A picture will say, “I sew,” while a video will say much more. Spectators have to spend time watching a video – there’s no choice about it – and they have to spend time to see if it’s worth watching or not. If still photography is instant, then video is super-instant. Just click it and let it roll. And after the record button is pressed, the ability to control the process is lost, unlike still photography where a scene can be manipulated post shooting. See why I was fretting over the filming of my online bra making class? So much pressure!
Not too long ago, I filmed my bra making class at my studio, Madalynne Studios. While I’m comfortable being in front of a lens, throwing video into the mix was a total game changer. At first, I was stiff and sounded scripted, but my nerves were soothed after a few takes, thanks to my videographer, Karl, who coached me on acting naturally. It took about 12 hours to film and after talking and being on my feet all day, I was exhausted. It was a wonderful first experience though as I accomplished two things. The first was that through this video, I am giving back… giving back the knowledge I have learned to fellow sewers. As I evolve as a seamstress, it’s important to me that I help the sewers I once was, and give them a helping hand so they can get to where I am today. The second thing I accomplished was an exercise on teaching. While I’ve taught a handful of times, I’ve never held a class in this format or for this duration. So, it was a great trial run of my soon-to-be announced, in-person bra making class here in Philadelphia (email me if you’re interested in attending!). While there was a lot more I wanted to cover and talk about in each clip – there’s just so much to learn about bra making! – each student will receive a takeaway that expands it further. It will be a great addition to an awesome visual tutorial on how to make a full band, cross cup seamed bra, and it will be a permanent resource students can reference again and again.
So here are some behind the scenes shots from the day of filming. If you’re interested in signing up, check out my class and more at thesewingparty.com. I promise, it will be fun. Come on, how could we not have fun? I’m wearing lace! Hillary Clinton has her pant suits and I have my lace.