festivids highlights

[bironic]

I have conquered festivids! And I am here to point to what I enjoyed most and want to share with you if you haven't been by already.

I know some of you don't like or aren't familiar with vids, and/or aren't interested in seeing stuff about shows and movies you don't know. That's how I feel about yuletide each year—a bit left out because I don't know the vast majority of sources and therefore can't really enjoy the stories written for them or take part in the communal celebration of multifannishness. Plus, there are an overwhelming number of stories.

festivids—a post-holiday gift vid exchange for rare fandoms—turns out to be different. First, there are a manageable number of entries. I've seen them all (except the one for Slings and Arrows, because I'm planning on watching the show and don't want to risk being spoiled) in three sittings. Second, it only takes a couple of minutes to experience each entry, as opposed to the time investment in reading a long story in an unfamiliar fandom. Third, the quality ratio is extraordinary. And fourth, the vids are designed to be understood by non-fans on some level, to summarize the source, and/or to pitch the source. They may not resonate as much as they would if you knew what they're based on, but they're accessible. I knew maybe a third of the fandoms here. Sometimes I felt lost, but it didn't matter, because the ride was so enjoyable. Only a few left me unmoved.

fan_eunice has some convincing arguments to make for taking a look, namely: new music, new shows/movies to taste-test, social interaction while enjoying the entertainment and artistry, and, to reiterate the above: "you also do not have to know or be particularly interested in the fandom to still have one hell of a good time." I've been introduced to Joshua James and Rose Polenzani, become interested in two shows and a movie I'd either dismissed or not heard of before, and learned more about spectacular video editing.

And of course, if you do know a small fandom in the 'fest, it's probably pretty great to see a vid (or three) made for it.

Okay, that's the hard sell. Now for some recommendations. Not a problem, said I, when I first started watching; I'll just note the good ones. Okay, except they're pretty much all good. Then I decided to write down my favorites. Which, whoops, totaled about 30. I'll just pick ten, I said when I began this post. Well, I couldn't do it, so here are 15 of the vids I think shouldn't be missed, with handy emoticons to indicate the mood of each. Again, I hope you won't skip any on account of not knowing the source. Some of the best work lurks in the most obscure places. Of course, obscurity is relative.

p.s. I already recommended the Vampire Diaries trio, so those don't count. Says me.

ETA: Added vidder names now that reveals are posted.

:) Past in Present (Chak De! India) by sol_se- Some of the best editing in the 'fest, and is convincing a lot of people to check out what looks like a great movie.

:( Mother Mary (China Beach) by fan_eunice- This swept me up and knocked me around. Song and story flow together in tone and meaning, and the editing is like elegant choreography.

:? The Transported Man (The Prestige) by sdwolfpup - This really captures the confusion and deception and darkness of the film—not an easy task—weaving in symbols and recurring themes. Just, warning for a major movie spoiler at about 1:55.

:o Thoughtcrimes Trailer (Thoughtcrimes) by valika - Anyone who doubts that trailers are art forms, or that fan vidders are in any way inferior to professionals, should be shown this. Also, after watching it about three times (and learning that Peter Horton [Brimstone] is in it along with Joe Flanigan), I've finally gotten hold of the movie and am planning to see it tonight.

:) Feel It (So You Think You Can Dance) by milly - Perfectly timed, and suffused with joy and energy.

:o Body and Soul (Legend of the Seeker) by theanonsisters - I only know LotS through hollywoodgrrl's vids, and this is very much in the spirit of hers—appropriately so, since she's the recipient. Impressive speed work and mood establishing, and a rush of aesthetic pleasure.

:? Etheric Messages (Fringe) by thuviaptarth - May set off sensitivities about the use of "foreign" music to represent otherness, but it is a haunting vid. I think the first commenter said it best: "I love your use of all the strange imagery, particularly water and light, waves and flickering […] There's a very real sense of threat lurking in this, made all the more terrifying because she can't touch it or define it [...]"

:D Stand By Your Man (Wild Wild West) by jackiekjono - This would have won a Kink Bingo award had it been made for that 'fest. What a spectacular job reframing the bondage in the show. Er, I assume, having never seen the source. Only complaint is that the silent-movie titles the vidder put in are unnecessary and sometimes detrimental after the effectiveness of the juxtaposition of the shots.

:) You Belong with Me (Lois and Clark) by sisabet - Totally clever interpretation of the song: Clark is jealous of himself!

:) Till I Strike (Iron Man) by Vesper Regina - One of my early favorites. Action-packed, and a strong ending.

:( Simon Says (Doomsday) by fan_eunice - If the music doesn't seem like it's your thing in the beginning, as it wasn't for me, trust me and stick with it. This is really well done, and tells a story in discrete movements so you don't feel the four minutes passing. With bonus girl action hero. I'd never heard of this movie, but now I want to see it.

:) Open Up (The Fifth Element) by boomqueen - Seriously awesome: the rhythm of the cuts, the motion in the clips, the overlay of this sound onto the film. I dance in my seat every time.

:( Survival Instinct (Pitch Black) by Chamalla - A case study in marrying sounds to events and characters. Despite the length and lack of lyrics, this moved along so effectively I lost myself in it. Note: Reading the summary really helped.

:( / :) Never Be (Criminal Minds) by tearful_eye - An example of how editing can transform a vid from good to excellent. Warning for theme: Women overcoming violence.

:) Lullaby for a Stormy Night (The Sound of Music) by barkley - I didn't like the movie all that much, so I didn't think I'd make it through much of the vid, especially since it was relatively long. But it's wonderful, visually and thematically.

And that's 15, so I'm stopping, even though there are also standout entries for The Princess Bride and Watchmen and the Hire series and The Neverending Story and Die Hard and WALL-E and Profit and The Abyss and... Go see!

 

Comments

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

There's a vid for Fifth Element?

Wow! I'm going to have to watch that later! Thanks for pointing it out -- I'm smiling, for real.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

There are two! I happen to like this one more than the other.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Via friendsfriends, and I totally agree about the accessible nature of festivids (although not exactly about the vids that shouldn't be missed - but that's the nature of recs! :-) Anyway, I wanted to say that IMHO the Slings & Arrows vid doesn't spoil the show in any substantive way. (I semi-beta'ed it, in that I watched it to give the vidder an opinion by someone who knew the show if the narrative was clear, as her tech beta hadn't watched the show.)

(Also, YAY S&A, best thing ever, you should totally watch it!)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I will give it a watch, then.

Honestly, while some of these really are my top picks, others could be swapped out for the other 13 I jotted down. It's going to be neat to poke around other people's journals and see what their favorites are. I did notice when leaving comments to various vids that some of the most popular ones & their fandoms aren't my cup of tea (i.e. White Collar).

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Neither is the one I made. Sob sob. (Just kidding! I am a baby vidder and totally not as skilled as the best here! And I got plenty of comments so am not complaining.)

And hee, I just noticed your smiley coding!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Uh oh! Hee. Hopefully I commented on whichever one you made and it was positive. Based on your most recent post, I have a guess, but we'll see...

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you for posting this. The China Beach vid is awesome. I loved that series!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I didn't even know it was about Vietnam. It's great to hear from an f-lister that the vid works when you know the show, too!