Self-Critique on Recording LA Pillow Fight Day

I'm going through my old videos. My video hosting company, Blip.tv changed the embed codes a few years back. I'm trying to update to the current code as I have time.

This isn't a good video form 2008 but it is an example of making do with the equipment and situation.



At the time I had a very cheap and crappy camcorder. I also had a two megapixel still camera to take photos.

If I recall correctly, by the time I got to the event the first wave of pillow fighters was just about finished whacking each other and the second wave had not commenced. There were more photographers than pillow fighters at the time.

When a spontaneous pounding occurred it was hard to get a good shot without getting hit or being trampled by shooters. In the meantime, I took photos of what I could. There were about three good waves before the event was shut down by the LAPD.

When I got home I discovered that I didn't have much to work with because a lot of the video was unusable. I used the photos to help to orientate folks to the scene and hopefully provide a context to the video.

How Would I Do It Differently?

1. Get there a half-hour earlier, before the start of the event.
2. Bring a light tripod or monopod so that I could compensate for being short. Hey, tall people had an advantage at the pillow fight. They could lift their cameras up and then point down. I could only point up or stand on something.
3. Chance an interview or two.
4. From a distance record more of the Sheriff department and LAPD presence, they were not happy about the pillow fight.
5. More of the results of the pillow fight such as the feathers on the ground, in people's hair and video of feathers being suspended in air. There was a lot of stuff coming out of the pillows.

The music? It kinda sorta matches. It was in a public domain archive. I do like raunchy blues songs. I thought it was kinda funny having a licentious song while people are hitting each other with pillows.

I don't think I would use music with vocals in a similar situation.

You live and you learn.