This is my kickoff post for Videoblogging Week 2007. I’m posting a video I made two years ago, before I started vlogging. If Videoblogging Week had started any other day, I probably would have made something new. But on April 1, there is only one video I want to post.
April 1, 1903 was my grandmothers’ birthday. She used to call herself an April Fool. She lived to be 96 years old. After she died, it took me seven years to be able to tell this story. If you want to know what I’m made of, it’s all right here. If you listen, you’ll hear more than my words in my voice.
Happy Birthday, Grandma. I love you.
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I can’t begin to tell you how much this resonates with me, Cheryl. I’m lucky to still have three of my four grandparents, but this year, both of my grams moved into assisted living. I went back to Indiana to help my windowed grandma with her move and now have most of her clothes and scarves, which I’m seen wearing in some combo most days. I like to think I have my gram’s energy with me that way. If they lived closer, I’d probably be taking care of my elders too. Instead we settle for frequent phone calls and visits. They’re stunning, inspiring people from a generation of integrity. This is a beautiful tribute.
Wow, this is a lovely film. I’m sure she’s loving it, wherever she is. Perhaps she helped you make it
What a great little history! Great storytelling… did you write all this down before or was it all created for this video?
Beautiful. That made me cry.
Thanks B. I love what you said about our grandparents being from a generation of dignity. They really are. My grandma gave me everything she could, and I can’t do better than pass that as best I can.
Rupert, she definitely helped me make the video!
Josh, it was all created for this video. It’s a process I teach my digital storytelling class. You get out 6-10 objects that relate to the story you want to tell, and you sort of string them together into a story. You tell it orally and get feedback, and then you refine. When the words feel ready you record them and put them into your edit system timeline, and get the audio set. Then you go image gathering, find photos or make video to support your storytelling, and edit them into the video. You can also add music and sound effects but of course everything has to serve the story.
If you want to see more of these, check out the results of a workshop I give for teachers. I recommend watching “Homeland Security.” http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/learnshops/digital/
Verdi, thanks.