"That Was Another Country" commentary by Kass

[kassrachel]

Title: That Was Anther Country
Vidder: Kass
Fandom: LOST
Link to vid: here on DW | here on LJ
Warnings: contains oblique spoilers for series to date

Commentary by: Kass

Comments

[laurashapiro]

This was so great to read. As someone who doesn't know "Lost," I really wanted to get a sense of what some of the big moments meant. I feel like a lot of the most emotional stuff is really successful (kiss, golf course, van, peanut butter), but I knew there must be a lot I wasn't getting.

And then I read this and it turns out there isn't much I missed! Okay, I didn't get the polaroid thing. But the big stuff you were trying to say -- that Hurley is at home, and has community and is happy and functional, when he's on the island, contrasted with his more frightening life off-island, comes through very clearly even without show context. You really made great choices, not sticking to a strict chronology and not being literal, I think. You went for the clips that conveyed the emotional meaning rather than canon-dependent detail. That's why this vid is such a heartbreaker.

I like the organic cutting, too.

[kassrachel]

Oh, thank you, honey! I'm delighted to know that so much came across even without context. The decision to move away from strict chronology pushed my boundaries a little, but it's so clear to me in hindsight that it was the right call -- I'm glad it worked for you. :-)

I'm so happy to have made this vid. \o/

[laurashapiro]

I'm happy you made it, too!

[bop_radar]

Oh yay! Like Laura I really wanted to get more of a sense of what this vid is about. I know moments like the peanut butter and the golf course resonated for me but I feared that the fact I remembered the context from the bits of the show I'd seen was distorting my viewing. It's a relief that they were deliberately important poignant moments. (Which is really a bit 'duh!': of course they were, I just doubt myself as a viewer when I don't know the source.)

It was great to learn more about your intentions here and a bit more about Hurley's journey as a character. It actually intrigues me into thinking I should catch up on the later seasons at some point... is that dangerous? ;)

I felt a little distressed by Hurley's 'is it real?' feelings--I remember the poloroid sticking in my mind even if I did not understand it, and I realise now that's what I was picking up on. I don't want to go mad! :( He doesn't go mad does he?! :(

[kassrachel]

Thank you for encouraging me to do this, and then for reading the whole long thing! :-) I'm glad the poignant moments came across as poignant even without context. I was worried about that, especially since I know that I'm not really hooked into LOST fandom (and the part of fandom I'm hooked into doesn't seem to involve many people who watch LOST :-) so I'm endlessly glad that it worked

[bop_radar]

Oh, it's still going! LOL, I did not know! :) I'm glad to hear the storytelling tightened up. I really liked it to begin with but somewhere end of season 2 or early season 3 it seemed to get all rambly and I just tired of it on a week by week basis. I imagine I'd find it easier to watch on DVD once it's all done. I hope it ends well!

[heresluck]

...okay, so apparently I am going to have to watch Lost at some point. *g*

Thank you so much for writing up all these thoughts! Like Laura, I am pleased to see that I did get the big picture of the vid, even if some of the details -- the significance of the party and the polaroid, the fact that he really does try to go back to the island -- weren't things I was able to pick up on.

I just love the thoughtfulness you bring to your commentary -- and to vidding itself, for that matter. I am so very much looking forward to FNL vids from you!

[kassrachel]

::grin:: If I am successfully pimping you into Lost, then I am a happy fan indeed. Anytime you want, I can witter at you about why I love it so much.

I'm so glad that the big picture of the vid came through! And y'know, I'm looking forward to FNL vids from me too, as soon as I figure out what they're going to be. (New canon coming soon eeeee!)

This was a beautiful vid

[sherrold]

that I already enjoyed very much, made more so by reading your reasons. Thanks!

Re: This was a beautiful vid

[kassrachel]

Thank you so much, honey! I am so glad! \o/

[thingswithwings]

this is lovely, thank you for writing it up! I already adored this, and reading your commentary only made me love it more. I really warmed to what you said about Hurley creating community on the Island, the way people accrue around him, the way he makes things happen. All of that came across so strongly in your vid, and I think that's the real tragedy of it, the idea of Hurley alone and hallucinating the people he loves, the idea that those people don't have Hurley around to fix things anymore.

[kassrachel]

Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed reading the commentary -- and doubly glad it made you enjoy the vid even more! \o/ It makes me really happy that I was able to communicate what I wanted to about Hurley.