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