2020: The Year of the Video

Certainly, when reflecting on 2020, nearly all of us will think of the obvious hardships that pertained to the coronavirus. However, never before in the existence of humanity were we so well equipped to compensate for the lack of social interaction. Perhaps the biggest technological buzzword of 2020 was "Zoom." Had I been smarter, I would have invested in Zoom stock (assuming it is a publicly traded company) back in March. Yet, it was still a busy year as a professional videographer. From virtual high school graduations, community safety messages, sporting events where spectatorship was restricted, to the normal weddings where video became even more integral since so many could not attend, it became apparent just how valuable video was in 2020. And while, particularly for live events, I think we'd all rather attend our children's or grandchildren's high school theatre performance in person, video made it possible for all of us to share those experiences albeit "virtually."

Perhaps the silver lining of 2020 is that we now have become far more adept at both recognizing the value of video, and learning and adapting to systems that can take advantage of video. Prior to 2020, I don't think my parents would have ever attempted to stream a live performance or zoom chat with family. But the lack of in-person connectivity in a way forced their hand – and many others – to learn how to navigate video streaming platforms. And now that we have this learned knowledge and ability, my hope is that we continue to utilize these amazing technological advancements as a means of connecting long after the coronavirus pandemic passes.