Howling at the Sky - IDVP

October 2008

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"Every movement that ever worked came from civil movements, from compassion, from working smarter and not harder, from working every day with your hands to build a better future for everybody, not just people like you. Every movement that ever backlashed came from thinking your shouts outweighed everybody else -- that your pain was louder or stronger or more worthy of being satisfied, just because it was yours. Every war that ever happened came from a simple trick of memory: that any amount of difference could ever outweigh the things we have in common. Everything that bridges that gap is just a process of remembering to bridge the gap; to remind the people around you that it doesn't exist. To remember the possibility of joy. Every bit of pain that ever happened to anybody in the world resulted from just this: the sin, the cancer, the awful confusion and heavy responsibility of ever thinking you were alone. You aren't. You never were."

- From an American Idol recap by Jacob @ TWoP

"What matters is that you do good work. What matters is that you produce things that are true and will stand. What matters is that the Flaming Lips's new album is ravishing and I've listened to it a thousand times already, sometimes for days on end, and it enriches me and makes me want to save people. What matters is that it will stand forever, long after any narrow-hearted curmudgeons have forgotten their appearance on goddamn 90210. What matters is not the perception, nor the fashion, not who's up and who's down, but what someone has done and if they meant it. What matters is that you want to see and make and do, on as grand a scale as you want, regardless of what the tiny voices of tiny people say. Do not be critics, you people, I beg you. I was a critic and I wish I could take it all back because it came from a smelly and ignorant place in me, and spoke with a voice that was all rage and envy. Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them. It is a fuckload of work to be open-minded and generous and understanding and forgiving and accepting, but Christ, that is what matters. What matters is saying yes."

- Dave Eggers

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sdwolfpup

13 December 2004 @ 09:22 pm

IDVP - Day 13!

Here we are at Day 13 of the IDVP. Only three more vids to go. This is the last Buffy vid of the project.

Today's vidlet was suggested by

fer1213. For her birthday, she asked for a stalker!Spike vid set to Guster's, "Barrel Of A Gun." Happy birthday. :)

Barrel Of A Gun (7.2 MB)

Lyrics
I know a movie star
I've got her plastered to my wall
Just like we're dear old friends
like she already knows me
She's perfect as she seems
lifts me right out the Mezzanine
I finally fell in love
I'd been waiting forever

4 3 2 1
Went out the barrel of a gun
Keep my head way down
Stay out, I'll stay in
Half dead, and half numb
She's enough to make me warm
It's all so safe and sound

My Thoughts
This whole song is very, very appropriate for stalkery-Spike, and I had trouble decided which stanza I was going to go with. I ended up choosing the first one because I love the "I've got her plastered to my wall." Originally I was going to go with the shot of the Buffy shrine from 'Crush,' but I decided that wouldn't work for the whole lyric and instead went with the Buffyquin.

I had problems again ripping source - 'Into the Woods' was basically unusable and 'Crush' came out only mediocre. I have no idea why a few eps don't work while all the others do. But even though I try to rip multiple times, I get the same results. Anyhow, that's why there is no ItW footage in this one, although originally it had featured a role.

Even without that, a lot of the footage here is used frequently in Buffy/Spike vids, so I tried to really spice things up visually. Some of it is just obnoxious, some of it I like. I can't decide what I think about the sunburst lens flares. The last section where it's a bunch of quick shots - it's a summary of the vid that came before it, taking a short piece out of most of the sections preceding. I've wanted to do that for awhile in a vid and I love how it works here. I also really like the choppy first section. I wish that the clips looked better, quality-wise, though.

What I Learned
The first bongo intro is just me cutting every four frames or so. The starbursts are the lens flare effect set to sunburst, size .42 with a lot of other messing around of brightness and number of rays. The flash at 0:08 is a keyframed 'Color Effects' filter with solarize adjusted. The star (hee) came about by first generating a yellow color matte, then applying the eight-point garbage matte effect to it and adjusting points 1, 3, 5, and 7 to get a sort of star shape. Then I keyframed the scaling and rotation of the clip to get the movement.

The effect at 0:18 is just a standard overlay of the same clip set to 44% and set a couple of frames off to get the echo effect. A few clips were brightened using the "Arithmetic" filter set to 'Add' or 'Screen.' The 'School Hard' clip that starts at 0:31 has a keyframed 'Zoom blur' applied that goes from 100% to 0% (showing how his life was brought into focus when he saw Buffy the first time).

My Chargers won again this weekend! I had a very slow day at work and hope that this continues until the start of my vacation on the 17th. It's in sight. I can make it.

Current Mood:

exhausted

Current Music: Guster, "Barrel Of A Gun"

24 comments | Leave a comment

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jebbypal on December 14th, 2004 05:58 am (UTC)

Omg...can't wait to see this. I've been attempting to get people to use it w/ firefly w/out luck so I guess i'll have to settle for spike!

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sdwolfpup on December 14th, 2004 07:06 am (UTC)

Now I'm curious - what was your Firefly idea for this song?

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jebbypal on December 14th, 2004 08:23 am (UTC)

Well, to go w/ stalker theme...Saff/Mal w/ other men thrown in at will. But also, the title and beat also makes me think of River sometimes..

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sdwolfpup on December 15th, 2004 11:35 am (UTC)

The beat is very River, yes. She's got sort of that unusual, hurried, intense feel to her that I think the bongos bring out.

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mgal on December 14th, 2004 06:02 am (UTC)

Love, *love*, LOVE this one! I think this is my favorite one so far. You just have such impeccable timing for everything. I love the clips you chose and how you laid them out. Especially the "I'd been waiting forever" and the 4, 3, 2, 1 bit.

And just 'cause it can never be said enough, you're so very talented. :)

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sdwolfpup on December 14th, 2004 07:07 am (UTC)

You're so good to me. :D Thank you for letting me know you liked it.

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poshcat on December 14th, 2004 06:23 am (UTC)

I keep waiting to get tired of Spike in your vids. But I never, never do. :0D

It seems like you're learning a lot - doing this was a great idea. And of course, getting to watch the vids is pretty sweet for us, too.

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sdwolfpup on December 14th, 2004 07:07 am (UTC)

That's because I only choose clips where he's at his hottest. Shhh. Trade secret. ;)

I am learning a ton. I'm creatively very tired but it was totally worth it.

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fer1213 on December 14th, 2004 12:39 pm (UTC)

How VERY MUCH do I want you to make a vid using this whole song???? This was FANTASTIC!! The coming into focus of Spike, the cuts, the kicking of the mannequin on the beat, the 4,3,2,1, the ending... So very excellent, sweetie! And giggled on "keep my head way down". HEEE! Thank you so much for doing this.

*runs off squeeing*

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sdwolfpup on December 15th, 2004 11:36 am (UTC)

Woo! I'm very very glad you liked it. :D Thank you dearie!

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molly_may on December 14th, 2004 04:21 pm (UTC)

That was fabulous! I especially love the clip from "School Hard" over the lyric "I've been waiting forever". And who doesn't love Stalker!Spike?

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sdwolfpup on December 15th, 2004 11:37 am (UTC)

It's probably a bad thing that we like stalker!Spike so much but - come on. He's so hot. *is shallow*

Thank you!

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neroli66 on December 15th, 2004 08:47 am (UTC)

I love your editing...it always amazes me how you can hit all those beats!

And poor Stalker!Spike...he just wants some love is all!

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sdwolfpup on December 15th, 2004 11:39 am (UTC)

The thing about the beats is that I can't ignore them anymore, which is kind of a pain. But I love hitting stuff on beat so that's what you guys get. I'm just glad you like it!

Yes, stalker!Spike wants love and maybe some sex. Hee.

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neroli66 on December 20th, 2004 08:00 am (UTC)

Actually, he probably wants sex and maybe some love...LOL

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dualbunny on December 15th, 2004 10:38 am (UTC)

Whee, fun! I like the effects-experimenting in this one. I could see a little more fine tuning with them, but the song feel was just right for cartoonish stuff in my opinion.

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sdwolfpup on December 15th, 2004 11:40 am (UTC)

Thanks! I thought the star thing worked surprisingly well given how unbelievably goofy it is. You're right, the effects need some fine-tuning. Mine never seem to look as professional as yours do. Half the battle for me is just figuring out when to use them. :)

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teenes on December 15th, 2004 04:04 pm (UTC)

I'm sorta behind on these vids but I had to check out this one b/c of the song, and I loved it =). It worked perfectly with the music and the effects were amusing. Obviously my own vid still holds the special spot in my heart, but this runs a close second...

Now I need to listen to the song again ;).

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sdwolfpup on December 15th, 2004 04:08 pm (UTC)

Thank you for the feedback. :) I highly recommend listening to the song again. I love it and, in fact, currently have it on repeat in my head.

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morgandawn on December 17th, 2004 07:29 am (UTC)

cannot believe we went to the same vividcon and never ran into each other. Mac vidders unite! but here I am (via gwyn's friends list).

loved your LA Story icons - took the animated Hold me. The movie inspired one of my favorite lines applied to one of Laura Shapio's creepy Farscape vid (Come Together). "It left me emotionally erect."

Hope to see you at Escapade?

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sdwolfpup on January 17th, 2005 12:03 am (UTC)

I am so behind on comments.

Another Mac vidder - I shall cling to you like glue. I'm already signed up for VVC 05, so we will definitely have to meet there. I won't be making Escapade, unfortunately, although it sounds like a lot of fun.

LA Story is one of my all-time favorite movies. I constantly use his "Bored Beyond Belief."

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morgandawn on January 17th, 2005 08:54 am (UTC)

whee! only 7 months to go.

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kats_meow on December 24th, 2004 06:53 am (UTC)

I love the effects on this one...how Spike and Buffy come sort of out and back into focus. Also liked the clips that you chose, Punk!Spike juxtaposed with poor Mr. Trying Too Hard to be Normal Guy at the Bronze. LOVE the pace of it and the end on Spike's blink. (I got a little behind so I'm making up for it while you are on vacation, hee!)

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sdwolfpup on January 17th, 2005 12:01 am (UTC)

Spike is so confused and lost when it comes to Buffy. And, frankly, a little creepy at times. Thank you for all of your comments through the whole IDVP - you were an incredible cheerleader and I truly appreciate it.

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