I'm On A Rant
Oct. 20th, 2002 08:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sisabetThis was going to be the weekend I got things done. This has turned into the weekend I hid from the things that needed doing. Hey - some advice - if you are stressed and it is a moderately drizzly and gray Sunday, watch Buffy early season 4. Absolutely will make you happy it is autumn. I think it is because that "school just started" vibe is sustained longer because of the college introduction, but I enjoyed those eps playing in the background today. Right now I've got Farscape, "Look at the Princess" parts 1-3 playing. Hee...
Aeryn Sun: I will not be a slave to your hormones.
John Crichton: My hormones! Hey I was lips, you were tongue!
How can you resist that? I am such an unabashed Aeryn/John 'shipper.
Yesterday I settled down in front of the computer with a yellow legal pad. I was all geared up to take notes for feedback on a list of vids that have been languishing on my hard drive for some time now (I was inspired by the incredible feedback I got from renenet). I never got to the much deserved feedback because before I started, I decided to download some new vids.
Okay, here is a bit of trivia for you: how is Xander's Snoopy dance on BtVS 5x03 "The Replacement", shot? Answer: Xander begins the Snoopy dance and the camera is on him from the waist up. It then moves back for a full body shot, Xander spins, the camera goes to a medium shot and then cut to Willow and then back to a close-up on Xander, still dancing. How do I know this? Well, I like to vid. I like Xander. I know all sorts of information regarding where the camera is and who is in a shot on any given episode when it comes to this particular show (ask me about "Charmed" and I couldn't tell you shit). I'm not bragging - there have been hours upon hours of my life wasted watching TV and generally not contributing anything back to society. But I make videos and I enjoy it. I devote a large portion of my free time and money to vidding and I would do it even if the only people to ever see my vids were family members and unfortunate friends who make the mistake of coming over for dinner. But I have worked hard on all of the vids on the sight (well, not "Mean Sleep" - it sucked and Dawn has promised to never repost it again). A couple of months ago I found a lot of vids that featured cut up footage of my older vids. "West End Girls" and "A Change" were the most used - and this was not just one particular vidder - it was several different people at several different sites. I shrugged it off - I figured it would be impossible to stop - and those vids sucked by definition. I also wasn't as attached to the earlier vids - I look at them now and see everything that I did wrong. Then I started seeing "Golden Years" in other vids - curiously enough - just the Spike parts. I worked really hard to get those sequences down on that vid and when I see another vid that has Spike put the cards down on the table in "Life Serial" and then get rolled out the door, it really bothers me. Those 2 scenes aren't even from the same season and it took forever to get "Goodbye to Iowa" formatted so my WMM would accept it, so I feel proprietorial about that sequence. I also hate confrontation and decided that most of the offenders didn't know not to do this, and I am much to lazy to be responsible for schooling an entire plethora of people genuinely interested only in having Buffy and Spike screwing to as many different songs as possible. Since the majority of the offenders also appeared to be teenage girls who, like me, discovered that their computer came with WMM and they too could have some vidding fun, I really did not think that it would become an issue or would bother me beyond temporary annoyance. I understand that they do not have a clue about how to get source and I discussed it with Dawn. She posted headtilt.com's opinion toward the whole deal - basically don't take from other people's vids - that is a form of plagarism, here is how you get source if you want it, if you can't get a scene any other way- rather than taking scenes from earlier headtilt vids - why not email sisabet and she will help you get the original source, but if you do take source from the older vids - we won't bust you for it, and all future headtilt vids will be modified - please leave them be. I understand that the post we put up was confusing and appeared to give permission to plunder every vid I had made and will make. I intend to clear up that confusion.
Leave my vids alone. Here is why: I work damn hard on each and every vid. I'm tired of seeing my hard work set to crap. I hate confrontation - I really do - remember I'm the girl who broke off her last 2 relationships by moving. I'm beyond passive-aggressive; I'm MIA-Aggressive. At this point, however; I have reached the end of my fucking rope and I am getting ready to throw down. If you need source I have offered to help. Please understand that offer does not mean that if you send me an email asking for random clips of Willow "looking goofy" that I will get right on that - especially if I ask you to be more specific and you respond - "oh, you know, season 1-3" - Hey, if I'm gonna clip for your vid, I might as well make the whole damn thing. You will not get sympathy from me if I find out you have a cable modem and a system better than mine. Go to Hell. I understand it is damn hard getting source - you know why I understand? - because I had to go and download it as well. I've spent the better part of today trying to get my computer to recognize the new capture card Dawn bought, so I won't have to rely on the downloads as much. I have spent this whole damn weekend in front of the damn computer and I enjoy it so quit fucking with my fun! It is not like me to get this angry. But if you use Premiere as your main editing tool then I know what you have to do to steal my vids. All of the vids I have made until "Last Stand" are only available in wmv format. Premiere does not recognize that format. The only way to get it to recognize my vid is to convert that file to mpeg or avi. If you know enough to be able to convert my vid - then you should know enough to keep your goddamn hands off it.
I am really angry. It is all because of the Snoopy dance. Again on the show: medium shot, full shot spin, medium shot, Willow, close-up. In "Pink Houses" the Snoopy dance goes close-up, full shot turn, med shot. When I was editing that sequence Dawn made a crack about how long it would take someone to swipe it. Well, I downloaded this vid and Dawn watched it with me. She immediately started pointing out the "Pink Houses" shots - I was wanting to believe the vid was "inspired by" and not directly lifted until I saw the Snoopy Dance. Dammit. I hate this. I understand seeing a vid and then subconsciously doing a sequence that is similar to the vid you saw - we are all drinking at the same well. Since "Pink Houses" I've noticed a lot of vids using the Xander drool scene from "Teacher's Pet". That's great, the more Xander the better as far as I am concerned. But don't lift from Country Cavalcade. Don't lift from Last Stand. Don't Lift from Twilight Zone. Please Leave Golden Years alone. The rest of the vids have been so cannibalized I really don't care what you do with them. Hey, Let's see Clint Eastwood set to "My Heart Will Go On" and at the end Tara can say "Shhh" and you can put your name on it. That'll be fun, won't it? Oh - I know you want to make vids, too. I understand that desire. But if you make 50% of your vid by taking out various bits and pieces of mine you are a hack. How in this world can you make a comprehensive narrative out of "Everybody Went Low" and "A Change" - the damned vids are completely different!!! I am pissed off - I have a very high threshold for anger but apparently touching my Xander will put me over that edge.
So. Don't. Do. It. Okay? That is all. I'm sorry if I sound ungracious, but I have changed my mind about my position and I hope that it will be respected. I wanted to be easy-going about this, but it ain't gonna happen.
Aeryn Sun: I will not be a slave to your hormones.
John Crichton: My hormones! Hey I was lips, you were tongue!
How can you resist that? I am such an unabashed Aeryn/John 'shipper.
Yesterday I settled down in front of the computer with a yellow legal pad. I was all geared up to take notes for feedback on a list of vids that have been languishing on my hard drive for some time now (I was inspired by the incredible feedback I got from renenet). I never got to the much deserved feedback because before I started, I decided to download some new vids.
Okay, here is a bit of trivia for you: how is Xander's Snoopy dance on BtVS 5x03 "The Replacement", shot? Answer: Xander begins the Snoopy dance and the camera is on him from the waist up. It then moves back for a full body shot, Xander spins, the camera goes to a medium shot and then cut to Willow and then back to a close-up on Xander, still dancing. How do I know this? Well, I like to vid. I like Xander. I know all sorts of information regarding where the camera is and who is in a shot on any given episode when it comes to this particular show (ask me about "Charmed" and I couldn't tell you shit). I'm not bragging - there have been hours upon hours of my life wasted watching TV and generally not contributing anything back to society. But I make videos and I enjoy it. I devote a large portion of my free time and money to vidding and I would do it even if the only people to ever see my vids were family members and unfortunate friends who make the mistake of coming over for dinner. But I have worked hard on all of the vids on the sight (well, not "Mean Sleep" - it sucked and Dawn has promised to never repost it again). A couple of months ago I found a lot of vids that featured cut up footage of my older vids. "West End Girls" and "A Change" were the most used - and this was not just one particular vidder - it was several different people at several different sites. I shrugged it off - I figured it would be impossible to stop - and those vids sucked by definition. I also wasn't as attached to the earlier vids - I look at them now and see everything that I did wrong. Then I started seeing "Golden Years" in other vids - curiously enough - just the Spike parts. I worked really hard to get those sequences down on that vid and when I see another vid that has Spike put the cards down on the table in "Life Serial" and then get rolled out the door, it really bothers me. Those 2 scenes aren't even from the same season and it took forever to get "Goodbye to Iowa" formatted so my WMM would accept it, so I feel proprietorial about that sequence. I also hate confrontation and decided that most of the offenders didn't know not to do this, and I am much to lazy to be responsible for schooling an entire plethora of people genuinely interested only in having Buffy and Spike screwing to as many different songs as possible. Since the majority of the offenders also appeared to be teenage girls who, like me, discovered that their computer came with WMM and they too could have some vidding fun, I really did not think that it would become an issue or would bother me beyond temporary annoyance. I understand that they do not have a clue about how to get source and I discussed it with Dawn. She posted headtilt.com's opinion toward the whole deal - basically don't take from other people's vids - that is a form of plagarism, here is how you get source if you want it, if you can't get a scene any other way- rather than taking scenes from earlier headtilt vids - why not email sisabet and she will help you get the original source, but if you do take source from the older vids - we won't bust you for it, and all future headtilt vids will be modified - please leave them be. I understand that the post we put up was confusing and appeared to give permission to plunder every vid I had made and will make. I intend to clear up that confusion.
Leave my vids alone. Here is why: I work damn hard on each and every vid. I'm tired of seeing my hard work set to crap. I hate confrontation - I really do - remember I'm the girl who broke off her last 2 relationships by moving. I'm beyond passive-aggressive; I'm MIA-Aggressive. At this point, however; I have reached the end of my fucking rope and I am getting ready to throw down. If you need source I have offered to help. Please understand that offer does not mean that if you send me an email asking for random clips of Willow "looking goofy" that I will get right on that - especially if I ask you to be more specific and you respond - "oh, you know, season 1-3" - Hey, if I'm gonna clip for your vid, I might as well make the whole damn thing. You will not get sympathy from me if I find out you have a cable modem and a system better than mine. Go to Hell. I understand it is damn hard getting source - you know why I understand? - because I had to go and download it as well. I've spent the better part of today trying to get my computer to recognize the new capture card Dawn bought, so I won't have to rely on the downloads as much. I have spent this whole damn weekend in front of the damn computer and I enjoy it so quit fucking with my fun! It is not like me to get this angry. But if you use Premiere as your main editing tool then I know what you have to do to steal my vids. All of the vids I have made until "Last Stand" are only available in wmv format. Premiere does not recognize that format. The only way to get it to recognize my vid is to convert that file to mpeg or avi. If you know enough to be able to convert my vid - then you should know enough to keep your goddamn hands off it.
I am really angry. It is all because of the Snoopy dance. Again on the show: medium shot, full shot spin, medium shot, Willow, close-up. In "Pink Houses" the Snoopy dance goes close-up, full shot turn, med shot. When I was editing that sequence Dawn made a crack about how long it would take someone to swipe it. Well, I downloaded this vid and Dawn watched it with me. She immediately started pointing out the "Pink Houses" shots - I was wanting to believe the vid was "inspired by" and not directly lifted until I saw the Snoopy Dance. Dammit. I hate this. I understand seeing a vid and then subconsciously doing a sequence that is similar to the vid you saw - we are all drinking at the same well. Since "Pink Houses" I've noticed a lot of vids using the Xander drool scene from "Teacher's Pet". That's great, the more Xander the better as far as I am concerned. But don't lift from Country Cavalcade. Don't lift from Last Stand. Don't Lift from Twilight Zone. Please Leave Golden Years alone. The rest of the vids have been so cannibalized I really don't care what you do with them. Hey, Let's see Clint Eastwood set to "My Heart Will Go On" and at the end Tara can say "Shhh" and you can put your name on it. That'll be fun, won't it? Oh - I know you want to make vids, too. I understand that desire. But if you make 50% of your vid by taking out various bits and pieces of mine you are a hack. How in this world can you make a comprehensive narrative out of "Everybody Went Low" and "A Change" - the damned vids are completely different!!! I am pissed off - I have a very high threshold for anger but apparently touching my Xander will put me over that edge.
So. Don't. Do. It. Okay? That is all. I'm sorry if I sound ungracious, but I have changed my mind about my position and I hope that it will be respected. I wanted to be easy-going about this, but it ain't gonna happen.
no subject
Date: 2002-10-24 08:01 pm (UTC)Agreed, and neatly put, but what exactly is the parallel being drawn here? If your point is that being a vidder is like making a mix tape out of other people's songs, and that the vidder is not the person who made the footage (performed the songs), then I agree with you completely -- but this doesn't seem to be what's actually at stake in your earlier critique.
To extend the analogy: I don't think anyone *would* confuse mix tapes with musicianship, and I for one would certainly acknowledge that a great deal more talent and skill (not to mention time and money) goes into making an original album (well, most albums) than making a mix. But if I put a lot of thought into a mix, got the timing just right so there's not a lot of blank space at the end of the tape, etc., I would be peeved if someone swiped it, copied half of it without changing it, and said it was entirely theirs.
By the way -- I'd like to consider this conversation, but perhaps we should move it to one of our own LJs...?