I have never tried to make a video because I didn’t have a degree in cinematography and $50,000 worth of camera and sound equipment. Turns out, all you need today is an eight-year-old granddaughter and a computer.
I came home the other night to find my granddaughter, Bella, chatting away in the family room where my wife has her iMac.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Making a video,” she answered nonchalantly. I lined up behind her to watch with fascination as she talked into the computer screen while manipulating my dog Brutie into camera range at her side.
She asked the dog how he liked being a movie star. Brutie whined and looked back over his shoulder to where I was standing.
“You could be another Rin Tin Tin,” I said, trying to encourage him. He looked dubious.
“Hey, Brutie,” she said, turning his head so he could see the computer screen. “See what you look like?”
Brutie just whined again, broke loose and disappeared into the kitchen.
“Sorry about that,” my granddaughter said to the camera, obviously disappointed.
“Maybe he’s just camera-shy,” I volunteered.
“He’s got to learn to play his part,” she said with a shake of her head.
That gave me an idea. “Why don’t we write a script with a part for Brutie?” I suggested. She agreed. “That way we could rehearse the whole thing and maybe he’d feel more comfortable.”
Her eyes brightened. “That’s a good idea,” she said, turning off the camera and playing back the video. Turns out our entire conversation had been recorded, locking me into my verbal contract.
So, tomorrow we’ll write the script. Next week we’ll film, and after that you can check us out on You Tube.
Who knows, I may have future in video after all.