Vividcon 2013 CON REPORT Part 2

[jetpack_monkey]

Where was I? Oh yes. I went to bed on Friday night feeling like my legs were in revolt and not giving a crap.

However, I had to be up early on Saturday to meet up with cherryice to get our heads together on our panel, Brand New Classic Hits. echan joined us, but given that Cherry and I were sitting at a table for two, ze just plopped right into my lap. As one does. I love my spouse.

First vidshow of the day was Brand New Classic Hits, which I co-VJed with Cherry. It went... well enough? I think that the vid arrangement was weak in places, but I stand fully behind the placement of the opening two vids and the closing two vids. Overall, we had five premieres, which made placing everything complicated. Still, the audience seemed to really dig it. I would mark it down as a success overall.

The panel was a bit awkward. Cherry and I banter really well, which is great, but it kind of stifled audience participation at the beginning of the panel. Also, we were both nervous and I was fairly convinced I didn't know what I was talking about. Once the audience did start chiming in, I felt better about it. All that said, if you were at the panel and thought I was witty and had interesting things to say and everything went super, ignore the previous paragraph.

Then it was lunch! I think it was at this point that I met iuliamentis and we squeed joyfully on all things Mass Effect. We ended up coming back and talking a bunch over the course of the weekend. Video games are apparently an excellent way to make new friends. Then I enjoyed food and conversation up in heresluck 's hotel room with the_shoshanna and par_avion (I believe -- I shouldn't have done this report so far after the fact, as some details are hazy).

I had con suite duty, meaning I had to miss the Motivation panel that joyo was running, which made me sad. However, I was happy to be of service to the con, which has given me a lot of happiness in the four years that I've gone.

After that, I caught the Matter of Perspective vidshow/panel combo. Both were wonderful, although the vidshow seemed more focused on contrasting viewpoints in different vids and the panel was focused on developing POV in a single vid. They were somewhat related, but not as interconnected as I thought they would be. Still, I learned a lot from watching both! trelkez is a VJ par excellance and she and sweetestdrain make for an engaging pair of co-mods.

Then, it was on to the Video Game Vids show, which I'd been looking forward to all weekend. I was not disappointed. A spectacular show that really showed the breadth of available approaches to vidding video game footage. Good work milly and bradcpu !

I had a minor depressive episode at dinner, so I avoided people and ordered room service. However, it passed once I got some food into me (especially since that food included cheesecake) (which reminds me, I have cheesecake in the fridge right now, once second) (okay, we're back - om nom nom).

Then, Premieres! Yay! Some wonderful vids there, many of which will appear in my recs post when I make it. My own vid was well-received and apparently creeped some people out, so mission accomplished there. The show was really well-balanced this year and didn't drag or get too mired in depressing vids. I was really sad when it was over, but the closing vid was perfectly selected.

Karaoke was hilarious and awesome again. diannelamerc and lizbetann gave us a lovely rendition of that seriously-intended vid, "Internet Porn."  Watching joyo  find her lower register during "I Swear" was a highlight of the con, as was shati 's "Total Eclipse of the Heartsword" premiere. The show closed out with elipie and I performing "Martin Scorsese", with Eli on the Michael Bolton parts and me on everything else. I thought it would be amusing to make it a performance, so I actually acted shocked and confused when she broke in with her summaries of other movies. I had a great time.

Then I kind of followed Brad and Milly up to their room to rewatch this year's Club Vivid. I ended up on one of the beds with kiki_miserychic and ohvienna for most of the time, talking cinema. It was wonderful. I also scared the hell out of Eli at one point. Then, for posterity, we restaged it and took photos. Could someone send those to me so I can post them in a locked post? Eventually, it was very very late and I staggered off to bed.

Aaaand up again early on Sunday morning to get breakfast before Vid Review. sisabet and Rache ran the best damn Vid Review I've ever been to (and I'm not just saying that because it's the first time I've had a vid reviewed in a wholly positive light there). Things were kept on-topic, opinion pile-ups were mostly avoided, and we managed to give every vid a moment in the sun, with no rushing on later vids. All-in-all, it was a really positive experience.

At lunch, I had a really great conversation with cesperanza about All the Rowboats and found that it had been shown at a presentation she did earlier this year. That was incredibly gratifying.

That said, I kind of hate that I love hearing about my own vids as much as I do. I'm up-front that part of the reason I vid is so people will love and respect me through my work. It is not a noble motivation, but it's the one that I have. At some point, I'll grow beyond that, but I'm not there yet. I'm still, in many ways, the lonely kid from high school who nobody wanted to sit with. It's kind of skewed my priorities. If you found yourself in a conversation with me at Vividcon and I kept talking about myself or I steered the topic toward my vids... I am really sorry about that. Please know that I will take it very gracefully if you point this out and I will be happy to talk about all of the things you want to talk about, because I really do find everybody's life experiences and fandoms and interests very cool (well, except for Teen Wolf, Glee, and alpha/beta/omega fic).

Back to Sunday!In-Depth was good. shati and sweetestdrain picked two linked vids which were both technical marvels. I hadn't connected to either of them on the emotional level that the vidders had clearly intended, but it was still a very informative panel full of really great insight into music selection, editing choices, and emotional build. Also, Life of Pi has suggested cannibalism in it, so I have even more reason to check it out. I am a terrible person.

The Challenge vidshow started and I picked a really really terrible seat -- near the front, on the aisle. For the sanity of those further back, I had to contort myself so that everybody could see. Tall people problems, I have them. Even from that position, though, it was a really wonderful show, with some amazing and unexpected vids, many of which will appear in my eventual recs list. Discussion happened and I used the phrase "Planet of the Apes is my jam," because it is. I also may have suggested privately to a vidder that a particular vid couldn't have been made by them because I didn't seem them as being that full of themselves. Except, of course, they did make the vid and it wasn't a matter of them being full of themselves. Projection, I do it.

The con closed out with Auction -- another fine mix of vids. I was especially gratified when the vid that I made for destina received a huge response with clapping and yelling and all the good things one hopes for. I was particularly nervous about that vid because I don't really vid human relationships that much and I especially don't do shippy vids very much. It turned out fine, though.

There was a kerfuffle with dinner plans that was nobody's fault, but it turned out fine. I had to race through my steak and potatoes, though, because Fiasco Games 2 and 3 were quickly approaching.

Next post will cover the last two Fiasco games, the end of the weekend, and vid recs.

Comments

Regarding your navel-gazing

[laurashapiro]

I don't think the desire to be loved, or that being a motivation for vidding, is anything to be ashamed of. There's a reason feedback is fannish currency. We may vid for ourselves, but we share the work publicly for other reasons. Love is a big one, IMO. It's refreshing to see someone being honest about that.

I wish I'd spent more time with you! Not enough hours in the weekend.

Also: I had no idea that you and echan were spouses! How did I miss that???

Re: Regarding your navel-gazing

[jetpack_monkey]

Thank you. Obviously I love vidding for the act of vidding as well and I find it very stimulating creatively and intellectually, but I kind of want to rule the world as well. In a low-key, share the power sort of way. :D

echan and I do our own individual thing for the most part, so the marriage doesn't come up in conversation that much. We have each others' backs, though, and that's the important thing.

There's a lot of people I wish I could've spent more time with this year and you're on that list. Ah well. Next year! Or Escapade.

[shati]

Also, Life of Pi has suggested cannibalism in it, so I have even more reason to check it out.

This was an actual thought that went through my head. I HAD NO IDEA!

[destina.livejournal.com]

If you found yourself in a conversation with me at Vividcon and I kept talking about myself or I steered the topic toward my vids... I am really sorry about that.

FWIW I felt exactly the opposite - like the more I discussed the Vid of Brilliance (you know the one I speak of, I believe!) with you, the less you really wanted to talk about it. *g* But that could just be me; cons trigger a huge desire in me to retreat from people and conversation due to introversion, and I'm always pretty sure that my attempts at conversation are not really all that welcome. It's a thing.

[jetpack-monkey.livejournal.com]

No, I loved hearing about it! I just... on that particular vid, there are places where I know I could have done better and so I was doing my level best not to harsh your squee by pointing out the things I wish I could've done. At the end of the day, it is the vid that you requested and if you love it, then I am stoked!