The Truth | M*A*S*H
'The Truth' is an edit based upon the TV series M*A*S*H. It portrays the dominant message of the show: that war has unrepentant consequences on the human spirit, even despite the salve of companionship.
Although the brilliance of the show merits celebration in itself, I created this edit as a gift to my mother for Christmas. Although she has not a clue, she is very important to me in significant ways and even in some ways that are not so significant. To encapsulate this without troubling her with my poor articulation, the idea for this edit was born. You see, she is an avid fan of the show and has viewed it dozens of times over since she was around six years old. I accepted beforehand that any meagre success I could have with an edit could barely graze the ankles of the impact that M*A*S*H had upon her, but that is the same with all I do.
All in all, I slaved over this edit for two and a half weeks of my Christmas holidays, working almost day and night. I would work on it whenever she was out of the room, which, I may divulge, was very often.
I recall those nights, in which I would finally complete a segment, feeling as if it would never end and perseverance is worthless. I would drag my feet up the stairs at 3 o'clock in the morning, fearing retribution for the late hour in the form of her shouting.
I recall those days, in which I would sit at the computer, quietly polishing a sequence with the volume as low as possible. I would also adopt a low volume while she stood and accused me hotly of doing 'nothing at all' my time; of being purportedly lazy.
How terrible I felt! How hurt! But I knew it did not evince my idleness, of which my life has otherwise been fraught with; it was simply evidence of how high-strung and under-appreciated she felt, evolved over years of obtrusive silence among the people she cared for with life and limb.
I have never been very articulate. Therefore, I hope this edit suffices in changing her perspective. With outstanding luck, she may even be able to sit through this.
I thank you very much if you can persevere to view it, too.
A/N - Catalogue of Technical Difficulties
This was certainly my most challenging fanvid so far. Firstly, it was difficult to get hold of appropriate footage. Then there was the matter of altering cropping, frame rates and sound quality to allow the project to run smoothly and consistently. This is a natural part of the editing process to reduce distractions and focus on the message, but due to the age and scarcity of the clips, it was much more difficult than usual to achieve this.
When I eventually finalised it, I encountered another complication while reviewing for errors. During the second phase, a single sound column had been briefly and slightly altered for no discernible reason other than a computer glitch. Although marginal, it broke the pattern of the timing and thus formed an unmistakable distraction. Left alone, it would also break the focus of the viewer. It took close to three days to resolve it, as it was persistent in relapsing with each attempted solution.
Checkpoints: Commenced fan video on 1st December. Completed the first draft on the 15th December. Polished the edit and fixed sound glitches from 21st December - 24th December. I gave my mother her gift on 25th December, Christmas Day 2015, at 8pm, just after the nightly screening of M*A*S*H ended.
Upon reviewing this information, I seemed to have put a bit of time and effort into this. In truth, I am not particularly happy with the result. But it is not for me. I hope my mother will accept it as it is - and me.
Music: Rise - John Dreamer
The Truth | M*A*S*H