I was not laid off. Not this time, anyway.

I'm endlessly amused by two of the 25 words that have been officially added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary this year:

Fan fiction (1944): stories involving popular fictional characters that are written by fans and often posted on the Internet

Sock puppet (1959): a false online identity used for deceptive purposes.

Don't miss bananainpyjamas's aptly titled Slumdog Millionaire vid Khwaab (The Dream). The way she uses light, source motion, and parallels to create a dreamlike flow of emotional tension is just gorgeous - similar to her Heroes vid Damaged in that respect, but even more affecting in my opinion.

Disclaimer: I was the beta, but the vid was this breathtaking the first time I ever saw it - and I haven't seen the film.

I submitted my third and final Vividcon premiere this morning! Very very very happy. Also... kinda wish it was August.

How is everyone else doing on theirs?

Here's the full schedule. I'll be arriving at about 3 p.m. on Thursday and leaving at about 3 p.m. on Sunday. Can't wait to see everyone.

( What I'm planning to attend )

Hoping to have my VVC premiere uploaded within the next week!

It was blue and shaky. Kim got motion sickness.

It was also very entertaining and distinctive-looking. A pretty kind of distinctive..

Also, I wish I had a nickel for every time ( Totally not a spoiler. I mean, c'mon! )

The 2-min video version of our trip to Atlanta this week (Cubs-Braves game and Aquarium):

Password: sharks

Atlanta vacation, 6/09 from bradcpu on Vimeo.

( The text version )

Disclaimer: As seen through the eyes of an Xbox 360 owner who usually prefers RPGs, story-based games, and sports games.

Click the titles to see video previews of each.

10. Wet (PS3/Xbox360)
ELIZA DUSHKU ALERT! Bethesda (Oblivion, etc.) + Eliza Dushku, to be specific. Gun ballet starring, as Eliza describes her in the link above, "A working-class Laura Croft with a penchant for slaughter." There is no part of that I don't love.

( Nine more )

( Just missing the cut )

( Ollie picked the background theme. Don't ask. )

So yeah I played "Take Me Out" on Hard on the guitar on Rock Band 2 the instant we downloaded the song - no practice, no nothing - and ended up with 77%.

Me: "I didn't do very good."
Kim: "Yeah, no kidding."

:P That's it. She's off my friends list.

Just watched the Xbox press conference that kicked off E3. A bit upset that they're integrating Facebook and Twitter into Xbox, since they're practically the only two social networking services I don't use. Also, apparently Xbox is becoming Skynet, what with getting rid of game controllers entirely and moving to face/voice/motion/image-recognition software and virtual characters who read your emotions. The end of that press conference definitely took a hard right turn into sci-fi.

Note to FutureBrad: I work inside, and when I'm home I vid, watch tv, and play games. Vampires see me and go "Damn, that dude is PALE." When going out for the first time for the summer, it might be wise to apply some sunscreen before spending the entire day at the pool.

I just uploaded my second of three VVC vids, and the last one is well on its way to finished. So, wow. Suddenly it feels like VVC is much closer than it was a few days ago.

Kim and I are taking the boy to his first MLB game next week (Braves vs. Cubs, in Atlanta) then to the aquarium the next day. The whole trip feels kind of like the finish line after about three months of nonstop working and editing.

I honestly didn't realize how much the stress (all of which I placed on *myself*), single-mindedness, and lack of sleep of the past few months was getting to me until I finished. Not only have I been mostly MIA, I think I may have been a little short with people both online and in RL in the rare times when I have been around. If so, I apologize.

Sadly, during the past week or two I've come up with a couple of new vid ideas that I want to do this year. :P

On the bright side, I'm pretty happy with how my VVC projects are turning out. I really hope no one is disappointed in them.

Oh and I created a placeholder account over at Dreamwidth under the same username. I haven't posted anything there yet, but when I do it'll also be crossposted here.

Joss talks about Dollhouse pickup, how things will change.

A few choice excerpts:

On budget cuts:
In the fifth year of “Angel” we cut our budget significantly, yet we built a completely new set, we had an episode set on a submarine in the ‘40s. Nobody felt like it was a cut back.

On the direction of S2:
The last few episodes ... we got into what makes the place tick, what makes it wrong. It was less, “Murder She Was Imprinted to Write.” The episodes were more satisfying and the network responded to that.

---

I've been a bit MIA lately. Neck deep in a VVC project which seems to be shaping up well. :) I just wish it were shaping up faster.

Re: Club Vivid, it's nice to know I'm not alone in thinking this way. Since watching a few of the vids that are going to debut there, I've been curled up in a ball, rocking and crying, trying to cope with the awesomeness. It's just staggering... and intimidating to the point that it makes it difficult to focus on my own premieres.

Speaking of, I didn't realize that vidding Dollhouse (particularly as a guy) would feel like such a minefield. I feel like anything that I say in the vid could be misinterpreted in an extremely bad way. I keep shooting down my own narrative ideas or clip choices because they might invite interpretations that I don't intend, and the last thing I want to do is provoke anyone in that way. It almost feels like vidding with my hands tied behind my back. And, I mean, it's tough enough normally. Also, deadline! :P It's a shame because I really love the show and feel like I have a lot to say, vid-wise, about the characters and the fictional universe that I... just can't say. Hopefully I can work through all of that - er, last week. Cause that's when it should have been finished.

All of my real-life friends have stopped watching Dollhouse. They said they expected it to be sort of an "adventure of the week" type of show, with Echo assuming a new personality each time and the show focusing entirely on the engagements. They were turned away by the focus on the morality of the concept and the innerworkings of the dollhouse itself.

*sigh* Well, this post got depressing. So... here's a new pic of Ollie.

HOLY FRIJOLES.

I did NOT see that coming. But wow did it work.

Wow.

...

That's all I got atm.

eta: possible spoilers in comments

I love Llama Enc. Seriously. It's like some sort of Two-Handed +5 Sword Of Codec Slaying tossed down from the heavens to make my life easier.

So yeah, I submitted my first VVC vid of the year today. :) Next!

Which brings me to the prediction.

Each year, one fandom seems to get the spotlight at VVC, at least in terms of quantity of vids. For instance, last year there were 25 Doctor Who/Torchwood vids, counting premieres and all of the various vidshows. The year before that, I believe BSG was the big fandom.

I predict this year it will be T:SCC. The fandom voice for the show just seems to have reached a sort of critical mass in the same way that Doctor Who had at this point last year and BSG had a few years ago. Also, I personally know of at least 6 T:SCC premieres that are being made for the con - and that's just the ones I know about, and only the debuting vids, not themed vidshow vids or nearly new.

Kind of makes me wish I watched it.

One of these days I'll get into the right fandom at the right time. Everyone said I should start watching Heroes, and as soon as I did almost everyone I know seemed to stop watching. Same thing with BSG, House, and a few others. I need some sort of fandom crystal ball. Otherwise I'm just going to be making Buffy premieres until the end of time.

A few vids I've been enjoying recently:

If I Wasn't Shy by nightchik - Dr. Horrible
Equal parts charming, funny, and creepy. I love the use of jump cuts and sense of pacing.
(Now with streaming and small-sized download links)

Follow Me Into the Darkness by threezerotwo - BSG
Haunting look at Kara's arc over the final few episodes of the series. My favorite thing about it is how the vidder uses the piano as such a presence, visually and otherwise.

Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect by kuwdora - Heroes
A Sylar opus that weaves parallels and themes from throughout the series into a surprisingly cohesive study of the character. The use of crossfades and composition throughout is particularly impressive. Forget Sylar, kuwdora is the real architect.

Soil, Soil by obsessive24 - Skins
A Naomi/Emily vidlet that feels honest, intimate, and straight from the heart. In particular, I'm a fan of how the vidder uses the lyrics both in terms of motion and narrative.

It Depends On What You Pay by giandujakiss - Dollhouse
Everyone is likely to have different reactions to the vid's examination of rape in the series, all of them negative. But if you can stomach the subject matter, the vid is extremely well-made from a tech standpoint, especially the use of motion and building pace, particularly in the final minute.

The other vids I've been enjoying... I can't rec until August because they all premiere at Club Vivid. But so far I've seen five of them, and they're five of the most dynamic, enjoyable vids I've seen in the past year, period. It's going to be one hell of a show.

Iron Man - Let It Rock by mranderson71

An absolute blast to watch, again and again, whether you're a fan of the movie or not; and whether you're a vidder or not.

The musicality (*masterful* use of motion and source effects), the pacing, the flow of the narrative, the subtle and not-so-subtle manipulation of the source... it's all just so gloriously perfect. Like meant to be.

( Thoughts on Susan Boyle, I Dreamed A Dream, and Les Miserables )

Vidders and vid watchers: In case you missed it, suggestions are open for vids to be shown at VVC's themed vidshows. See the list of the vidshows here and make suggestions here. I'll be at the con, so... entertain me!

( More vid stuff )

Hope everyone's having a great weekend.

( Life stuff )

Current VVC vid progress:
Premiere - Source layer finished, secondary source pending
Club Vivid vid - Started editing today
VVC vid 3 - Gathering source

I hope everyone's having a great weekend!

...but Dollhouse was amazing this week.

Schnikes.

That gets the Icon Of Love.