Trivia question: What does the Super Bowl, your local weekly church service, that one website you don't want your wife knowing you have been on, and your wedding have in common. The answer: VIDEO. You may ask why video? The answer is simple in this day and age video is a vital, cost efficient tool for communication. And like it or not our culture thrives on communication. The human psyche is on a constant journey for communication, whether it be with a close friend/family member or that famous pop star that took one too many narcotics, we as humans need it.
Video is also used to keep a record of events. Unlike still photography which captures only one moment in time, video gives us an extended window into the past. Pictures can lie to us, whereas with video there is so much more information which in turn shows us the true context and theme of a scene. Video has substance and history, it has a beginning, middle and an end which gives us a better understanding of what really went on. Which then in turn draws us closer to the piece both intellectually and emotionally.
With all the good that comes from video, there is an evil side to this great communication tool. When I say this I guess I really mean there are people that manipulate video into evil, distasteful, uncreative content. One of the biggest perpetrators in our culture today is without a doubt the iconic national network known as MTV. Now let me explain MTV does do some great work, and I do occasionally watch this network. But lets be honest MTV(Music Television) over the years has morphed from what the name implies into a gigantic hot-bed for non-creative, despicable, reality TV. Let me clarify, in my opinion not all reality TV is bad. But when I see shows like "Parental Control", "The X-Effect", and "Next" on a national network which caters predominantly to young men and women, I really start question the moralistic fiber of this network.
I do apologize for the rant, but it is my stance that the use of video to show the real misfortune of others only to entertain the masses, is a cruel, distasteful, un-creative process.
Despite the dark side of video, it is still an amazing communication tool. Whether its conveying the true drive and ambition of a fortune 500 company, all the way down to realizing the dream and artistic vision of a young filmmaker/videographer, video informs us, it entertains us, and lastly it helps us.
