REVIEWS

Reviews Round 6

We were so impressed with the entries in this round that we have also given brief reviews to the main category winners in addition to our Choices, Best Video & Video RU.  ETA : Looks like we will be reviewing  Category RU's too - I have grouped the reviews together with the judge's name after each one  - more added 08.07.07 - The rest will follow soon.  

Goodbye by Aimee - Best Video,  Music Use, Relationship, Angst,  Judge's Choice

The muted filter sets the mood for this complex relationship study between Angel and Wesley which draws our attention to so many parallels in these characters paths. Some that until now had never occurred to me and I know this show well. You choose your cuts wisely on the snare drum beat but not every one so that it becomes monotonous, really using all the internal motion to reflect the musicality and singer's voice and nice work with zooms and pans.

You have some super overlays throughout, the prophecy as Wes sits at the desk , and at 0.59 as Wes cuts himself then the Mo'ping breaking as Angelus lies in the cage at 2.00. The clip to lyric matches are clever too, I love the section that starts with 'Feeling alive....' and 'sick and twisted...' with Justine locked in the cupboard. The final section just as Angel signs away the Shanshu cleverly reprises all that has been between them and the ending is perfectly timed to the guitar flourish. Excellent work Aimee, you have managed to convey so much in quite a short vid without loosing any coherence and flow. Eminently rewatchable and on the favourites. Fantastic.  - Andrea

Oh, the angst. Oh the parallels! I miss this show and vids like this only underscore just how much I miss this show. Brilliant use of clips to show the sheer magnitude and complexity of the relationship between these two – and the similarities… *shivers*  Kudos. You made me miss this show. - Shona

Fell on Black Days by Ringwench - Best Video RU, Editing,  Character,  Judge's Choice

Subtle and instinctive editing make this vid special as a Sam study, capturing momentous events at the end of season 2 and reflects the development of the character well. A great song choice in terms of apt lyrics, suiting the mood of the piece but which has quite a challenging and an interesting structure. You use the changes in tempo and the instrumental bridge to full effect. Lovely moments of internal motion at 1.09 with the coffee spray to the cymbal crash, pulling back the curtains at 2.04 and the angel statue shaking at 3.03.

I love the use of fade to black and black masks from 2.36 through to 2.44 it works really well. The ending with 'I sure don't mind the change' is chilling right down to that tiny flash of yellow in Sam's eyes. A great vid that really grows on you on every rewatch. Another classic from you Ringwench. - Andrea

Brilliant character study and wonderful matching of clips to the song – not just with lyrical matching, but with the melody as well. 3.07 stands out in particular and sends shivers up my spine every time I watch it. This is a masterful vid that illustrates a complete understanding of the source material and techniques to tell a breathtaking story.  - Shona

Never Meant to Fail by Wolfpup - Best Storyteller and Judge's Choice

I  felt this vid really captured the sense of struggle for the brothers throughout the series and it hits a very emotional cord with me. You choose some lovely clip lyric matches that are heartbreaking, especially to 'it's not meant to be this lonely' as Sam lies on the bed ' and we all must let go' and 'I lost all my virtues long ago'. Whilst it depicts some intense scenes it also has a quiet reflective feel which matches the mood of the song and flows well. I enjoyed this very much and felt it did justice to the series. Well done again.  Andrea

Another wonderful vid from wolfpup! great matching of clips to lyrical content and overall a beautifully realised vid. - Shona

 The End - Whereistheluv - Best Drama, Best Other Fandom

You set the scene with such a gentle melancholic song which seems to be the perfect contrast to the violence in the clips you have chosen . It fits the tone of this very understated but sad, dramatic vid, and  you draw interesting parallels between the first two Seasons in Veronica Mars. The edits are perfectly placed, I love how you switch back and forth, reflecting on what brought the characters to that point. Also great use of fade out to black for further dramatic effect, and the final piano note as Cassidy drops from the roof has great impact and it gave me chills. - Andrea

A particularly brave choice of music for the tone of this video and wonderfully pulled off. Fantastic use of 'nostalgia' colouring here and overall a great flow. - Shona

Walking Behind by Aislynn - Best Effects (joint winner)

A very cute Shipper vid for Kate & Sawyer which uses special effects consistently to tell their story - I love how you used either stills or moving footage to show action and reaction, switching from his and her view paced nicely with the beat and the lyrics - and it worked very well for this vid structured as a picture book. Great choice of song that was just upbeat enough and a really sweet ending. A great Lost vid. Andrea

Another vid making wonderful use of effects to tell the tale – without ever being overwhelming. - Shona

Supernatural Menace by Jo - Best Alternate Universe, Most Humorous, and a Judge's choice

I have a soft spot for Comedy vids but they aren't easy to find but OMG fandoms collide in this really funny, brilliantly edited trailer with Obi Dean Kenobi and some excellent light sabre effects. Every sound and audio clip matched perfectly with some inspired 'casting' of the Star Wars roles. The opening sequence as metallicar crashes through the gates just gets me every time. I want to see this movie! - Andrea

Oh this makes me laugh every single time I watch it! (which is quite a lot!) Genius, genius stuff!  Shona


Memories by Sammy  - Best Effects

A sweet and romantic Rose & Ten shipper vid edited with great flair and excellent use of special effects that compliment the idea perfectly without ever distracting from the storytelling. I particularly like the stills that become photos with the lyrics written and the final sequence with the 'first Christmas' and so on. A simple, delightful vid that has feel good vibes coming off it in waves, with a little bitter sweet thrown in for good measure. Nice audio finish too. Lovely, you can't help but smile when watching this. -Andrea

The clip choices and timings in this vid are fantastic, but it's the use of effects which really make it stand out – interesting that we had two similar vids from different vidders (and fandoms) using the photo-album theme. . - Shona

Fragile Things by Talula  -  Best Ensemble

An excellent ensemble vid for Bones, true to the show, both the victims and the Bones team are fragile things. It was an inspired song choice and I liked the on beat cutting, and the sections of shaky black and white flashbacks were very effective with some lovely intepretation  of the lyrics. Clever use of the montage of skulls at the beginning into the holographic scene on the opening chord and quick cuts of the squint squad working lab, you also manage to explore the relationships between the all the characters without focusing excessively on Booth & Bones. Great work Talula.  -Andrea

Great timings throughout this vid combined with the music choice help to fit a huge amount of narrative into a relatively short vid.  - Shona

 Who Do You Hurt Now  By Kitty - Best Episodic

A good example of a great episodic Vid, interestingly structured but not rigidly linear in it's story and very well edited to hold your attention. I love the soft blur filter and desaturated look you applied to the footage, it kind of adds a dreamlike/nightmarish mood to the whole vid. I can see why you chose the song as the lyrics work very well with your clip selection and you make good use the instrumental bridge at 1.34 for the sensual scenes between Sam and Madison. The ending is perfect with the off screen gun shot and the credits are a nice touch. Andrea

This vid has a wonderful sense of movement throughout, it flows wonderfully and the effects are never overused. One slight nitpick I have with it is that it is a teeny bit predictable in some of the cutting but I can't help feeling it is the lack of progression within the song that is the cause, rather than any fault of the vidders. Great stuff!  - Shona

For You - Lsketch42 - Best POV

An interesting study of Dean's pov and his fight to keep his brother safe and how their lives have changed. I like the song and the lyrics are well matched throughout. You have some good moments of internal movement to the vocals and music like the stab at 0.25 the window smash at 1.17. Nice use of pans and zooms keep the vid flowing during the head shots and you really build the emotion well right to the final scene which seems like the perfect place to end. A Very touching piece of vidding.  Andrea

Great character study with a particularly inspired choice of music. I absolutely adore the effect used at 1.10 – it adds so much depth to the clip choice here.  Shona

Scared by Brighette - Best Action

Now I'm not very good with scary stuff - I have chosen not to watch SPN on my own, past midnight  because I found it at times genuinely scary - Yeah ok I'm a wimp and used to watch Dr Who from behind the sofa when I was a kid. But this vid really captures that aspect of the show, nasty things that grab you through grills, tear you to shreds and stare back from mirrors. Your introduction sets the scene and the time toggling on the clips conveys a sense of panic to suit the frantic music. I love the blackouts to the musical pauses and there are some entertaining moments of action like the gunshot 0.40 and Dean hitting the wall at 1.33 and there's more. A great action vid with blood and knives and things that go bump, even if you watch it through your fingers.  - Andrea

High-octane, fast paced and fantastic clip choices. The timings in this vid are awesome – the matching of the gunshot at 0:40/41 is breathtaking. - Shona

Did My Time by Victoria Action RU, Char RU, Joint Zeppo RU

Excellent, action packed Faith character study - fantastic song choice with really great lyrics to work with which have used to their fullest . You have used every beat to highlight the violence within Faith and how the anger really has changed her. I love the section from around 3.00 and then there is a fast run of edits from around 3.20 to 3.30 which are awesome and convey a sense of chaos. Great work Victoria  - Andrea

Great character study of one of my personal favourite characters… *g* The timings and pacing of this vid are spot on and the narrative flow (which Andrea knows is a big deal to me!) is perfect. Shona

It's Been a While By Mnallison02 Judge's Choice, Drama RU 

How to get Shona on side straight away – take a song that is deeply personal to her and make a fantastic vid using it. The audio overlays are wonderfully placed – particularly the matching of John's statement with the lyrics (it would have been easy to match the "Did the best I could" with the lyrics, but by including more you make it far richer – more resonant). I have been watching this vid on a loop for about a week now and each time I watch it I find something new about it to love. Thank you. Shona

An emotional vid dealing with Dean & Sams struggle, perfect choice of song and nice audio introduction to set the scene, and then again throughout the vid adding to the impact of the lyrics. A very dramatic and angst ridden vid that reflects a major aspect of the show perfectly. Andrea 

Turn Back Time by Artanis - AU RU
A unique AU vid - you use footage well to tell this imaginative tale. Nice to see the Halloween clips in conjunction with the William flashbacks and I particularly like the secion from 2.38 through to 3.00 with the intercutting between old & modern. Good work. Andrea 


Interesting clip choices to tell a unique story. Good matching of music to clips, and great use of light. Shona

Manmade Monsters by Sensue - AU RU

Clever use of cross fandom footage really works well in this imaginative AU story. The music you chose adds to the suspense in your vid and it was very entertaining. Good work  Andrea

Wonderful meshing of multiple fandoms – the matching of clips is wonderfully done, Dean comforting the kid, Lydekker talking to Sam on the phone – great work!  Shona

The Kill by Nikki  - POV RU Zeppo Joint RU

I love the use of colour filters on this vid to enhance the mood. A well structured and interesting insight into Buffy and her struggle in Season6. You managed to avoid using too many well known clips so there is a fresh feel to this study. The flashes of bright colours work really well too. I love the section from 1.40 to 1.50 you have some great fast edits. And also the section from 2.20 to 2.40 builds the anguish and you get a sense of how lost Buffy feels. A good Buffy vid.  Andrea

 Nice use of clip/lyrical matching. Wonderful progressions and the colouring of this vid works really well with the dis-associative ambiance – the flashes of vivid colouring (1:28 for example) underscore this beautifully.  Shona

 Runaway by Chad - Episodic RU

Lovely use of intense colour and some solid editing make this a nice vid to watch. There are some great moments that play on your emotions like at 0.49 when Joyce breaks down at 'notice that I'm gone' and I love the section which starts at around 1.17 with Buffy recalling all the moments that led to her leaving. An enjoyable vidlet Chad, nice work.  Andrea

Hugely accomplished vid with wonderful clip choices and use of effects and colouring. - Shona

  Ultimate Showdown by Firefly_ca - Humorous RU, Oceanic 815 RU

I'd not heard this song before and my goodness what a very funny vid you have made with it. I liked the use of the stills on the beats at the beginning  and extremely clever casting of the characters. I must confess I particularly like the Indiana Jones , Black Knight & Jackie Chan, but it was the Chuck Norris part that gave me the real big LMAO moment.  A must see for all Lost Fans - A real gem and I am so glad that you submitted this. Andrea

 Hugely funny vid with disturbingly apt matchings of characters! Kudos! Shona

Requiem For a Supernatural Dream by Skeezer Beans -  Ensemble RU

A perfect trailer to encourage people to come to this show in the third season   -  great clip choices and audio overlays  which all combine to drive home the feel of the show perfectly. Kudos! - Shona

An intense and compelling Series Overview recruiter vid that should do very well to bring new viewers to the show for it's 3rd Season and also give them a tantalising glimpse of all the drama from the first two.  You chose the audio clips with care and paced the action to the changes in the music with great effect. Well done, this makes a great impact and made me want to re watch the series.  Andrea