Timeline
The project idea started around January 2023 and by May I had the entire video scripted out, including the “not in an edit session” and “a better way to get the string’s shadows” jokes. So by the time I first started using screen capture around July, I had already made the map three times and knew exactly what the video would entail. Finally on October 26th, the day the video went live, every element, sound effect, and audio clip was fully assembled.
Fun Fact: At 5:06 I erroneously call the feature layer a “shapefile”. This is the perfect case that no matter how much time you spend on a project, something always slips by. Not only did I script it that way, I missed it while proof reading, narrating, recording, animating, editing, and finalizing. But hey, I could have called it a hotdog… which come to think of it would have been even funnier.
The project did get away from me time-wise, and I found myself editing the video as a form of relaxation and not making as rapid progress as I could, but that is the beauty of personal projects. (In my defense, the entirety of the We Didn’t Start the Fire music map and a lot of other work on upcoming videos and projects was completed in the intervening time)
The Problem:
This project started when I realized that the last three maps I made at work looked basically the same, despite showing unique information. The legend was on the right (given the shape of the study area), the north arrow was still “ArcGIS North 2”, a 0.2in margin around the sides with a 4pt black to transparent black gradient border surrounding the map itself. All these components, once a conscious decision to bring a cohesive look to the product, simply became a checkbox of routine.
At this same time, I was observing creators such as John Nelson create beautiful pseudo-3D dioramas that popped from the page in the exact same mapping software where I was selecting the same color palette yet again. Aside from marveling at the ingenuity John brought to creatively display data, or comparing a map variation offered by Sarah Bell, or trying to figure out how a map showcased by Ken Fields was presented, I realized that I did not know how to do a surprising amount with the profession I have loved for years. This led me to make the decision to throw out everything I would normally do in making a map, and make one in the most roundabout, simplistically odd, and atypical manner I could.
Why Not Map a Movie?
I have seen maps. I have seen movies. I have seen maps in movies. But a movie map? What would I even show? Where would I find the data? How could I take a weird idea, keep it weird, but also have it be educational for me and enjoyable for others?
The answers to all of those I did not know, but I did know I knew how to make a map. I knew of an interesting movie I enjoyed, so I figured why not take those two kernels of familiarity and go from there.
It was a process to force myself to use tools and settings I had barely touched in normal circumstances. The layout tab for me at the time was just a place to put all the elements and hit export, so I knew this process was going to be an area where I could grow my skills and play around.
The Process
A major point of the project, was a focusing on the layout and various effects, but I didn’t go into the that part in as much detail as I initially wanted. By the time I got to that part I realized the video was already too long to have an in-depth look at that part. I didn’t want to cut down the earlier part, as it fit the pacing of the video I had worked out, so I just had to substitute skimming over the bulk of the finer details. Hopefully the voice-over was enough to make it worth while watching as a viewer, and not feel unresolved.
If I were to completely redo the video, I would make sure to be more cognizant about the material covered and really focus on the layout side of things more as that was the whole point of the project to begin with. That being said, I did sort of paint myself into a corner by targeting an introductory GIS framing at the beginning of the video, talking about what a CSV is and going through the process of getting data into the software. I think it’s all still valid and work, but there was a few extra percent I could have pulled out of it if I had known what I know now.
Final thoughts…
All in all I would say the project was a success. I gained a more in depth understanding of what I could do in the software, stretched my creative skills, and started a now very long list of projects to mess around and play with GIS in a low-stakes environment. This whole process of making the Coffee and Cigarettes map and video has ignited an eagerness in me to not only observe creative cartography projects done by others, but to make some of my own, and maybe one day someone else will be inspired to try making one of their own or to look at what they are working on in a different light.
I appreciate you coming along with me on this odd journey, I will be continuing to make fun and different projects, so feel free to stick around, or else pop by every now and then to see what’s up. And as always… take care!
-Quincy
Quincy's Entertainment 