Desperately needing a break from my latest writing project—a Christmas movie that’s more The Deer Hunter than It’s A Wonderful Life—I decided to get a little video editing practice in.

So, I clicked on over to Pexels.com to peruse their huge selection of stock footage.

For the record, I’m neither afilliated with, nor do I receive compensation from, the Pexels.

I simply enjoy their high quality still photography and video clips.

My goal was to find enough similar clips to piece together something that would allow me to get some more time at the editing desk.

Boy was I in luck.

I love-love-love black and white photography, so I searched their B&W selection and was not disappointed.

I downloaded about two dozen clips and then jumped on my editing software Microsoft ClipChamp.

Say what you want, but for basic trailers, proof-of-concepts, and sizzle reels, it does a nice job.

It’s no DaVinci Resolve but, then, you don’t have to spend months or years figuring it out, either.

I see you dusty copy of DaVinci side-eyeing me from my desktop.

I promise I’ll learn you just as soon as … wait, what’s that over there!?

Anyway, I took my favorite piece of classical music, Erik Satie’s Gnossiennes, which just so happened to be available in ClipChamp’s fairly robust music library.

Damn, I do sound like a commercial … but I swear I’m no shill.

Wait, that’s exactly what a shill would say.

Any-hooooooo …

I just imported the track into ClipChamp and started arranging the video clips here and there until a kinda-sorta story began to emerge.

Granted, what I ended up with looks more like one a them existential Johnny Depp perfume commercials.

But, it gave me a few hours of practice with transitions, pacing, and sound design.

There’s plenty wrong with it, I know that.

For starters, the ocean sounds are too loud and the music too quiet.

Plus, WHAT THE F— IS GOING ON HERE!?

Ultimately, it got me away from the screenplay long enough to remind me why I’m a writer and not a video editor.