Purpose
I was in elementary school when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957. I watched as the entire education industry went into shock. Suddenly, we had to emphasize math and science more, so that we (the USA) could catch up and stay ahead in what was now the "space race." But why were we caught by surprise? I say it's because of a distinct lack of vision in academia. After we landed a man on the moon, the education industry slowly fell back to emphasizing literature and politics, relegating science and technical innovation to second class status. The pocket calculator was introduced, but many teachers banned them in the classroom, a decision I found hopelessly backward.
In 1980, when I was 30, I created Open Eyes Video to "Help people go into the future with their eyes open.” I saw technology evolving rapidly, yet I sensed that many people did not understand where it was headed or how to deal with it. I guess I was onto something(!) Now it's 2021, and the big buzzword in education these days is “STEM,” an acronym for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.” What took them so long? Finally, someone added Art to change it to STEAM. Ok, I like that, too!
Back in my teens, I thought of myself as primarily someone fascinated with technology, perhaps enough to make a living at it. Now, I know better. I’m an artist, a visionary, a writer, a poet, a dancer, a counselor, and many other things. In short, a "generalist." (I don't call anyone a "renaissance man" because anyone of any gender can be a generalist!)
So, I've expanded on the mission I started out with; it’s not just about technology, it’s about the whole of culture, world wide. That’s because technology and the rest of life are fully integrated and really always have been. We develop knowledge and technology, then what we have created, in turn, influences us. I wrote about some of this in my book, "a man wearing a dress" (see my sister site Message Rain).
My goal is to listen, observe, ponder, then report back to everyone what I think and feel. Video just happens to be one of my two favorite media (writing being the other).
Way back in the late 1970s, I envisioned a system where I could set up an equipment rack in my house, with few automatic videotape playback machines that could be triggered to start playing tapes over two-way cable TV by people calling my telephone number and pressing some keys. Sort of like a private/public video jukebox. Fortunately, the creators of the internet, YouTube, Vimeo, etc. have saved me from having to build that, and Steve Jobs did the rest by developing the modern smartphone with a built in video camera. The kind of history I really love is the history of innovation, rather than of war and political turmoil.
This recording of Steve Jobs keynote speech on January 9, 2007 is one example of real history being made.
In 1980, when I was 30, I created Open Eyes Video to "Help people go into the future with their eyes open.” I saw technology evolving rapidly, yet I sensed that many people did not understand where it was headed or how to deal with it. I guess I was onto something(!) Now it's 2021, and the big buzzword in education these days is “STEM,” an acronym for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.” What took them so long? Finally, someone added Art to change it to STEAM. Ok, I like that, too!
Back in my teens, I thought of myself as primarily someone fascinated with technology, perhaps enough to make a living at it. Now, I know better. I’m an artist, a visionary, a writer, a poet, a dancer, a counselor, and many other things. In short, a "generalist." (I don't call anyone a "renaissance man" because anyone of any gender can be a generalist!)
So, I've expanded on the mission I started out with; it’s not just about technology, it’s about the whole of culture, world wide. That’s because technology and the rest of life are fully integrated and really always have been. We develop knowledge and technology, then what we have created, in turn, influences us. I wrote about some of this in my book, "a man wearing a dress" (see my sister site Message Rain).
My goal is to listen, observe, ponder, then report back to everyone what I think and feel. Video just happens to be one of my two favorite media (writing being the other).
Way back in the late 1970s, I envisioned a system where I could set up an equipment rack in my house, with few automatic videotape playback machines that could be triggered to start playing tapes over two-way cable TV by people calling my telephone number and pressing some keys. Sort of like a private/public video jukebox. Fortunately, the creators of the internet, YouTube, Vimeo, etc. have saved me from having to build that, and Steve Jobs did the rest by developing the modern smartphone with a built in video camera. The kind of history I really love is the history of innovation, rather than of war and political turmoil.
This recording of Steve Jobs keynote speech on January 9, 2007 is one example of real history being made.
To me, the advent of this product is just as important as anything accomplished in 1776 precisely because, I argue, its impact on our current world is equally as great as any declaration of war or drafting of any constitution.
And lest we forget, most events of great historical impact have required a great deal of work and sacrifice, such as this History of the iPhone's creation.
And lest we forget, most events of great historical impact have required a great deal of work and sacrifice, such as this History of the iPhone's creation.
So, here we go!
Oh, and one more thing:
I don't embed ads in my videos, and I have no "paywall" so they are all free to watch. Because of that, please consider supporting my work with donation. To start, just click the button below.
Oh, and one more thing:
I don't embed ads in my videos, and I have no "paywall" so they are all free to watch. Because of that, please consider supporting my work with donation. To start, just click the button below.
Video Production as a Collaboration
There are people out there who really know video, technically. They know lighting, sound, white balance, audio levels, and all the rest. OK, so I know those things as well. But video is so much more than technology. Producing good video is an art. Video is connected to storytelling, theater, visual art, and beyond. The best videos have our whole selves involved.
When I'm producing a video I bring everything I am to the process: I'm a writer, a photographer, a poet, a dancer, a software engineer, a storyteller, a comedian, a database designer, an activist, a director, and a videographer and video editor, all rolled into one. This is my approach when creating my own videos to put online, and it's my approach if you hire me to help you produce a video with you.
So why that banner photo of a waterfall, at the top of this page? I liked that image (I took that photo myself, a few years ago). I think of water as the source of all life ... everything starts with water. So, why not start with that? (If you want to see the waterfall in the photo, go to downtown Amesbury, Massachusetts, and follow the sound of rushing water.)
When I'm producing a video I bring everything I am to the process: I'm a writer, a photographer, a poet, a dancer, a software engineer, a storyteller, a comedian, a database designer, an activist, a director, and a videographer and video editor, all rolled into one. This is my approach when creating my own videos to put online, and it's my approach if you hire me to help you produce a video with you.
So why that banner photo of a waterfall, at the top of this page? I liked that image (I took that photo myself, a few years ago). I think of water as the source of all life ... everything starts with water. So, why not start with that? (If you want to see the waterfall in the photo, go to downtown Amesbury, Massachusetts, and follow the sound of rushing water.)