I keep reading about how low cost video cameras and ‘intuitive’ user-friendly editing system are soon going to lead to a ‘revolution’ in filmmaking – how anyone will soon be able to pick up a camera, shoot some footage, fire wire it onto their Mac – and then rent a tux for Oscar night.

But the people who believe this are missing a key part of the equation:  the ability to tell a story.  How many people do you know who can tell a story, can captivate you with small details and engage you in a narrative structure that physically mesmerizes you?

Watch this.

Wait For Me (3 Minute Documentary) from Red Light Films on Vimeo.

It’s one camera, a short interview, and some b-roll from a previous shoot.  (This is the guy who made ‘Born into Brothels.’) But it grabs you and makes you want to know “what happens next.”

And from where I stand, “what happens next” trumps “automatic focus and backlight reduction” any day of the week.