Why I Used 9 Cameras for the TedX Headliner

INDEX

Alli Spins - Cyr Photography

Candleburn - Performace Art Video

TedX - Ariel Dempsey

Teaching Videography

1 year before the infamous Ted Talk, a photographer hired me to help them learn video. They invited me along on a shoot in an abandoned warehouse, where she planned to record a performance artist. Although rare, cyr wheels are a device I that was familiar with. The theme for today’s shoot however, I was not.

Before we began, the photographer got cold feet and insisted that I shoot the video myself while she takes photographs. As her client, I went along with the plan.

Performance Art Videos

The room was large and open with thick pillars and large windows. The sunlight illuminated the room, blasting harder and harder as the sun set. Ugly random graffiti covered the walls. The performer, Ariel Dempsey, wore a clean black dress as she performed acrobatics on the dusty floor. Her moved were random, but elegant. We spent hours capturing her movements using different camera techniques, and when inspired we offered her direction to play to our cameras.

Benefits of Recording on Inline Skates

An important things I forgot to mention… I had appeared at the shoot wearing my inline skates, and kept them on throughout the entire shoot. Pairing this with my gimbal allowed me to capture incredibly dynamic moving shots only comparable to a large budget Hollywood movie.

Creating Video Art

As her performance continued, her outfit slowly evolved, changing from black to red. As the sun set, I added some lighting so that we could continue shooting. In the darkness, the performer sat within her cyr wheel and lit a candle. None of us understood the significance, but as we were recording she began to cry. I started to wonder if I should stop recording, but the scene looked so beautiful. As the awkwardness escalated, she whispered “please keep recording” under her breathe. We played with more lighting and colorful smoke bombs before deciding that we had recorded enough footage.

The performer thanked me for being a part of this experience. I felt that we had made a strong connection, but didn’t fully understand it yet. I figured that the photographer would at least want my help to edit this footage. But no, they told me I should take over the project completely.

Pricing Video Work

Teaching video and fully producing a professional video are very different rates. We had never discussed a budget for this video, but I was inspired to expedite editing this project. I spent 2 long days over the weekend reducing 3 hours of footage to 1 hour of great shots, down to 10 minutes of hard cuts, to 6 minutes of the best of the best shots, then eventually into a 4 minute video that told a story without words.

Paid Work Versus Portfolio Work

I had an extremely busy schedule, working a full time job and attempting to start a video business. I had thousands of dollars of expenses per month, renting a studio in Detroit, paying for a WeWork cowering membership, and upgrading my video equipment. I did not expect to be paid for this project, figuring that I could use this video as an example to work with more performance artists. But to my surprise, the performer paid me without asking!

The Purpose Behind a Video

Ariel was not only a performer, but also a medical student working in hospice. I came to find that this video was meant to be a tribute to the widowed husband of a patient she had cared for. A couple of years after creating this video, I met the husband and received a big hug. I did not realize how impactful this video would be.

Obtaining Rights to Popular Music

The performer had pre-selected a song, and had played it on repeat during our recording. This was a semi-popular song, which we did not have permission to use. It is all too normal to use whatever music you find online, but I prefer to seek permission or licenses before using music. I reached out to the band, explaining our vision for this video, and they were more than happy to grant us permission!

Since creating this video, I have displayed it in a few gallery settings. Creating videos that hold their value over time is important to me, especially in this new era of video videos disappearing in 24 hours. I put love into my video projects and hope that they help people feel the message within.

Repeat Customer

2 years later, Ariel was invited to speak as the headliner for TedX. But given her background, this would not be a normal speech. Ironically, Ariel planned to perform an arial silks routine.

Recording a Ted Talk

It was 2020 and Ted Talks were trending. I had never seen anything more than normal speeches with only needed a few camera angles. But when Ariel explained that she would be constructing a 20ft rig on stage, I knew we would need as much coverage as we could get.

Why I Used 9 Cameras

I installed two 360 cameras on stage, and manned 3 professional cameras in front of the stage. A second hired crew mounted 3 professional cameras to capture close up and side angles. The full event was streamed by the venue, granting us yet another wide angle view.

This was my first time attending as Ted Talk. Most of the talks were interesting, but none memorable. Aside from the performance, no one knew what Ariel would be presenting. She invited long time friends to enjoy the event, leaving everyone in suspense.

Beginning with an impressive arial silk performance, Ariel segued into talking about her near death experience that she has kept secret. This experience changed her outlook on life. She ended with a second performance, this time blindfolded.

Editing Videos During Covid

The very next day, the world seemed to shut down due to the beginning of the covid epidemic. Hope was something everyone needed during this time. I had just started an expensive lease on a now empty WeWork studio. Ariel and I were feeling symptoms directly after this recording, but we still managed to chat over Zoom as we pieced this edit together the video.

As years past, Ariel and I collaborated on more videos of her performances and speeches. She was finally healthy enough to move to the U.K. as she intended, and in 2023 I was lucky enough to visit her in Oxford.

If you’re interested in creating a video, message the Digital Nomad.