This Is Home
by Olivia_Allin, HSM guest contributor
While chatting on HomeStation Magazine’s chat room with Marlboro Man and Terra_Cide to help ease my socialization withdrawals, we got into searching YouTube for songs with “Home” in them. You would be amazed at the amount of songs that do. From Mötley Crüe to Pink Floyd to Simon and Garfunkel, there’s a “Home” song for just about every genre conceivable. Terra posted a link to a Switchfoot song that I was not familiar with – “This is Home” – which was recorded for the soundtrack for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney). It struck a nerve with me.
Our chat somehow morphed, as chats will do, into talking about making videos about Home to these songs. I was inspired. I logged out of chat, well after saying goodbye. I try not to just poof, but often mash the mouse in a random way and wind up navigating to some site I had no intentions of viewing: midget gynecology, underwater tap dance forums, or how the Amish were the ones that hacked Sony.
(I am way more at home with a PS3 controller and keyboard in my hand than this wireless device named after a disease-carrying rodent.)
Sorry, I got a little sidetracked there. To continue with the point of this story.
Terra’s music and Marlboro Man’s brainstorming had motivated me to use the wholesale free time I have to goof around and make a video. First thing I realized is that I do not have the right equipment to hook my PS3 into my capture card.
That didn’t matter because even if I did, with the PSN down, I couldn’t log into Home to create the scenes I would need. Nor did I have a story board, script or clue. But being hard-headed and resourceful are talents of mine. So I started pulling pictures off my hard drive and other places.
To give you some idea of my background, I spend many hours a week editing video and audio. That’s part of how I make my living, so I just jumped into this project with no direction. Fired up my Adobe Premiere Pro and started importing my elements.
Knowing the song had its own message, I placed it onto the time. But the song was longer by far than what I wanted to try and cover with images. So I hacked it down to about a third or less of what it started off as.
Now, how do I keep this from just being a slide show? I need to make this move. Meaningful fade ups from black and back down again, pans, zooms, tilts and layering. Short of having video, these would be the tricks I used to keep the eyes entertained while the music played with the ears. Just doing this to kill time really while I wait for the glorious moment when I return to my passion known as Home.
I arranged my images on the timeline to tell some kind of story that matched what the lyrics so gracefully bestowed. A little trim here, a dissolve or two there, edits to the beat though here, and two hours later I was done.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not the best work I have ever done. But maybe because I was so homesick for Home, the video moved me a bit. I killed a few hours; it helped take my mind off my PSN deficiency, it touched me on some level and maybe most importantly, it allowed my friends on HSM a few hours of Olivia-free time which, bless their collective hearts, they haven’t been getting much of lately.
(Copy editor’s note: That’s pure rubbish. Olivia is a delightful lady to chat with and we enjoy her spending time with us in the chatroom. If any of you feel the need to socialize, please do come in! We may not see you right away, but we’d love to see more names there.)
And so without any further ado, I give you my little tribute to Home. I hope you like it!
May 5th, 2011 by Olivia_Allin | 11 comments
Olivia_Allin is a team writer, photographer, model, curator, graphic artist, researcher and comic relief for HomeStation Magazine; she lives in Texas with her boyfriend, and Home is more than just a game to her. Years ago she discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. On weekends, to let off steam, she participate in full-contact origami. She saw a Bigfoot once, made a sound you never want to hear twice, and was so proud of her Special Olympics gold medal that she had it bronzed. She is, in her own words, adorkable.
Thanks for taking the time and making a video!
I am so glad you decided to do this( after a little prodding from us in the chat room) Olivia! I told you that the video was great and people will love it. Keep up the good work and add to our repertoire of videos. We need to continue growing in this genre like we have in the literary sections of the magazine. Great job!
Thanks so much for making that. What a wonderful song choice. You made me miss it even more
I loved it when I first saw it, and I still love it now. And you even made cold-hearted me miss Home a little bit too.
i love the video she made
it bright my face known WE all havein’t forgotten ps home
The exact same sentiments as bukanoco, this made me miss home even more, it’s going to be great to see everyone on my friends list again.
all i have to say is WOW, thank you!
Aloha Dork,
thanks for the cameos…great job again as always…you never disappoint or cease to amaze me..
squeezies..Avatrda Unite
I hate you… okay, not really, but you did make my pain for the loss of Home greater. I don’t know how I can miss a place that is “only” virtual, so much… but I do.
Good old creating a slide show with music, and using the Ken Burns effect with the pictures. I am surprised that PS Home hasn’t tried to make that song an official one for promotional use. It could not be more appropriate.
With very little, it is possible to evoke some very strong emotions Olivia. So I say bravo and thank you for taking the time to do that.
This video would be a PERFECT PROMO for the relaunched Home!!!….It states it beautifully…that old things have become new again and are BETTER THAN EVER!