"Fake Empire" (finally)

There's something immensely satisfying in seeing something that only existed in my head become a physical reality that can be shared with others. Usually, it starts with just a few specific visualizations. In the case of "Fake Empire" it was an image of a couple meeting under a street light and of them dancing together in a living room in the middle of the night. Then there's a point when imagination and the reality of the situation start feeding off of each other. You pick out the faces and places and some of the imaginary details are lost but the details of reality are gained. Then the actual shoot happens. This is the shortest stage in the process and when it's over, you have the footage you have and you need to make it work. Sometimes the throw-away shot becomes a happy accident while the pre-planned, calculated shot gets tossed away (or used reluctantly) because it's too stiff or not properly lit. Editing is like a giant jigsaw puzzle with one major difference: there's more than one way the pieces can fit together. There are so many choices that need to be made. For a guy who has the same thing for lunch every day only to avoid having to make a decision at the fridge, this can be a difficult process.

The video has been done for a while now. I've been sitting on it, wondering how I can perfect it as to avoid regret each time I watch it. But I'm realizing that's not possible. Reality is not perfect. My skills with video are far from perfect. I'm still learning and this is just another step along the way. Rather than continuing to make little tweaks (and later reversing half of them anyway), my time would be better spent starting the next project.

Without any further ado, here's the best I could do at materializing what I see in head when I hear the wonderful song "Fake Empire" by The National:



Thanks a bunch to S & Q for their outstanding acting. I'm so happy I was able to convince them to star in this thing. The couple is remaining anonymous because Q is a school teacher and didn't want her students stumbling across the video online. Understandable, considering some of the plot "hints" within.