Two Pianos

A Video Documentary by George Ning

"As editor-in-chief of this magazine, and an avid writer myself, it should come as no surprise that I believe firmly in the power of the written word. In fact, for a long time, I was kind of a snob about it. “Sure, movies are fun and music can be emotional, but no artistic medium—especially one produced by a high-schooler—can tell stories as well as a good piece of writing,” I thought. Then, without knowing he was about to do it, Lamplighter editor George Ning dismantled my pompous opinion about writing and put me in my place during our Multimedia Production class last December. He did so with the award-winning video that you can watch here. It’s hard to describe, because—as I discovered that day in the classroom—it engages in a kind of storytelling that’s beyond the capacity of simple words. On the surface, the video is about a tsunami, an artist, two pianos, and our school. But in just four minutes, George explores themes that are far deeper than this: memory, community, loss, the human condition, and more. He envelopes your senses with music and visuals that stay with you long after the video ends. It genuinely feels like a professional creation. Take four minutes between now and your next class to watch the video. Feel free to send me an angry email if you regret it, but I know you won’t—I promise.”

—Soren Anderson-Flynn