What It Was Like Then
For his upcoming birthday, I decided to honor the memory of the great photomontage creator John Heartfield (19 June 1891 – 26 April 1968). He was a true anti-fascist artist at a time in Germany when it was extremely dangerous to be so. I wanted to do a videomontage similar in spirit to his photomontages. One that mocked a particular virulent authority figure. One like this one.
A video snapshot is not just about showing something interesting; it’s about making the viewer feel something. It doesn’t require fancy editing or a viral hook—it simply captures a clear, defined impression. Think of it as the video equivalent of a short story.
Have you tried shooting video reels yet? You might have without knowing it. Or you may think that you have, but you really didn’t.
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there’s a subtle but important distinction between video reels and video snapshots. Reels are flashy, fast-cut compilations set to music or trend-driven audio, often more style than substance. In contrast, a video snapshot is a mini-story—intentional, emotionally resonant, and grounded in a meaningful moment.
In high school, I was taught that a short story is “a brief prose narrative of dramatic value, so constructed in plot, character, and setting as to produce a single emotional effect.” That’s essentially what a video snapshot is: a short (no more than sixty seconds) video that leaves the viewer with a clear emotional impression. It doesn’t have to have a plot, but it must be about something. It has to produce a singular effect.
For example:
A snapshot is more than a portrait or a pretty scene. It’s not just a visual record—it’s a moment with weight.
Travel has potential for video snapshots, but capturing one requires you shift from documentation to storytelling. Ask yourself:
In the compilation linked below, you’ll see several examples I filmed in Savannah, Georgia. Some involve people, others highlight street scenes—but all are tied to something unique and specific.
One clip shows a young man practicing a rap performance at a train station. I asked to film him, and he performed on the spot. He even sold me his book afterward. The quality of his performance wasn’t the point; the emotional authenticity was.
At the SCAD Museum of Art, I filmed a mother trying to photograph her daughter. The frustration of trying to get the right shot was palpable. I switched to hyperlapse mode to capture that frenzied energy.
In Lafayette Park, I filmed a walking path scene with the Osmo Pocket 3. While the movement could’ve been smoother, the clip ends with two “kicker” shots to provide a satisfying ending.
Also notable was that visit to a tea shop, where the barista’s enthusiasm about her gold rings and international tea experience stole the show. I should have interviewed her, but I was too wrapped up in the tea I was ordering. Lesson learned: Always stay alert to potential stories, even when you think you’re done filming.
If you want to pursue the dynamic new art of video snapshotting, never squelch yourself. Even if you’ve shot plenty, even if you’re tired, keep that camera rolling. Inspiration can strike anywhere. The trick is to stay open to it.
In a future video, I’ll go into more technical details on how to film a video snapshot and format it properly for publication to social media.
I came upon Bolivar, one long morning,
in Madrid, at the entrance to the Fifth Regiment.
Father, I said to him, are you, or are you not, or who are you?
And, looking at the Mountain Barracks, he said:
"I awake every hundred years when the people awake."
When I first read these lines by Pablo Neruda in the late 1970s, they struck deep. I instantly agreed with Bolivar’s ghost: “I awake every hundred years when the people awake.”
Neruda wasn’t being snarky. He was a true man of the people. He was just exasperated with them for not fomenting rebellions as frequently as they should. Continue reading “Our Seniors are Revolting”
My neighbor Danny’s front yard isn’t that big, maybe a thousand square feet, but every night dozens of kids manage to squeeze onto it. Guitar strummers, recorder tooters, cigarette bummers, portrait-sketchers, frisbee tossers, Screaming Yellow Zonkers eaters, dueling radio owners, horny lover gropers.
August 30, 1968, 5:00 PM
This week doesn’t start out so lucky. But it sure ends that way.
I meet PK.
Frankly, I expect more.
I live in Sun City Center, a large retirement community in Tampa Bay, Florida. Granted, we’re in a conservative region, primarily Republican voters. But technically, it is at the outer edge of the Bible Belt, whose feathered border is considered “somewhere near Orlando.” Progressive ideas would be more welcome here. Or so I thought.
Continue reading “More Nudity, Not Less”In Don’t Say the A-Word! Part I, I noted that most mainstream films skirt the abortion issue entirely. Only a few recent films have handled this topic realistically, reflecting what young people face when confronted with unwanted pregnancy.
The formula for popular culture to be popular hasn’t really changed much in eighty years. What drives audiences and critics to rave about and recommend movies is influenced by the obvious (stardom, publicity buzz), but just as much by hidden forces and unacknowledged agendas. Continue reading “Don’t Say the A-Word! Part I: Juno”
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