From Slides to Tape to Streaming: Nordwin Alberts, Moving Stills

Experimental Film

Alberts says he likes the industrial and promotional work, but he said he also takes time to do more experimental work.

"I shot an experimental video in my back garden," said Alberts, "so that I could learn about how to use macro. As I shot the video clips, a story formed in my head. Then I found the narrated words and the music to go with it, just like I had in the days of doing multi-projector slide shows."

Biking in the rain to interview Alberts in the town of Ossenzijl, I'd done my best to dodge hundreds of slugs and snails that had been congregated on the bike path to escape the soggy ground on either side. So I wasn't surprised to learn that Alberts' experimental video featured macro shots of a snail he'd found in his back garden.

"I needed a subject that didn't move very fast," said a laughing Alberts, "so I chose a snail."

The result of Alberts' experimenting can be seen on the Moving Stills website under the portfolio section, or here below:

"One of the benefits of streaming," said Alberts, "is that you can put sample videos online, and potential customers can see what you've done. This means that even experimental work, the work you do to practice and learn, can be available for others to see. They may like your translation and want you to do something else."

Future Opportunities in Online Video

As far as the future, Alberts foresees many opportunities. "Using video on website home pages," he said, "customers can count on higher places on the Google ranking. That gives us great marketing opportunities for new and existing customers. Yet production budgets are dropping lower, so we must be able to find creative ways to answer to the market needs within these budget ranges."