somniloquence

It's not somuch about the effects and things, but about the technical knowledge of computers and codecs and software proficiencies. I mean, effects and things are in there, definitely, but one of the things I've noticed a lot lately is that the fannish help network seems to be by and large disappearing, and there's a prevailing attitude of "do it yourself/learn it yourself" and that not only discourages people like me from seeking help when they need it (so the creative product might never be made), but it also is a huge shift in how fandom has always interacted since generations ago, and it means that the onus of an extreme amount of technological know-how is now completely on the producer, with no one there to help them or back them up. So we expect this one segment of fandom -- the vidder -- to be as technically proficient as an IT expert, as a hardware manufacurer, as a developer of software -- as well as for them to spend thousands of dollars in costs associated to create the fannish product and distribute it, free of charge, to anyone who asks.

And the demans are increasing all the time. I just saw someone anguishing about not having the video codecs for lazy Windows users becuase she works on a Mac and how she was going to all these lengths to try to appease some asshat who won't DL her vids because they're too crappy to get the right player. Why? Becuase we now expect the vidder to not only provide us with the vids, to spend all that $$ to make the vids and use their time and energy, but to also have all the bases covered technically so that lazy, crappy people don't have to do any work.

To me, this is an enormous disparity and I think the unfairness of vidding has reached almost comical proportions. Whenever I get criticized for having a password on my site, or when people bitch at me because QT files won't load on their computer, or whatever, I'm like... when did this become my responsibility to make everything easy for you? And part of that is that most of these folks might not know anyone who can help them (I can't) and woe betide the person who asks becuase all they'll get is a link from someone for something they may not understand or be able to use; or they may be just those fans I hate who think they are entitled to everything and you are their fucking fannish product slave.

Vidders used to be a pretty small group, and there was an appreciation in the audience for the expense and effort people went to. Now it's this "you better understand every tech aspect of vidding, don't fucking ask anyone to help you if you can't understand/do it yourself, and give it to me now free of charge in the way I demand it." I am frustrated by the expectations placed on vidders (especially those of us who want to submit to cons, which are becoming increasingly hostile to the low-tech vidder) and the level of knowledge being demanded of them, when they're already struggling to produce some art. Writers don't get asked this level of expense and knowledge. Why are vidders -- and for so little reward, since almost no one supports them the way they suport fic?