Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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THE SET — The invention and use of slow motion has been around almost as long as the invention of film itself, and it’s now a well-used technique that we hardly even notice any more.
If you’re Michael Bay or John Woo, you use it liberally in action films to show us just how impressive a character is as he or she walks slowly away from a massive explosion without looking back. If you’re Wes Anderson, you use it to “assemble” a rag tag group of determined characters as they move toward the camera. And if you’re a directing a period piece, you use it with high-drama music as someone runs down a hall with a tail coat or cape flailing behind them, rushing to save the sick or dying.
But if you’re YouTube user Eran Amir, you don’t use slow motion at all — you just look like you do.
In this video called "Fast Slow Motion," it looks like Amir has made a slow motion, chain reaction video like so many others that haunt the internet. Instead, Amir has specialized his props and movements to achieve the slow-mo effect. He basically made a stop-motion film of himself in real time, which takes an impressive amount of planning and discipline.
That, in and of itself, is worth the watch, but as a special bonus, the music paired with the video makes for an oddly soothing experience. Personally, I found myself relaxing into the sights and sounds with a meditative ease, which means I ended up watching the video several times, of course.
“Fast Slow Motion” is part of a trilogy of videos Amir made recently, and all the films are worth a watch. Check out "This Video Is in Reverse" and "Black & White (In Colour)" to complete the journey.