this and that and Vidding!

[permetaform]

Summary of the past four issues of vidder_weekly is posted.

I don't think I've posted/pimped about vidder_weekly much at all, soooo:

It's basically a newsletter structured like a fandom newsletter (think daily_snitch or sga_newsletter) but for Vidding Fandom. If you want to see a listing of new vids from across various communities and fandoms, go there. If you want to see various bits of meta, go there. If you want to see meta pimped alongside a vid that is an example of exactly what the meta is talking about? Go. there.

(also? If you have anything you want to see in vidder_weekly? EMAIL US. vidder_weekly@yahoo.com)


Also-also? Do you know that I *love* hearing about vid-reactions from non-vidders and utterly facinated by vid-meta by non-vidders? ::HINT:: =D 'cause really, vidders sometimes *think* something is working and it's not and to figure out what it is sometimes you just need a fresh pair of eyes, yanno?


AND! (last thing, I promise) I want to make Vidding For Newbies more accessible. To do that, I need feedback; so I ask you, lovely readers of this journal, what would you like to see there? What do you think is missing from it? What do you think would make it more useful to vidders who are starting out?

Comments

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Geez, I wish someone had pointed 'vidding for newbies' out earlier!! I only just made my first vid and it worked out ok. I've got some useful feedback on accidentally getting extra frames in...frames that I now plan to remove if I still can. I got the impression people were a little afraid to throw feedback at me though, even when I asked. Yes, I'll be a little protective, but I did ask. I was actually hoping someone would sort of 'have at it', so my next vid could be all the better for it! I don't know anyone in the real world that vids, so it's the only way I'm going to learn.

Anyway, my point being that I'll have a read and try to get back to you. I have many, many WMM questions, so if they aren't answered I'll let you know. :D

[permetaform]

extra frames? Do you mean cutting about 3 frames before the beat?

The feedback...thing is, critique is hardest to do if you want it to be useful.

Hmm. Where is your vid? I'll take a peek at it, but warning: it takes me awhile to formulate meta on a vid at any given time, and it takes me forever to write up critique. But I'll get it to you if you want.

Be. Careful. reading meta tho. Too much meta will make you all scared and too nervous to do anything. I tend to read vidding meta when I'm stuck on a problem, and then reading meta helps me thinking about vairious things that might improve the vid and then invariably the problem eventually solves itself.

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

What I did wrong was that I accidentally got a few extra frames from say the scene before the one I wanted, so it sort of flicks for a second, before the clip in a few places. Thanks for the offer of feedback. It's not really necessary, unless you'd like to critique it. It's a sort of fun crack-ified thing, so it probably doesn't deserve lots of time and attention. I think what I was getting at before, was that it might be nice to have a place to ask people for feedback, especially if you're new. It would also be nice if someone could give me an idea of what a vid beta does. I've seen people thank a beta, but the vidders I've talked to don't use them, so I don't know whether I should try to find one.

The meta list is rather daunting. So so far I've read a few basic articles on your newbie list. There's a few things in there that I figured out for myself already and some others that I find I disagree with the opinions of those that wrote them. I'm new to vidding and so I still have the perspective of someone who simply downloads and watches vids and it is fun to see the things that vidders think about, that I wouldn't even contemplate.

[permetaform]

Different betas are used for different things, like with writing. Some are concept betas, who help you solidify an idea, some are narrative betas, who help you make sure that the vid is saying what you want it to say, some are beatwhore betas, who help you make sure that everything is on the beat that makes the most sense, some betas are just audiencing, to bring a fresh pair of eyes to your project. That's why I usually have several betas, doing different things; and a beta will *always* make a vid stronger, and will *always* help you grow as a vidder.

What do you disagree with? That always brings about interesting discussion. Personally, I disagree with about half of the articles about song choice, but I represented both sides of the argument so that people could decide for themselves.

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

The main thing that I'd not really thought about, was song length and whether you should crop a song shorter. I can certainly see the merits of it and reasons for it, but I hadn't ever really thought about it. When I dl a vid, I like getting a whole song with it. I did actually try to write down my reasoning on that before, but I edited out the link from my comment, because I was just rambling as usual and I figured people would laugh at my non-vidding ways. It was here anyway. :p I know you suggest not to read too much meta, but I have a feeling I'll be lurking around there anyway, because I find it amusing how differently I seem to see these things.
(http://starrylizard.livejournal.com/43846.html) ()

[permetaform]

neat! would you mind me linking to this in vidder_weekly?

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

*blinks* Sure, if you think people would be interested. It's a public post, so feel free to link it wherever you like.

[permetaform]

I think people would be. The song is at least half of a vid, so making decisions about it is important. =)

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

no suggestions but a big thank you and go y'all!!!! i've already sent several people there who were thinking about vidding and i have a backlog of things memoried to read with more care later...y'all do an amazing job!!!!

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

i sent them to your intro as well, of course, and you links list, but i think vidder_weekly will be an amazing and amazingly useful resource all around!!!

[permetaform]

=D thank you for saying so! I'm glad the format is useful for you, (it's a lot easier for me personally than updating the Big List so it's a benefit all around =) )

[dzurlady.livejournal.com]

I'm really enjoying vidder_weekly, it's well organised and interesting to read. Thank you for putting it together.

As for the vidding for newbies, it would be helpful to have something about betas - where you might find them, what the beta process might entail, that sort of thing. Also helpful would be a section about exporting - file size, file types, places you can upload your vids to share them with, and other similar things. I'm thinking of things like laurashapiro's vid download poll and anaylsis, for example.

[permetaform]

thank you!

Ooo, good ideas about the beta's and the encoding thing! I'll look at adding those in! I'm thinking of completely overhauling and cleaning up the Big List and the Newbie List, especially now that it's completely scaring me less than updating it used to be =)

[amalthia]

thanks so much for posting this information. I'm going through the newbie guide because there's a lot of stuff there I haven't read. I think I got some of the technical know how but the artistic....I figured it doesn't hurt to read what other vidders think.

[permetaform]

=D I'm glad you find it helpful! And I hear from lierdumoa that she's teaching you avi-synth! ::SO. EXCITED:: it's always a lovely thing to hear because people have been doing awesome stuff with it, it's a bit complicated at first but it's a wonderful tool!

[amalthia]

I have all the information she gave me saved and I'm going to play around with avi-synth after I finish my current vid, it does seem complicated now but I'm sure once I use it a few times it'll be easier. :)

[permetaform]

::nods:: it streamlines the process as a whole for me actually. it's hard to comprehend living without it now.

[amalthia]

man I can't even begin to imagine becoming that comfortable with avs too soon, but I think I look forward to that day. right now I'm using this multi-trim option in Ulead Media Studio pro to pick out my clips. It works it's just very time consuming. I imagine it's the same in VirtualDub and for every vidder selecting their clips.

[permetaform]

::nods:: clip selection is a pain in the ASS no matter what you are using, and I think the main problem being that it's so much wieght of the vid-art decisions behind it and so little of actual image produced. All the mental strain and tedium and no output until later...

[amalthia]

I've tried finding easier ways to select clips that doesn't take forever and so far no such luck. which is one of the reasons why I can understand why no one likes clip theft.

[permetaform]

::nods:: yup.