Vividcon Character Study Show

[wickedwords]

I should have been in bed a while ago, but I thought I'd finish this first.



Since I didn't get a chance to talk at my panel, I thought that I'd indulge myself an list why I chose the vids I chose. POV and song choice -- both stylistic variety and appropriateness for the character -- were things I really wanted to emphasize. I tried to pick vids that had first, second, and third person POVs, that had different tonal qualities, from jazz to show tunes, to rap and classic rock. And if a narrative vid tells a story, a character study vid has a thesis statement, and the vid illustrates that. It doesn't have to be a complicated thesis, but it can be, and I think these vids make a statement about who these characters are.

Motorcycle Drive By by Lynn C
I knew I needed a spike vid, and this one is very rich in action and imagery. It's also good for asking the question -- is the vid's narrator a reliable narrator? This vid is all about Spike's perception of his relationship with Buffy and is told from his tightly focused viewpoint. Whether or not the conclusions he's drawn or the things he believes as stated in the vid are actually true…well, that's the viewer's perception. From that angle, I think this is very, very cool and it's not something explored a lot.

So Pure by Katherine
There are very few 2nd person vids out there, and this is one of the best. we get to see Frank through Tim's eyes, and it doesn't really matter if it's a slash or a gen vid -- what matters is their relationship to one another. It's also upbeat, and in the comments I got pre-show, there was a mention of how 'overwrought' character studies can get. So I tried to balance the big drama/melodrama ones with vids that were more down to earth, and this is one that I would definitely slide into the realistic side.

Don't Fear the Reaper by Melina, Lum, and Killa
And countering that, we have a vid of more epic proportions, illustrating a Duncan as grim reaper theme. It fits in with canon, and show's Duncan's dark side, which is something I'm rather fond of. *g*

Where I Want to Be by Chris and Christina
This is an *awesome* Londo vid, and I really think more people should see it. The voice of the song -- it's from a musical -- and Londo's story mesh together well. It's a first person song, the most common type of character study, but it fits the brassyness of Londo's life, encompassing the 'fool' theme that runs throughout his existence. And I mean 'the fool' in the classic tarot card sense, the shapeshifter sense, and the victim sense. It's really incredible.

I'm the Girl by Killa
I really wanted to incorporate women into my vid show, as I don't think they get enough airtime overall. And I adore Amanada, and I love how this starts off with 'I'm a Thousand Years Old'… Amanda is everywoman, and I also like that this vid makes her bisexuality very clear. The bit with her and Rebecca and 'skin on skin' -- love that. It's also a bright and upbeat song, which I thought was needed after the two big drama pieces we'd just had.

Walking on A Wire by Sandy, rache, and Jo (Media Cannibals)
I would never have thought of this, except that after it was suggested to me, I realized that it was a second person POV vid, and so really need to go in the show. It's a bit more narrative in it's structure as it follows the canon storyline for the most part, but it's also a character piece.

I Saved the World Today by Brigit
Sandy and I argued over this vid once she'd seen it. She thought the tone of the song too soft for Aeryn Sun, but I loved that about it. How we see her as so strong and so tough and so kick ass-- but then there are brief moment of melancholy, that completely twist her up inside, yet she will soldier through it. I loved the irony inherent in this vid, with the whole 'I saved the world today' while her personal life is a complete shambles. I think it just fits.

Hi Diddle Dee Dee by tzikeh and Deejay
This song was made for Artemis Gordon. Okay, not really, but it comes pretty close. Plus it was a great change of pace -- short, bright, show tune with very literal imagery. I thought it made a good contrast coming off the darker, more abstract Farscape vid before it. Plus it's fun, and I think fun is a very good thing.

Gangsta's Paradise by Morgaine
To me, this vid illuminates Faith, and her perception of what the world is like. It's rhythmic and intense and just a bit brooding; it goes well with the dark visuals -- and I mean that literally, the clips are all dark -- that are chosen to paint Faith's life. And the rhythm of the song gives it a lot of power, pushing and moving the story along, and the viewer with it.

Friction by Kathy, Kay and Jill
This vid's thesis statement is clear and crisp, and the timing and choice of clips makes it both fun and energizing. It's Jack, in a song, all precision and wry humor, determination and force. It moves, and it takes the viewer with it. Plus the vid is visually bright, which I thought contrasted nicely with the visually dark vid before it.


Smooth Operator by Gwyn
After all that movement, I thought it would be great to have a vid that we could dwell on and luxuriate in. Smooth and sexy, with Sade's rich, deep vocals, this is so perfect for Michael. I think the vid is sensual, the song is sensual, and when Nikita slides her hand down to Michael's pants to get the gun…*yowsa*. Not to mention, shallow girl that I am, the nudity. *g* Michael really will do anything, say anything, be anything to get the job done. And he always does it with style.

The Man's Too Strong by Killa and T'Jonesy
When I was a pros fan, I wanted to do this song for Cowley. I am so glad I never got around to it, as the song is perfect for -- *gah* -- the way that the legend of Kirk lives on within Spock even after all the time that has passed. I love the frame of this, I love the story it tells, I love the relationship, I love Spock's confession of all the not-quite on the up-and-up things he's done-- and I love that this is another vid where we can see a character through another character's eyes. That really does make it better for me. *g*

Comments

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Any idea if any of these will be on the Vividcon DVD-R? I ordered it, but didn't see a list of contents.

[wickedwords.livejournal.com]

The DVD is going to be the premiers show, the premiers that showed as part of nearly new, and the challenge vids. I did see an email from Naomi that they wanted to know if a vid premiered no matter what show it was in; they were going to try and collect as many premiers as could fit for the 2 dvd set. I know "I'm the Girl" was a premier, so it may be on the DVD, but the only other possible premiers were the ones that had I'd only seen on-line: I saved the World Today, and Gangsta's Paradise. I don't know if they'll be on the DVD or not. The rest are all on tapes.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this! This was one of the things I didn't like about the format -- we didn't get to find out ~why~ people picked certain vids. But then again, if they added in talking, they'd have to cut a few vids, and that would be bad. I guess next year I'll just have to remember to grab people and ask. :-)

Though now I'm kicking myself over missing this one! I only know about half the vids. *grumph* Oh well, I suppose it's a sign of a good con when you bitch about too ~much~ to do. :-)

[wickedwords.livejournal.com]

I think that the VJ should be a part of the panel after their show, and that all shows should be followed by a panel. *g* I desperately wanted to talk about the vids after my show, and never got the chance, either. So, here we are after the con and I finally get to tell why I thought these were cool. They aren't the only ones I could have shown -- there are so *many* great character study vids -- but I thought that they worked well together.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Hey! How come everyone gets their names credited except me and T. Jonesy/Killa?! A conspiracy? Mind control? Too much alcohol? ;-)

Thanks for the comments on Smooth Operator, though. I always feel like people just kind of go, ehhh becuase of the antipathy about the show, but it was such a nice surprise to see that. It really is just a wallow vid, but I mean -- what's wrong with wallowing in someone who's sexy and nekkid half the time, and who shoots things and wears stylish clothes? That *is* the character!

I really enjoyed this show, if I didn't tell you at the con. Gansta's Paradise was especially cool for me, since I can't see things online. I thought all your choices were fascinating, and I'm glad to see what thought processes went into it.

[wickedwords.livejournal.com]

Why does everyone else get their names credited? It's because I suck, and forgot to add them at midnight last night. I'll do that now. And I wouldn't call Smooth Operator a wallow, exactly, but rather a sensual, visual treat. So like the character.*g*