I’m not sure why I didn’t start watching National Geographic’s Youtube channel sooner, or why it didn’t come up in my searches when I was looking for stories like this. Somehow Google and the Internet figured out what I was up to and suggested this video to me, but that’s a talk for another day.
This 109-year-old World War II Veteran’s story was shot beautifully and the music was placed really well within the piece. As a study, I think this piece does a great job of pacing. The music, the transitions, the gaps between quotes and the scenes are all calm and slow. You don’t have to watch the whole 12 minute video to get the idea, but the story progresses slowly, but he moves slowly. So, I think that’s why it works so well.
I mean, 109 years doesn’t pass quickly. The first time you get a sense of this feeling is when he gets in his pick-up truck (yes, he just got his license renewed the year the video was shot), and he puts the key in the ignitions. I never thought about this, but putting your keys in the ignition is a fairly quick task. The vet didn’t take forever, but it definitely took an extra second or two, and it’s impossible to not feel.
Another time I really get a sense of it is when he’s depicted in what looks like the hallway leading to the exit of a generic mall. They stand there for about 10 seconds, he takes her purse so she can put her cane int he other hand. The entire exchange took about 10 seconds before they took another step.
The pacing, living slow, really brings the emotional element of understanding this person to the forefront. The guy basically eats, drinks and smokes what he wants and he’s happy.
I could go on about this piece all. day. long. I tweeted at two of the producers just to tell them how much I loved this piece. It moved me in such a profound way.
I watched it a second time and I saw things I didn’t see before. And I think you hit the nail on the head highlighting the slowness of this piece which complements the subject and the pace of his life. Reflecting on this I feel that I took some pleasure in slowing down with the man, with the story. To watch it twice seemed like a simple pleasure like all the ones he has in his life. Really, an amazing and poignant piece. Thank you so much for sharing! Easily one of my favorite things I’ve watched in recent memory.
This is a beautiful short doc featuring such a heartfelt and poetic character. I too thought the pacing was great, each transition felt like entering a new chapter in a book. The vivid color, sharp details, and blur to focus shots were great. The winning nature of this piece for me is its intimacy and particularity (i.e. we see the food on his shelves as he tells us what he likes to eat). I’m heading over to bookmark NatGeo YouTube now! Thanks for sharing.
I had no idea Nat Geo did these kinds of short docs either! I agree in that this is a lesson on pacing. We don’t always need the fast-paced, flashy shots to tell a wonderful story. In fact, the producers of Mr. Overton’s story strategically keep the overall piece simple in order to focus on the fact that this man has seen more life than any other World War II veteran. He’s lives a simple life, drama-free, goes to church, and does what he wants (smokes 12 cigars a day and eats ice cream every night). I love it. I like that they opened up with his war experience, explaining who he is. Overton said that for soldiers, facing fear in the eye makes them strong (i.e. [2:18] – soldiers “won’t turn around and go back” when they face fear). Producers made this video without excessively talking about the war (as I’ve found many stories about older veterans tend to do). They instead focused on him and who he is. The variety of wide, medium, and tight shots worked well through Mr. Overton’s narrative and I loved how they implemented the shots of him puffing on a cigar. He is proud of it! “I’m doing it in the healthy way,” he says (5:57). The decision to interview Overton straight-on (video portrait style) helped hold the focus for me as a viewer. I did not get bored; the slow pace complemented the content. Thank you for sharing this short film.
This film offers a testament to the power of detail shots: I never got sick of seeing the old man’s hands, even after they appeared in tight shots at 0:51, 0:56, 2:06, 5:34 and 5:47. I wondered at first why the filmmaker chose to open the piece with the rather static and benign shots of city streets, street signs, and outside of the man’s house when there were such beautiful images of him starting his car at 0:53 and lighting his cigar on the stove at 5:21. It must have been a conscious choice to have sound leading pictures so his appearance wouldn’t be revealed right away. I love how the filmmaker let this man dwell on the simple pleasures of smoking cigars, driving his truck, seeing his cats, drinking milk, and eating soup and ice cream. Makes you wonder what pleasures you’ll have left if you make it that long. The slow pacing invites the viewer to dwell on such thoughts.