suggestions needed: symbol & metaphor vidshow

[heresluck]

[x-posted to vividcon, vidding, and my LJ]

I'm looking for vid recs for the Symbol & Metaphor vidshow at VividCon. Since the current description is a bit cryptic, I thought I'd elaborate...

Vids can incorporate symbols and metaphors in lots of different ways. Some possibilities I've thought of:

• The vid uses key symbolic visuals from within the source: arrow of

Comments

[oracne]

That BSG vid, "Jerusalem"--doesn't it use the lyrics as an overarching metaphor for the women's lives? I don't have a copy so am not sure if I remember it right.

[heresluck]

I almost used that vid as one of my examples! It's particularly brilliant because it uses "jerusalem" the same way the song does -- as a metaphor for being okay -- but also picks up on its geographic and religious significance.

I could easily have a whole Seah & Margie section of this vidshow. I don't know how I'm going to pick just one of theirs. Gah.

[oyceter]

Eunice & Myrtle use a lot of visual repetition and imagery in "Fragile" with the moon and circles and hearts, though I'm not sure if those count as symbols or metaphors. Sadly, I can't find a link to this any more.

e^y's "Toto Dies" has an extended metaphor of Angel and hunger and blood and how it ties into his need of family and friends, how it's a pleasurable instinct but can also be a double-edged sword because of his vampire nature.

Ermac Studios' "Lord's Prayer" makes gorgeous use of the key symbolic imagery of X/1999 (blood and feathers and swords, oh my!) and "Evil Light" showcases the symbolic imagery (and whoo boy is there a lot of it) of End of Evangelion, though it's also spoilery. Then again, the movie's so confusing that it probably won't make a difference, and Evangelion has so much religious imagery that it's just fun to watch.

Dr. Wu's "Anthem X" is an X/1999 vid to Rufus Wainwright's "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" and interprets the lyrics as the bitter and painful moments in the anime and contrasts them with the

[oracne]

"Lord's Prayer" is a GREAT vid.

[heresluck]

I know so few anime vids that I wouldn't even know where to start looking, so these recs are super-helpful!

And god, I love "Fragile." I still get all emotional every time I watch it.

[vonniek]

First vid that comes to mind is Seah and Margie's "Big Red Boat," Joan of Arcadia, "building a boat" here being the metaphor for making a connection, referenced both visually in the boat-building scene and in the lyrics.

There was a Dead Like Me vid in the Vividcon last year called "Circles" by sweetestdrain that used a lot of repeated circular visual motifs to symbolize the dead protagonist's refusal to move on, then the visuals incorporating more linear shapes as we see changes in her attitude. Very cleverly done, I thought.

[heresluck]

"Big Red Boat" is the second vid I wrote down for the show. *g* I just don't know how to choose between it and "Jerusalem" and "Kryptonite." Damn Seah & Margie and their consistent brilliance!

[nestra]

What about Killa and Lum's "History Repeating", which uses various symbols to illustrate the passage of time?

Or Lum's "Ability to Swing", with the swords.

[heresluck]

Oooooh -- you are smart. I thought of "Ability to Swing," but I hadn't thought of "History Repeating" for the show, even though I really like that vid.

[nestra]

Thank my "vids" playlist on the iPod. ;-)

[oyceter]

I spam!

Kusoyaro's "Bachelorette" is also a gorgeous, gorgeous vid that uses the imagery and symbols of the Utena movie (roses, roses, more roses, phallic swords, even more roses, and fairy tales).

(sadly, all my anime vid recs are really old...)

coffeeandink probably knows a lot more!

Now I want to burn some of these and bring them to Wiscon.... hrm.

[heresluck]

...and I've even seen part of Utena, so extra-super-yay!

And yes, I plan on hitting up coffeeandink, boniblithe, and absolut3destiny for further anime recs -- but you should keep spamming if you think of more!

[absolutedestiny]

Bachelorette is pretty, though I think some of the other Utena recs probably use symbolism and metaphor in a more deliberate way. I second Deluge (I noticed the link has gone, I'll upload for you) or Sex, Lies and Roses. The latter I have an mpeg2 for, the former the internet version is the best quality remaining as she didnt back up her project.

(Interesting note: Kusoyaro hadn't actually watched the Utena movie before making Bachelorette - I guess that's interesting in terms of visual narrative as it's all metaphor use without context).

There arern't many anime vids that use symbolism or metaphor both deliberately and wisely. If you do a google search on animemusicvideos.org you'll find a lot of people saying how they used symbolism or metaphor when they really arent.

That said there are a few others that are worth a mention.

Lee 'Lostboy' Thompson has a large variety of work in every genre but there are two videos in particular that investigate the vid-as-metaphor idea pretty well. Both Video Girl Ai: The Fall and Nemutai

[heresluck]

Pssst -- upload Deluge for me, please?