Tuesday, April 6, 2010
I gots teh magic stick - MV of the week #2;
Anyway, this is a comedic vidlet made a user named Eivrob who I am, admittedly, not familiar with. I have, however, browsed through her channel and I've found out that she has made a fair share of Harry Potter MVs, which makes me jump for joy! The user also states in her description box that this video was purely made out of boredom... and such talented boredom she possesses! Anyway, despite my unfamiliarity with the user, I am happy to say that this video is the first Harry Potter MV I have ever reviewed. I know, strange right? I've been intending to review one for quite some time, but I just never got the chance to... in reason of other fandoms interfering. >.<" So, to be able to understand or grasp the concept of this MV really isn't rocket science. It's quite obvious that it's a (friendly) Harry Potter spoof created just for shits and giggles. What I liked about it most is the way the user has lip-synced some of the lyrics to make it appear as if the HP characters are the one's that're rapping instead of the original artists. An example is when the song says Magic and it's lip synced to a scene where Harry says Magic. The rest of the song lyrics are pretty much used to convey what's happening in the scene in quite a satirical manner.
I also loved the colour toning, which is rather bright and lighthearted. It changes in different scenes and it really assists in expressing the humourous nature of the vidlet. The different styles and effects used to swap from scene to scene is also quite impressive and, dare I say, trippy. The song used is absolutely horrible, but that's what makes the video immensely hilarious as well as ironic. Magic Stick by 50 Cent and Lil' Kim is bad gangsta rap at it's best (oxymoron, no?)... but, alas, it goes with the video and does make it funnier than any other Harry Potter spoof MV I've ever seen. If there are funnier ones, I'm probably forgetting them, but I highly doubt that their song picks are as genius as this one. Magic Stick? In the words of Ron Weasley, that is Bloody Brilliant.
In conclusion, I give this MV 5 out of 5, because it's funny and adds a whole new meaning to the Harry Potter series. I sincerely apologise about the length of this review, but the MV is very short and there really isn't much to say about it, besides the fact that's it's fucking genius. Anyway, here it is for your own judging: Yes, you lazy bitch, you have to click on this link, because the user has disabled the embedding. =/
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed that and I shall post some other time,
Nadine xx
Friday, April 2, 2010
I can't faint - MV of the week #1
(Would you eat this? Because I certainly wouldn't.)
Okay, so I didn't post this review on Friday like I promised, but oh well. I'm sure you all don't care, right?
Anyway, this week's MV really isn't anything new. It's actually quite similar to the first video I ever reviewed, which was a (non)Disney crossover... This one also just happens to be a crossover in that very same category, but it's even cooler than the first... so yes. I think you should all like it.
This awesome, uh-mazing and wonderful vidlet is made by a YouTube user named SapphireOrb whom I have just subscribed to, in reason of her videos being very well made and eye-catching. This particular one is based around the characters of Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Witch Doctor, Facilier from The Princess & The Frog. The video's plot and concept is definitely a breath of fresh air, as it revolves around Esmeralda becoming Facilier's new apprentice. Her main job is to lure innocent girls into our charming witch doctor's lair by using her sirenesque (new word) dancing skills. After the girls have fallen into the trap, Facilier presents to them illusions conveying their hopes, dreams and desires. AAAND once he's finished pretending to spoil them rotten... let's just say things don't get too pretty.
Okay, so Esmeralda may be assisting dear Fac in his evil scheme (and possibly falling in love with him along the way), but she soon realises that he really isn't that much of a great guy. And what, do you ask, was the catalyst t0 her change of heart? The revelation that he is not only harming grown up women, but also children. So, the airhead pretty much accepted the fact that he was abusing women (domestic violence, people!), but then she got her panties in a knot when she discovers that he's harming children too. All the bloody same if you ask me! but my opinion is besides the point (for now). Anyway, after Esmeralda discovers the (kind of) shocking truth about Facilier, she attempts to help Alice (yes, Alice from wonderland; it's a crossover, remember) escape from his den, but alas, it is too late and the sadistic witch doctor catches her doing the deed. She, of course, argues with him and informs him that she did not agree to harming children. He, of course, expected her betrayal all along and has a little surprise prepared for her...
Well, I don't want to spoil the end, because I'm quite sure that it's pretty straight forward. On the other hand, the video's plot is absolute genius... I seriously smell some good fanfiction brewing. But anyway, other factors which also make this video so enjoyable are definitely the characters chosen and the amazing video editing techniques the user has manipulated. I love how she has used Doctor Facilier, despite the fact that I haven't seen The Princess & The Frog. Regardless of me not yet pleasuring myself through watching the film, I find that the character was quite appropriately used. I don't technically know how evil or villainous or malevolent he is, but there's something about his facial expressions that tell me he's a comedic/entertaining antagonist with a very dark side... kind of like Hades from Hercules, who's pretty much a mix between the Devil and a used car salesman. They don't seem to be harmful, but deep down, they're basically douche bags... exceedingly dangerous douche bags. So yes, Facilier is a very fitting character for this kind of plot.
The colouring of the video also made me quite happy. I love the tone of brown/dark sepia the user has manipulated in order to capture the mood of the story, as well as her occasional use of red to compliment the brown colour. The red is mostly used as a colour for Esme's dress and eyes while she is dancing. I think this is generally because red is a very alluring and exceedingly eye-catching colour which is known to draw people in. The editor's use of red is quite understandable in reason of Esme using her dancing to draw in female victims for her beloved witch doctor.
The user also did well with her masking and cutting. She's picked all the right scenes and characters and has manipulated them to the point where the scenes appear as if they're from the same film. The song is also one of my favourite aspects of the video, as it compliments the violently joyous and masochistic mood conveyed through the characters. Crush, Crush, Faint is a mashup of the songs Crush, Crush, Crush by Paramore and Faint by Linkin Park. What I liked about it's use in this vidlet is that it presents two different aspects. The Paramore side of the song conveys the emotional aspect of Esmeralda, which is practically a dream-like and naive point of view, whilst the Linkin Park side of the song conveys Facilier's perspective, which is that of violence and deceit. So, yes. The song is also epic win.
Anyway, I give this video 5 out of 5, just because it's got a solid plotline, great editing techniques involved and a good song used. I can actually watch it more than once and not get bored of it... I know, I say that about basically every video I review, but that's why they're my hand picked MVs!
Meh... anyway, here it is for you to judge:
Isn't Esmeralda hot? Anyway, the next MV post is coming right up... Like I promised.
Thanks for reading,
Nadine xx
Friday, March 19, 2010
MV of the week;
I'm tired and I have a headache, so I shall speed through this is as quickly as I can... Apologies about the rushed post, yadda, yadda... Whatever, I'm just going to get right into the MV:
Remember how I posted about Alice in Wonderland a couple of blogs ago? Yeah, well today's MV is an AiW one. Surprise, surprise! not.
Anyway, the music video has been made by an exceedingly creative user named usedmisfit and she(?) claims that this loverly vidlet came out a bit... suckish. If this is suckish, my dear, then there is no such thing as a good fan-made music video. I absolutely lurve this MV and I want the rest of you to lurve it as well!
Now, I don't know about any of you, but a couple of my friends, and myself, left the IMAX theatre last Saturday complaining as to why Alice and The Hatter didn't hit it off. I thought about it for a while and then I realised that it really did appear that they were meant to be a couple, but the writer, who obviously didn't want to take any risks, backed out in the end. All I can say is... S O O K! and now, for all those who are like me, and were not happy with the sloppy, non-romantic ending, here is an MV that should give you your dose of the strange, yet awesome, couple of Hatter/Alice.
So, the video's concept really isn't that difficult to grasp. All it's about is basically Alice's relationship with Hatter, and the fondness they feel towards each other. The video focuses on whatever emotions are presented in the film and it mostly shows us the light, fluffy and... non-Scottish part of the Mad Hatter, which is pretty much the way he behaves when Alice is present. It's kind of hard for me to talk about the emotional side of the MV, since the film itself focused a lot more on the visuals, rather than the characters or... anything else for that matter.
Onto a more technical aspect of this vidlet, the colours are what really drew me into this MV and they're, pretty much, what made me want to review it. The tone of this video is quite dark and it mostly transitions from grey scale, to high contrasted toning and a heavy use of shadowing. What I really liked was the small (and very quick) inclusion of Alice's visit to the Hatter as a child, which was presented in the original colour of the scene, but had an increase in contrast tone. The juxtaposition between this scene and the Alice returns tea party scene, is that the latter is presented in a darker tone, with a heavier use of shadowing like the rest of the MV. This could signify the change achieved as time goes by. I personally don't really know what the overall dark toning of the MV symbolises, but I'm guessing that it signifies the impracticality of Hatter and Alice's relationship, therefore adding a sense of melancholy to the video.
The quick fading from sketch to sketch is really, what I think, keeps the viewers eyes glued to the monitor. The cutting and editing is simply magnificent and really presents the user's skill as an editor. I loved the fast pace of the video and the change of tempo in the scenes. I don't know if this is my imagination or not, but I could've sworn that I may have seen a bit of stop motion in there... or maybe that's just me going insane. ANYWAY, the song used also causes the viewer to feel a sense of sympathy towards our maddest Hatter. Flowers For a Ghost by Thriving Ivory really relates to the Hatter's struggle to gain Alice's affection, specifically through the repetition of the lyrics I'm only human. This possibly hints at the user trying to say that perhaps Hatter is not capable of gaining Alice's love, due to the fact that he is different, lives in a strange world and is fucked up mentally. Therefore, the video could represent the Hatter's hidden plea for affection.
In conclusion, chances are that I'm delving too deep into the meaning of this vidlet, but regardless, I give this MV 5 out of 5, only because it is magnificent and I can watch it over and over again without getting bored. Anyway, I hope that you all like this one. 'Tis short, but very satisfying:
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it. Peace,
Nadine xx
Sunday, March 14, 2010
MV of the week;
*cries* I don't even think this counts anymore, in reason of it being so lately posted. But, I shall try to redeem myself through making things a little bit different just this once.
So, today's MV review is not only going to differ from the rest, but I think I shall also make it a bit shorter (sorry!) due to this case of influenza which is just killing my life as we speak.
Anyway, so the music video I have belatedly picked is literally a music video belonging to a major record label artist. Yep, that's right. It is not an MV made by an amateur YouTube user. However, even though I've picked an actual MV this week, I probably won't do it again, due to the fact that I have rarely loved a mainstream video hit as much as this one.
The video I've chosen is Lady Gaga's new MV for her song Telephone featuring Ms. Beyonce Knowles. I've been a fan of the song for a couple of months now, but this video has doubled my love for it. Now, I know that Lady Gaga likes making intentionally strange MVs which basically say 'I'm trying so hard to be innovative', but this one really hits the spot for me, despite the fact that I'm not a huge fan of her's.
Everything about it is pretty cool, but what's mostly awesome about the MV is the mood of it, which reflects the atmosphere of a Thelma & Louise-like film, but is executed in a more retro and cheesy manner. This is done through the intensionally terrible acting and bright colours. Example: The scene where The Gaganator and Ms. Knowles are driving away from prison in their PussyWagon and Gaga says You know what they say: Once you kill a cow, you gotta make a burger. Gaga then slowly proceeds to subtly look at the camera, clarifying how nonsensical the saying really is through her blank facial expression.
The MV is very much in the style of Gaga, rather then the MV for Video Phone which was very Beyonce. This is evident through the retro dance routines, the crazy (yet fab) outfits, the abundant amount of skin shown, the strange/unidentifiable meaning of the video and, of course, the use of poison. My fave scenes in this MV are pretty much all the dance routines, which are done in the Diner, the kitchen and in jail. The dance moves are pretty good (coming from someone who can't dance for crap) and they were also quite funny, especially the kitchen scene. I also specifically LOLed at the dikey intelligence officer who, as Gaga left prison, was browsing through a dating site called PlentyofFish.com. ROFLCOPTER! Oh and another funny bit was the CookNKill, 'how to make poison' scene, which was pretty much Cooking Mama in Lady Gaga form.
In conclusion, it's a really funny and artistic video which merges awesome costumes, bright colours and raunchy scenes into the mix. I give it a 4.5 out of 5, due to the fact that it's a bit too long for your average MV (9:32). I'd just like to mention that Beyonce looks exceedingly hot in this vid, whilst Lady Gaga is quite meh... Yeah, she scares me just a tad. Anyway, I have tons more to say about this MV, buy I really can't be bothered, therefore I shall just let the vid do the talking (even though you've all probably seen it already):
Overall, I hope you all liked it! Peace,
Nadine xx
Thursday, March 4, 2010
MV of the week;
Anyway, as promised before, I have finally decided to post my MV of the week and, let me tell you, it was quite a tough choice, as I had three pretty sensational vids to pick from... all made by the same user. DUN, DUN, DUN.
Okay, well, the user who's video I have chosen to review this week is named catemonster and she(?) vids quite a variety of fandoms, including the likes of Lost, Harry Potter, Final Fantasy and many others. She's also an exceedingly skilled editor and to watch her videos is quite a delight for me.
Okay, so, the MV I have chosen out of all of catemonster's splendid works is an... INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS fanvid!
As a few of you may know, I fell in love with this film after watching it! It was just so delightfully Tarantino. Violence, gore, black comedy, ingenious dialogue and not to mention that it's the guy's first war film EVAR. But, anyway, in a nutshell: Quentin did good. He did damn good... as he usually does.
Well... back to the video: I sincerely apologise to those who want to see an MV purely made for the film, as it's not really a tribute to the film itself but more so, one of the characters. So... can you guess which character?
No, you love-blinded, fan-girlish twats, it's not Brad Pitt... It's Colonel Hans Landa! Who you ask? You know, the evil, S-S, Jew-hunting man who kept chugging milk. Yeah, that guy.
Landa has been described by Tarantino as probably the best character he's ever written, which is kind of cool, as he is my favourite character in the film... besides Shoshanna, she's also pretty likeable.
This MV's purpose (I think) is to bring to life the character of Landa in a sort of satirical and ironic manner, yet at the same time, keep it quite relevent to the film's plotline and the original eccentric nature of the character. The vid's concept really isn't all that hard. All you have to do is follow the song's lyrics (which match his demeanour quite well) and you'll figure out what the user is aiming to acheive... which is pretty much presenting the greif Landa brings to our Basterdised heroes.
Anyway, onto a more technical note, the MV is rather rad as it shows the two sides of Landa through the colouring (well, that's how I interpret it). Full colour signifies Landa's persona from the outside, which is the charming, yet slightly quirky colonel. This is in contrast with the grayscale tone, which symbolises Landa's true identity as actually being a blood thirsty, psychotic and murdering scum... who also happens to be a Nazi.
The song is also an epicly epic addition to the video's... epicness. Gives You Hell by The All American Rejects is pretty much about, yep, you guessed, making someone's life hell. Examples of the song's cohesion with the film's plot, is the fact that characters such as Shoshanna experience hell everytime they see Landa. Plus, these lyrics, I think, really go well with his character: But truth be told; I miss you. And truth be told; I'm lying. I firmly believe that that phrase catches Landa's different persepectives wonderfully!
Anyway, I give this vid 4.5 out of 5, due to the fact that I didn't really have much to write about it and that it is pretty short... But overall, a very well-made MV, which presents to the viewer a great description of Landa's character without entirely spoiling the film. I personally thought that Christoph Waltz played this character to perfection and that he definitely did not have the right to look that sexy as a middle-aged Nazi. Overall, I hope Waltz wins the Oscar on Monday and... here is the MV for your own viewing:
Anyway, thanks for reading and wish me luck in my exams! Over and out,
Nadine xx
Thursday, February 25, 2010
MV of the week;
Should I pick Twilight? No, Twilight's for pansies.
Should I pick Harry Potter? It is a candidate, but the MVs can heavily focus on the romantic aspect rather than the emotional aspect, which sometimes can be a weakness.
And finally, should I pick Lord of the Rings? Once again, it is risky due to the amount of alternative universe involved, but, overall, out of these three fandoms, it is the one which mostly focuses on the emotional depth of the characters.
And so, Lord of the Rings* was chosen, but which video do I choose to fall in love with? And that was when one magically caught my eye.
Now, this MV is about our favourite hobbit superhero...*drum roll*... Frodo Baggins! Okay, well he isn't technically my fave hobbit (that place goes to Pippin Took) but I do have a soft spot for him, despite all his crack facial expressions. Nevertheless, this video really does capture the angst and trauma the Ring imposes upon Frodo. This is done through the user's extreme precision regarding the technical factors she has included.
Well, as I've mentioned before, the video is pretty much all about Frodo and how he practically descends into insanity and paranoia because of the Ring. The user has done an immaculate job in picking all the right scenes, especially since Frodo, as I have aforementioned, likes to pull some pretty sweet faces.
"The ring, Sam... it's so heavy." *constipated look*
But as I was saying, before I went on that rather disturbing tangent, the user has picked some pretty suited moments, therefore making this video eye-catching and certainly not plotless. This is due to the fact that all the different sides of Frodo have been displayed for the viewer. This is all evident throughout certain scenes in the video, where we firstly see the strong Frodo, whom is willing to carry the burden and have the Ring destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. Though he is willing at the beginning, we soon see Frodo losing his sense of self control, as he is slowly falling to the power of the Ring. Despite the short duration of the video, it still has a solid conclusion, hinting that Frodo's journey is over, but that there are still scars that will never enitrely heal.
The technical aspect of this video was also quite astonishingly wonderful. One of the first things that stuck out to me was the colouring, which gradually changed as the video commenced. At the beginning of the video, before Frodo begins his journey, there is no colour, but only a blurry effect around the edges of the each scene, which remained throughout the course of the video. After Frodo begins his journey, the normal colours of the film are kept, but the contrast is toned down a bit. The different colour tones and the blurry effect in this video represent, in my opinion, the many emotions Frodo experiences in his journey to Mordor, which are primarily confusion and paranoia. The user is also fairly masterful in her cutting skills. This is due to the fast transition from scene to scene and her effective use of fading.
The song is also another technical factor which added to the emotional depth of Mr. Frodo. The song is another version of Crawling by Linkin Park from their Reanimation album. The remix is called Krwling and what really struck me was the beautiful use of violins at the beginning of the song. This is really suited to this video, due to the context in which Lord of the Rings is set. Not only that, but the song lyrics really do match with the situation Frodo is going through: Crawling in my skin. These wounds they will not heal.
And last, but certainly not least, the user's inclusion of dialogue from the film allowed the video to keep a fair share of authenticity, therefore making it a bit more understandable for the viewer. I think that it is a small but fantastic touch to the video.
Overall, even though it is an exceedingly short MV (1:02), I'm going to give it a 5 out of 5, due to it's believability and it's deep representation of Frodo. I think it's a great LotR fanvid in both content and technical aspects, but that's just me. Here it is for you to judge:
Anyway, thanks for reading! Over and out.
Nadine xx
*No, The Ding Dong Song video did not inspire me to review an LotR vid!
Friday, February 19, 2010
LOST day fail + MV of the week!
Anyway, yesterday and today were probably the highlights of the last two dull/uneventful weeks. This is primarily because Caroline stayed at my house for a night in an attempt to watch all 5 seasons of LOST. Funny, no? but other than that, we did do a lot of things. We got home, ate chinese food, attempted to do homework, listened to some epic cool music, ate some more, watched Harry/Draco bromance MVs, pissed ourselves from laughter, read Pride and Prejudice out loud, ate even more, talked about 'cupping', bicthed about, pretty much, every person on God's green Earth... and we may have eaten just a bit more. But, in conclusion, all of this was done with a total of two LOST episodes watched. We're cool like that.
Now, I don't know if any of you have noticed (I doubt you have), but I did not post my 'MV of the week' yesterday... Yes, I know, big whoop, but Caroline said that there's probably people crying over the fact that I hadn't posted and that made me feel just a bit lurved. *silly giggle* So, the reason for me not posting is due to my MV block. Yes, I sincerely didn't know which video to choose and which fandom it should've come from. With the assistance of Caroline, I tried looking at Harry Potter MVs.
Nothing.
I tried looking at Dexter MVs.
Zero.
Heck, I even tried looking at Titanic MVs.
Zilch.
But, you know what they say: "When you can't find a decent MV, always think of English classes"... Okay, well that isn't exactly a common saying, but it's percisely what we did anyway! Caroline and I looked into to some Pride and Prejudice MVs, and I must say, a lot of them are really quite well made. Unfortunately, there are very little MVs dedicated to the 1995 mini-series version, but it doesn't worry me all that much, as I love the 2005 film version equally.
Okay, so after many judgements and comparisons, we finally picked the one we thought the most simple, but magical none the less. It's a video by a user named Meeshell384 and it's dedicated to the oh so cute relationship between Lizzie and Darcy in the 2005 version of P&P. Now, I'm not familiar with this user at all, but judging by some of the comments left on the video and her introductory clip, she's a user of the Sony Vegas program and a massive Harry Potter vidder, so two thumbs way up for her.
Now, the video's concept is really quite straight forward. It's basically about the relationship between Miss Bennett and Mr Darcy as well as the obstacles they face before they actually find peace with eachother. What I like about this video is that the user has put all the events in chronological order, therefore allowing the viewer to partially grasp the story of P&P in a nutshell, or more so, the flourishing love shared between our Hero and Heroine. I also feel that what Meeshell384 has done with this video is very suiting to the atmosphere and tone of the 2005 film. I believe that if she had attempted to do the same thing with the mini-series adaptation, the video's charm and spark would not have been the same, due to the different ways the two directors have portrayed the story's characters and settings. The video's song and colouring fits very well with the film adpatation, mainly because it is meant for a younger generation, rather than the mini-series, which is made for avid Austen lovers, who are expecting a real visual replica of the novel itself, which the mini-series really is.
Another thing that made this video so charming was also the light, pastel colouring the user has added. There is no fancy swapping of colour tones, which I find very much suits the romantic ambience of the video and the mood of the story itself. The user's cutting and editing is also great and the way she has manipulated the quick fading from scene to scene is fantastic. The song is another epic win for this pretty little visual experience. The Diary of Jane (acoustic version) by Breaking Benjamin is a haunting song about grabbing the attention of the one you love. It really pleases me how this song's meaning really clarifies the way Darcy actually feels about Lizzie. I also find it pretty funny how one of the lyrics in the song goes 'I will try and find my place in the diary of Jane'... You need not worry Darcy, because you already have... You certainly have. Anyway, the song's use is great, primarily because of the way the user has timed the scenes to go with the song's lyrics.
OH EM GEE, I also ADORED how she added Darcy's proclaimation of love during the credits. Absoluely beautiful!
Okay, so I actually think this is one of my favourite MVs ever, therefore I shall give it a 5 out of 5. It's just immensely lovely and it really does set the mood of the actual film and story. Caroline and I liked it so much, that we actually went and watched the very same film.
Matthew Macfadyen you sexual beast. You're almost as Darcylicious as Colin, if not, as Darcylicious. Anyway, here's the actual video for your own judgement. Just a note that the first 8 seconds is the users intro. It's of Hermione Granger descending some stairs. Other than that, enjoy:
Thanks for reading! Over and out.
Nadine xx
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Rant + MV of the week!
Yep, you guessed it. It's 'MV of the Week' time! but before I get one with that, I think I may just tell you a bit about the personal aspect of my week... Well, besides the school work and the inevitable exhaustion involved, I've actually been in this infamous mood where the slightest or smallest issues just consternate me, and I think it may actually be affecting the people around me. Now, I can't help the fact that I've had little patience as of late, but, unfortunately, I feel that I have been patient for a bit too long, so now I believe that the time is right to say how I really feel.
I've had enough of people taking and never giving anything back, whilst at the same time expecting to be given more. I just feel like if I don't answer to someone's plea, I'll be hated for the rest of my life, or rather the rest of the week until they have something else to ask me for. I don't have 50 000 hands, I just can't do everything you ask of me and, yes, I can say no. You're not pleased with that? Well then, excuse my French, but you can all find someone else to fuck up.
Now, chances are that I am a selfish cow with psychological issues who's possibly dreamt this all up, and if that it is the case, my sincerest appologies... but right now, I just feel like I need a good whinge to shake me out of this horrible mood.
Anyway, on to a slightly different note, the MV of this week is also a bit sad and bittersweet (like myself, seeing as I've had a good day, but a horror-filled week). This gem of a vidlet is made by a user named Jonnyzkool92 and he has dedicated it to the wonderful women of... LOST!
Okay, so those who know me quite well will certainly know that I have been going on about the final season premiere of LOST all damn week and when I had actually watched it, I came back to school the next day with jizz stains on my kilt... Okay, no I didn't, but that's just my way of saying that it was quite good, therefore I feel the MV of this week should be one that revolves around LOST.
Anyway, Jonnyzkool92 is actually an avid LOST fan-vidder and I'm quite familiar with his work, which is exceptionally good, specifically this video. The main reason for this is because I feel that LOST has the best ensemble of cast members and characters in modern day television, specifically it's female cast, who I think portray their characters' emotions and personas fabulously. Jonnyzcool92 has brought together all the tension, bitterness, joy, spite, fear, confusion, hurt and relief felt by these women, and has merged them in order to create a masterful video, presenting the story of every single woman, major to minor, who has somehow elevated the plot of LOST.
...and dare I say that this is actually what I loved most about this video? In all honesty, I've grown just a tad sick and tired of seeing all these Skate, Suliet, Jacket and Jate videos, which only focus on the realtionships rather than the emotional depth of the characters. This video, on the other hand, has it all. If you want to go on a visual journey from love to hate, from joy to anger, from hope to despair, from courage to fear and from life to death, this video will take you there. Another aspect of the video's context, which also thoroughly pleased me, is that the user included so many underrated characters that I personally love. An example of this would be the short but sweet inclusion of the likes of Libby, Penny, Charlotte, Nadia and, my personal favourite, the mother-daughter realtionship between Danielle and Alex. *tear*
On to a more technical note, the video had uh-mazing colouring. I really quite liked how the user constantly mainpulated different colour tones and contrasts to match the tension in the atmosphere of the scene or the mood of the character. One distinct use of colour I like is the scene with Juliet burning herself with a muffin tray, resulting in a memory of Ben doing the same thing without being physically harmed. The memory is shown in grey-scale and the aftermath of the memory is Juliet frustrated with her clumsiness, therefore the scene's colour tone is changed to an orange-twinge in order to signify Juliet's anger.
The user also did a fantastic job with the cutting and editing by choosing all the scenes capable of having an emotional impact on the viewer, as well as the song choice which also intensified the video's meaning. Breathe Me by Sia is prossibly one of the saddest songs I've ever heard and it really matches a lot of the situations our LOST ladies are going through. Sia performs the song magically, making her pain and anguish believable through the haunting cracks in her voice and the hopelessness of the lyrics, which the user has masterfully used to go with the situation in each clip or scene, therfore making the song ideal for the video.
In conclusion, I give it 5 out of 5, due to the fact that the user has captured the right emotions and edited it immaculately. If you are not a LOSTie, do not fear, this video is uh-mazing and I firmly believe that you do not have to watch the show in order to feel something towards this work of art. BUT, once again, this is only my opinion and I'll leave it for you to judge:
Thanks people! Over and out.
Nadine xx
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Headaches lead to pain, which leads to death + MV OF THE WEEK!
Anyway, so as you've all probably noticed (due to the title), I have an excruciating headache that's just been killing me for the past couple of days. It almost made me not want to update today, but I am not going to let it bring me down, so I shall review my choice of MV, seeing as I really love this video and it's also quite short, so it won't really take me too long... Hopefully.
Alright, so the video I've picked for the week is made by a user named XkjscififanX, who, I admit, is a vidder I'm not very familiar with, but this certain video I absolutely looooved. It is a Doctor Who fanvid about the Tenth Doctor's final hours and all the memories he has had during his time in David Tennant form. Now, WARNING, WARNING if you are an avid Doctor Who fan, tears are a given and if you have not seen the final episode and you do not wish to spoil it for yourself, DO NOT WATCH!
Okay, so I have to confess that I am bigger fan of the last video I reviewed (Vinny/Odette - Rebirthing) as it is much more creative, but when it comes to emotional impact/intensity, this MV is an epic win and is far more superior. Now, I will admit that I'm not a massive Doctor Who junkie (like Caroline), but I must say that this vid actually made me feel a lot of things. It made me feel sad, it made me feel the Doctor's inevitable anguish, due to the heavy burden of knowledge he carries and it made me feel a little excited, because it basically presented the highs and lows of the Tenth Doctor's adventures ALL in 40 seconds. Uh-mazing.
Anyway, the editing in this video is exceptional. I loved the different colour hues the user has added, as well as the immaculate cutting and constant switching to different scenes, which makes the video all the more exciting. I also quite enjoyed how she kept some of the dialogue, as it made the viewers relate to the doctor a bit more, specifically someone who's never watched the show. Judging by this vid, they'd probably think he's a tragic figure of some sort. The music was also fantastic and it made me love the video even more, as it is one of my favourite songs of all time. Carnival of Rust by Finnish band, Poets of the Fall is a song that really relates, in my opinion, to the Doctor's emotive side. Just listen to the lyrics and the sombre mood of the music, and you'll know what I mean.
In conclusion, I give this MV about a 4.5 out of 5, due to the fact that I would have loved for it to be a bit longer, but overall, a very good acheivement for the user... Of course, that's just me, so here it is for you to make your own judgement (be careful, you might cry or wee yourself):
I bet you all either wee'd or cried. Anyway, that's all for tonight and I sincerely hope Caroline got a good kick out of this. Over and out.
Nadine xx
Thursday, January 28, 2010
MV of the week - My opinion
Recently, I've been an avid follower of YouTube fan-made music videos or crossovers, since I actually have had experience in editing videos once upon a time. One category I've found that people are immensely crazy about is the shipping of Non/disney couplings, which is basically couples from animations distributed by Disney or other companies (Fox, Warner Bros, etc).
Most of the videos I come across are exceedingly well-made, creative and believable, but it does mostly depend on which user you subscribe to. Examples of FANTASTIC Disney vidders on YouTube are:
and, believe me, many others. These are just some of my favourites, so look them up. ^^ Anyway, Music Video of the week is just going to be a post I will put up every Friday, which will review my favourite fan-made music video from the past seven days.
The video I've chosen this week is a crossover made by thdjnv, who I mentioned earlier. Just in case you're not quite sure about what a crossover really is, it's just using more than one movie, book, etc and telling a story through the characters OR creating a completely different story channelling the themes of the original stories you are using... Okay the didn't make any sense, but trust me, the concept of 'crossing over' is pretty straight forward.
Okay, so this video... yeah, I've probably watched it about 30 times... Yes, that's how good I think it is. thdjnv (or Rebecca) has used the characters of Odette from The Swan Princess and Vinny from Atlantis: The Lost Empire to tell a love story with a twist.
What the user has done is that she's stuck to the original story and concept of The Swan Princess, but instead of Odette falling in love with that slag Derek, she instead falls in love with Vinny, who whilst being on an expedition, accidently falls into the fairytale world Odette lives in. During his stay he falls in love with her and eventually defeats the evil sorcerer, Rothbart, who is keeping Odette under the spell of turning into a swan (and yes, I do love these super cheesy movies).
I know what you're all thinking... "How Strange. Vinny from Atlantis... with a princess?" Yes, I know, but that's exactly what I loved about this video! Vinny is the trippiest of the trippy and to be crossed off with a princess like Odette therefore makes this video absolutely fab! So yes, as obscure as it is, I personally think this pairing is an epic win! I mean, Vinny is possibly one of the funniest Disney characters ever created, so watching him with a googly eyed Princess like Odette is pretty darn entertaining.
I actually also felt that the user's use of Princess Odette was rather cool. Even though I don't like The Swan Princess that much as a film, I've always loved Odette's design and appearance. Her height, big blue eyes and her poise are all very nicely animated, as well as her wavy long blonde hair, which in my opinion looks like a golden tempest.
Next thing I want to clarify is that the couple isn't only what got me hooked onto the video, but thdjnv's editing and manipulations also played a large part. If I had watched this video without knowing better, I would've thought Vinny and Odette were from the same movie. Every angle, scene and close-up the creator has used makes the video truly what it is... Epicly epic. Not to mention that her use of colour toning such as gray-scale and sepia really work out and assist in enhancing the characters' believability.
The last thing I adored about this crossover is deffinitly the music. Skillet's Rebirthing is an awesome song and I think it adds to the intensity and depth of the video through it's use of both orchestrated music and heavy metal guitar riffs.
Okay, so overall, a great video. I give it 5 out of 5, but here it is for you to make your own judgement:
Okay, well that's it for me. Ta everyone!
Nadine xx
