Everything old is new again

[gwyn]

I hope I'm not jumping the gun, but I see that the links are all there and if I am, I trust that justacat will rap my knuckles. The re-remastered vid of the old Media Cannibals classic A Fire Is Burning is available for download at the Professionals Circuit Archive. Download the Divx avi version.

Justacat and I are working on remastering many of the MCs Pros vids, and since Sandy, Alex, and I had remastered this one last year for the Vividcon Hi-Def show, this was the one we started with first both so that I could make a DVD copy available, and so that we could fix some compression and credits problems that had come up when we first remastered it. Since she was doing all the hard work anyway, Justacat used the new Professionals DVDs that came out recently with color correction and some cleanup of the film, and so this vid looks pretty spiffy, even in web compression.

I've discovered that I have to really bump up the rates on video that was originally PAL, so it's rather large at 38MB, but outside of some pixelization that I can't get rid of unless I go well over 40MB, I think this looks pretty good, plus it's a much larger window than the original remaster that's been up on the Circuit Archive for a while. That alone makes it worth the download time, I think! We've included Sandy's original liner notes as well as the lyrics this time.

Really, I'm not usually one to brag, with my rather low self-esteem issues, but I still think that our original vid is one of the best vids ever made, period. It was way ahead of its time in the fast cutting, etc., and told a great story. Of course there are things we'd change if we could -- I remember one big thing was that all the musical parts use clips chosen from the order the eps aired, so we let some run too long because we didn't think we'd have enough, but then it turned out that we ran out of time in late third season or early fourth! -- but even with that, I never get tired of watching this vid. Sometimes I can't believe I was privileged enough to have participated in it.

Go download! Enjoy all this sweat and toil everyone's put into it! It's shiny and new and sparkly and big! Also, it may be an old vid made new again, but feedback? Never ever goes out of fashion.

Comments

That Vid is STILL one of the best made

[cattraine.livejournal.com]

I have ever seen. I keep a copy on my laptop ( I think I can safely say its one of my favorites) and people cannot believe it was made before DVDs and computer software. I wish I didn't have dial-up. Hopefully someone will download a new copy for me.

Re: That Vid is STILL one of the best made

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, we'll have the dvds at the con! (Which I realize is about a month away, but still)

Re: That Vid is STILL one of the best made

[cattraine.livejournal.com]

I can't come to the con. ;-(

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

wheee. perhaps (with justacat's OK) post to the vidding LJ as well. more exposure the better.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Yes, we're going to announce it to death once she makes a few more tweaks to the page. I'm just jumping the gun because I am excited.

[movies-michelle.livejournal.com]

Ooops! Should I take down my post for the moment? I saw your post and got excited and had to post about it, too.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

No, it's fine! The vid's up and all, but I think Jessica is going to take down the other older file and stuff. I just have ants in my pants.

[movies-michelle.livejournal.com]

Okay, cool.

Man, I love your icon soooooo much. *g*

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

I think this is one of the best things ever. You and Jessica are just too good for words to be doing this, as I said before. *hugs you*
*runs to post a link in her LJ because, yes.*

[fenris_wolf0]

I have the older file I think - which is indeed a great vid (very old Pros fan, here).

Speaking of which, I downloaded the new LoM from your page yesterday and I am looking forward to enjoying it this week-end because I have most of the first season of LoM that is on my to watch list, I was just waiting for the right vid to pimp this show to me!

:)

[paris7am.livejournal.com]

Your gifts and talent never fail to amaze me, whether in picture or word. I *love* this vid, and seeing it remastered is amazing. Thank you so much. I selfishly hope that there will be many more to come...

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Well, I cannot in any way take credit for this -- it's Sandy's peerless editing skills that made this possible, and Alex's database memory combined with mine. This is the one thing I truly miss about vidding on VCRs -- the ability to vid in a group, where you're all gathered around a TV and can see what you are doing as it happens, constantly play off each other, discover new clip ideas. It's impossible to replicate the groupthink with computers.

[justacat.livejournal.com]

You jumped the gun only a tiny little bit, no big deal, because everything's in place ... one thing, though - would you mind if I crib from this post to add to the vidder notes? I think this is a great post that gives good background about the vid - and also explains why we're putting a new version up there. OIf you'd prefer me not to that's absolutely fine, but I thought maybe I'd put Sandy's "old" notes first, and then most of this post as a second set of vidder notes, if you're okay with it ... ?

Once I finish polishing the page I'll announce on all the Pros venues, too.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I figured that if you wanted to "go live" tomorrow or Friday I could be in trouble, as I'm going to be so busy I wouldn't be able to help on the promotion!

I guess you could include some of this as notes -- obviously I don't think anyone would care about the compression stuff, but I guess if you wanted to add the other things that would be fine. Definitely want to give Sandy's notes the focus, though.

Let me know when you want to post to the other spots like Vidder or the vidding LJ. I will try to carve out some time for that.

[mlyn.livejournal.com]

It gives me goosebumps! You should be proud of it.

[magnifica7.livejournal.com]

Oh excellent! This is an all-time favourite. Song-choice and cutting make this a perfect pros-vid and it's a blast to see it in this fantastic quality.

Thank you so very much for all the efforts and sorry I didn't give feedback for the 2005 version! :)

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

Just got home and was able to download it. As I just said in a comment to justacat over at the_safehouse, I have all three versions and the clarity of this one is amazing (not, you understand, that I'm saying there is anything wrong with the old one!). I'm very glad your older vids aren't going to gradually disappear now that the tapes aren't available. I like this style of vid much better than many of the newer ones with obvious special effects.

We have a slash gathering here next weekend — I'll point the host to this so she can download it to show on the day.