Recently, I was out shooting video interviews for a client and experienced a very humbling reminder that sometimes technology can distract us from the obviousness of what is right in front of us.
I had just set up my final scene for the day and was setting the interviewee up for a sound check. After wiring her up, I began to hear a strange ticking static sound in my headphones when she spoke. I checked my settings, the receivers and transmitters, and even replaced the batteries in both microphone units – still “tick tck ttttsch tck”. I moved the location of the mic units and double checked that all cell phones were turned off or removed from the room (often cell signals particularly from smart phones will interfere with a signal when sending out “square” waves due to improper shielding) – still no change. Thinking perhaps the subject’s underwire bra was creating a problem, I relocated the mic and ran the cord up her back – still to no avail.
I was completely dumbfounded by the situation. Nothing in the room was emitting a signal, I had changed the batteries twice, the gear was the same, and no cables were laying across power cords, but still I continued to receive an interference noise. I had done everything a videographer should do, checked everything I could check. My precious equipment was failing me for no reason I could find. Then the subject moved her hair back to reveal large circular earrings.
Having shot many women with necklaces and jewelry and never having encountered a signal interference before, I was curious if earrings could cause the interference I was hearing. She removed her earrings and sure enough, the static sound disappeared.
Whether her adornments were made of a crazy metal or just through an unusual process, I have no idea, but it served as a good reminder that sometimes we need to step back from concentrating on our digital worlds and look at the people behind them. If I had taken a closer look through the lens at the actual person in front of me, I might have noticed the problem sooner.
The same can be said for our flashy websites, elaborate blogs, and hundreds of twitter apps – be sure you look for and connect with the people behind the text. If we forget who all of this is really for and what these tools really serve to do – connect us with other people – then we will be left with nothing but random noise and a confused expression on our faces. Social Networking is about creating relationships, and not even the coolest widget is a substitute for genuine human interaction – on OR off line.
-written by Corrie Davidson, Producer of Digital Media at Anerian, LLC
