Video Catch Up!

Up, animal video time. Mostly cats, but, you know... I really should try to make videos about other things.

Lelu and the Bag of Catnip


Lelu is a (lazy) Gamer


I Caught a Deer ...


Mystic Enjoying the Back Deck


Mystic Drinks in Slomo


Slow Motion Humming Bird


Mommy CC


Lelu and the Ribbon


Patch and Tiny

Lost then Found

The other day I was going through a folder on my computer that contains the images from a camera I had years ago. I had forgotten that I had shot some video with it. It's very low quality video, but still they were cute shots of the cats that I would like to keep. So, I have made each one into it's own little (very low quality) scrapbook type video:


Mystic Loves the Outside - September 25, 2004



He-She Wants a Treat (people food) - October 3, 2004



Sweet Little Dusty - June 5, 2005



Friendly is a Pretty Boy - July 30, 2005



Friendly Loves to Play with String - August 14, 2005



Mystic & Friendly Dislike Each Other - August 14, 2005



He-She is Crazy for the Catnip Toys - November 10, 2007

The Old Girl and the Old Boy

During the last 8 months or so I have spent most of my video shooting and editing time concentrating on either the nature around me or the homeless/feral kitties that we have been caring for and socializing in hopes that they can be adopted.

During this time I have unintentionally neglected the furbabies that are ours. I have done a few videos on our Chubby Girl Lelu and one on our Tiny Girl Tks. Up to ten days ago I had only done one on our Old Boy He-She and none on our Old Girl Mystic. And I have yet to do any on our Ginger Boy Friendly and our Dirty Boy Hey-Spike (I swear I've never met a cat who could as dirty as quickly as him).

I'll be attempting to fix that going forward. For now here are the recent videos I did about Mystic and He-She:

Mystic


He-She

Goal #12 – Broadcast myself in video form

Since I discovered the breadth of the YouTube community, I have become obsessed with vlogs. I was unaware  that they existed to the extent they do, until October 2010. I knew people uploaded videos and some people recorded themselves detailing their lives and goings on, but I was surprised to uncover how common this practice actually is.

My desire to create a vlog myself comes from my curiosity as to whether or not I could actually create one that is interesting and cohesive. It's kind of a challenge. One that I need to plan out a bit and get my head around. Until then I am more than happy to continue watching the YouTubers I enjoy and who inspire me (small list - there are still so many more):

http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers
http://www.youtube.com/user/wheezywaiter
http://www.youtube.com/user/Nanalew
http://www.youtube.com/user/elmify
http://www.youtube.com/user/booksandquills

the first of the spring rains

I'm so happy the seasons are in the midst of changing. Just one week from today will be the first official day of spring.

The journey from after Christmas and New Years until the thaw of spring is always a long one.

He-She and the Denim Cat-Nip Heart

Playing with the iPhone video I took of my boy He-She and a denim cat-nip heart:

Birthday Flowers

New video staring my one of my birthday bouquets.

Goal #3 – Become a YouTuber (kind of)

I have watched YouTube for a very long time. After all, I am a cat lady, and YouTube is the hub of cat related video entertainment.

Somehow, however, I managed to completely miss the community that is YouTube. I have been slowly uncovering this over the last few months, and have found myself addicted.

While I may never create an entertaining skit, or do a parody of a popular song (believe me, you don't want to hear me sing), I may one day do a vlog. Until that day I am content to create videos related to what's around me in an attempt to capture this year.

I'm not saying I'm any good at this, or that my videos are all that entertaining, but I enjoy making them. And, as I go not only am I teaching myself about video production, I'm also learning about myself.

My YouTube channel:  http://www.youtube.ca/ellygrandy

First Video:


Favourite Video:


Most Recent Video:

A New Year Starts Every Day...

"Time for a fresh start" by James Oconnell
 @ www.behance.net

I have been meaning to write this post for just over three months now. Yes, it was suppose to be a New Years post about my “goals” for 2011. I had made a few lame attempts at starting it, but they never went very far. Was it because I'm a hopeless procrastinator? Or maybe the fact the my mind can be so scrambled I have a hard time organizing my thoughts into cohesive strings of text? It could be. But to be honest, I'm not one for making “New Years Resolutions”. It just hasn't been something I have really done in my life. But, I thought maybe it would be a good way to start of the year for this blog. After all I haven't actually been making any real effort with it yet, and that is something I want to do. I kept putting the process off, making little excuses for myself. Then it just seemed irrelevant.

So much time had past since the year started, but my birthday was coming up. Bright Idea – Birthday Year Goals. What I would strive to achieve between birthday 2011 and birthday 2012. Well, my birthday came and went and I still put off sitting down and gathering my thoughts.

No more. Here I am. And here's the list:

1. Read More – I mean novels. Not more blogs, not magazines, not the back of the cereal box.
2. Try my hand at animation in some from. Learning to make a ball bounce is a good start.
3. Make a video a week and post to YouTube. This could be the weather, the cats, anything.
4. Capture an image of something everyday with the camera on my iPhone. The sky, a tree, probably a cat. Anything at all. Post it to this blog. Possibly through Daily Booth.
5. Take more pictures in general. I have cameras. I should use them.
6. Procrastinate less. Just damn well do it. This blog, case in point.
7. Do at least one sun salutation a day. I learned yoga, so I should use it!
8. Learn to use Adobe After Effects. Motion graphics! It's the future of graphic design, right?
9. Relearn Flash. This also relates to #2.
10. Travel. I have to do this one alone, so I need to start small. It could be a weekend trip to White Point.
11. Go to the beach. Stand at the edge of the Atlantic ocean for the first time in 20 years.
12. Create an actual vlog and post it before my birthday 2012.
13. Use the dollar store canvases I purchased years ago. After completing each painting, photograph and then donate each to the Salvation Army.
14. Lose weight, get healthy, eat better, move more. Vlog about it?
15. Be present in each moment. Appreciate everything.
16. Blog at least once a week. Capture this year, here, on this blog. In words, in pictures, in video.

This list isn't really in a particular order. Just how it came out. I've probably missed a few things I hope to do, but that's okay. I have to learn to embrace change as well.