How to make a Disaster Video

Producing the worst, unsettling video is difficult. One needs to lump three elements for it to be objectionable worthy of ire and frustration.

 These elements are: the gadgets element, the nature element, and the human element.

 Smart phones are gadgets equipped with sensitive features. A slight jerk of a finger or palm, they switch easily to unintended features. Also, because of their glass surface, they have low tolerance for ambient light reflection. On a sunny outdoor shot, it distorts focus and images are washed out.

 The nature element could be the sun, the wind, the water, etc.

 The human element involves one’s susceptibility to mistakes, disaster prone, or a simpleton to the use of new technology, such as smart phones.

 I owned all these three elements when I tried to capture up close that spectacular scene where the Niagara Falls cascaded its water that produces gigantic mist.

 The “Maid of the Mist” the boat that we rode in was packed. We got a spot at the front, but we’re on the third layer.

 The boat cruised on agitated water, it felt like we’re on a ship sailing on a stormy sea. People at our front and behind squeezed us of their pushing and shoving. Water from the Falls splashed on us. Good thing we were provided with raincoat it kept us from getting totally wet. When the boat came to that spectacular scene that I like to record, I trained high my Samsung in a landscape position with my two hands amidst the jerky movement. I didn’t see any images showing on the screen, but the red light kept on blinking, which I assumed my smart phone was busy recording.

 So now came the judgement day. I was so excited to check on my video. And to my dismay, my Samsung recorded frames of my finger covering half of the screen and the other half, my face. On some frames it showed lines of my palm. There were also scenes that just focus on my forehead showing the creases etched on it. Scenes also of my hair in my nose, my drooping eye bags. Frames showing my open dried mouth. Scenes brandishing pockmarks on my face. There were also frames of people milling around, taking pictures with their cameras and smart phones.

 

My Samsung captured scenes I couldn’t be proud of. It’s an example of a shot called “selfies” of the harshest kind. “Selfies” are carefully chosen indoor shot of self, posted on Facebook. It could have been the scenes that I have dreamt of and coveted for, had I not been clumsy enough to switch my Samsung in the reverse focus.

This kind of video is hard to make. It’s like an accident that all factors must be synchronized for damage to occur.