Comments | lolachrome: Musing on vidding rules, audience expectations, and aesthetic impact

lolachrome

Musing on vidding rules, audience expectations, and aesthetic impact

Apr 13, 2010 15:16

One of the things I've been wanting to do more is write about the process of vidding. Lately I've been thinking about the various (productive and/or descuctive) tensions that come into play as I vid, as I filter through my various influences and creative impulses, and then revise and critique. I think quite a bit about who I'm vidding for--whether ( Read more... )

meta, vidding

Comments 23

vichan April 13 2010, 22:49:18 UTC

If I make something that works for me, but not for others, what's the value of that?
You have to ask yourself whether you're in it primarily to entertain others, or if you're in it to see your own vision come to life. Sometimes the two coincide, and sometimes they don't.

But on the other hand, is the visual of someone's moving mouth inherently aesthetically problematic?
It's a rule that bothers me when it's followed to an exact T, because vids can come out flat and resembling still images if we get closed-mouthed clip after clip.

But sometimes talky face can be distracting, and sometimes it can't. It's especially true in fanvids because no matter how we might manipulate footage, certain scenes will take us back to what's happening in the scene we've pulled a clip from, and (for me) talky face tends to exacerbate that. On the other hand, talky face can also be USED. I've made vids where I used talky face on purpose, and it wound up working.

... do others face these unclear moments, where they're not sure what audience to create ( ... )

lolachrome April 13 2010, 22:59:12 UTC

Yeah, you're totally right about talky face--it can make you think about what the characters are saying, in the original moment, and so it fights recontextualization. I've found I like to use it in a vid that is somehow about communication, or prayer, or interrupted/failed communication (a frequent theme in SPN :D ( ... )

rhiannonhero April 13 2010, 22:51:51 UTC

I think this is why I'm not a vidder, though I sometimes make vids. I'm still crazy happy with the last vid I made, and I rewatch it A LOT. LOL! At the same time, I knew it was done when...I no longer cared if it was perfect or if it even did anything other than make me smile.

Now...when it comes to fics......

Well, actually, that's how I know I'm done with a fic, too. When I no longer care to craft it anymore, when other's opinion of it doesn't matter anymore, when all that matters is I wrote it, I like it, and I'm done with it. That's when I'm done.

Re: If I make something that works for me, but not for others, what's the value of that?That's the only value. That's the risk we take. We put time and effort into it, hoping someone else will like it, but, in the end, if it was only us who found value in it, then that was what really mattered. I've found, frankly, that as much as I adore feedback, there can never be "enough" to make me feel validated. I am always wanting more. It's only when I realize that there isnt' ( ... )

lolachrome April 13 2010, 23:02:56 UTC

I was wondering if this extended to vids too! I almost included that in here, but didn't want to confuse things too much.

But I'm not surprised that it's similar!

When I no longer care to craft it anymore.

That's so interesting! I don't think I let myself feel that space--I get too obsessed with thinking about how it's being received and what I can change and fix. I enjoy vidding right up to the point where it's getting close to being ready to release, and then I go a little crazy. I'm desperately wanting to change this about my process. I'd like to just stop when I don't want to do more with it. Or when I feel good about it. There are definitely several instances where I've felt good about something, but kept pushing at it, and the good feeling drains away and I lose sight of what I was going for in the first place. I want to avoid that for the future!

But I know that you write and rewrite and angst about it too. So how do you really identify where that place is, when you no longer care to craft it?

rhiannonhero April 13 2010, 23:06:35 UTC

I think that point happens when I no longer feel like I want to angst about it, when I just go, "There. That's enough. Fuck it." I dunno. I just get there. I do a lot of angsting with writing, you're right. And right now I'm angsting a bit about how I'm writing this fucking epic story with an OC, so NO ONE WILL READ IT. But, then I can't stop myself from writing it, and it will be written, so...the angst is kind of superficial in a way. The story will be written, and there will be an audience for it or not. I can't control that part. :)

lolachrome April 13 2010, 23:08:14 UTC

Hmm. Yes. I think I let my obsessiveness get in the way of my feeling that moment. I'm going to try to break away from that habit, next time, and be more in touch with when *I'm* done.

Letting go of control--that's what it comes down to, isn't it? Never an easy thing for me! :D

Thread 8

coffeejunkii April 13 2010, 23:24:46 UTC

as you know, i am not a fan of the talky face in vids. i think it can be used from time to time in an effective way, but in order for me to enjoy it, the lip movements have to synch up pretty well with the lyrics of the song or other sounds [like a scream in the original footage matched up with a similar sound in the music]. i don't think i could embrace talky face paired with instrumental music, or stretches of talky face that go beyond one word.

i think part of my dislike stems from my dislike of dubbing in tv shows/movies. now, i grew up with dubbed everything, but i have since grown to dislike it because the dialogue and the movements of the mouth don't synch up and it drives me insane.

lolachrome April 13 2010, 23:31:41 UTC

Oh, that's so interesting, about the dubbing! I can totally see how it would add a frustration, a sort of sense of imperfection, or mismatch.

But why does the matching of image and sound need to be so literal--scream/scream--or those couple of brilliant moments in Whatever? I mean, I agree that that type of matching can be quite effective, but can't we also free ourselves from such literal alignments? I find it so limiting if we don't! Because otherwise we're stuck with only a certain set of/style of imagery, in SPN especially--it's all mopey looking Sam and Dean, and occasionally Castiel, emoting Super Emo. The little moments are few and far between, if you cut out all talking.

outlawradio April 14 2010, 01:45:57 UTC

I think banning talkyface outright is a problem; but you thought about it and I could tell that from your vid. Part of what makes the vid work is talkyface working with the layers, working with the round of the song.

And again, the raw quality, the jump cuts, was a choice to me, not carelessness. I mean, it was you, and I know how much thought you put into things, and it clearly held together that way.

I guess I think rules are made to be broken if you come up with the reason why.

As far as when things are "done"? I struggle with this too. I really agree with what rhiannonhero said -- I'm starting to realize that there is no "enough" when it comes to external validation. I want to get to where if I like it I'm happy. On the way, I'm aiming for: if you get it, if S gets it, or aesc or 22 -- that's enough. That's what I'm aiming for.

lolachrome April 15 2010, 16:49:10 UTC

Yeah, I'm still of mixed feeling about the whole talky faced issue. For this one, it was where my muse led me, and I felt it worked with the tonality of the song, the layers, and the sense of the song being a lamentation--so all of the words seemingly being spoken became part of that lamentation. That and the idea I was trying to get at that Castiel can attempt to communicate but his communication may fall short, may not be decoded fully. Um. Which (not accidentally) is also the point of this post. Huh. I didn't see those parallels until now. I didn't mean for this vid to be meta about vidding and authorship and self expression, but now I think I might think about it that way ( ... )

bop_radar April 14 2010, 03:15:41 UTC

I &hearts you. :)

I agree it kind of depends who you are vidding for. If you want your vid to be accessible and approachable to the many, then rules (though still preferably treated as guidelines) can be very helpful. But I personally believe there IS inherent value in vidding for yourself and I love that you chose the messy but ephemerally better version. It was the riskier and more gutsy choice--go you!

Yes, I would say this is a central meaning crisis I face in vidding. I went through a vidding depression where I really bought into all these bullshit rules and I made some vids I really don't like all that much. Then I worked out that it was because I'd suddenly started vidding for other people, not me. Now there's absolutely nothing wrong with that and sometimes I see song + idea = perfect for a particular fandom and go for it in terms of just wanting to bring some people joy. But I'm happiest when I'm vidding for my own heart and when I'm judging the vid by my terms ( ... )

lolachrome April 15 2010, 16:59:11 UTC

<3 <3 <3 This was a revisiting of ideas from a much longer post that was inspired by your post on vidding and the borders of vidding back in the... summer was it? God, time flies. Wait, maybe I showed you that larger post already? I didn't post it originally because I was worried that it would treading on some heightened emotions in a way I didn't really intend ( ... )