The Percolator Blog :: Elliott Smith

I really do want to believe this story is real. That somehow a guy in New York found a film canister in the snow and, struck by the beauty of the shots taken in during the New York blizzard, has made it his mission to find the owners. But there’s something about it that doesn’t ring true, whether it’s the fact that he starts out by saying he wanted “more adventure” in his life this year — and the response he’s getting will certainly give him that — or the way the whole video seems to be more about him than the mission. But I do want to believe it.

Then again, I can say the same thing about a great ad campaign: If it’s a compelling story then I really want to believe it’s real. And in that sense, whether it’s real or not is irrelevant. The main thing is that like any great story, it engages us enough that it feels real.

Absolutely nothing to do with marketing or design or any of that stuff. Just a video of people doing amazing stuff and not failing. It struck me that this type of content — not laughing at other people’s failures — is fairly rare or, at least, not that viral.

Best watched with your own soundtrack, in my opinion. Might I suggest Alright by Supergrass, or perhaps Body Movin’ by The Beastie Boys starting at around 00:1:00?