5x5 #2 // "Exit Lullaby"

5x5 #2 // “Exit Lullaby”

My second entry for this month’s challenge was a completely different filming process than my first video, Pack it Up, in several different ways. I had that initial 5x5 completed and planned out a handful of days in advance from the start of the month. Meanwhile, its successor was very spontaneous and minimal. I filmed this at dusk yesterday and I’m currently drafting this blog post at 7:00 in the morning the day it’s supposed to be out. Such is the life of a videographer left to their own devices.

Additionally, while I used my usual tools such as a Panasonic Gh4 and 18-35 Sigma Lens for the first video, Exit Lullaby was captured handheld with just my iPhone 8 Plus, mostly because I was certainly not going to walk into a child’s playground with my video camera and tripod in in tow. The raw visual results were considerably more modest than the footage from my Gh4, unsurprisingly. The shots themselves were also rather inactive with minimal movement and action in the frame.

Because of this, I placed a special emphasis on post production to get it where it needed to be. Five seconds is a deceptively long time to have a static shot, so there needed to be other elements thrown in to give it value. While I personally think the real magic is always synthesized in the editing process, this was definitely a case where the sequence of clips took on a whole new meaning once it got to its final cut. I played a lot with sound design and reverb effects in Adobe Audition to create its own atmosphere, as well as other stylistic choices you’ll pick up on. I found this tutorial by Justin Odisho especially useful when trying to emulate film on a brand new digital device.

The swooning music was provided by none other than my real life friend Jesse Descutner and his project Urban Heat Island. Big shoutout for him.



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