Viewfinder: Making Video Alone

Most people that make video do so in solitude. There are a few reasons for this. Most people don't know too many friends that have an interest in video production. Although now becoming more popular, making video is not a craft pursued by a significant portion of the population. Making the time to produce video is hard enough for some people. It gets complicated when you attempt to mesh your schedule with the one or two video-making friends that you know.

There are many activities in life that tend to be practiced in groups. These activities actually are a catalyst to bring people together to have fun. Sometimes people forget the activity and simply enjoy getting together (like bad golfers). Wouldn't it be wonderful if making video actually presented an opportunity to socialize?

One of the reasons that making video is not a social activity is that it is not a real-time endeavor. When we play golf, we do so in real time. It's the same with dancing and playing music. Making video involves so much preparation that there is really no performance. The actual execution of good videomaking skills is evident while the creator sits down and does nothing. There is no need to be present during the showing to display talent. I suppose that this is not unlike other art forms. Photography, painting, creative writing and woodworking are examples of talents that are difficult to illustrate in real time.

For years, I've been dreaming about video production as a sport, where the participants gather together in one place and actually compete in real time. The best idea that I've heard so far involved several camera operators competing all at once.