How to make a bad vid...

[ash48]

Vidding is easy. I mean, anyone can lay down a song and throw together come clips. Match them (literally) to the lyrics, add a few (hundred) fancy edits, put on a (huge) vidder watermark and voilà! You have a vid.

Expanding the Verse has been holding the "Worst Video Ever Challenge" and the results have been interesting.

I think, more than anything, viewing a vid that exploits all the things that essentially make up a bad vid might actually highlight what it is that makes a good vid.

starrylizard has created a fabulously awful vid called 2 Strong Hearts. I love how well observed this vid is in containing all those things that contribute to making a "bad" vid. Read the "warnings" to get an idea of what those things are. :D (I think the "over and over and over" has to be my favourite..)

You also have to check out greyowl88's Fuel. She claims this as the "Worst Wincest Vid Ever". I'd say it's the funniest ever. ;D It's hilarious in it's "badness". (fav might just be the gratuitous crotch shots *g*)


There is actually a thing called a Lord King Bad Vid. I learned of this a few years ago when I voiced the idea of making a Dean/Cas vid to the song "Wind Beneath My Wings" (I'd still love to do this one day...) It's described as: ...the vid your inner twelve-year-old thinks is the best thing ever!" It's about creating a vid that's "bad" but pursued with utter sincerity. The above vids are not quite so subtle in their "badness" so they may not be consider LKB vids. But you get the idea.

I know that fandom sometimes has badfic memes etc. - fic that encapsulates all that is bad in fic writing (such fun!) No reason why vidders can't play with the same.

These vids are also good examples of things to avoid if you are starting out. It's all been done in fun. All vidders have started somewhere and the reason I find these so amusing is because I recognise my own mistakes in these./o\

Enjoy! Or.... err... not. :DD

Comments

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Vidding is easy. I mean, anyone can lay down a song and throw together come clips. Match them (literally) to the lyrics, add a few (hundred) fancy edits, put on a (huge) vidder watermark and voilà! You have a vid.

Um, not anyone. Just saying. It all feels like magic to me. Also, there are those awesome vidders who actually seem to know how to transform tone and colour and make really cool animated transitions and... yeah. Magic.

I don't even know how to make a clip. Hell, I can't even manage the bare bones of Photoshop. /o\

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hee. I know. That was my attempt at being...um... well, sarcastic wouldn't be the word... but that kind of thing. In that... vidding is actually hard. Getting it right is hard.

Though with the vidding software available and places like YT some of the vids that are produced (seem) to be thrown together without much thought behind them. And some of the above vids give examples of the major pitfalls of some vids.

Argh! It's hard to explain. See... words. Now they are hard for me.

(and I can't manage the bare bones of Photoshop either..)

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

There's vidding software? (See how much I know?) Does it let people make clips? God, I don't even know how to make a gif. I feel kind of stupid now. :(

[ash48.livejournal.com]

No no... it's not stupid.

Basically. (hee... vidding 101 coming up): You either rip an episode (software needed to do that) or grab a download of episodes.

From there you can get software to help you make clips. Some people import entire episodes into their editing software but I cut up clips before I import them.

Then there's the editing software. I use Final Cut Express (because I am on a mac) but there's also iMovie (which comes with all macs). It's Window Movie Maker for PC's. Though a lot of PC vidders use a program called Vegas. Most computers some with editing software already on it.

In these programs you place the music on the audio track and then you start to build the vid by placing all the clips you've cut up on to the time line. It takes time to learn how the editing program works but if you're keen it's not that hard to work out.

See? Not so hard? :) The hard part come when trying to work out how to save the vid into a format that works...

Hmmm... you probably didn't want to know all that. /o\ But that's the bare bones of vidding. All the other stuff - making the clips work with the lyrics, using effects that don't swamp the vid, cutting to a beat etc. etc. take time to learn. But that's the fun part. :)

<3

Oh and making a gifs is different again. I wish I could make gifs. They ain't that easy either. A good working knowledge of Photoshop helps. Though there are programs available for that also.

But you can write sweetie! Now there's a skill I'd love to have. (I actually tried to write fiction the other day and didn't get past 2 sentences. Writing's hard!)

xx

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm on a Mac too. :)

I've never even been able to get iMovie to work. It's all kind of a mystery. :P

Does it work the same for avi files? How do people use clips from otherwise unreleased episodes? Inquiring minds want to know! ;)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Woot! Mac... \o/

It's been a while since I've used iMovie but I think you can bring in whole episodes into iMovie. The you can select scenes you want to use from there. I prefer to cut up my clips before importing because whole episodes are usually too big and I never need all that footage. (If you reeaaally want to know more about that program deirdre_c uses it to make her vids. :) )

When you say unreleased I take it you mean one that are not yet on DVD? If that's the case then we rely on downloads. Episodes are available to download about 2 hours after the episode airs in the US. There are a number of places to grab dl's (LJ is a great source).

You'd be surprised how easy it actually is once you get playing. If you dl an episode, import it to iMovie you can start playing around. (but it's ridiculously addictive and time consuming I have to warn you...)
xx

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

You make it sound so easy. I tried once with iMovies, and after "import" I couldn't get it do even play the episode, let alone try to edit. ;)

One of these days, if you're willing, I would love to pick your brain properly about this. I may not have any skills, but I have ideas and I figure what I make up for in talent I can make up for in enthusiasm. Maybe I'll just always enter the "worst vid" competitions, if I ever figure it out. ;)

I can offer fic in exchange! What say? :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I would be MORE than happy to for you to pick my brains!

If the episode didn't play it would just mean that there was something weird with the file. I would have to refresh my memory re iMovie but I am more than happy to give some tips.

Having the idea is often the hardest part. Once you work out the technicals of vidding (which usually means coming to grips with the files and importing etc) you'll be away. Really. If I can do it I know anyone can. I am not a technical person at all. It's been trial and error mostly. (umm... plus I have a mac guru hubby... which has helped at times).

But. Yep. Pick away! :) (ooh and no need to offer fic sweets. If you end up making a vid that will be reward enough *g*)

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

\o/

(I have an idea for a Dean/Cas vid which won't leave me alone)

I think once I get the vidding software to obey my whims that it'll be okay. I mean, it won't be great, but at least it'll be out there, right?

I'll send a PM. Or would you mind an email? That way I can always send a screencap, which PMs don't allow for. :)

You rock!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yes yes... out there is good! \o/

Pm me. I'm on ash48@aapt.net.au