New Vid!! Due South!!!

[sisabet]

So first of all - big huge beta thanks to renenet for going well and above the call of duty here. I am sorry I was such an unmitigated bitch last night. I blame After-Effects.

Massive thanks for additional beta duties to pipsqueaky (who remained firm even in the face of a very vid-disgruntled Liz), f1renze who freaking can pick up on ONE SINGLE FRAME MISSTIMED! (and also dealt with a bear of a me),absolutedestiny who sent me a key filter and then rued the day (muahahahaha), sweetestdrain and just_eunice for being so supportive, tzikeh for making sure I didn't watch "Victoria's Secret" alone, sockkpuppett for making sure I continued working even when it was hard and who had terrific ideas to tie things together, and laurashapiro and katallison cause they helped me figure out how to end the damned thing.

Whew. Also? None of the above made fun of me when they figured out what I was doing - although there were a lot of OMGWTFPOLARBEARVID. Mostly from me.

It really does take the Village People.

This is my first due South vid - no spoilers post season one.

Icebound Stream
Song by: Laura Veirs
I can hold a thunderhead in my heart


ETA: 8-19-09, this vid is now available again as a download:

Xvid version (28) Mbs available here


Additional source:

Inuit singers and footage taken from the documentary "Great North"
Additional footage from "Antarctica: An Adventure of a Different Nature" (I know, okay - I just needed snow), "The Blue Planet: Frozen Seas," "Alaska: Spirit of the Wild," "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom: Mammals of North America" and some educational film about glaciers that I can't find right now.

Also? infinitemonkeys for making this icon which reminded me of this idea everytime I posted.

ETA2: Oh yeah - that thing we do where I post something and you tell me what you thought about it? I *love* that thing! All feedback welcomed.

ETA3: Notes, interactive beta moments and my nervous breakdown during the making of the vid is discussed at length here.

Comments

[xanphibian.livejournal.com]

Oh, Liz. You continue to astound me. Something that would, at first thought, never, ever work, becomes this primal and perfect YES in your hands. And the glassed-in/out with the zoo and the snowglobe and the effects, YES. And it's all about the breakage. With the glass and the glaciers and the MOUNTIE, my poor Mountie's heart!

I love you.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you so much. Poor Fraser.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I am so glad you liked the vid.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Thanks!! I didn't so much "figure out AE" as "push buttons while weeping" until I kinda got the effect I wanted. The text animator in AE is supposedly idiot-proof, but not completely Liz-Proof. I was using one wiggle setting on a word and accidentally put a different wiggle setting on another word which caused all sorts of weirdness. In my defense? There are entirely too many wiggle settings.

Re: Exquisitely beautiful

[j-s-cavalcante.livejournal.com]

>Thank you so much. I think I am in quite the small minority in this fandom >'cause I actually like Victoria. I don't like what she did - and I think she >is extremely fucked up (but I like that in people), but I do think she was >acting/reacting out of some very understandable places. Oh, but she is dark >and somewhat deadly as well (but my primary fandom is Angel, so, I go for >that).

Fascinating...I love to see how widely people's perspectives can differ. Her character gives me that frisson of fear up the spine, but I really like Melina Kanakaredes as an actress.

>Thank you so much for watching the vid and letting me know you found it >effective. I really appreciate that.

It's outstanding. I hope you make more dS vids!

J S

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

we recced your DS vid here:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/morgandawn/297120.html

I do want to see this on the large screen. Please send it to Escapade? Better yet, come with the vid to Escapade.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Ohh - you think I can send to Escapade? Internet pre-release is okay? Do ya think I could submit more than one vid? Cause I have this John/Stark vid in the works that, if it ever comes together, will be a good match for Escapade.

And I'd love to come to see everyone (I've never actually been) but I doubt I can work out the finances this year.

And thank you so much for the rec - I just read it. WOW. You guys are too cool and hell, made me look fantastic. Thank you!

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

The Escapade submission criteria is a bit more mellow than VVC - it is here:
http://www.escapadecon.net/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=17&meid=5

deadline is Feb. 1

You can always try to submit more than one (whether they'll have space????)

and you're welcome on the rec.

[sobelle.livejournal.com]

Here via Cesperanza's rec too

Wow, wow and wow... everything was perfect.

Each beat felt like a jeweler's hammer chipping away until all that was left was a perfectly faceted jewel.

Just beautiful.

[suzvoy.livejournal.com]

Beautiful, just beautiful :)

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

Hi! ::waves:: saw a rec for your vid--they weren't kidding about how fantastic it was. Very powerful and compelling. an awesome work.
wags, springwoof

[(Anonymous)]

as others have noted, this is a gorgeous vid. i love how compelling both fraser and victoria are in it. paul gross exhibits some mannerisms as fraser in this episode that i don't recognize from any other episode, and i find them beguiling, and you've used every one of them in your vid, (e.g., the bowed head at 1:12 and the head hitch at 2:16 to name two of my favorites). it's a look at fraser that we almost never see again, and certainly never as dominant as it is in this episode: he's so vulnerable and unsure and not in control, and your vid is the perfect distillation of this. and my god, does it look good on him.

meanwhile, you highlight how victoria is so in control of the situation, so beautiful and cold and deadly. again, perfectly distilled to her essence. the video makes me buy into their relationship big time.

so wonderful -- tally

[lalejandra.livejournal.com]

Hi, I know I left fb before, but I have to again, because I have made pretty much everyone I know watch this vid, and we all love it, including my dad, and my sisters, and -- well, yeah, everyone I know. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

[marici.livejournal.com]

Wow, Fasier's even prettier than in the fic. Interesting video and a really lovely cobination of lyrics, image, and plot. Thanks!

[isegrim.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is fantastic. Made me want to dig out all my old Due South tapes again...

Great video, well done.

[cricketk.livejournal.com]

Just came via The Reel.

This was absolutely fantastic.

Incredibly well-timed, beautiful imagery and such a strong story.

I'm about to go madly pimping.

Thank you.

[sarren.livejournal.com]

Got here by cricketk who never recs things..

Simply, WOW.

And I may as well mention while I'm here that though I"ve never sent feedback before because I'm a slack bitch - YOU DO THE BESTEST VIDS. I randomly tell people this, at length, at slash gatherings and force them to watch 'Cowboy' and 'Without Me' and 'Without You I'm Nothing' which breaks my heart even though I gave up on Smallville after the first season.

[brownbetty]

Normally I just kind of don't… get vids. I mean, yes, nice, music, shiny, but I'd rather read fic. But this one hit me in the *gut* and didn't let go at all. The bears made everything so much more visceral, excuse my language, so much more true. The way the footage was punctuated along with the music, the way the bear warns you from the beginning it will be bloody and at the end that it will be lonely, the way they stand for the truth covered by manners and lies. I loved the glaciers meeting at 1:30, the irresistible ineinevitability of it. You are so smart and clever!

[dr-ingram.livejournal.com]

This is just so wonderful, mixing in the shots of polar bears and the ice snow scenes is just so powerful along side the emotional scenes of Frasher and Victoria that this was one video that made me cry.

I just wondering were I could findmore Due South related videos?

[aingeal8c.livejournal.com]

Such a beautiful vid, truly.

I loved the images, especially the way the artic was interweaved with the episode scenes.
Just wonderful.

[chuckjd.livejournal.com]

I am in awe. I just watched it, just closed the program. That was, by far, the most brilliant thing I've ever seen. Are you a professional editor or something? This thing is beyond brilliant. I'm so showing this to everyone I know (dueSouth kid or not), with you name attached, of course. You seriously win my fandom.

[shihadchick.livejournal.com]

Really, really lovely - thank you so much for sharing this. I'm not terribly good at responding on a technical level at all because basically the process is a mystery to me (a very impressive one, when done well, which this is) but it flowed wonderfully, and it's very evocative and a lot of the shots you chose just fit and melded together so well. I'm particularly fond of the skylight/windows going into the forest, and like I'm sure a billion people have mentioned - the diamonds into birds transition. Lovely.

And, you know, oh, Fraser. *heart breaks for him all over again*

[transtempts.livejournal.com]

Oh, that was gorgeous. I love it, and the way it was laid out was both a great way of telling a story and very rich. Mmm.

[pigtailedgirl.livejournal.com]

Wow! I really like this vid. I love the song and the way you changed shots.

Hope you don't mind I linked this page in ds_closet.

[andreanna.livejournal.com]

This is absolutely fabulous. You've done a beautiful job editting the episodes. I adore your incorporation of motifs (polar bear and snow..just *guh*). Your blending with the documentaries is also just wonderful.

This is somber and dynamic and just gorgeous. Thank you so much for creating and sharing this. *goes to watch again and find the song*