Poll: Vid Watching

[thefourthvine]

This is the counterpart to the poll I posted earlier. (It, uh, had to undergo some revisions after the results of that poll.) And this one is for anyone who has ever seen a vid.

Again, feel totally free to pimp. I'd love to get a range of responses on this one.

After this, there'll be a round of vid meta coming out, but then I swear we'll go back to fan fiction. I'm really starting to miss recommending the written word.

[Poll #800594]

Comments

[dzurlady.livejournal.com]

Vid recs for newbies is still some way off, but if you want I can link you when I post.
You might like to check out the_reel for recs and especially reviews; if you want elaboration you can comment and you'll probably get a response.
I have seen (but can now no longer remember who) several vidders discussing their work, often in detail. I'm sure there are others. Try asking for links on vidding.

Before I rec, some general things that might be of help. If they're not, feel free to ignore them. :)
Vids, I have decided, are more like poetry. Very shiny, and you probably won't fully get them until you've watched them a few times - and you're likely to love them more as you do.
A good thing to remember about vids is that you won't always get every clip, even after several viewings. This is natural. Knowing the source aids understanding, for reasons I will discuss below.

Clips are generally choosen for two things: 1) meaning and 2) movement within the clip.
1. Meaning comes from either
within the source (context) e.g. clips of someone grieving a death or living happy times with the deceased when your vid is about how character X was affected by a death; or
from the literal actions in the clip - this is a sort of AU from the source where you construct a new meaning from people's actions e.g. taking a clip of someone looking sad and depressed because their job went south and making it seem like they're depressed because someone broke up with them - there are many variations. Comedy vids frequently do this for humerous effect.
Clips may be a mix of both context and AU elements, sometimes within the same clip. In practice, the distinction isn't very important - I just mention this as a way you might be able to figure out what's happening if you're confused. If it doesn't make sense and you don't recognise the clip, it's quite possible that it's deriving its meaning from canon, so take heart.
2. Talking heads are boring; cameras swooping around and people leaping is interesting. This is where movement comes in. Listen to the music (you can ignore the lyrics, just treat the voice as another instrument). If there's a drum beat, is there some movement (a leap in the air, someone hitting someone else, a door opening) that's matched to it? On the long notes, does the clip zoom in? Are the cuts (simple clip changes directly from one clip to another are known as cuts) on a strong beat? Is there a dissolve from one clip to the next as the music makes a shimery noise? If you're not getting the context, look for the shiny - interesting movement and good cutting skills. This can make you happy even when you're not sure what the hell's really happening, and you can work your way up from there.
Clip choices are generally mix of a focus on movement or a focus on context - good vids have a mix of each in their clips.

Re ignoring the lyrics - I do the same thing often the first (and second. and third.) times I watch vids. Watch it again! Google the lyrics and read them over. Possibly refer to them as you watch. Not every single line is always hugely important - look for repeated or emphasised lines, as they tend to carry more meaning. Clips choices to lyrics can be metaphorical, as this increases interest/meaning. 'I'm on fire' might mean 'I'm really exited!' or 'I'm really angry!' or 'Fuck me now!' not 'Ah! Ah! Grab the hose and call an ambulance!'

Oh, and you won't like/get all vids. This is normal, as people are different to each other and what pings for one person will be meh for another. (Also, like fic, some vidders are less skilled than others.)