VividCon Report – Part I
Aug. 26th, 2005 11:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
f1renzeI realize that the reason I’ve been putting off writing a con report is because I have yet to accept that the con is over. But I have to do this, because I don’t want to forget.
Disclaimer: When it comes to vid shows, I’m just going on memory, which inevitably relies on things like source familiarity and state-of-awakeness. So I won’t mention every single vid, OMG. Because that is just nuts.
Thursday
Around 5:30 pm, I arrived at VividCon bearing Crack Wings. Being there a day early this year felt much less scary and overwhelming (last year I arrived during Friday morning registration). I saw![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sdwolfpup right away (omg squee!) and we just hung out. Things were somewhat hectic because so many people were delayed due to bad weather. Eventually people arrived [insert a LOT of squeeing here], and I got to meet sweetestdrain for the first time. Way cool.
Finally we managed to gather some folks for dinner. sdwolfpup, sweetestdrain,sisabet, just_eunice, and I squeezed in my little car "Jaye" and went for a quiet Italian. I had yummy calamari. sisabet looked really pretty in her orange-y/green outfit. There was fun due South and SGA talk, and just excitement and hyperactivity about the weekend ahead.
After dinner, we went on a booze run. We bought so many assorted things that I was glad my Jaye could fit everything in the trunk. She sure can handle her booze (sorry – couldn’t resist ;)). Then we delivered the drinks using the hotel luggage cart and Felicia fixed us really good margaritas (hmmm…). And then we just talked about random things. We got a glimpse of the program book from people who did early registration and ohmygod ::shock face::, things were really happening.
We then moved over to sisabet and eunice’s room to hang out. Soon after,kitkatbyte and pipsqueaky arrived, yay! We spent the rest of the night watching assorted premiering vids and LKBVs. Sigh. Happy place.
Friday
I got up super early and was all ready before Wendy even woke up. And then I, um, stared at her getting ready because I was all impatient to go, which, of course, only made her go slower. Hee.
I was nervous.
We got to the hotel around 10 am or so, and whee! things are happening! I registered right away and got my flo-bee and bitchita stickers from_par_avion to put on my badge. And then I met dualbunny and her husband (what an adorable couple!).
Then dualbunny + husband, sdwolfpup, pips, sweetestdrain, and I decided to go to the nearest grocery store cafeteria to grab some food before the con starts. I had chicken tortilla soup, which really wasn’t bad for such a convenient place.
12:00 The Wayback Machine
I just love learning about how vidding used to be, so I really enjoyed hearingtzikeh charmingly explain history (with a dance!) while we watched some VCR vids and more recent meta vids. That was way cool.
1:00 Character Study: Women - VJ:laurashapiro
Playlist with links to vids.
I thought this was a great show. My favorites --
Window of Opportunity (Wonderfalls) byheres_luck. One of the most adorably spot-on decisions ever. From the Jaye voice to the cutting style to the narrative scope. I love this vid.
New Age Girl (Xena) by Rocketchick. I felt like I got a great sense of the character’s quirks and personality and emotional experiences. I really enjoyed this.
Coming Up From Behind (Witchblade) bykillabeez. I don’t know the show, but this vid has great cutting and a really cool, character-introduction feel to it. I feel like I really got Sara's attitude. And I loved the swirly shots and close-up actions.
I Saved the World Today (Farscape) by Birgit. I remember feeling incredible angst. Birgit does great, emotional Farscape.
Running from Home (Firefly) bylithium_doll. I thought this was heartbreaking and pretty. I enjoyed the use of River picking up the twig as a hook throughout the vid.
When I Paint My Masterpiece (Battlestar Galactica) bysisabet. This was the first BSG vid I ever saw (it was online) and I didn’t know the show at all at the time but this vid made me love Starbuck immediately.
History Repeating (Highlander) bysockkpuppett and killabeez. Oh my god, a classic. I know nothing about Highlander but because of this vid, I know I love Amanda! Smart, quirky, pretty, and hella funny.
2:00 Showcase -sockkpuppett’s Scooby Road
Oh gosh, I can’t possibly say enough praise to do it justice. What *is* Scooby Road, you ask? Basically, Luminosity vidded the entire Beatles album "Abbey Road" to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the greatest show of all time OMG ahem). Seven seasons, seventeen vids, presented as a single, 42-minute show. It was massive and heartbreaking and was probably *the* greatest fannish experience I’ve ever had. For many people in the room, it was an emotional free-fall. There were sobbing tears. And standing ovations. And even more sobbing tears. There’s just no words.
Lum might put the vids up online, but if I were you, I’d order the DVD, because it’s just not the same. Go over to Lum’s to sign up!
Anyway. We spent quite some time after the show trying to surround Lum with lots and lots of love. But it seemed like we were all pretty much speechless. It was great.
3:00 Nearly New - VJ:hafital and geekturnedvamp
Links to some of the vids.
Hour 1
Oceanic Airlines Pre-flight Briefing (Lost) by KOBA-TV Videos. I thought it was funny, but it went on too long for me.
Separated (Highlander) bykillabeez and elynross. Not knowing Highlander, I thought the emotional narrative was clear and the vid was really heartbreaking. Wah!
Name of the Game (Farscape) byrydra_wong. Wow, what a cool vid. I loved the style and edgy attitude for Farscape.
Bohemian Like You (Multi) byprzed. This was a cute, oh-so-slashy vid with fun moments.
6 Underground (La Femme Nikita) bygwyn_r. I thought this vid had pretty visuals and the story looked interesting enough to get me curious about the show. In fact, I just checked the website to learn more.
At Seventeen (Multi) bykeewick. This was a heartbreaking vid. I don’t usually go for multi-fandom vids, but the common thread was touching enough for me to get all emotional about it. And the Lane (Gilmore Girls) parts, awww.
Toto Dies (Angel) byyhlee. An interesting vid on early Angel the Series. It has an unusual feel to the show, and I thought the cutting was smooth and lovely.
What You Feel (Phantom of the Opera) bytv_elf. I remember this vid having a lot of love scenes.... Sorry, I suck.
Let Go (Garden State) by Liza. I had the privilege of previewing this vid online, and I’ve loved it since the first time I watched it. It has the perfect combination of passion and emotional tentativeness, a lot like the movie. And the editing is lovely; I particularly appreciate the framing of the story and the perfectly placed, "simple" visuals that say so much, like when Zach Braff’s character opens the bathroom cabinet, and when the three main characters scream in the rain...
I Know (Bad Girls) byceridwyn2. This vid made me feel the intense love and angsty longing between the female characters.
Holy Grail (Crusade) byandrastewhite. I don’t know the source, but I thought this was nicely edited, and what I got from the narrative is that it’s all about the journey, not the goal?
Prayer for the Dying (Angels in America) by me. Eh. I screwed up the frame rate during encoding, so for the later parts of the vid, the visual appeared like 2 frames earlier than the audio (it was noticeable to me for vids of mine that were more than 4 minutes). No one seemed to notice, but now I’m just glad it’s not on the DVD set. Moving on.
Zebra (due South) byastolat. How much do I love this vid? Thiiiiis much. Smart decisions, that’s what comes to mind immediately. Stunningly crisp cutting with a really great *flow*, and lots of heart-warming moments that make me want to squeeze RayK really really hard.
Hour 2
Mr. Brightside (Angel) bysockkpuppett. OMG I love this vid so much I was so giddy even before it played. ANGEL! He loses things! It sucks to be him!!
Another Try (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) by Kusoyaro Productions. I think I was still reeling from Teh Angel when this one came on. But I do remember feeling sad watching it.
Sloop John B (Lost) by KOBA-TV Videos. I remember it being perky and fun. Yay for dancing Hurley and Charlie!
Pet (Smallville) bylinzeems. I *made* Linzee submit this vid, because – gah. Dark and creepy and painful, with a cutting style I absolutely adore.
Sing (Brave New World) by Mudd. Again, I think I was still reeling from “Pet”, because I can’t remember much about this one… except for feeling a bit melancholy?
9 - 9 (appears as 8 Sept on playlist) (L.I.E.) by Rebecca Lizard. Oh man, I think I’ve seen this movie! And I really liked how the vid addressed the angst and disturbing aspects of the story. Very interesting!
The Frug (Wonderfalls) by me.
Back Here (Farscape) by Vanessa Calvin. Again I suck because I was probably still recovering from watching my own vid play, but I remember pretty, soft visuals that made me feel all sad...
When I Go (Lord of the Rings) bymelina123. Beautiful, flowy cuts for a gorgeous source with a heartbreaking story to tell.
Guilt (Alias) byavenuepotter. I felt the Sloane angst in this vid—I actually really liked that Sloane/Emily storyline on the show, but somehow the effects in this vid were a bit distracting to me.
Star Wars Cheap Shots (Star Wars) byvalarltd. Hee. An amusing assortment of things!
Suspended in Gaffa (Farscape) bylaurashapiro. This vid amazes me. The Chiana moves and emotions were so dead. on. It made me miss her all over again.
Circles (Dead Like Me) bysweetestdrain. I adore this vid beyond words. Morgan nails the quirky feel of the show and George, mixed with her confusion and denial and finally, acceptance. ::clutches vid tightly::
Favourite Friend (A Beautiful Mind) by Jill, Kathy, and Kay. What a creative idea! Executed with tight editing, too. I was very impressed.
What did I do after Nearly New, hmm.... oh! pipsqueaky, sdwolfpup, Wendy, keewick, sweetestdrain, and I were traveling Joxer dancers! We randomly popped up atpermetaform’s room and did the routine with some other people there. Hee - we have no shame. Then it was time to get ready. Wendy, keewick, sweetestdrain, and I had fun with lots of glitter and pictures. We then went downstairs and had a nice time at the mixer, talking and eating the lovely finger foods. We also practiced the dance some more with sdwolfpup and pipsqueak, this time *in position* and with people watching! Hah - that was hilarious.
And then it was time for the birthday surprise! The fabulously dressed tzikeh wheeled in two *gigantic* birthday cakes, in honor of the 30th anniversary of vidding. Kandy Fong blew out the candles, awww. And then? And then the party started.
OMG THE JOXER DANCE WAS SO AWESOME THIS YEAR!
So many people joined in, and even more people did the conga line. It was So. Much. Fun.
Btw - I practically squeed when I saw the new room setup. There were two screens for the dance vids this time, so however disoriented you get in your dancing (heh), you’ll still be looking at the vids! And the room decorations were so adorable. So then we danced and laughed and watched vids and danced and played with glowsticks and danced and took pictures and had drinks and danced...
Links to some of the Club Vivid vids.
After Club Vivid, Wendy and I spent the rest of the night talking in keewick and sweetestdrain’s room. It was wonderful. Wendy and I drove home really really late in crazy-ass thunderstorms, with lightning bolts much scarier than those coming out of RayK’s eyes! All I could think of was, I don’t want to die, tomorrow’s the Premieres show! Um, yeah. :|
But we got home safely! And next up is Saturday.
Disclaimer: When it comes to vid shows, I’m just going on memory, which inevitably relies on things like source familiarity and state-of-awakeness. So I won’t mention every single vid, OMG. Because that is just nuts.
Thursday
Around 5:30 pm, I arrived at VividCon bearing Crack Wings. Being there a day early this year felt much less scary and overwhelming (last year I arrived during Friday morning registration). I saw
sdwolfpup right away (omg squee!) and we just hung out. Things were somewhat hectic because so many people were delayed due to bad weather. Eventually people arrived [insert a LOT of squeeing here], and I got to meet sweetestdrain for the first time. Way cool. Finally we managed to gather some folks for dinner. sdwolfpup, sweetestdrain,
sisabet, just_eunice, and I squeezed in my little car "Jaye" and went for a quiet Italian. I had yummy calamari. sisabet looked really pretty in her orange-y/green outfit. There was fun due South and SGA talk, and just excitement and hyperactivity about the weekend ahead. After dinner, we went on a booze run. We bought so many assorted things that I was glad my Jaye could fit everything in the trunk. She sure can handle her booze (sorry – couldn’t resist ;)). Then we delivered the drinks using the hotel luggage cart and Felicia fixed us really good margaritas (hmmm…). And then we just talked about random things. We got a glimpse of the program book from people who did early registration and ohmygod ::shock face::, things were really happening.
We then moved over to sisabet and eunice’s room to hang out. Soon after,
kitkatbyte and pipsqueaky arrived, yay! We spent the rest of the night watching assorted premiering vids and LKBVs. Sigh. Happy place.Friday
I got up super early and was all ready before Wendy even woke up. And then I, um, stared at her getting ready because I was all impatient to go, which, of course, only made her go slower. Hee.
I was nervous.
We got to the hotel around 10 am or so, and whee! things are happening! I registered right away and got my flo-bee and bitchita stickers from
_par_avion to put on my badge. And then I met dualbunny and her husband (what an adorable couple!). Then dualbunny + husband, sdwolfpup, pips, sweetestdrain, and I decided to go to the nearest grocery store cafeteria to grab some food before the con starts. I had chicken tortilla soup, which really wasn’t bad for such a convenient place.
12:00 The Wayback Machine
I just love learning about how vidding used to be, so I really enjoyed hearing
tzikeh charmingly explain history (with a dance!) while we watched some VCR vids and more recent meta vids. That was way cool.1:00 Character Study: Women - VJ:
laurashapiroPlaylist with links to vids.
I thought this was a great show. My favorites --
Window of Opportunity (Wonderfalls) by
heres_luck. One of the most adorably spot-on decisions ever. From the Jaye voice to the cutting style to the narrative scope. I love this vid.New Age Girl (Xena) by Rocketchick. I felt like I got a great sense of the character’s quirks and personality and emotional experiences. I really enjoyed this.
Coming Up From Behind (Witchblade) by
killabeez. I don’t know the show, but this vid has great cutting and a really cool, character-introduction feel to it. I feel like I really got Sara's attitude. And I loved the swirly shots and close-up actions.I Saved the World Today (Farscape) by Birgit. I remember feeling incredible angst. Birgit does great, emotional Farscape.
Running from Home (Firefly) by
lithium_doll. I thought this was heartbreaking and pretty. I enjoyed the use of River picking up the twig as a hook throughout the vid.When I Paint My Masterpiece (Battlestar Galactica) by
sisabet. This was the first BSG vid I ever saw (it was online) and I didn’t know the show at all at the time but this vid made me love Starbuck immediately. History Repeating (Highlander) by
sockkpuppett and killabeez. Oh my god, a classic. I know nothing about Highlander but because of this vid, I know I love Amanda! Smart, quirky, pretty, and hella funny.2:00 Showcase -
sockkpuppett’s Scooby RoadOh gosh, I can’t possibly say enough praise to do it justice. What *is* Scooby Road, you ask? Basically, Luminosity vidded the entire Beatles album "Abbey Road" to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the greatest show of all time OMG ahem). Seven seasons, seventeen vids, presented as a single, 42-minute show. It was massive and heartbreaking and was probably *the* greatest fannish experience I’ve ever had. For many people in the room, it was an emotional free-fall. There were sobbing tears. And standing ovations. And even more sobbing tears. There’s just no words.
Lum might put the vids up online, but if I were you, I’d order the DVD, because it’s just not the same. Go over to Lum’s to sign up!
Anyway. We spent quite some time after the show trying to surround Lum with lots and lots of love. But it seemed like we were all pretty much speechless. It was great.
3:00 Nearly New - VJ:
hafital and geekturnedvampLinks to some of the vids.
Hour 1
Oceanic Airlines Pre-flight Briefing (Lost) by KOBA-TV Videos. I thought it was funny, but it went on too long for me.
Separated (Highlander) by
killabeez and elynross. Not knowing Highlander, I thought the emotional narrative was clear and the vid was really heartbreaking. Wah! Name of the Game (Farscape) by
rydra_wong. Wow, what a cool vid. I loved the style and edgy attitude for Farscape.Bohemian Like You (Multi) by
przed. This was a cute, oh-so-slashy vid with fun moments.6 Underground (La Femme Nikita) by
gwyn_r. I thought this vid had pretty visuals and the story looked interesting enough to get me curious about the show. In fact, I just checked the website to learn more.At Seventeen (Multi) by
keewick. This was a heartbreaking vid. I don’t usually go for multi-fandom vids, but the common thread was touching enough for me to get all emotional about it. And the Lane (Gilmore Girls) parts, awww.Toto Dies (Angel) by
yhlee. An interesting vid on early Angel the Series. It has an unusual feel to the show, and I thought the cutting was smooth and lovely. What You Feel (Phantom of the Opera) by
tv_elf. I remember this vid having a lot of love scenes.... Sorry, I suck.Let Go (Garden State) by Liza. I had the privilege of previewing this vid online, and I’ve loved it since the first time I watched it. It has the perfect combination of passion and emotional tentativeness, a lot like the movie. And the editing is lovely; I particularly appreciate the framing of the story and the perfectly placed, "simple" visuals that say so much, like when Zach Braff’s character opens the bathroom cabinet, and when the three main characters scream in the rain...
I Know (Bad Girls) by
ceridwyn2. This vid made me feel the intense love and angsty longing between the female characters. Holy Grail (Crusade) by
andrastewhite. I don’t know the source, but I thought this was nicely edited, and what I got from the narrative is that it’s all about the journey, not the goal? Prayer for the Dying (Angels in America) by me. Eh. I screwed up the frame rate during encoding, so for the later parts of the vid, the visual appeared like 2 frames earlier than the audio (it was noticeable to me for vids of mine that were more than 4 minutes). No one seemed to notice, but now I’m just glad it’s not on the DVD set. Moving on.
Zebra (due South) by
astolat. How much do I love this vid? Thiiiiis much. Smart decisions, that’s what comes to mind immediately. Stunningly crisp cutting with a really great *flow*, and lots of heart-warming moments that make me want to squeeze RayK really really hard. Hour 2
Mr. Brightside (Angel) by
sockkpuppett. OMG I love this vid so much I was so giddy even before it played. ANGEL! He loses things! It sucks to be him!!Another Try (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) by Kusoyaro Productions. I think I was still reeling from Teh Angel when this one came on. But I do remember feeling sad watching it.
Sloop John B (Lost) by KOBA-TV Videos. I remember it being perky and fun. Yay for dancing Hurley and Charlie!
Pet (Smallville) by
linzeems. I *made* Linzee submit this vid, because – gah. Dark and creepy and painful, with a cutting style I absolutely adore.Sing (Brave New World) by Mudd. Again, I think I was still reeling from “Pet”, because I can’t remember much about this one… except for feeling a bit melancholy?
9 - 9 (appears as 8 Sept on playlist) (L.I.E.) by Rebecca Lizard. Oh man, I think I’ve seen this movie! And I really liked how the vid addressed the angst and disturbing aspects of the story. Very interesting!
The Frug (Wonderfalls) by me.
Back Here (Farscape) by Vanessa Calvin. Again I suck because I was probably still recovering from watching my own vid play, but I remember pretty, soft visuals that made me feel all sad...
When I Go (Lord of the Rings) by
melina123. Beautiful, flowy cuts for a gorgeous source with a heartbreaking story to tell.Guilt (Alias) by
avenuepotter. I felt the Sloane angst in this vid—I actually really liked that Sloane/Emily storyline on the show, but somehow the effects in this vid were a bit distracting to me.Star Wars Cheap Shots (Star Wars) by
valarltd. Hee. An amusing assortment of things! Suspended in Gaffa (Farscape) by
laurashapiro. This vid amazes me. The Chiana moves and emotions were so dead. on. It made me miss her all over again.Circles (Dead Like Me) by
sweetestdrain. I adore this vid beyond words. Morgan nails the quirky feel of the show and George, mixed with her confusion and denial and finally, acceptance. ::clutches vid tightly::Favourite Friend (A Beautiful Mind) by Jill, Kathy, and Kay. What a creative idea! Executed with tight editing, too. I was very impressed.
What did I do after Nearly New, hmm.... oh! pipsqueaky, sdwolfpup, Wendy, keewick, sweetestdrain, and I were traveling Joxer dancers! We randomly popped up at
permetaform’s room and did the routine with some other people there. Hee - we have no shame. Then it was time to get ready. Wendy, keewick, sweetestdrain, and I had fun with lots of glitter and pictures. We then went downstairs and had a nice time at the mixer, talking and eating the lovely finger foods. We also practiced the dance some more with sdwolfpup and pipsqueak, this time *in position* and with people watching! Hah - that was hilarious.And then it was time for the birthday surprise! The fabulously dressed tzikeh wheeled in two *gigantic* birthday cakes, in honor of the 30th anniversary of vidding. Kandy Fong blew out the candles, awww. And then? And then the party started.
OMG THE JOXER DANCE WAS SO AWESOME THIS YEAR!
So many people joined in, and even more people did the conga line. It was So. Much. Fun.
Btw - I practically squeed when I saw the new room setup. There were two screens for the dance vids this time, so however disoriented you get in your dancing (heh), you’ll still be looking at the vids! And the room decorations were so adorable. So then we danced and laughed and watched vids and danced and played with glowsticks and danced and took pictures and had drinks and danced...
Links to some of the Club Vivid vids.
After Club Vivid, Wendy and I spent the rest of the night talking in keewick and sweetestdrain’s room. It was wonderful. Wendy and I drove home really really late in crazy-ass thunderstorms, with lightning bolts much scarier than those coming out of RayK’s eyes! All I could think of was, I don’t want to die, tomorrow’s the Premieres show! Um, yeah. :|
But we got home safely! And next up is Saturday.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-27 05:38 am (UTC)*slips into the car*
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-27 05:42 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-27 01:05 pm (UTC)*waves*
Holy Grail (Crusade) by
You got it! Yay! Thank you for your kind comment.
(Of course, it might have beeen a differet vid if the show had not been cancelled and the characters had actually been able to reach a goal ...)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-27 08:34 pm (UTC)You're welcome, of course. Glad I wasn't way off!
*headdesk*
Date: 2005-08-29 09:59 am (UTC)Re: *headdesk*
Date: 2005-08-29 02:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-27 04:55 pm (UTC)Oh honey, if there was even the slightest chance of getting you interested in this show, I would die of happiness. Would it help if I told you it is gorgeous visually, had really cool cinematography, super cool tech toys (some that are actually coming into use right now!), and cutting edge fashion that hasn't dated itself in the past few years? And sexy leads, and lots of angst and misery? Some people aren't attracted to that, so I don't know if that's a help or a hindrance, but...
truly a pleasure to meet you, one of my highlights of the con.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-27 08:37 pm (UTC)And it was great meeting you too. Yay for a new vidding friend with many overlapping fandoms! :D
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-27 07:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-27 08:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-28 12:53 am (UTC)Totally downloading a bunch of vids that I passed up earlier cos you gave such great recs. Thanks for that. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-28 02:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-29 04:54 am (UTC)have signed up for a copy of scooby road, omg. cannot wait.
um, hey, you say you saw the garden state vid online? there's no link to it at morgandawn's link list - do you know where you saw it? gotta see that one.
EXCUSE ME ARE YOU WATCHING VM YET. PLZ ADVISE IF THERE ARE ANY PARTICULAR CHARACTERS THAT YOU DO OR DO NOT ADORE LIKE WHOA.
so far behind, omg. :(( will ym you when i am back online. :((
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-29 05:11 am (UTC)the garden state vid is not online (yet). i know a guy who knows a guy B-) but i will ask around for posting info, omg.
please refer to icon for that is sure sign of new love. will report when i am more awake :>
please also be successful with the unpacking and getting back on the internets. must catch up, yo.