Control Track
The month is late August. The year 1987. I have trapped myself in my 1980 red Chevrolet Chevette, a stick shift I keep bucking and grinding as I drive down the freeway in the middle of the night. Trapped as in I refuse to turn around, my course is so set in my heart of stone. I am 17 years old and running away from home. My goal here is to drive all the way to New York City where I have convinced myself I will meet a street band and persuade them to welcome me as their new leadsinger. We will then become the biggest rock band of the Nineties.
There is someone I still need to consult. One I must ask as to what His feelings are as to what I am doing. I look through my windshield at the night sky and say: ” I just want to know what You think?” On that same freeway, driving before my Chevette is a work truck with stocks of wood piled in its back bed. Right after I had just spoken, a stick of wood falls out of the bed of that work truck and my Chevette drives over the stick causing my car to hit the stick of wood and to fly into the air. I am close to death astounded I was given an answer.
The month is December. The day the 6th. 2019. Comet Borisov will fly near the sun in two days. I am sitting by my closest companion, my computer. I spend eight hours give or take in this corner of my basement room. In order to help me survive my isolated life I click on my close companion and type poetry. Typically, I feel better after writing a poem and reading what I have typed but I still feel frustrated this time. I think because I know I still have to really write a book. Borisov is from what I read supposed to fly by or near Earth in 22 days.
The year 2000. The date is May 3rd. I am graduating from Madonna University with a Bachelor Degree in Liberal Arts. My proud face with its smile will be on 10,000 flyers for the school. I will find this out after having written a slogan chosen by Madonna University only they did not really use the slogan in their advertising. Rather, they advertised me. The slogan I submitted to the contest:" Multicultural, Economical, and Ecumenical....Madonna University." I would first be informed of my win by my video professor only weeks after having so needed his help to complete a video for a bank that I was surprised came in first place in a corporate competition. Yes, there was this blossoming at work, but where was I? In my cap and gown walking all around still sort of missing something that 3rd of May.
The field for my degree is Television and Video Communications. I really was not a good student. I am the type who does not pay enough attention if any attention and I am not a team player I admit to all this. This interfered with my work in the Television Production Techniques courses where our student body had to work as a production team on a live television show. What I had going for me did show in the Field Production and Editing and Advanced Editing courses. These classes allowed for me to work on my own.
I remember working with Electronic Field Production cameras and using linear editing ( with a control track ) and then non-linear editing ( no control track ). A control track was simply an erased videotape you used to lay your edits on, or I could be wrong. Most likely I am. I had an employer tell me once:" Your retention value is low." My video professor told me: " You're terribly creative."
I lost my control track when I was given my answer, when my Chevette flew into the air hitting the fallen piece of wood. It was, not as if, but my car was lofted into the next lane or I would not have survived. No way. I did feel quite a shake up at first, my Chevette tipped and toppled while flying. Still kept driving, like a fiendish brat not caring while fully knowing there is a God who responds, who cares, who understands.
I just now recall while editing video what term is used for going back and forth with your source footage: jog, jogging. Yeah, like the exercise, we are going to jog a few years ahead and then maybe come back again. It will be nutty, non-linear, who thinks, who talks linear?
I really enjoyed the mood and depth in your story, it paints such vivid imagery.
It made me think how powerful it could be as a visual piece or c0mic.
I’m involved in visual storytelling, and your work caught my attention.
Let me know if you’d like to connect.