Can you tell a story in 5 short, 5 second clips? That’s a question I pondered when I stumbled across Five Vignettes channel and 5×5 Fanatics group on Vimeo. Fun concept. I started by filming 5 still objects and scenes with little movement in them. It was boring, I admit. The images were “pretty” and unique, and I spent a lot of time framing the shot, but when I put the clips together the 25 seconds was painfully awkward. Paint peeling, anyone? Why not just use a 5 second delay on a Flickr slideshow?… So, I looked for some inspiration and started filming scenes with movement: grass blowing in the wind, auto traffic, people walking, TV (whoa movement!), and water. A much more interesting story appeared.
Limiting a story to 25 seconds feels a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you come from a family of long-winded storytellers as I do. 25 seconds to show something, to express myself, to reveal a complex landscape, or share a wildly intense experience? It’s a lively challenge. I found, though, that breaking 25 seconds into 5 shots requires you to truly survey an experience, pick out the details in a seemingly grand landscape and chisel into the heart of an activity, among other things. Looking for unique angles, small details, movement vs. stillness, and noise adds to the discovery of a place or the expression of a thought. What’s more, the 25 second vignette can be a great activity to foster conversation between people familiar with the same place, but who chose or would choose different images to convey the importance of that place or to “paint that picture.” Want to see how your neighbors and friends view the town? Host a 5×5 potluck dinner – conversation, food, and discovering more about a place, yourself, and others. Can’t beat that… or can you? What are your ideas of how to use a 5×5 vignette to bring people together in conversation?
5×5: Stockholm from Ruthie on Vimeo.
SO, grab a camera, tell a story in 5 short, 5 second clips about something in, around, or about your town, and share your 5×5 with us!
Here are a few choice 5×5’s: Letus Test, Autumn, Spring, The Bay
