Day in 60 Seconds

This film was made for my Visual Storytelling class, and it marks the first time I've ever made a film. The assignment was simple: create a film capturing your day in 60 seconds. My first thought was, "I don’t do anything interesting, how the hell am I supposed to fill up 60 seconds with that?" I spent weeks leading up to the filming process grappling with this, unsure how I could make something meaningful out of a seemingly mundane day. As someone who wants their work to have meaning, I just couldn’t see how a normal, unremarkable day could translate into a film that had depth. But, eventually, it clicked.

In my research, I found that many similar films have an upbeat, happy feel, showcasing the small things people do throughout the day. I remember thinking to myself, "How do people live like this every day?" It dawned on me that most days aren’t filled with excitement or joy. Most days are just boring, ordinary, and, in the moment, they feel meaningless. We tend to forget the mundane ones, and we only remember the truly great or devastating days. This became the backbone of my concept. I wanted to capture the feeling that most of our days go by unnoticed, and only the peaks or valleys stand out in our memories.

With this basis, I wrote the script with the help of my girlfriend, Avery Rugg, who gave me some great input. While simplifying the story for a 60-second film, I still feel it conveys the message I wanted. There were a lot of cuts, but I don’t think it feels rushed. The challenge was fitting the emotional beats into such a short timeframe while still making it clear that the message was about the quiet, forgotten moments of life, and how meaningless it can all feel. This script became the foundation, and I built the visual elements around it, carefully selecting moments of my own day to portray the feeling of time passing in silence.

One of my favorite parts of the film is the music. I’ve taught myself to play piano to a basic level, and one of the songs I’ve learned is Moral of the Story by Ashe. The melancholy tone of the song felt perfect for what I was trying to convey. During the scenes where I’m spiraling or reflecting on the monotony of the day, the song’s gentle yet somber melody paired with my slight mistakes on the piano adds a layer of vulnerability. The imperfections in my playing seem to capture the feeling of being stuck in the routine, but still making something beautiful out of it.

However, making this film was not without its struggles. I encountered more technical difficulties than I ever imagined. My SD card corrupted not once, but twice, and the camera I was using had a bizarre issue, saying it didn’t have a battery, even though the camera was powered on and the battery was inside. To top it off, Premiere Pro decided to crash at every possible opportunity, and my PC started to feel like it was on the verge of giving up. At one point, I honestly thought I might have to scrap the whole project and start over. But through perseverance (and a lot of patience), I managed to push through all the technical hiccups. The fact that this film even exists is honestly a small miracle.

In the end, this project was both a personal journey and a technical learning experience. I realized that meaning can be found in the most ordinary moments, and that those small, forgotten days are just as important as the extraordinary ones. This film also taught me a lot about the power of collaboration, the beauty of imperfection, and the value of pushing through obstacles. While I may have faced a lot of challenges along the way, I’m incredibly proud of the final product, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow as a filmmaker.