A Video Review of 2013, One Second a Day

There were a lot of beautiful sunsets to admire in 2013.
There were a lot of beautiful sunsets to admire in 2013.

At the end of 2012 I decided to take on my largest video project; recording every day of 2013 and compiling a recap video when the year was over. The concept wasn’t new and in fact I was inspired by a video titled This is What Madeline Did in 2011 to create my own “one-second-a-day” video.

I was initially drawn to the challenges it would take to create a video of this scope. Could I really remember to film something every day? What if there wasn’t anything interesting to record one day? But ultimately I was most interested in what the final product would show. The first month was difficult especially because I was lugging around my DSLR with me everywhere I went. But once I got an iPhone in February, things became a lot easier to record.

About a week ago, I was discussing the past year with a group of friends. I was happy to see 2013 go. All I could remember were the rough times I had experienced. 2013 was a transitional year. It was my first full year back in Toronto since being abroad for a few years. I was unemployed for most of the year and really struggled with the direction I wanted to take. My savings slowly dwindled and I couldn’t get a job interview to save my life.

Things started to turn around in August when I finally landed a job. I had been playing softball all summer with a group of guys from my Alma Mater and one day I dropped the idea that I was looking for a job and wondered if they knew of any job openings. A couple weeks later I got a call that a position needed filling and less than a week later I was working back at Ryerson University leading workshops and tutorials and assisting professors in the Radio & Television Arts, School of Media program. I loved being back in an educational setting while playing around with all the equipment and brushing up on the new technologies the school was now using.

I didn’t travel very much in 2013 and that was a difficult adjustment too. Tristan and I did, however, visit Montreal for the first time in late spring, spent summer weekends at friends’ cottages, went camping in early fall, I tried my hand at ATV riding in Northern Ontario for the first time, and just when I thought 2013 would be a flightless year, I jetted off to Costa Rica at the beginning of December on my first press-trip with the Costa Rica Tourism Board.

While I didn’t produce as much content here on the blog as I had wanted to, things really started to kick off with freelance writing and videography gigs. My most viewed video on YouTube, “Top 5 Things To Do in Toronto”, got picked up by Tourism Toronto, I became a monthly contributor for Flight Centre Canada’s travel blog, and I was even interviewed by Toronto Life Magazine about my experience canyoning in Vietnam.

With out a doubt, the best thing that happened in 2013 was getting engaged just before the holidays. I had a strong feeling it was going to happen by the end of the year but I was still blown away by the moment and all the wonderful congratulatory messages we received afterwards.

4 Seasons
2013 through the seasons.

But there I was, sitting with my friends, lamenting about how I couldn’t wait for 2014. Had it not been for the past 4 months, 2013 would have been a really shitty year.

Then I edited the video together.

After watching the completed video back, I was in tears. Each clip brought back all the fun times, the laughter, the friends (old and new), and even the beauty in the simple moments I had experienced. So often do we focus on the bad memories and forget about the great ones. It was then that I realized I didn’t need to have the jump-out-of-an-airplane moment everyday to make a great year and that sometimes the best moments come from the simplest activities.

Looking ahead to 2014, I’m excited about some big things the year will bring; finally moving back in with Tristan since we came back to Toronto, guaranteed employment until the end of April, spending the majority of May in Belgium with my sister, and of course a wedding! But what I’m most looking forward to this year are the finer moments; a chance encounter, a spontaneous decision, new experiences.

I didn’t tell anyone about my video project, instead hoping to capture natural moments. The result was actually a pretty fabulous year and I have all the incredible people in my life to thank for that. So to all my friends and family who wondered why I was always (?!) filming things, this one’s for you.


*Be sure to change the resolution to 1080p for the best experience!

Remember to slow down and enjoy the simple moments this year. Wishing you a fabulous, healthy, and happy 2014!

 

19 thoughts on “A Video Review of 2013, One Second a Day

  1. Woot! GO Arienne! So many great moments this year for you (and Tristan I suppose too in one of the bigger ones). I can’t wait to see what you do with 2014!

  2. This is awesome. I’m so glad I got a chance to know you better in 2013. Congrats on all your milestones.

    I love the idea behind this project. I’m a day late, but I think you’ve inspired me to to try my hand at this in 2014. Maybe it will finally get me into a video groove.

    1. I so want to do this, too, now! Despite the fact that I’m not a videographer… Maybe I’ll train for 2015.

      1. You don’t have to know very much about videography to do this. It’s all about recording a moment from your day. I did most of it with my iPhone. You can totally do it Tammy!

    2. I’m so happy we got to know each other too! And I can’t wait to read about all your travels. Even though it’s a day late, you should definitely give it a go! I think it would be a great way to jump right into doing videos 🙂

  3. STUNNING! Made me cry. You captured 365 gorgeous moments. I’m in absolute awe of your talent (and great food, and great friends, and cute family members)

  4. What a great idea!! Man looks like you were in the snow for a good few months of the year! Looks like you had an amazing year, congratulations!!

    1. Thanks guys! Yup, we sure get our share of snow here in Toronto. And apparently in my first winter back, we got more snow than we had for a number of years. Yeesh!

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  6. Why do I love this video so much???!!!! Because it’s like reading someone’s diary. Really really fun to watch.

  7. This is a SUPER FUN idea. And I LOVE that it reminded you of the gifts (big and small) of the year instead of the harder bits. Beautifully done!

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