Tilt-shift videos probably aren't new to most readers, but this particular entry in the genre is noteworthy for its playful sound effects and the comical moments it captures.
Titled Saigon Surge, this 1:53 video was created by Dylan Dickerson, an American videographer and creative director. It features scenes from across Saigon: Vo Van Kiet Boulevard, Nguyen Hue walking street and the river.
While many videos focus on grand cityscapes, Dickerson instead zooms on a collection of small, often hilarious, moments. For example, a fender-bender in the middle of a busy intersection, a taxi pulling an illegal u-turn, a man entering an outhouse on a barge, etc.
This is all accompanied by a good soundtrack that is a far cry from the techno/EDM often used on YouTube, as well as well-placed sound effects such as footsteps, people slurping bubble tea, and boats puttering down the river.
In an email, Dickerson explained his filmmaking background to Saigoneer: "When I was little, I used to make home movies with my cousin and brothers and always seemed to have a camera in hand. I grew up loving movies and still do to this day, which could be a reason why I have such an interest in filmmaking."
He has since done commercial work, but his passion lies in creating films about cultures and people: "My goal is always to evoke emotion in my viewers, but a more profound goal when creating my videos is to allow people to connect with people from different cultures that they possibly will never have the opportunity to connect with."
In order to create Saigon Surge, Dickerson filmed in three areas: "I maybe stayed at each location for one hour each and filmed from a high angle shooting down." He then created the tilt-shift effect in post-production, as he doesn't own the lenses needed to create that look.
When asked how he caught the whimsical moments mentioned above, Dickerson put it down to chance: "I bet I could have found more had I scrubbed the footage a little deeper. It definitely was mostly luck, although I feel like some of those comical occurrences are pretty common in Saigon. I was pretty shocked when I saw the little fender-bender though."
Enjoy Saigon Surge below:
[Images via YouTube user Dylan John]
