Reviews Round 1

Reviews by Andrea

 Judge Choice (Andrea) & Best Video RU -   'Animal I Have Become' Edited by Jessie 

Each time I watched this during the judging period (very often - and I still enjoy it ) I was gripped by the nonstop action and angst you managed to convey  perfectly. Choosing the ideal 'angry' song for Connor - It's no wonder that a creature conceived in such a violent manner, then thrown into a hell dimension would be anything other than an animal and you succinctly reminded us in the intro.

I love your choice of colourization, it gave a feeling of intensity and darkness  without being washed out, and careful use of B&W clips and  filters plus interesting cutting with the original band video. Your 'on beat' editing and use of internal motion  matched the pace of the song -the frenetic, relentless violence feels very much like Connor is way out of control, yet you maintain a flow throughout. The intercut clips of various fights with the Beast were particularly effective and again great use of source motion as he lands on the beat. Then you shift again to the pulsing B&W scenes  of Connor's lowest points in the S4 Arc, giving it a truly nightmarish feel. Great lyric matches throughout but in particular 'darkest side of me' as he displays his trophy ear made me grimace (in a good way).

I enjoyed how you utilized the musical cues of guitar cords and cymbal hits especially Darla at 0.15, lightning bolt at 0.19, Holtz at 1.22 *shivers*, and the final sequence where it stepped into another gear from about 3.06 on the jump cuts, onto the final confrontation with Angel -  excellent ending.   All in all Jessie, just an amazing vid that I love to watch over and over
 

Best Video RU - 'Stay'  Edited by Aimee

A bitter sweet, gentle vid echoed by the song with lyrics that so match the relationship that is 'LoVe', you can feel their bewilderment and  struggle to understand each other.

There is a good use of fade to black and on beat editing, and of course clip/scene matches. I like how you use internal motion to the musical cues, some very subtle which just add to the whole flow - like the head turn at 0.28 and again 0.46 on the guitar cord, the finger point at around 0.40 to name just a few.

The soft blurred brightness of the footage just adds to the overall look of the vid that is tender and melancholy with an ending that just breaks the heart. The best portrayal of this relationship I have seen in a vid and a joy to watch.
 

Best Video - 'Blind' Edited by Anne

An excellent study of the complex relationship between Dean & Sam, great choice of song with clip to lyric interpretation that are thoughtful and interesting ' source divine' and 'funny valentine' and so on. I love how you use any effects very carefully - there is the light as the car door closes at 0.38 which is then echoed with the car head light on the same musical cue at 0.44, ( they made me go 'ooh').

The pace of clips matches the shift at the instrumental break on 0.32 with the intercut fight scene, and a reverse at around 2.33 works very well. Only a few observations really and that said, it is the synergy all these create that give 'Blind' that indefinable quality. Making it riveting, dramatic and breathtaking, and eminently rewatchable.

Reviews by Mara-Sho

Judges Choice  - 'Wild' Edited By Rusalka Blue

This vid captures the complex character of Dean perfectly. The narrative structure of the vid is well matched to the music choice (which, in itself, is inspired) and the clip choice, effects and overlays have been well thought out and executed. If I have one nitpick with the vid it's simply that occasionally the lyrical matching seems a little forced ("moving like a hunter through my back door" for example), but overall it works really well.

The exploration of Dean's character follows a stormy and unpredictable path, which is reflected brilliantly by the song and the sheer depth of emotion conveyed in the vid takes my breath away each time I watch it.
This really is made of awesome

Best Video RU - 'Animal I Have Become' Edited By Jessie

Animal I Have Become is a particularly dark vid exploring the character growth - and destruction - of Connor in a way that draws the viewer in and underscores the mistakes and missed opportunities. The clip choice is exceptionally good and the matching of lyrical content to clips is done with real flair.

 The repetition of themes throughout the vid works well to keep the narrative flow and the editing choice of moving between colour and monochrome is cleverly used here. The final segment of this vid is quite possibly one of the best segments I have seen in a fanvid from any fandom and overall this vid actually made me sympathetic to a character I have previously been ambivalent about.

Best Video RU - 'Stay' Edited by Aimee

Stay makes for a wonderful insight into the twisted world of LoVe on Veronica Mars. The chosen song makes for a perfect soundtrack and the narrative flow of the vid keeps the viewer hooked from beginning to end.

Matching of the internal motion of the shots to the opening instrumental strains is especially well done, as is the repeating theme of the cuttng during the chorus. The matching of shots to lyrical content is done thoughtfully without ever being too obvious and it is clear that a great deal of time and thought went into the structure of this vid. Overall, it is a beautiful vid with the perfect song.
 

Best Video - 'Blind' Edited by Anne

Blind, an angsty study of the brothers Winchester which hooks the viewer in with a well executed match-cut paralleling the flashbacks and the events of the pilot episode. The contrasts in the song are well matched with the introduction of an action sequence in the chorus intro and the colouring changes.

The narrative flow of the vid is exceptional and the structure takes the viewer through a whole gamut of emotional responses. Of particular note is the timing of the cuts over the repetition of "I know you're broken" - breathtaking. The effects used are subtly placed but are very... effective (for lack of a better word.)

Overall, an awesome vid!