What We’re Watching /// Extraordinary Human Beings in Slow Motion

This sick video is popping up a lot this week. It’s a 4-minute slow motion piece by Ben Garvin that captures 10 seconds of the Twin Cities marathon using a super fancy Fastec TS3 slow motion camera. I clicked on it thinking it would have that visceral appeal of the ESPN body issue, where the rippling muscles of professional athletes posing nude elicits jaw-dropping awe of the human physique. I was surprised to find that that’s not what struck me about this video. While the slow-motion rippling muscles that come a bit later in the 4-minutes are in fact pretty cool, the power of this video comes in the focus on details, soundscape, and pacing. In the first 30 seconds of this piece, Garvin creates a sensory experience that puts you right at that finish line. The slow motion allows us to linger on those details in a way that we might not if it were in regular speed, but if it were shot wide or focused only on the runners’ bodies, the piece wouldn’t be nearly as powerful. This piece works because the shooting and editing go beyond the potential gimmick of the technology and are used to elevate the storytelling and immerse the viewer in the scene. Very cool.

Watch the video here: http://blogs.twincities.com/flashgarvin/2014/10/07/video-extraordinary-humans-in-slow-motion/