Manchester’s own Viral Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrkZDw82hNU
In 1985, John Mellencamp wrote a song about his experiences growing up in a small town in Indiana.
It was a song that resonated with many baby boomers who had grown up in small towns all across the country and has been used in a variety of different movies, television shows, and documentaries throughout the years.
Now, it’s being used by the next generation–30-year-0ld Rodney Kidd, who grew up in our “Small Town”–as the background music to an iconic video showcasing the village that has gained a lot of attention, both in Manchester and beyond, over the past few weeks.
Kidd, a graduate of Manchester High School and a 10-year Air Force veteran, is currently a full-time student earning his MBA with a focus on Marketing. He started doing still photography as a hobby about four years ago. Although he’s also shot a variety of paid settings, he found that he particularly enjoyed taking pictures of scenic landscapes, and often compiled his still photographs into videos to share with his family.
“About three months ago I purchased a Phantom 3 Professional (drone), and started using it to capture aerial shots,” he said.
For the Manchester video, he captured and edited all the footage himself. “Video editing programs today are getting more sophisticated and user friendly,” he says.
He did most of the shooting just before sunset to capture the optimal lighting for the video. “The lighting is best at sunrise or sunset,” he explained. “I do a little editing, but if the video is taken during those times the colors of the sky and the ground come out best.”
It was in the course of learning to fly that he was able to get some of the shots that appear in the video, but he says once he got more comfortable, he went back to spend a few days getting smoother shots at sunset, with the intention of creating the video seen on YouTube.
Kidd is amazed at the positive feedback he’s received on his inaugural effort.
“I posted the video on Facebook before I went to bed (one night) and when I woke up I had over 1,500 views,” he says. Within days, the video had more than 5,000 views, which was truly a surprise to him. “I honestly thought I would only receive 1-200 views from my friends on Facebook.”
Of all the feedback, the one that impacted him the most was when a lady approached him asking if she could get the video on a thumb drive. “She said she wanted to save it for her children and grandchildren,” he explained. “The video struck a chord with her, and I was glad she enjoyed it that much.”
Kidd’s plans for the future include getting a license from the FAA in order to be able to use his drone commercially for weddings, real estate, special events, and more.
“In the meantime I love to fly and create videos so I should have more videos to come encompassing Manchester,” he says. “I am just happy that people can see the positives about drones. They really can offer a new perspective.”
Kidd notes that there’s been a lot of negative media attention about the use of drones, but believes if the rules and regulations are followed, they are extremely safe to operate. He also is sensitive to personal privacy and tries to avoid photographing areas at times when many people are present, especially the schools. But he does keep his drone and camera in his vehicle, so if he sees something of interest, he can film it–assuming it’s within FAA guidelines.
“There are over half a million drones registered in the United States,” he says. “The productive use of drones is just starting to surface. Like anything, it’s the select few that don’t follow the rules, which can create negative images of the hobby.”
Thanks to this young man on the cutting edge of a new phenomenon, Manchester is looking good online!
See more local videos photographed by Rodney Kidd at his YouTube Channel, HERE
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