crack_van for beginners!
Just realised that some of the newer members may not know about the wonder that is crack_van. So this is a public service announcement of sorts XD
crack_van is a community dedicated to reccing outstanding fics in one's fandom of choice. Naturally, Life on Mars has its own special seat on the van.
This is my first month at the wheel for LoM, so I'm still excited about it. Here's how it works: the driver posts a minimum of 1 rec per week, and no more than 12 recs during the month. You can also add on 2 additional recs that don't count towards this monthly limit: a crossover-fic rec ("Crack Van Collisions") on the 15th, and a fanvid rec ("Friday Night Drive-In") on the last Friday of the month.
Here's an example of a crack_van rec, from last week's Friday Night Drive-In:
* * * * * * *
Fandom: LIFE ON MARS UK
Pairing: Sam-centric
Length: 2:58 mins
Author on LJ: kajam
Author Website: KajaM's video masterlist on LJ
Why this must be seen:
lovelet2010 asked recently whether anyone had ever made a LoM fanvid to "Hello (Turn Your Radio On)" by Shakespears Sister. Well, here is KajaM's gorgeous 2009 fanvid, recently reposted to YouTube after a 2-year absence.
It's a dreamy, haunting, slightly hallucinatory vid showing Sam's bewilderment at being cast adrift in 1973 Manchester. And part of the charm of this vid is how perfectly the lyrics are married to Sam's situation. But what I love the most is the skilful way in which KajaM weaves together images and colour, giving the vid the feeling-tone of a photo album found washed up on a seashore. For sure, you won't be able to hear this song again without seeing Sam in your mind's eye.
Hello, by KajaM
* * * * * * *
So, how can I view ONLY the recs for my fandoms of choice?
Some people don't become members of the crack_van comm because they don't want their f'page to become inundated with recs from other fandoms.
There is now a way around that.
LJ's latest release allows you to display content by using tags! In other words, you can filter crack_van so that you'll only see recs for the fandoms you like.
Here's how it works. Let's say you only want to receive Life on Mars recs.
1. Go to crack_van and join the community.
2. Go to your Manage Friends page.
3. Scroll down the list to crack_van.
4. Click the (select tags) link at right. This opens the Modify Friend page.
5. Scroll down to, and click on, Modify entries feed. This expands this section of the page.
6. Under that heading, click on the radio button Include selected tags (if it is not already selected).
7. Click on the 'life on mars' tag to select it (and any others you fancy, e.g. 'sherlock bbc'.) The selected tag appears under a Selected by you list. If you want to remove it, just click on it again.
8. Click Save changes at the bottom to save your choice.
And lastly... crack_van drivers are always needed, so if you're interested, visit the crack_van Life on Mars page and sign up! (Note that the recs must be new, i.e. you need to check that the fics have not been recced before.)
crack_van is a community dedicated to reccing outstanding fics in one's fandom of choice. Naturally, Life on Mars has its own special seat on the van.
This is my first month at the wheel for LoM, so I'm still excited about it. Here's how it works: the driver posts a minimum of 1 rec per week, and no more than 12 recs during the month. You can also add on 2 additional recs that don't count towards this monthly limit: a crossover-fic rec ("Crack Van Collisions") on the 15th, and a fanvid rec ("Friday Night Drive-In") on the last Friday of the month.
Here's an example of a crack_van rec, from last week's Friday Night Drive-In:
* * * * * * *
Fandom: LIFE ON MARS UK
Pairing: Sam-centric
Length: 2:58 mins
Author on LJ: kajam
Author Website: KajaM's video masterlist on LJ
Why this must be seen:
lovelet2010 asked recently whether anyone had ever made a LoM fanvid to "Hello (Turn Your Radio On)" by Shakespears Sister. Well, here is KajaM's gorgeous 2009 fanvid, recently reposted to YouTube after a 2-year absence.
It's a dreamy, haunting, slightly hallucinatory vid showing Sam's bewilderment at being cast adrift in 1973 Manchester. And part of the charm of this vid is how perfectly the lyrics are married to Sam's situation. But what I love the most is the skilful way in which KajaM weaves together images and colour, giving the vid the feeling-tone of a photo album found washed up on a seashore. For sure, you won't be able to hear this song again without seeing Sam in your mind's eye.
Hello, by KajaM
* * * * * * *
So, how can I view ONLY the recs for my fandoms of choice?
Some people don't become members of the crack_van comm because they don't want their f'page to become inundated with recs from other fandoms.
There is now a way around that.
LJ's latest release allows you to display content by using tags! In other words, you can filter crack_van so that you'll only see recs for the fandoms you like.
Here's how it works. Let's say you only want to receive Life on Mars recs.
1. Go to crack_van and join the community.
2. Go to your Manage Friends page.
3. Scroll down the list to crack_van.
4. Click the (select tags) link at right. This opens the Modify Friend page.
5. Scroll down to, and click on, Modify entries feed. This expands this section of the page.
6. Under that heading, click on the radio button Include selected tags (if it is not already selected).
7. Click on the 'life on mars' tag to select it (and any others you fancy, e.g. 'sherlock bbc'.) The selected tag appears under a Selected by you list. If you want to remove it, just click on it again.
8. Click Save changes at the bottom to save your choice.
And lastly... crack_van drivers are always needed, so if you're interested, visit the crack_van Life on Mars page and sign up! (Note that the recs must be new, i.e. you need to check that the fics have not been recced before.)