Friday, March 14, 2025

Life is a Video


Have you ever been out walking, or maybe driving in a car, when a favorite song comes on the radio or your iTunes, and suddenly the scenery around you seems to meld with the music? My girlfriend in high school used to describe that feeling by saying, "Life is a video!" And that's exactly what it's like -- as if you're watching a captivating music video with your very own eyes. You're living the video.

I had that sensation yesterday morning, walking to work. The sun was shining and the music was perfect and I thought, "I wish I could capture this somehow."

I decided to try. On my walk home in the afternoon, I took video of passing scenery, and later edited it together with the song I was enjoying through my AirPods at the time. I started out walking in sunshine and wound up in a hailstorm! (Well, just graupel, but still...) I took more than ten minutes of video, cut it down to three minutes, and voila! You get to experience my walk home, with the musical accompaniment of singer/songwriter Matt Berry.

I think it turned out well, except for me getting my fingers into the frame at the very end. Also, even though I walk quite fast, I never think I'm getting very vigorous exercise -- but as you'll hear I am breathing heavily by the time I get home, so perhaps I really am doing my cardiovascular system some good.

Life is a video!

74 comments:

  1. It's a good little watch. Girlfriend in high school, lol.

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  2. Brilliant. Love that video, and you're right about the music and the journey.
    The contrast between all the different styles of flats from different times...and an interesting walk doesn't have to be in countryside.

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  3. I enjoyed the video. Great but simple idea that worked so well. Thank you.

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  4. What a great commute you have! Loved the video, it was very well done.

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    1. I have three different walking routes, and they are all interesting in their own way. This was just one of them.

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  5. Good video, so many interesting buildings on your walk and the blossom and magnolia is way ahead of here

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  6. Great video. Was that a magnolia I saw? I haven't noticed any of the local ones here being in flower yet! Love the casual way Olga gets off the sofa to greet you. I guess she has to get her old bones working gradually....I know the feeling!!

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    1. Yes, a magnolia. Olga has always stretched her back legs like that when getting off the sofa, even when she was young. We call it the "slow dismount."

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  7. The video is wonderful. You do such a great job. (I love your doormat.) And, yes, I do often feel like I’m living a video.

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    1. Glad you liked it! (Both the video and the doormat.)

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  8. Great video Steve! Well done putting that together. You are becoming more adept. Maybe one day you will put out your own full length film: "The Librarian's Revenge".

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    1. What IS the librarian's revenge? Once I figure that out maybe I'll be able to make the movie.

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  9. Great stuff, Steve. Excellent and very enjoyable.

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  10. It adds to an already wonderful tour!

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  11. Cool idea. It's nice to see your route, too.

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    1. That's one of three routes that I routinely walk.

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  12. Very nicely done!
    You walk at a very good pace and that's got to be beneficial to your cardio health.
    I loved seeing the Magnolia almost in full bloom and Olga giving you a heartfelt welcome home greeting,

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    1. I didn't realize I breathe so heavily by the time I'm getting home -- hearing it on the video made me realize I am getting some exercise.

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  13. Nice video. I'll be back in London in about 10 days time, so I'll be enjoying my happy time walking around the city.

    To answer the question you posed, I did have one very perfect moment where music and action were perfectly matched. I was in Los Angeles on business. Since my family was joining me at the end of the work week and we were going to drive up to Big Sur, I had hired a Mustang Convertible to get around town. As I was driving (top down, of course, a gorgeous sunny day) to a meeting down Santa Monica Boulevard, lovely Sheryl Crow comes on the radio singing "All I Wanna Do." Serendipity in the song's chorus.

    "All I wanna do is have some fun
    I got a feelin' I'm not the only one
    All I wanna do is have some fun
    I got a feelin' I'm not the only one
    All I wanna do is have some fun
    Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard"

    Had to throw back my head and laugh. Perfect timing.

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    1. That IS perfect! I love that song. In fact I should have put it on my California playlist when Dave and I visited last year. Oh well -- next time!

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  14. That was enjoyable and I'm impressed by how quickly you move along, Steve!

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    1. I have a pretty long stride so I walk fairly fast, but Dave is even faster than I am.

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  15. That was great. I love the way it was a little bouncy from your walking gait and that it seemed to correspond with the beat of the music.

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    1. I was going for the cool hand-held effect. LOL

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  16. I enjoyed your video. You are a fast walker. I also have Don Camilo on my play list. I listen to a lot of Austrian folk music. I also listen to south African folk music.

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    1. I'm not sure I could make a music video to Austrian folk music. Maybe if I were in Austria?

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  17. Thank you for taking us along! So much concrete and glass, but there are some great blocks of flats there, too, looking very much like straight out of "Poirot". And I can't believe how far the magnolia tree is, and some of the other trees!
    Yes, Life is a Video, even though I never listen to music when I'm out walking. I prefer to hear what's going on (traffic, other people coming up behind me, dogs, and of course bird song when I'm in the right place at the right time).

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    1. Sometimes I want to hear my surroundings. It depends where I am. Out in the country I definitely want to hear sounds (or the lack of them).

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  18. I love the video, too! So many blossoms and daffodils already!

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  19. Well done Steve! I had to chuckle because our old girl gets off the couch the same way. Perhaps you have another career in you. Youtuber? Videographer? Maker of music videos?

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    1. Ha! I don't think it will make me any money but I do enjoy putting together a video now and then. Not with me on camera, though!

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  20. Certain songs certainly elicit memories of walks, trips or experiences. Our lives have a soundtrack!

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    1. They do indeed! We could all craft an album of our "greatest hits"!

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  21. What a great video! Well done! You even included that building that looks like a bunker with the sloping staircases so often seen in movies on Britbox. Olga was sure glad to see you.

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    1. Yes, the Alexandra Road estate. (Or Alexandra & Ainsworth, as it's officially called.)

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  22. I do love the buildings at 1:16. Britbox police procedurals film there a lot. They are so interesting with those angles. Excellent video, thank!

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    1. It's a very distinctive Brutalist building, and quite well known, as you and Jim mentioned.

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  23. "Oh NO, not you again"...Standing ovation, sir, fabulous video -with desert! OLGA!! that is how I get out of bed, too!

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    1. Yes, we HAD to have Olga to wrap things up. :)

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  24. My favorite thing to do in London is walk the amazing streets so I LOVED this video. You held the camera so steadily, that is very impressive. And, you are so right, that music fit perfectly. The only catch is now I'm longing for a London walk!

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    1. I knew you'd appreciate this, being such a dedicated walker!

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  25. I loved that and what a perfect ending!!! I 💙 Olga. I liked learning a new word, too. (graupel) This made me think about a meme I participated in once called "movie of my life".

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    1. I only learned the word "graupel" after moving here. I think in New York it simply fell into the dreaded "wintry mix" category.

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  26. Nice video. Your post title reminded me of MTV for some reason. Happy Friday.

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    1. Well, when Barbara said "Life is a video," that's exactly what she meant -- an MTV-style music video. So I can see why you made the connection!

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  27. Can't say I've had real life meld with the music I'm listening too but I have heard a good song come up on the radio, especially when driving, and I get a great feeling about life in general as I cruise through the streets to where ever I'm going. Perhaps if I was more artistic, I could meld it someway into my reality.

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    1. Well, that's kind of the same thing. For me, that "great feeling about life" becomes largely visual as I listen to the music. Maybe it's just the way my brain works.

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  28. Wonderful video, Steve. Well done!

    Love,
    Janie

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  29. Nice to see some of the sights along your walk and extra nice to see Olga and you greeting each other!

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    1. Our daily ritual! Sometimes she's sound asleep when I come in. Yesterday I had to wake her up!

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  30. I don't know the song so can't see how it fits the video and I had to stop it at the daffodils because it was too fast for my eyes to focus. Nice to see some of the buildings etc though.

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    1. Well, it's not so much about the lyrics of the song -- at least for me -- as it is about the tempo and instrumentation of the music. As for the daffs, don't worry -- you don't need to focus on every flower. :)

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  31. Steve, I loved that video! The same thing happens to me when I walk, but I have never put it to video before! It was great to see a bit of London on your walk home. How did you use the song without youtube saying it was copyright protected?

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    1. It's copyrighted, but the copyright holder allows its use on YouTube. Same way I used Astrud Gilberto's music in my Bayshore Boulevard video on Feb. 22. Sometimes the copyright holders are cool with it as long as the video isn't monetized (in other words, doesn't carry advertising).

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