Caterpillar, this thread is really only for discussion of fic. All fic posting goes in the Buffista Fic thread.

Thanks a bunch, Dana. Will immerse.

What I understand to be the bad vidding choices usually involve:

• lots of shots of people talking
  
• not fast enough cuts
  
• over-reliance on lyrics to get your meaning across (particularly for romantic songs)
  
• showing precisely the visual image that matches the lyric, but the context of the image from the show is wrong, so the emotions don't match
  
• over-reliance on flashy editing techniques that don't fit with the song or the show
  
• picking a song that doesn't match the show, like AC/DC for a LoTR vid

Those are a few that come to mind

like AC/DC for a LoTR vid

t am suddenly consumed with a deep, burning desire to do something LotR-ish to Dirty Deeds or Big Balls

A big problem is still shots, too. Shots or clips where nothing is actually going on: there's no movement either by the characters in the scene or the camera. Makes for a very dull vid.

I was just watching one of Roach's vids with a filmmaker in the room. After he picked his jaw up off the floor about how much time and knowledge of the source material it takes (I explained to him I can tentatively find scenes to make 1/4 a vid just by running through my mental files -- and that actual vidders will be better than that). Then he started critiquing it.

It was interesting to hear his commentary (however brief) from someone with no knowledge of fandom whatsoever. He wanted more narrative. Thought that the clips could have been selected and had their context manipulated to make more story.

Mostly I thought it was a very boring remix of Lady Marmalade.

Yeah, I'm not overwhelmed by that one either. You want good-vid rec?

ETA: Wait, I've given you good-vid rec before... well, only in SG though, I think.

So a vidder has to balance the story they want to tell with the actual show context of the clip they choose so that there's not too much cognitivie dissonance? Tricky.

Wait, I've given you good-vid rec before... well, only in SG though, I think.

Yes, yes you have.

I was interested in feeding my jones for women fighting -- I'll go through the rest of Roach's vids later.

So a vidder has to balance the story they want to tell with the actual show context of the clip they choose so that there's not too much cognitivie dissonance? Tricky.

Yes and no. Depends on how familiar the viewer is with the source, and sometimes you can work against the source--there's a very funny Stargate vid where a lot of the clips are completely out of context, and yet work. (Come to think of it, one could make an argument something like that for slash vids in general, though in that case it's usually scenes that were intended to be emotionally resonant to begin with.)

But yeah, mostly you have to expect that the viewer's going to recognize that scene, and be all "okay, they're kissing, but it turns out he's shapeshifted! It's not him at all! That's not a romantic scene, it's creepy!"

Bonus BtVS Women (well, and men) Fight Vid: "Fight!" which can be found here. Techno Bach!