Before I was so rudely interrupted

[gwyn]

Week before last, I had posted a new Buffy- and Angelverse vid, though all I could get was a regular small QuickTime window, unfortunately, and feochadn was going to see if she could get a better compression for me with her apps. Even though I was unknowingly shortly to be on my way to emergency surgery, I was busy bemoaning the fact that I keep getting less and less feedback the more I vid. Wah, woe was me, and I was crying in my beer and Jo told me she couldn't get a better large file for me (I think it's the same iMovie filters I used on this vid that have caused me such a headache, too) and it was very woe, woe, woe. I promised people I'd try to get a bigger, better file if I could. But then I got kind of... you know, sidetracked.

Sorry for the delay if you were waiting for that larger vid file. Female of the Species is there now in a Divx avi file, mostly toned down on the pixelization problems but at the expense of a large file -- it's about 60MB, I'm afraid. I've got both the smaller QT file there as well if you'd rather grab that.

I was also kind of making this the last vid of my yearlong experiment to see if putting your URL or email address will help with feedback. Everyone insists that it does, but I've never believed it at all, and I can now safely say that it makes no difference whatsoever. I've done different approaches in subsets of different vid types: large, relatively current fandoms with mixed-interest followings, small fandoms with mixed-interest followings, large fandoms with devoted vid followings, small fandoms with devoted vid followings, and small fandoms with nearly no vid following, and not one subset has shown a difference in response. And maybe it's just that I suck and make bad vids, or whatever, but the only noticeable difference in feedback levels have come from... recs or links. This has been especially borne out by a vid I made in a super small fandom with a not very big vid audience (After Rain), where I did not put a URL or email address -- I've received more feedback on the vid because it's been recced in a couple of LJs by people who did not know the series at all, and was mentioned in a lot of Escapade review panels. Many of the feedbackers were fans of the series, but did not watch vids in it; a lot of them just tend to follow any of the recs made by certain people, and one of the recs was pretty awesome.

So, my theory was proven (you can announce a new vid till the cows come home, but it makes almost no difference unless your friends and viewers mention your vid in their recs or LJ space), but that is not exactly satisfying. I hoped I'd be wrong, that putting the URL at the end of the vid, or an email, would cause a significant result, but it hasn't. Nor has making my password more readily available made a difference as everyone insisted it would -- it just reminds you how many *more* people access your vid and will never say anything to you about it one way or another.

Of course, I suppose if I could ever care for a show like Supernatural, maybe that would change, since that seems to be all anyone wants to watch these days. One shot of the burning woman on the ceiling, and I'd be golden...

Comments

[ficbyzee.livejournal.com]

You know, I really don't recall any change in feedback for the one Supernatural vid I did. (Granted, I made that when the show wasn't *quite* as popular as it is now, but it was still kind of taking over fandom...) The only vid that I've gotten the kind of feedback that made me feel even close to satisfied was an SGA vid--but that fandom has proven itself to be super-fantastic with feedback across the board.

[destina.livejournal.com]

Of course, I suppose if I could ever care for a show like Supernatural, maybe that would change, since that seems to be all anyone wants to watch these days.

You know, I just don't think that's true. I recently made a fairly squeeful multi-fandom recs post, in which one of the vids was Blood/Lust, incidentally. I've also seen several recs posts recently that contained no SPN vids at all, and so my personal experience suggests to me that this isn't the case.

I think nearly all vidders feel like they vid into a vaccuum, to some extent, wrt vids posted online. I've rarely talked to one who hasn't expressed some version of this. Yes, if you are vidding the hot fandom of the moment, you may see more feedback or more immediate reaction. But judging by the public feedback I've seen to recently posted SPN vids, not necessarily. And I've also seen lovely comments on your vids, in the past; the comments you received on There spring to mind. So does the quantity really matter more than the quality of the responses?

Maybe I'm missing your point, or we're just not coming at this from the same direction and it's a classic YMMV thing.

(And all this vidding stuff aside -- I hope you are feeling better. :)

[fenris_wolf0]

Well, I love your vids, both the classic Pros ones -thank you so much for spending the time to restore them and make them available again- and the LoM one which was just the intro I needed!

Then again I am not a vid specialist, so I am not sure what good my opinion is to anyone and positive feedback perception can be such a hit and miss, acrimonious affair that I rarely leave any nowadays. Sorry, but I've been burned too often and it's people like you, who deserve all the applause who get the silent treatment instead.

:(

[anoel.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you don't get more feedback, you as well as many other vidders should. I think part of the problem is people are just lazy and don't watch vids until awhile after they download it (both which happen to me unfortunatly). Sometimes having a password on your site can make it less likely too, however easy it is to get it (again with the people are lazy thing). As for different fandoms, no need to switch, you have to vid what you want to vid. And in reponse to a previous comment, please keep vidding! There can never be too many vids from you :)

On a feedback note, I just watched Blood/Lust again and LOVED it. I reeally love the effect you used as well as the parallels and oh so sexy clips.

[obsessive24.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness, I feel so guilty. I've been meaning to send you feedback on a bunch of vids since forever, but other stuff keep getting in the way, not to mention my MTV-generation attention span doesn't seem capable of sitting down and viewing an entire oeuvre of awesome vids without my brain imploding. Woe, and many, many apologies! Sometime this month, I swear.

*slinks away*

[merricatk.livejournal.com]

Some people are such wimps, letting minor little things like emergency surgery stand between them & their fannish pursuits. No sense of priorities.

(I wish I could watch your vids, but right now even getting my dial-up to work is a challenge.)

[blue-larkspur.livejournal.com]

Hi! I'm glad you're back from the hospital and seem to be recovering well. I've been thinking of you.

[just-eunice.livejournal.com]

I've been meaning to drop you a note to tell you how glad I am that you are okay and home. And before that a note to tell you how much I really enjoyed "Female of the Species" If I were not an absolute freak about commenting and emailing I would have done so before now.

*hugs you a lot and stuff*

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

I have no idea how or why I missed the first time you announced this, but Im' so glad I caught it now!

That was truly a lovely vid, the lyrics and song perfect for the general tone you were going for. I loved the wat you picked so many lesser known clips with the familiar ones aliented through the white noise filter thingy...

What great scenes and MOTW and moments of our girls being dominant :-) (and extra kudos for the little graphic in the beginning :-)

Thanks so much for sharing!!!

And I wish I knew what to say about the feedback issue...maybe beyond the wild popularity, feedback in SPN is heavier simply b/c so many newbies are vidding and watching, thinking of it just like they think of fic rather than being intimidated ot of their minds??? Or maybe it's the delay effect (I often d'load a bunch of vids and don't watch them until later...)

glad to see you back and better!!!

[klia.livejournal.com]

I noticed this a while ago in elke_tanzer's memories:

vividcon 2004: 274 entries
vividcon 2005: 245 entries
vividcon 2006: 193 entries

I think that's pretty telling, personally.

[klia.livejournal.com]

I've been madly torrenting stuff lately, so I hadn't dl'd and watched FotS until now, and I really enjoyed it! Perfect song for the universe. I haven't really watched either show since they ended, only an ep here or there on TNT, and it made me all nostalgic and sniffly, but made me smile, too. Thanks!