In creating science videos, we usually are tempted to cram in as much information as possible. However, sometimes we are better off keeping things simple and unencumbered by a lot of facts, figures, and explanations. I decided to see if I could create a one-minute video about a science topic with no narration and minimal text. Putting such restrictions on ourselves can often help spark our creativity.

I was in Duluth, Minnesota last week for a conference and had a chance to drive along the shoreline of Lake Superior. There, I saw an example of primary succession from bare rock (basaltic lava) to lichens, mosses, small herbs, grasses, and shrubs and trees and thought this might be a good opportunity to do a “minimialist” video.

So how does one get across the concept of primary succession without voice-over narration or a “talking head” appearing on camera? After thinking a bit about how to go about this, I decided to walk from the rock outcrop at the lake edge to where the forest began and film my feet as they passed over each vegetation sequence. The idea was to use the spatial sequence of vegetation to illustrate the successional sequence, which is how scientists have traditionally studied succession. Then all I needed to do was trim the footage, insert brief text indicating the changes in major vegetation types, and add music. I included a more technical explanation in the description of the video for anyone interested in more scientific detail (watch on YouTube to view the description).