End of Year Vidding Meme '08!

[beccatoria]

So this is a little premature since it's not the end of the year and I currently have my last thearchive2 vidlet going through redrafting so there's a small chance that may fall on this side of the divide. But I am an impatient person and therefore am going to post this NAO! SO THERE!

So, first a general retrospective. This is the first time I've done one of these because this is the first year where I've really felt like a vidder. I actually made my first vid at the end of '05 and between then and April '08, I made seven more. Which is a respectable number and yes, by the end of that time I'd stopped fighting the label "vidder". I felt it was technically appropriate and obviously I took pride in my vids and tried hard to improve and do interesting things with them. But I routinely went for like, eight months without making a single vid. It wasn't the primary way I engaged with fandom.

In the last eight months, though, I've made five vids and twenty-one (soon to be twenty-two) vidlets. I've engaged in two different collaborative projects, and vidded in more styles and tried to do more things than, like, ever before. And it's been glorious. Insane at times, but glorious. This year has been good to my creativity in that I spent the first half of it unemployed and doing this stuff to keep me from going mad with boredom, and the second half of the year in a bizarrely stressful job in a country where I can't even read signs properly and I do it to keep me from going mad from stress. Usually I respond to stress by shutting down. Apparently, though, I reach a critical point and just completely refuse to acknowledge reality using crazy vidding as a crutch in this regard. GO ME.

So. 2008. The Year Vidding Ate Me. I have no idea if it'll continue. It almost certainly won't at this pace, but I do hope I continue to interact with fandom as an active vidder.



Because I am freakishly monofannish (this year especially), these are all Battlestar Galactica vids.

January

None.

February

None.

March

None.

April

11 - Tomorrow -20: What kind of world? (vidlet; with cyborganize)
18 - Tomorrow -19: In the Beginning (vidlet; with cyborganize)
26 - Tomorrow -18: Cartography (vidlet; with cyborganize)

May

2 - Tomorrow -17: Atom Smasher (vidlet; with cyborganize)
8 - Tomorrow -16: Era of Communication (vidlet; with cyborganize)
16 - Tomorrow -15: American Engineers (vidlet; with cyborganize
29 - Tomorrow -14: Reckless Driving (vidlet; with cyborganize)

June

5 - Tomorrow -13: These Divorces (vidlet; with cyborganize)
6 - Ghosts (vid)
16 - Tomorrow -12: Television (vidlet; with cyborganize)
26 - Tricks (vid)

July

7 - Tomorrow -11: In the Suburbs (vidlet; with cyborganize)
13 - The Ladies' Choice (vid; with asta77)
22 - there's a war going on for your mind, laura (vid)

August

24 - Scar (vidlet)

September

1 - The Book of Kara (vidlet)
7 - Somebody Told Me... (vidlet)
14 - Manifesto. (vidlet)
20 - Memo: Re: Revolution (vidlet)
29 - Traditional Cylon Lullaby (vidlet)

October

7 - Five Loves Six Found (vidlet)
14 - I Want to be Evil (vidlet)
23 - Saul Tigh: A & B (vidlet)

November

2 - Televangelism (vidlet)

December

12 - Sunday Bloody Sunday: Mambo Remix (vidlet; concept: cyborganize & original: tallulah71)

18 - Dolled-up in Straps (vid)

Ta-da!



Favourite

there's a war going on for your mind, laura. I really feel like I did something interesting with that and succeeded mostly, in bringing to life the vid I had in my head.

Least Favourite

Tomorrow -20 because I can see how rusty I was, and how I was still fumbling to work out how to vid that series and make the vid work with the odd spoken-word audio. I think the later stuff is much better, and in some ways I appreciate that this vidlet is so dire simply because during the Tomorrow project vidlet series I really feel like I can see myself improving weekly, just in terms of really basic stuff like timing, clip choice, etc. But it's a shame I couldn't have started at a point of greater awesome; the idea deserved it.

Most Successful

In what terms? In terms of popularity and personal satisfaction, probably again, there's a war going on for your mind, laura. But since I don't want to just post that over and over (because really, I feel a little like I'll never make anything that awesome again and that's mildly depressing), I'll also mention Manifesto. which I think was my most successful attempt at creating like...an actual piece of video art. Not that regular music videos can't be that, but I thought this one successfully stretched a little outside that definition too? (*worries about arrogance* *is vaguely british*)

Most Underappreciated by the Universe

The Tomorrow Project series in general, I think, didn't find an audience as wide as it deserved because it was so weird. That improved as the series went on (and my vidding got better), but still. DUDE. It's BSG to sponsored 1950s movies! Caprica six is the cyclotron! Leland has two Daddies! WHAT ABOUT THAT ISN'T AWESOME?

Ahem.

Most Fun Video

Oh, tough call! All of the vaguely funny and silly vidlets I've done were good fun. But I think I'm going to vote for The Ladies' Choice. Not only because I just rewatched it and it still makes me giggle, but because at the time I was making it I was also embroiled in two much more serious projects that were like...killing me with technical fiddling and stuff. It was like...the most crazy vidload I'd ever worked with and this vid was the one where I got to open up the file and just put hilarious clips of shirtless men on to the timeline.

So it was fun in two ways. Therefore it wins this category.

Video with the Single Sexiest Moment

Um... Tricks.

For the early time-toggle on Tory taking of her shirt while making out with Anders. I was really happy with that time-toggle and it took fucking forever to get it right. So I think that's a literally and technically sexy moment.

Hardest Video to Make

These weren't hard to make because of program crashes or glitches (that would be every I've made!) but they were difficult in that I had to do some real legwork to get WMM to give me the effects I needed and it was very time consuming.

It's a toss-up between The Book of Kara for the timed colour-fades (which I had to do without a custom colour-fade effect) and Televangelism because I literally chopped the whole thing up into ten frame segments and brightened every other one to make a flickering effect.

Yes. Yes I am nuts.

Most Unintentionally Telling Video

I'm not entirely sure what this one means. But if it means what I think it does then that would be Dolled-up in Straps.

Usually I have something to say about a character so I vid it. In this case, I couldn't articulate what I wanted to say about Baltar so I vidded it as a form of expression and made everyone else tell me what it meant in the comments. It worked surprisingly well on that front!

Things I've Learned

Just...so much. So much I'm not sure where to start. Or even how to explain it because basically I just got better at vidding through practice. Specifically I think I'm much better at timings. I also started working more with camera movement, time-toggles and synching movement in the clips. I'd done this very slightly previously but this year I really tried to work on it.

I started working on using more effects and using them more appropriately.

I learned much more about WMM and how to make vids that suck less in it, and also I started experimenting with using other programs when WMM couldn't do what I needed it to.

Perhaps the best thing I learned was the JOY OF THE VIDLET. Really, it's awesome. It's short enough that it's much quicker to feel like you've finished something, but can be long enough to really explore a topic or make an argument. The length can also mean it's possible to vid topics there otherwise wouldn't be enough footage for. It's the perfect length to experiment and try new things both technically and narratively without having to commit to a full-length vid.

Things to Work On

Just generally getting better, and improving things I started working on this year such as:

- sharper timing and better use of camera movement and internal clip motion; sometimes I'm sloppy and just figure...blah it'll do.
- continue trying to use effects appropriately and interestingly: I still feel I often miss the mark with when they're necessary, when they're not, and when I'm using them because there's a failing in the vid I'm trying to hide.
- be less luddite-like about using programs other than WMM, or alternately, shirk the legwork necessary to achieve good effects in WMM less.

Things I haven't started working on such as:

- getting better at actually editing down the audio when it involves more than just cutting a continuous chunk out of the song so I don't have to keep making cyborganize do it for me. I currently don't even have a program that can do this with any finesse so I'll probably be lazy and not bother, but I would like to work on this.
- become less hideously monofannish about my vidding. I want to start vidding more shows and get into vidding as a fandom rather than just BSG vidding. Unfortunately I often don't enjoy watching vids where I don't know the source so much and...so much of the popular source I haven't seen. Hopefully BSG's imminent ending will push me in a less monofannish direction.
- getting better at instrumental-type montages rather than just sticking really closely to lyrics.

Also, I'll follow kiki_miserychic's lead and include an invitation to anyone that if you have any questions about any of these vids, please feel free to ask! :)

Comments

[sabaceanbabe.livejournal.com]

In reading this, I feel like you and I are on similar vidding tracks. We started about the same time and we both feel like 2008 is when we really became Vidders. :P

Thank you for this look into your vidding psyche. And for the links to the vids, since I haven't seen them all, and now they're all convenient. :D

And I still think Dolled Up In Straps is one of the best BSG vids ever. So. Awesome.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Wow, thank you for the compliment about Dolled-up in Straps! It's obviously very gratifying to hear that you think so highly of it.

To return the favour (because mutual praise is always something that should be encouraged!) you've made two vids I really love and have on my PSP for anytime watching. Brothers on a Hotel Bed is still the only Kara/Lee vid I really like (I think I've recced it here actually) and Pocket of Consequence is just wonderful. It's like the quintessential Kara vid in terms of including her S4 journey. To be honest with you it's kind of the only vid I've found so far that explicitly deals with that arc and who she is.

I'm happy to entertain with a glimpse into my vidding psyche: you should totally do the same thing! I'm kind of fascinated by the fact that we have such similar vidding trajectories.

And also: hope you don't mind me asking - are you the same sabaceanbabe who used to post on Kansas and the SaveFarscape boards back in the day? Cus if so, I totally remember you! Back then I went by a different handle (Scapekid) and I don't think we spoke all that much, but you were cool!

Therefore I am friending you. *nods sagely*

[sabaceanbabe.livejournal.com]

*blushes*

Thank you so much. *blushes more*

And yeah, I am the same person who posted on Kansas and SaveFarscape. I remember Scapekid, too. Hee! How awesome is THAT? :D

[asta77.livejournal.com]

I still love our vid. :)

And I realize I have some catching up to do. I end up seeing half your posts at work, can't watch the vids or at least give them the attention they deserve, and then forget to come back to your LJ once I get home. One of these days I'll get organized. :p

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

I still love our vid. :)

That would be because it's awesome. :|

And I forbid you to worry about feedback/late feedback. I totally understand about seeing awesome posts and then forgetting to go back to them. It happens to me a lot now I'm in crazy timezones because I check my flist in the morning before I go to work but don't have much time to actually reply. But I've just missed the busy posting period in the States which happens overnight. Then I get home and forget to check back.

Anyway, the point is, late feedback is sometimes the best kind because it's like this wonderful gift you weren't expecting. So there's absolutely no pressure there. Just catch up when/if you want to. :)

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

I'm really enjoying reading everyone's vid retrospectives, esp. what they learned and want to work on next year. I'm going to do one next week, I think, as I have one more vid (my first non-BSG one, actually) on the storyboard that I'll finish up before 08 is over.

I'm a big fan of the fun vids, as you know, and while I'm in awe and impressed by your other vids, I really dig Ladies' Choice. Hee.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to read yours! And see what you're going to cook up before the year's end!

Ladies' Choice is so fun, right? I first moved into humour vids during some of the Tomorrow project stuff (Reckless Driving and These Divorces are both pretty funny I think/hope) but that was the first (and so far only) time I've had to sustain it over an entire vid. It was a great learning experience even if I don't think that "silly and fun" will ever be my default vidding mode.

[cyborganize.livejournal.com]

IT'S ALL MY FAULT. \o/

because it bears repeating: you are my favoritest favorite.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

IT IS ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND YET SOMEHOW I LOVE YOU FOR IT.

because it bears repeating: you are my favoritest favorite.

Good.

(cus you're mine!)

[kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com]

Manifesto was a great piece. One of my favorites from you. I think it stands up as art as well.

I can't talk enough about how great doing vidlets can be.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Thank you - your opinion on Manifesto really means a lot to me.

Also, OMG VIDLETS *flails*

We need to be like Mormons and show up on vidders doorsteps with leaflets. "Have you considered vidletting?"

[sabaceanbabe.livejournal.com]

I've only made a couple of vidlets, because I suck at cutting down songs so I mostly just use really short songs, but they can be so much more fun than a full-length vid and you get to the gratification point in vidding so much more quickly! :P

[kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com]

HEheehhe, vidletting sounds something akin to bloodletting. I think I might do just that, like host a minichallenge or something in the summer.

[chaila.livejournal.com]

I confess that I’ve always been slightly intimidated by your Tomorrow project, being new to the entire vidding thing (Prelinger archives what?) but perhaps I should give it another shot, because Lee having two daddies IS awesome. Though probably it will still be over my head, hee!

I’ll take this opportunity to say that I looooved your vidlet project and was super impressed by it. You had a truly impressive level of creative output, and everything was quality and awesome and thinky, which are my favorite kinds of vids. And I’m so totally convinced by the idea of the vidlet as a mechanism for just trying stuff and practicing though I've still not managed to actually commit to the idea of doing some.

I really like all your vids a lot but dude I still love Ghosts so much, and it's even better paired with Dolled-up in Straps. And Tricks inspired me to believe that I can vid BSG to Springsteen. You know, in the future. Maybe. :D

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Well, there's nothing really intimidatingly deep about the Tomorrow project. I think people think there is but really it's just...crack. The Prelinger archives is a collection of sponsored movies in the public domain, many of which are available on the internet (I believe the actual archive is in San Francisco now). It's just a collection of movies made by the government, by corporations, for schools, advertisements...any and everything. Media history.

So all the project is is a vidlet for each episode (usually shorter than my vidlets - most of them are around a minute or so) but with some crazy 1950s (or 30s or 60s) voiceover. It's really not as deep as you might think... Just...BSG is so technological and so 1950s in many ways. It seemed an entertaining idea to paste on weird pieces of our own technological history.

As I said, watching the earlier ones make me cringe a little but I think they totally get better as we carry on and I think the last four are pretty amusing.

Thank you so much for your kind words about the vidlet project! There's actually one more vidlet forthcoming - a crossover about the final cylon to The National music! - to round it out to twelve (10 episodes, mod's choice & bonus challenge) which I've actually finished a few drafts of but I'm waiting on betas which will take longer than usual due to realworld commitments, the fact I need someone who's seen both of my sources, etc., etc. But it should be up before the 4.5 premiere.

Anyway, I'm not sure they were all that thinky, but yes, I was totally shocked I managed to make that much vid and I think make some reasonably interesting vids too. It means a lot to me that you thought they were good.

OMG YOU TOTALLY HAVE TO MAKE VIDLETS! RLY. I SHALL ENABLE YOU HORRIBLY UNTIL YOU DO. I guarantee you will get addicted to them.

Also you can totally vid to the Boss. RADIO NOWHERE. *points at you* I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN.

[chaila.livejournal.com]

I maintain that your vidlets were all very clever.

Also you can totally vid to the Boss

Ah yes, I haven't forgotten! The only problem is that now the tin-whistly Seeger Sessions version of "Further On Up the Road" wants to be a vid about everything too (WTF SONG YOU HAVE A TIN WHISTLE). Stupid brain. Whatever! At least one of them will get made sometime, I'm sure. :D