thoughts on visual fanwork in two very different fandoms

[isiscolo]

I figure with everyone away at Vividcon I can post about my shameful little secret, which is: I don't really like (most) vids. I have been thinking about this a lot lately, because SGA has a lot of vidders and a lot of vids, and also because it has led me into some tangential thoughts about fanart and other visual derivatives

Comments

[flyingcarpet]

I've said this before, but it's so interesting reading about you getting into a new fandom, even as I'm getting into a new one (Buffy) myself -- it seems like we've had a lot of the same experiences or thoughts, but you explain yourself better than I'm able to. Also, this is strange, but your new fandom being a different one than mine is actually more thought-provoking, because it forces me to think about how this stuff applies to the actor v. character issue in Buffy, rather than just accepting or rejecting your ideas wholescale.

*ponders*

[isiscolo]

Aw, I guess I'm just more analytical. Or possibly just older. :-)

And I think that's an interesting approach, and it makes sense: you look at my experiences and analogize them to yours. I think I am doing that as well with idlerat's posts about BSG.

[chopchica]

I am so with you on the vid thing. Mostly, they just leave me totally cold, and it cracks me up so much to see "serious" vidders going on and on about the subtlety and seekrit messages, and mostly I tend to see. "Oh look! The song has the word 'drive' and I am showing somebody driving. Get it? GET IT?!" Even the "good" vids tend to do that to me, although I will admit an unholy love for "Falling For The First Time" because it's just such the perfect Rodney song. But overall? Vids = meh.

[isiscolo]

Hee! I entirely agree!

I thought Falling was okay, but not great - I watched it through as opposed to hitting stop and saying meh, boring. But that's partly because I like BNL. I thought it had a lot of the, ahem, subtle seekrit messages (dirt! phone!) but you know, I didn't really feel a story coming out, even though yeah, Rodney. It was just, oh, these images from the show match these lyrics. Woo. I like the song, though.

[cathexys]

but literalism issomething that many vidders try to svoid, so i'm surprised you'd see it in the 'serious' vidder's vids...

[tzikeh]

Mostly, they just leave me totally cold, and it cracks me up so much to see "serious" vidders going on and on about the subtlety and seekrit messages

I... am not sure I appreciate the sarcasm quotes around "serious". Were I to post about how it cracks me up how "serious" fanfiction writers go on and on about subtlety, would that sound fair? Just because the majority of fanfiction out there is shit, does that mean there can't also be magnificent fanfiction written by magnificent writers? Doesn't that also apply to vidding?

[thistle_chaser]

I really need to stop being surprised when our tastes match up so well. I've always disliked vids as well, but from the first paragraph of your post I had 'except that I'm Too Sexy one, I liked that one' in my head... then bam! There it was in your post!

I've thought it was because I don't really like music, too. I don't listen to current stuff. I've not listened to music on the radio in ages (I listen to news radio or NPR if I have to listen to something). I own almost no CDs. Music distracts me. I can't multitask with it at all.

I almost think I might like the vids better with no music, but that seems kind of pointless. Might as well just look through a folder of screenshots or something...

[isiscolo]

Well, clearly we were twins separated at birth. We have the same initials, after all!

I don't think vids would work without music - there is a definite dimension to the experience that it provides, which can be subtle. I think, actually, it would be interesting to make/see a vid to an instrumental piece.

[thistle_chaser]

Well, clearly we were twins separated at birth. We have the same initials, after all!

Well of course! That's the only thing that makes sense! ;)

And yeah, that could be interesting.

[amothea]

I started vidding about four months ago. The reason I started was because I loved SGA vids but had a hard time finding the good vids. I figured I can't really complain about the lack of decent vids until I actually tried vidding myself and I've really enjoyed the experience so far. My favorite vid by Danvers is Broken (it's not listed on her site for some reason?)

I'm normally happy with a vid if the video quality is good, the song doesn't make me want to pop my eardrums, and if there is a hint of a story. I've found lots of good music this way. :)

But I still can't pinpoint why exactly some vids really work for me and not others.

Here's a vid rec...I'm not sure what you like to watch but I found this one rather recently and I liked how the music fit the clips and it's a Sheppard vid...

http://www.angelfire.com/film2/skroberts9/

and pimping my newest vid... http://amalthia8.tripod.com/

[isiscolo]

Thanks for your recs!

[sor_bet]

Okay, I had a question, and this post has kind of offered an opportunity to ask -- it seems like SGA has a bigger fandom and more fanfic than the first TV series, Stargate. It's got to be because of the characters, but does SGA really have that much better characters than the other series (or the movie)? I haven't really seen much of the original series, and none of SGA, so I really don't know. I'm just guessing. Anyway, I started to wonder about this reading your other recent post. kthxbye

[isiscolo]

Argh, I wish I could remember the post to point you to - there was some meta about this fairly recently. You might check sga_newsletter and see if you can find it. The upshot is that SG1 has more of a "heroic individuals" feel to it (I am quoting, I haven't actually seen it) while SGA is more "people like us dealing with heroic situations".

Also, SG1 does have a fairly large fandom. I don't know anything about it, but icarusancalion is one person from HP who is also heavily involved in SG1.

I will say that having seen the actors from SG1 in the premiere, they are definitely cute. :-)

[cathexys]

i guess you *had* seen the post...i'm just obnoxiously answering comments in other people's journals :D

[isiscolo]

Hey, you actually had the URL, so you aren't obnoxious, you are helpful!