elipie
Pub Enthusiast
Posts: 115
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Post by elipie on Nov 27, 2011 13:51:18 GMT -5
I definitely have a problem with being too literal still, but since most of my vids are comedy vids, I think it's okay. I'm a little bit scared to try anything else, to be honest, because I've spent so much time working on literal comedy vids, I feel like it will probably be a struggle trying to make anything else.
Tone and lyrics are both really important for me. When I hear a song on the radio and think "Oh, this is perfect!" and then look up the lyrics, and they're the completely opposite tone, I feel like I have to give up on the song unless I want to make an ironic vid. One song I've been struggling with for ages is Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People-- fun beat, not-so-fun lyrics. I feel like the lyrics are so important that they shouldn't be dismissed, but if I wanted to make a vid about mental illness and abusive families, I would want to do it very carefully. I don't know if I have the vidding chops for it to make sense and not come off as if I was treating that material lightly if someone wasn't listening to the lyrics.
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nos
Pub Regular
Posts: 95
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Post by nos on Nov 27, 2011 14:48:33 GMT -5
I am often literal in my videos. Why try to make something fit when the perfect thing is just right there? Of course, this might be due in part of hanging around with Sisabet so much in my vidding formative years, heh.
But lyrics, to me, are the most important part of the video. If something in the lyrics don't fit my vision, while the rest is super perfect? I won't vid it. Maybe I am doing it wrong, or maybe that's just what being obsessed with lyrics is about.
Edited to add: I have a super cracky Soul Meets Body vid idea, simply because I laugh everytime I hear the chorus now, in relation to Doctor Who: "If the Silence takes you then I hope it takes me too..." "...I hold you dear, cause your the only Song I want to hear, a Melody softly soaring through my atmosphere." BECAUSE MY BRAIN THINKS THIS IS HILARIOUS.
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Post by astarte on Nov 27, 2011 15:13:56 GMT -5
What elipie said about comedy vids is something I get from the other end of the spectrum. They totally rely on the lyrics and a literal interpretation , this is one reason why I struggle with them. They are always hard for me, but sometimes I can't resist a source or an idea. I'm kind of in awe of people who can pull them off, because for me they are almost unattainable. But you shouldn't restrict yourself and challenges are there to kick some ass. Even if it's your own.
About nataliemich's question, I'm not sure how helpful this is for you, but maybe study your favourite vids that impressed you deeply and that have a totally opposite way of interpreting lyrics? I know this helped me when I tried to tackle different ways of narratives.
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Post by xitsmymindx on Nov 27, 2011 20:25:55 GMT -5
I am on the fence about this. I tend to use a lot of songs not in English so the meaning of the words is very important. Even if people can't be bothered reading translations I post, I want a clip that clearly tells that line. Overall feeling of music is very important too though, if people don't understand the language, I don't want a song that sounds all happy but is a break-up song
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Post by obsessive24 on Nov 28, 2011 4:50:30 GMT -5
xitsmymindx - agreed. Just because a song is in a language you don't understand, I think you still have to treat it in a way that's consistent with the original meaning. It irks me when people treat a foreign language like it's foreign to everybody, not just them. This is not really a gripe about people vidding foreign language songs because the ones I've seen (and understood) do address this point adequately. It's mostly a gripe that comes from seeing people with Chinese character tattoos who have absolutely no idea of the nuances of the language and are all just like, "oh, this character means love? This character means peace? Cool, I'll just tattoo it on my body for eternity." And it's just like, it doesn't quite work like that but you can't really explain it outside of the language.  ANYway, gripe over, sorry to be OT. ;D nos - LOL, my brain thinks that is hilarious too, if it helps.
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Post by xitsmymindx on Nov 28, 2011 9:51:57 GMT -5
obsessive24 No, I get what you mean, I saw this movie once this guy got a tattoo he thought meant ninja and it really meant 'kitchen'. But yeah, just coz ~I~ understand some Japanese or whatever doesn't mean EVERYONE does, the mood needs to be set right. I don't always pull this off and am a harsh critic of myself for that. I think if used right, a foreign language can work but I hate for example, a million people vidding an anime to it's theme and using random clips not thinking about the meaning.
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Post by franzeska on Nov 28, 2011 14:18:23 GMT -5
Do any of you who struggle with being overly literal use any tricks to "turn off" the lyrics in your head when you watch something back? This only works with certain songs, obviously, but one thing I'll do is watch the original video. Even with the ability to film whatever they want, a lot of artists have produced something strikingly non-literal or it will be literal in places and totally non-literal in others. I also watch my vids with the sound off at least once; sometimes that lets me spot a problem that I can feel is there but that the music is distracting me from pinpointing. I think if used right, a foreign language can work but I hate for example, a million people vidding an anime to it's theme and using random clips not thinking about the meaning. Does that happen a lot in AMVs? I know I've seen it with movies and the iconic song off of the soundtrack. |
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Post by obsessive24 on Nov 28, 2011 14:24:24 GMT -5
This only works with certain songs, obviously, but one thing I'll do is watch the original video. Even with the ability to film whatever they want, a lot of artists have produced something strikingly non-literal or it will be literal in places and totally non-literal in others. Oh my god, that totally just reminded me of that Snow Patrol song that goes "If I just lie here, will you lie with me" etc etc, and I remember getting SO pissed off at the video because the singer was just literally lying on the ground the whole time while people around him were pretty much walking all over him. I was like x a zillion. It probably wasn't so much the literalness that bothered me as much as the sheer impracticality of him lying at the mouth of an escalator exit, still. |
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Post by voodoochild on Nov 28, 2011 15:31:36 GMT -5
franzeska - oooh, what a good idea! I'd never thought of watching the original video, but you're so right. And the tip about watching with the sound off is great. Thanks!
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Post by legoline on Nov 28, 2011 16:08:34 GMT -5
This only works with certain songs, obviously, but one thing I'll do is watch the original video. Even with the ability to film whatever they want, a lot of artists have produced something strikingly non-literal or it will be literal in places and totally non-literal in others. Oh my god, that totally just reminded me of that Snow Patrol song that goes "If I just lie here, will you lie with me" etc etc, and I remember getting SO pissed off at the video because the singer was just literally lying on the ground the whole time while people around him were pretty much walking all over him. I was like x a zillion. It probably wasn't so much the literalness that bothered me as much as the sheer impracticality of him lying at the mouth of an escalator exit, still. Haha, yes! I love "Chasing Cars" but the video? |
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Post by xitsmymindx on Nov 28, 2011 19:39:44 GMT -5
Does that happen a lot in AMVs? I know I've seen it with movies and the iconic song off of the soundtrack. Oh yes. You tend to learn where you see this kinda thing and avoid it but it happens occasionally. If it works, by all means. I personally tend to avoid doing it because OBVIOUS stuff will not be original and I can't stand doing something everyone does. But I know some people manage overdone things in a unique way. But yes, it happens and it irks me. |
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Post by killabeez on Nov 30, 2011 13:18:47 GMT -5
Oh my god, that totally just reminded me of that Snow Patrol song that goes "If I just lie here, will you lie with me" etc etc, and I remember getting SO pissed off at the video because the singer was just literally lying on the ground the whole time while people around him were pretty much walking all over him. - how much do I love that you used the correct grammar (lie vs. lay) whereas the song does not? THIS MUCH. <---------------> franzeska - yes, about watching the original video! (Although, everyone assumes that "Closer" was done as a result of watching the original video, and, it was actually based on a different video by the same director (David Bowie's "Heart's Filthy Lesson") and I hadn't seen the NiN video when we made it.) But I did recently start doing this, and it's especially useful for me because I have a terrible tendency to cut all my clips to the same length or the same beat, and watching the original video really helps with that. nataliemich - that is a great idea, about watching your video with no sound to pinpoint problems. I just did this with the one I'm working on, and it helped so much that I was like, wth, why have I never done this before? |
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Post by dragonchic on Dec 1, 2011 13:13:58 GMT -5
Does that happen a lot in AMVs? I know I've seen it with movies and the iconic song off of the soundtrack. Oh yes. You tend to learn where you see this kinda thing and avoid it but it happens occasionally. If it works, by all means. I personally tend to avoid doing it because OBVIOUS stuff will not be original and I can't stand doing something everyone does. But I know some people manage overdone things in a unique way. But yes, it happens and it irks me. People vid shows to their own theme songs??  Granted anime often has epic theme music but I'd steal it for another fandom.  Something that doesn't bother me quite as much for some reason is vidding a song that was prominently used in a particular scene for the same character/pairing/whatever. Granted, I still wouldn't do it myself, but when the vidder constructs it as kind of an extension of that original scene it can be kind of nice. |
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Post by xitsmymindx on Dec 1, 2011 23:26:43 GMT -5
Oh yes. You tend to learn where you see this kinda thing and avoid it but it happens occasionally. If it works, by all means. I personally tend to avoid doing it because OBVIOUS stuff will not be original and I can't stand doing something everyone does. But I know some people manage overdone things in a unique way. But yes, it happens and it irks me. People vid shows to their own theme songs?? Granted anime often has epic theme music but I'd steal it for another fandom. same, feels very stale, like "ok, been done before" Something I am SO guilty of: if a show or movie stars a singer, I will often vid to one of their songs. The exception being Charmed/Alyssa Milano. But she hasn't sung in forever and it was all early 90s pop that is NOT good for vidding xD |
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Post by killabeez on Dec 1, 2011 23:29:14 GMT -5
Something that doesn't bother me quite as much for some reason is vidding a song that was prominently used in a particular scene for the same character/pairing/whatever. Granted, I still wouldn't do it myself, but when the vidder constructs it as kind of an extension of that original scene it can be kind of nice. ITA, dragonchic. This often pleases me, if it's done well.  |
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(sorry, I am failing at credits. Gomen)
ANYway, gripe over, sorry to be OT. ;D
Granted anime often has epic theme music but I'd steal it for another fandom. 
