For the last nine years, I’ve tried to record at least one second of video every day and edit those clips into a bird’s eye view of each year. This has become my journal.
In 2021, I:
-Went to Colorado, Ohio, North Carolina (x2), Florida, Texas, Virginia, Maine, MIssouri, and Kansas
-Got dumped once
-Got vaxed twice
-Got Covid
-Grew my hair out
-Explored an unfinished nuclear power plant
-Shot several cool projects including a VR music video, a documentary with surviving WWII soldiers, worked as an assistant with a cinema robot and became director of an Amazon music podcast
-Built several custom motion control rigs
-Started shooting infrared and microscopic photography
-Bought a new bike
-Continued hosting regular music listening nights
-Went to see Lettuce, Shakespeare in the Park, Punch Brothers, mewithoutYou, Nothing, The Titans, and The Predators
-Ate at Big Al’s a lot
-Went to the dog park a lot, and apparently filmed my dog a lot more than I realized before putting this video together
There have been some high highs and low lows this year. A breakup early last year really knocked me out for a while. I’m also doing better professionally than I ever have, so it’s a mixed bag.
Oddly enough, last year was the first time I’d ever been broken up with. The breakup came at the same time as a really tough project; a VR music performance video that was enjoyable to actually create, and it was the biggest project I directed so far, but it was a nightmare because of the client. So the one-two punch at the beginning of the year was a tough one to absorb.
I went to the dog park a lot, where I became better friends with dog owners in my neighborhood. I also, apparently, filmed said dogs a whole bunch. Like, I went through and deleted some because there were too many.
Music Night (the unofficial name) has continued since its inception in 2020. It’s a small group of friends who love music so much that they enjoy creating playlists of songs special to them to share with the group who in turn enjoys listening to it as an activity unto itself. It’s become a pretty special thing to host and organie.
I spent a lot of time this year learning how to build more capable motion control equipment (the tools used to precisely move cameras). I realied that I love learning and building them more than I like to find jobs that utilize them, so I’m content to keep building and using for personal projects. For now, anyway. This journey has made me a better designer and I started using my CNC and 3D printer to make custom parts.
I burned out in the fall and took a road trip to reset and gather myself. I made my way West on secondary roads with very little agenda, camping and hiking along the way. I stopped to see family and friends in Missouri and Kansas and visit my dad’s resting place which I hadn’t seen in a pretty long time.
Not long after that, I took a job directing the video portion of a country music podcast for Amazon Music. The deadlines are pretty tight, but it doesn’t take up my whole week and I’ve made more free time for myself which has been really good, especiallly since overwork is what lead to my burnout. The project will last until at least mid February, at which point I think I’ll keep prioritizing working less.
So I ended the year on a good note except for the very end where I got Covid. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
If you’re thinking to yourself you might like to try a video like this, check out an app called 1SE. I used it when I first started and it’s a great way to take on a projecct like this. So if you’re on the fence, just try it. And if you say to yourself “oh, I can’t start now because I didn’t start at the beginning of the year,” do it anyway because that’s a stupid reason not to start something you’ll enjoy doing.
Lastly, when working on this video I’m always reminded that I have good friends and family and I’m always grateful for that.
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2020:
vimeo.com/496437326
2019:
vimeo.com/401378396
2018:
vimeo.com/309179251
2017:
vimeo.com/249311557
2016:
vimeo.com/197714774
2015:
vimeo.com/150596383
2014:
vimeo.com/115861592
2013:
vimeo.com/88493970
