My son created this video when he was 16 and in high school. I remember sharing the video with friends, family and colleagues and laughing about what a relief it is not to see it happening live when I would most likely have
tried to prevent it from happening in the first place.
I hadn’t viewed it in while and I see that in the meantime many more folks have: over 17,000. And yet to watch it again, to see the pure joy of accomplishment on my son’s face, is to experience a thing of rare beauty. Only now do I get that IRL stands for “in real life.” There is a richness to these 48 seconds that astounds and amazes me. The editing, the second take in slow motion with this eerily sentimental music, the brevity – all of it makes for a wonderfully compact composition.
Back then, that is how my son spent much of his time – on the computer, creating, editing, producing video – outside of school; the ongoing genius hour for which there was no time or space in school. His interests have since moved on to music production, DJing, and serious gaming. When I need a lift, this video is one place I’ll remember to come back to again and again.
Love this, Sherri. Your writing about it is just as beautiful as the video itself. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Thanks, Jennifer, for the kind words!