or blurbs at first. Adding the SFX did help a lot!
I had a story and message in my head, but it still changed and developed during the creating process. The lesson I got from this experience is to just let it be. Anything forced won't look as great as the one that just happened.
I also can't believe that I pulled this off despite my loaded schedule. I'm just glad I tried. Well, I woke up at 5 am on the last day of the contest to edit it and submit. The one-minute video took me almost three to four hours to edit (including caption writing, music hunting, and the likes). It was relatively easy (compared to other videos I did), and I did not expect my story to fit perfectly in the time requirement.
The people's support was also very heartwarming. I'm glad they appreciated and enjoyed my work. They're the sweetest! I wish to create more videos like this soon!
What do you think of my contest entry? Was it okay? Let me know in the comments section below.
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