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Can I start using my sick time now?
2009-02-26 12:45:41
My unfortunate accident on the way to Another Anime Con in October continues to plague me. More than four months after the tumble down the stairs and subsequent visit to the ER, my ankle’s still screwed up and I had to venture into the office of an orthopedic surgeon. Talk of MRI’s and bone fractures ensued, followed by a new ankle brace and prescription for anti-inflammatory medication that “Might bother your stomach.”
Actually the warning on the label reads “Taking this medication with alcohol will increase stomach bleeding.” What I take away from this warning, among the five others, is that my stomach will be bleeding anyways. First day, no problem. I’m happy, thinking maybe I’ve avoided the side effects. Second day? That would today, and it feels like someone’s boring a hole through my abdomen. I’m kind of dreading day three…but if it keeps up I can guarantee there will be no day four.
If I get sick or injure myself at Anime Boston I will seriously consider never going to a con ever again. It’s too hazardous to my health. Or perhaps just my AMVs are...if I'd never made Takeout, I'd never have been planning to attend AAC.
In other news, I'm hoping I can put some work in this weekend on my next AMV. It's a real pain in the butt, however thus far my track record with it has been that if I just sit down and harass my clips long enough, I come up with something to put on the timeline. Wwwhhhhhhyyyyy do I continually make videos that must be dragged kicking and screaming to their final destinations? One would think if I can do that, I could far more easily make an AMV which just wanders in and sits down all by itself. -
On VCAs
2009-02-23 13:00:39
I've always found it amusing that AMV editors:
1. Moan and groan about the horrors of their "work" being judged by "ignorant" con audiences, apparently implying that winning an audience award at a con is rubbish from the standpoint of assigning any "real" value, whatever the heck that is, to an AMV.
2. Moan and groan about the VCAs because it comes down to thousands of shadowy individuals casting votes which overwhelm those of the site regulars, aka the people who supposedly are "in the know" when it comes to assigning "real" value, whatever the heck that is, to an AMV.
3. Moan and groan about the VCAs because of all the "you pat/stab my back, I'll pat /stab yours" friendship/antagonism that always seems to bubble to the surface, implying that your friends/enemies cannot possibly be capable of assigning "real" value, whatever the heck that is, to an AMV.
My own personal opinion is that we not try to make the VCAs something they're not.
They are not a blind voting system, where - such as at most cons - the voters really are voting for the videos, not the people behind the videos or all the baggage (good or bad) a given video may carry. They hand an automatic advantage to individuals with seniority on the site, with well-known names/videos, with friends and co-conspirators. Right or wrong, the VCAs are not just about the videos, they're also about the people and history behind the videos.
They also are not all-inclusive, in that if your video is in the VCAs, it's not on a level playing field with everyone else's in terms of being seen by the voting masses. I'd hazard a guess that the majority of videos eligible for the VCAs are not watched by the majority of voters.
Most importantly, I don't feel the VCAs are about assigning "real" value, whatever the heck that is, to an AMV. Yes, there are videos in the VCAs which clearly should not be (I'm thinking of one in the finals last year that had subtitles plastered all over it), but the VCAs are NOT about selecting an elite judging panel and handing over all decisions to them. If you want to win a judged award and have someone supposedly assign "real" value to your AMV, then seek out a well-thought of AMV competition and enter it. Chances are people are still going to gripe about the winners even of judged events, so obviously there's just no pleasing everyone...but I thought we were supposed to learn that in kindergarten.
The VCAs are what they are: a way for this AMV community to mark a year's worth of video editing endeavors. Con audiences do not represent AMV communities nor, in some cases, do AMV judging panels. Communities are made up of many different people and many different relationships, values and ways of doing things. Communities often make decisions that some members do not like, but just because you're the loudest individual at the town hall meeting doesn't mean your vote carries any more weight than the person who only votes for their neighbors. I'm sure if we used a less democratic process the votes would be far different. Oh wait, didn't the JCAs JCAs attempt to disprove that theory last year? Yah. But not a lot of people seem to like remembering the results of that little experiment... -
Erm...
2009-02-20 10:16:00
Just tried to download a few videos, got a 404 error that the files couldn't be found on the server....
Even some videos I've already downloaded are coming up as MIA. I don't think I'm the only one running into this problem, either. -
VCAs 2009
2009-02-18 12:25:56
If I learned anything last year, it was that the fallout of this annual event - on the one hand - never ceases to surprise and amaze me and - on the other - that in some ways it's entirely too predictable. Now I've got to scrounge around and gather up all my favorites and attempt to participate in some fashion.
I wish there was some way the .ORG let one keep track of favorites and things within genres. When you watch a lot of AMVs, particularly early on in a given year, remembering 12 months later what made you say "Oooo!" or "Ahhh!" can be rather difficult. But! I will try my best, because unlike in many years past, there are actual some videos that I am keenly interested in lobbying for, particularly those that may have gotten overlooked or been a tad bit forgotten. -
Where's my machete?
2009-02-17 12:59:44
Headhunting for my AMV has begun! It now seems impossible that I will obtain permission from all the individuals I would like to include in my video, and even a trifle unnecessary given the nature of the beast, but I figure I need to at least try. Worse case scenario is that I will have to parody what I'm parodying, which could get a little messy, not to mention completely the defeat the point of all this.
*curses inability to make AMVs fast* Even if I worked my butt of for the next month, there is no way I'd ever finish this in time for Anime Boston. Rotten, wretched bad-at-AMVing ability...
JOURNAL: DriftRoot (Lauren C.)
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