Saturday, March 23, 2013

To This Day

I rarely post videos, but I think this one is a must see for everyone.

I could tie it to writing. I could talk about the beautiful way Shane Koyczan blends words together, the cadence and the power of his voice. How to build a character in just a few words. The pace of the story as it ebbs and flows, yet constantly builds to a climax. The way the illustrator finds the heart of the story and showcases that heart with incredible imagery. The power of the combination of words, music, graphics and pauses.

But I won't.

It's much more powerful than that.

I know it's 7 minutes, but it might just change you. Trust me - it's worth it.



Get a better mirror.
They were wrong.

Thanks Shane.

37 comments:

DEZMOND said...

powerful indeed!
Happy Weekend, Jemi!

DEZMOND said...

powerful indeed!
Happy Weekend, Jemi!

Jemi Fraser said...

Karen - you're welcome!

Dezzy - I agree - same to you! :)

Harvee said...

Amazing work!

Jemi Fraser said...

BD - it really is, isn't it! :)

Luanne G. Smith said...

Good stuff. They should probably run it as a public service announcement daily.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Powerful and sad. Kids are so selfish and cruel, and some never grow out of that.

Jemi Fraser said...

LG - that would be a great idea!

Alex - agreed - sadly I probably see more cruel and nasty adults than I do kids.

Unknown said...

Inspiring for sure. Thank you so much for sharing this.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Wow! I don't usually watch videos but this was powerful. Thanks for sharing it.

Jemi Fraser said...

Melissa - you're so welcome.

Natalie - I don't usually watch them either - but this one gives me chills!

Jemi Fraser said...

Jeff - wow indeed. :)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

That was powerful. Reminds me of why I don't go by my first name.

Jemi Fraser said...

Diane - and that's so frustrating. We should all be allowed to be who we are without fear.

Anonymous said...

I recently watched this video on someone else's blog - can't remember whose it was now.

Like you say, it's worth the 7 minutes. Exceptionally narrated and well put together.

It was good to watch it again. Sad, but good.

Kez said...

Wow, so very powerful. And unfortunately so very true :(

Jemi Fraser said...

Wendy - sad, but good -- exactly! Wish it wasn't so true.

Kez - it really is!

Rosalind Adam said...

That's so sad. Thanks for sharing.

Jemi Fraser said...

Rosalind - it is! ANd it happens far too often. We need to treat each other with compassion!

DMS said...

Wow! Thanks for sharing. This is a powerful video for so many reasons. The writing, the voice, the characters...just wow!
~Jess

Jemi Fraser said...

Jess - that was exactly my reaction when I first saw it too! Amazing.

MarcyKate said...

Wow, thank you for sharing this. It made me cry, especially the bit about the girl being called ugly. That was me in 4th through 6th grade - every day a group of girls followed me around telling me I was fat and ugly. Teachers might tell them to stop, but it was always only a brief reprieve. It didn't define me, but it followed me into high school and certainly shaped my pre-college experience with school! This video was just so beautifully done. :)

Jemi Fraser said...

MarcyKate - wow - I'm so sorry you had to go through that. And I'm so glad it didn't define you. We work so hard at our school to get kids to really respect each other and to understand the power of kindness. I hope it's working.

I think Shane did SUCH an amazing job with this. So powerful.

Mason Canyon said...

Well worth watching. Thanks for sharing.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress

Jemi Fraser said...

Mason - I think so too! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi, Jemi. Thanks for sharing this video.

Jemi Fraser said...

Susanne - you're very welcome.

Mel Kinnel (@TizMellyMel) said...

Wow! Thanks for sharing! Very powerful.

Jemi Fraser said...

Mel - you're very welcome. Shane & co have done an amazing job!

Maria said...

Jemi you're right - it's a work of art!

Charmaine Clancy said...

Incredible. This should be shown in the classroom.

Laura Pauling said...

I think this is shown in the classroom. My daughter came home from school and showed it to me! Powerful.

Jemi Fraser said...

Maria - I agree - it really is!

Charmaine - it's being shown in a lot of classes up here in Canada. It's a little intense for the younger ones, but I know a lot of teachers are using it.

Laura - I'm glad to hear that! It really is powerful! :)

Nas said...

OMG, Jemi! The message is so powerful and true.

Jemi Fraser said...

Nas - I know! I was floored when I first saw it - such powerful writing and the entire production is amazing.

Teacher-Mom said...

Wow.I shall share this very powerful message with people I hope will be able to make a difference.Thank you.

Jemi Fraser said...

T-Mom - thank you for spreading the word - I think it's an incredibly important message!