New vid! Road to Absolution

[ash48]

For caffienekitty who donated to fandomaid and got this vid in return. :D She requested a vid to this song. I'm sure it's probably not quite what she imagined when listening to it but after some discussions she said she was happy for me to do whatever I thought would work. So Kevin it is! Hope you like it.

Title: Road to Absolution
Vidder: ash48
Music by: Billy Talent
Length: 1.24 min Size: 28mb (mp4)
Beta counteragent (and part collaborator)
Category: Kevin character study
Summary: "It's a lonely road to absolution, we must walk alone."
Warnings: This is not a happy Kevin vid. The boys aren't let off the hook. Also a moment of torture.

Watch/DL/reblog: You Tube || 4Shared || tumblr

Many thanks to counteragent for all her help and for suggesting Kevin for this song. I've been wanting to make a Kevin vid for a while so I was pleased to be able to do that. I felt like this was collaborative because she's responsible for planting the seed and offered many suggestions. Thanks bb!

Notes: If you sense of level of bitterness here then you're not mistaken. I think it's appropriate though because his is a tragic story. He was given a task to do and all his efforts ended up being for nothing. The Winchesters (and Cas) weren't always sympathetic to his cause. They had their own reasons of course, but in the end I think it was their neglect led to his death. :(

Comments

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

Aw, Kevin.......

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yep. :(

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

Such a heartbreaking and poignant vid.

The song choice worked really well with the material and I loved the scenes you chose too. And oh, that ending....Poor sweet Kevin.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. <3 I was keen to not pull any punches with this one, so I really focused on how hard he had it. Poor Kevin indeed...:(

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

I think that is exactly what this vid needed and also kind of what Kevin deserved. And you did all of this beautifully here.

Not that I'm being greedy or anything (except that I totally am), but I'm really looking forward to what's up your sleeve for your next vid. In other words, I can't wait for more vid from you!

Take care :)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I think the show wanted to give Kevin a sort of "happy" ending with him finding his mom and trying to sort out the boys relationship, but with every thing he's been through it's hard to just put a bandaid over it and forget all that went before.

And I have the next 2 vids planned. :) And I'm happy to say they should both be feel good vid. No idea when they'll actually happen mind you, but they are in my mind to make.

Thank you! <333

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Holy crap. Beautifully done!

Kevin's story is a tragedy, and a bitter one without redemption (at least, so far). The Winchesters' neglect of him, like all decisions that lead to tragedy, "seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

Your vid has made me think about all the many ways in which SPN has been telling that same story since the beginning: bad choices that feel like the only choice, leading to bad consequences, leading to more no-good-option situations, almost every time because of a Winchester's warped sense of love and duty.

I hope and trust that Osric will see this. He'd love it.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. :))

I don't think I really had a good appreciation of Kevin's story until I made this. I think the Winchesters part in Kevin's story is integral to their own personal journeys and I had mostly seen it through their eyes. But when I started to look at how he would see them or what effect they had on him, I started to see more of Kevin's overall arc and how really tragic it is.

I hope and trust that Osric will see this. He'd love it.

Thank you. Hee - I won't deny I'd love it if he did see it.

Thanks again for your feedback. I really appreciate it. xx

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Kevin...nooooooo! Sniffle.
You are right, that is a great song for him. And I'm writing Kevin right now too, so this is perfect inspiration.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Oh good timing then! I have a much greater appreciation for Kevin since making this. His is a tragic story - as is many OCs on the show. And even Sam and Dean's. Man, this show...:((

[kalliel]

This hurts so much. Kevin, bb. :((((

Phenomenal vid. <3333

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! <33

[counteragent.livejournal.com]

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I think I forgot to say but I really love what you did with the violin and the clouds. And the overlays worked really well I think!!!!

<3

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thank you so much honey! Your ideas helped me pull this together. Plus I love that it's given me a greater understanding of Kevin.

I love that the song featured a stringed instrument and Kevin played one! (It's also apt because the cello is my fav instrument - probably because I played it when I was in high school. Hee - Kevin and I have something in common. I'm glad the commonalities stop there though...;D)

*hugs*

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

This is not okay! I am not okay with this! *sob!*

[ash48.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I'm sorry honey. It just had to be done ya know? Stoopid show...

xx

(wow, is your user pic Osric? )

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's Osric! Want to OD on shirtless Osric? May I recommend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u208ktTsxM

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Oh WOW WOW! Oh god, I'm kind of dying now. I'm sure I have a martial arts kink (reminded me of all the Kung Fu TV and films I used to watch). I had heard he was good but I HAD NO IDEA how intense! And jared was play fighting with him?!?! What was he thinking!

Thanks so much for this. I thought the link was going to take me to his ice challenge, so this was a lovely surprise. Thank you!

(such a shame they didn't have him doing this on the show - he could have seriously kicked ass!)

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

I still have not seen Kung Fu Killer, but I really need to—not just for Osric, but for Donnie Yen, who I've loved ever since he was in (and was the fight coordinator for) Highlander: Endgame. Which is a terrible movie, but has this scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCSjQnUxTMY

Kung Fu Killer trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUl7lw5xLPs

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Oh cool! I'll keep an eye out for Kung Fu Killer. I haven't kept up with what Osric's doing now. Thanks for the links! :)

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

Heartbreaking...and fits Kevin perfectly...

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you! <3

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

*whimpers* how is it that with two minutes you can do to me what it took several films two hours to do! Honey you have skills, they hurt like hell, but skills.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. That quite a compliment. <3
xx

[greyowl88.livejournal.com]

Heartbreaking.. just heartbreaking. Poor Kevin.
It's like he just got played and used up by the Supernatural world. Another one bites the dust.. oh, that's another song, haha.
I really, really like this. It shows the tragedy without any sugar coating. Love the violin part (his sensitivity and potential in life) with the lightning clouds coming in, forboding the unavoidable destruction of his life. His is truly a tragic story and it is conveyed so poignantly in your vid. *sniff*

xx

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much sweetie. I really didn't want to sugar coat this vid. I mean, the show had some nice moment between him and the boys, but in the end they failed to protect him (why he was ever allowed on that barge I don't know) . Dean didn't warn him about Gadreel - instead just made him work harder. And Sam ignored him for a year. They treated him pretty badly (hmm, I wonder if that's because he is a supernatural being himself? I'll have to ponder that one...).

Thanks so much for watching. <3333

[fufaraw]

I...have trouble with Kevin's story. It's the major thing I can't forgive the Winchesters, and I'm still full of resentment and terrible disappointment with them about him.

This pretty much says how I feel. Good work.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yes. Exactly. They failed. I would like to think it all means something and not just drama for the sake of it. It's stuff like this that's made the Winchesters harder to like as the seasons go on.

Thanks for watching. <3

[el1ie.livejournal.com]

First, why didn't this show up on my flist? - **Insert rude muttering about L/J**

Second - holy shit!

Oh, you want me to be coherent?

Ok, I'll try. You've really hit the nail on the head here with the song choice and clips and how horrifically wrong everything was surrounding the Winchesters and Kevin. I lost a lot of my faith in them over Kevin, a character who over time brought a lot of decent humanity back to the show, his anger was beautifully portrayed here in your vid and the scenes with his mother were really touching.

The vid itself is pitch perfect as is all your work, but I loved the movement in this one, the cello scenes set a tone I think but especially that scene where Gadreel places his hand and Kevin drops and you cut to the spell dropping and exploding outwards and that sort of editing brings me such joy - marvellous work.

Thank you.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Ack! LJ!

Haha! I like "holy shit!" ;)

Thank you so much for your feedback hun. I'm so glad to hear all that came through in the vid. For me a really telling moment in Kevin's story is when he first becomes a prophet. Sam and Dean are smashing open the tablet and there's thunder and lightning - a real sense of "evil" and foreboding - and they continue! Of course they didn't know it was affecting him directly but they must have known it wasn't good. It was pretty much all downhill for Kevin from there. I think that's why I found Dean's single manly tear un-affecting after Kevin died. I felt there was some justification in the pain he was feeling. (ooh, mini rant. It seems I still carry some bitterness...)

Thanks so much for watching and for your lovely feedback.

xx

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Aww. So sad. :(
Nice vid.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Kevin's story is so heartbreaking.

Thanks! <3

[sam-dean-lover.livejournal.com]

great vid

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[casey28.livejournal.com]

Heartbreaking....

He was given a task to do and all his efforts ended up being for nothing.

He was successful in his first task. He read the tablets, and gave them a way to kill Dick Roman and send him back to Purgatory. He did his part in season 8 (figuring out the three trials)... he can be proud of that. Closing up Hell ended up not being a good idea, but Kevin and the boys didn't know that right away. There's times that Kevin was neglected, but not all the time. And Dean said that Kevin was family, and that he would die for him.

Dean warning him about Gadreel may not have made any difference. I'm sure that Kevin and Dean never anticipated what Gadreel would do. As for Sam neglecting Kevin for a year... I'll never forgive the writers for making Sam so OOC.

I love Kevin, and though some of his story is tragic, it doesn't make me feel bitterness toward Sam and Dean. Sure, there's things they could've done differently, but if I held it against them every time they do something I don't like, it would make it impossible for me to watch the show. I'm not going to stop loving them, just because they have some flaws.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to stop loving them either (even when I'm annoyed by some of their actions). I think their flaws are what make them so interesting and compelling. I just hope their flaws are there in order to examine this issues that they rise. I think Kevin's story is fascinating and if Sam and Dean can take away some of their failures with him and understand their responsibilities then it makes their flaws even more valuable. If they were perfect we wouldn't have such a compelling TV show.

It was never really acknowledged (that I can remember) that Kevin slaved over the tablet to find a way to close the gates (with their constant insistence) and then it was all stopped at the very last minute. Of course it was all part of the story telling, but they hardly skipped a beat before using Kevin in some other way. I think there's a point in all that (I'd like to hope so). Kevin recognised it but knew he had no control over who he became. He did have a job to do and he did it. He's a hero in so many way.

Sam ignoring Kevin is very OOC I think for Sam (oh man, much of early S8 felt like that), but it's still canon and therefore becomes part of Kevin's treatment.

Thanks for watching! :)

[casey28.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you still love them.

If they were perfect we wouldn't have such a compelling TV show.

Exactly.

Sam ignoring Kevin is very OOC I think for Sam (oh man, much of early S8 felt like that), but it's still canon and therefore becomes part of Kevin's treatment.

That's true, it's still canon. And I remember too, that Dean was very upset with Sam for ignoring Kevin.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you still love them.

I will always love them. :) I may be annoyed with them, but part of my enjoyment of the show is being able to thrash that out. They aren't perfect and I think discussing their flaws is interesting. I think acknowledging that some of their choices are not good choices isn't hating on the character, just being away that they have been affected by their life of hunting. (then, of course, there's being annoyed with Carver - which is another thing all together…)

that Dean was very upset with Sam for ignoring Kevin.

He was. And when I think of about it I didn't think much about Sam ignoring Kevin, but looking back, it was a strange choice for him (though, if I want to create my own canon I would say that he felt that he was nothing but back luck to anyone and thought Kevin would be safer away from him. Maybe. I dunno. We were told he just ran away from it all, so we'll have to accept that).

[cuddyclothes.livejournal.com]

This was so poignant. The other day I saw the first episode with Kevin, "Reading Is Fundamental". He's so cute and innocent. Thinking about how hideous his life turned out...did he even have ONE happy moment? Thank you!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I had hoped it would be poignant. :) Kevin had it so tough - all that torture and loss. I can't think of a time that he was truly happy - maybe as a ghost? He found his mom at least (though living as a trapped ghost mustn't be great. Even in death he hasn't found peace (yet!).

Thanks so much for watching. :)

[balder12.livejournal.com]

This is so beautifully made, and it just breaks my heart for Kevin. The Winchesters often didn't show their best sides in their relationship with him, for sure.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! It's been a tragic journey for them all I think. Poor Kevin got caught in the cross fire. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. :))

[justmep2.livejournal.com]

Perfect song choice and a wonderful vid as usual. I never cared for Kevin too much but it was interesting to watch his journey.
And that ending with the clock ticking was like a punch to the gut.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I admit I've never really been that interested in Kevin's story but making this made me realise what he's suffered and it's easier to look back and see his story arc a bit clearer. I think we'll still see more of him, it will be interesting to see what they do with him.

Thanks so much for watching and commenting. :)