August 09, 2011
Shaare Zedek Video and Rodney Winfield Interview
Most of the videos on YouTube about specific stained glass windows in specific installations are bad. I see dozens a year and the majority are unwatchable past a few seconds. Often, the sound/photography/editing quality is poor and the speaker is inarticulate, so the stained glass comes off poorly, even if the stained glass itself is good (which usually it isn't).
This video is an exception. The Rabbi's narrative is interesting and connected with the subject, and the sound quality is good. The photography and editing is simple but well done. Mercifully, there is no cheesy music slathered over the whole thing to try and evoke a mood. It shows what can be done well, even when the budget is not big.
Rodney Winfield as a stained glass designer is best known for the Space Window at the National Cathedral, the one with the moon rock incorporated into the panel.
photos via CC, from flickrite ehpien.
click to enlarge
Also posted today by Bud Dillon, the same one who made the Shaare Zedek video - a video of a brief interview with the Rodney Winfield on the creation of the Space Window. The interview is not as well made as the Shaare Zedek video, and it's way too short (4 1/2 minutes), but it is always good to see a face associated with a name. Plus, there are a few interesting bits of information.