Corky Scholl is a news photographer for 9News, a NBC affiliate in Denver, Colorado. Scholl earned several accolades for his visual essay, including a national Edward R. Murrow award and a National Press Photographer’s Association award.
The video resonated with me. It draws the viewer in by presenting a stylized snapshot of the world in which its subjects reside. The screen shows a neon landscape of broken down motels. The narrative guides the viewer, showing sequence after sequence that illustrates stories from individuals living “the motel life.” The result is that the environment becomes a central element of the story. In addition, the people are better understood because their living situation becomes a context to explain the action.
The opening shot shows a neon motel sign just before dawn. The natural light is dim and cool, contrasted with the sign’s glow. We hear a tired voice say, “The motel life is very, very hard.” The neon sign switches off; a guitar chord rings out. The music strums on as the viewer watches the sun rise through time lapse photography. The natural light transitions from cool to warm. The sun reveals the shabby motel world Scholl is presenting to his audience.
Scholl displays masterful composition despite mundane subject matter. For example, the first person shown speaking on camera sits in an empty parking lot. An empty parking lot can rarely be described as aesthetically pleasing. However, Scholl frames the subject on the right third of the camera, with the edges of the building, the edges of the curb, and the yellow lines of the parking spaces all guiding the viewers eye, vectoring attention towards the speaker. It’s a subtle touch, but it displays a level of detail woven throughout the piece.
Some of my favorite individual shots are of the motel signs. Most shots are medium with the signs filling the frame, some are more creative and show the signs reflected in pools of water or in sunglass lenses. The contrast of gritty texture and neon light creates atmosphere.
The sound editing is paced tightly. There is no silence. Natural sound punctuates much of the dialogue. The crackle a grill, the whir of police sirens, these offer transitioning between soundbytes. Another nice touch to the soundscape is a guitar player who Scholl incorporates into the story. The guitar offers gritty solo work, which lends itself to the poignant narratives throughout.
The video features several intertwining elements. The narratives are short and varied. One gets the feeling that Scholl is more interested in creating a series of sequences rather than focusing on one cohesive story. One criticism I have of the piece is that it runs a bit long, weighing in at more than eight minutes. However, when thinking about what I would have cut to make the story more focused, I found it difficult to pick an element to erase. I fell in love with the subjects; I suspect Scholl did as well.
Overall, I commend Scholl for this outstanding work. The editing is tight, and the compositions are solid. However, that is not what makes this piece great. Many photographers have outstanding technical skill. What sets Scholl apart is his courage. Capturing people living disadvantaged lives is challenging. It is mentally exhausting. Seldom is the journalist comfortable, and neither are his subjects. Both parties have a natural pride which inhibits their actions. Sometimes this pride is a barrier to showing the truth. It takes guts to bring a camera into someone’s world. In the end, this video reminds me to challenge myself. Few great stories are told from a position of comfort and detachment.
The natural use of sound, especially the crackling of the neon motel signs, was inspiring. Scholl also captures some very moving emotional detail in the film around 6:42 – the tear running down a woman’s nose while grieving for her lost family. It broke my heart. You’re right, this video is inspires and challenged me too to find compelling stories.