Wishes and horses

New vid: "High Hopes" (Disney Imagineering)

bradcpu — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:53:17 GMT

They haven't seen the best of me

Length: 3:12
Fandom: Disney Imagineering
Song/Artist: "High Hopes" by Panic! at the Disco
Premiered at FanWorks 2019
Here on AO3 / Here on Tumblr

DOWNLOAD THE M4V

PASSWORD: high

Lyrics
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes (High, high hopes)
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes

Mama said, fulfill the prophecy
Be something greater, go make a legacy
Manifest destiny, back in the days
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Mama said, burn your biographies
Rewrite your history, light up your wildest dreams
Museum victories, every day
We wanted everything, wanted everything

Mama said don't give up, it's a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I'd hate to see you waiting

Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes (High, high hopes)

Mama said, it's uphill for oddities
The stranger crusaders, ain't ever wannabes
The weird and the novelties don't ever change
We wanted everything, wanted everything (High, high hopes)

Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down, oh
Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down

Mama said don't give up, it's a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I'd hate to see you waiting
They say it's all been done but they haven't seen the best of me
So I got one more run and it's gonna be a sight to see

Thanks for watching!

New vid: "Bulls On Parade" (Kung Fu Hustle)

bradcpu — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:45:42 GMT

A pocket full of shells

Length: 3:50
Fandom: Kung Fu Hustle
Song/Artist: "Bulls On Parade" by Rage Against The Machine
Premiered at FanWorks 2019
Here on AO3

DOWNLOAD THE M4V

Lyrics
Come with it now!
Come with it now!

The microphone explodes, shattering the mold
Either drop the hits like de la O or get the fuck off the commode
With the sure shot, sure to make the bodies drop
Drop and don't copy, yo, don't call this a co-op
Terror rains drenchin', quenchin' the thirst
Of the power dons, that five-sided Fistagon
The rotten sore on the face of Mother Earth gets bigger
The trigger’s cold, empty your purse

Rally 'round the family with a pocket full of shells
They rally 'round the family with a pocket full of shells
They rally 'round the family with a pocket full of shells
They rally 'round the family with a pocket full of shells

Weapons, not food, not homes, not shoes
Not need, just feed the war, cannibal animal
I walk the corner to the rubble, that used to be a library
Line up to the mind cemetery, now
What we don't know keeps the contracts alive and movin'
They don't gotta burn the books, they just remove 'em
While arms warehouses fill as quick as the cells
Rally round the family, pockets full of shells

Thanks for watching!

New vid: "The Sound of Silence" (Blade Runner / Blade Runner 2049)

bradcpu — Sat, 08 Sep 2018 17:53:56 GMT

Of electric sheep.

Length: 4:08
Fandom: Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049
Song/Artist: "The Sound of Silence" by Disturbed
Premiered at VividCon 2018
Here on AO3 / Here on Tumblr

DOWNLOAD THE M4V

Lyrics
Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

Fools, said I, you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence

Thanks for watching!

New vid: "Kick It" (Power Rangers Samurai/Super Samurai)

bradcpu — Sat, 08 Sep 2018 17:49:40 GMT

Stronger together.

Length: 3:27
Fandom: Power Rangers Samurai/Super Samurai
Song/Artist: "Kick It" by Nina Martine
Premiered at Club Vivid, VividCon 2018
Here on AO3 / Here on Tumblr

DOWNLOAD THE M4V

Thanks for watching!

New vid: "Here Is A Heart" (Emily/Mia, Power Rangers Samurai/Super Samurai)

bradcpu — Sat, 08 Sep 2018 17:46:01 GMT

Battered and braised, grilled and sauteed.

Length: 3:50
Fandom: Power Rangers Samurai/Super Samurai
Song/Artist: "Here Is A Heart" by Jenny Owen Youngs
Premiered at VividCon 2018
Here on AO3 / Here on Tumblr

DOWNLOAD THE M4V

Lyrics
Here is a heart, here is a heart
I made it for you so take it
battered and braised, grilled and sauteed
just how you like it, like it
You know I live to fill you up

Blood of my blood, dripping with love
I'll bring you a thing you need most
silent between supplies and machines
I hang in the corners like a ghost
You know I live to be seen through

Sleep like the dead through the noise your head
my monitors click and whir and glow
I'm with you all day and I would still stay
forever and onward just this close
You know I live to keep you safe

No better way that I can see
than spend all the time while you're asleep
when holding your hands inside of mine
I wanna be here and nowhere else
rationing off bits of myself
so I can crumble at your side.

I can't explain it but I have to try
If you evaporate the seas will rise
til they devour the sky

Here is a heart, here is a heart
I made it for you so take it
battered and braised, grilled and sauteed
just how you like it, like it

No better way that I can see
than spend all the time while you're asleep
when holding your hands inside of mine
I wanna be here and nowhere else
rationing off bits of myself
so I can crumble at your side.

Thanks for watching!

New vid: "Obliviate" (Harry Potter)

bradcpu — Sat, 08 Sep 2018 17:40:20 GMT

A goodbye to the dentists' daughter.

Length: 3:54
Fandom: Harry Potter
Song/Artist: "6 Underground" by Sneaker Pimps
Premiered at VividCon 2017
Here on AO3 / Here on Tumblr

DOWNLOAD THE M4V

Lyrics
take me down
6 underground
the ground beneath your feet
laid out low
nothing to go
nowhere a way to meet.

i've got a head full of drought
down here
so far off of losing out
round here
Overground, watch this space
I'm open to falling from grace.

calm me down
bring it round
to way high off your street
i can see
like nothing else
in me
you're better than I wannabe

don't think 'cos i understand
i care,
don't think 'cos i'm talking
we're friends
Overground, watch this space
I'm open to falling from grace

talk me down
safe and sound,
too strung up to sleep
wear me out
scream and shout
swear my time's never cheap

i fake my life like i've lived
too much,
i take whatever you're giving; not enough,
Overground, watch this space
I'm open

i fake my life like i've lived
too much,
i take whatever you're giving; not enough,
Overground, watch this space
I'm open
to falling from grace.

Thanks for watching!

New vid: "Relax" (Flash Gordon, 1980)

bradcpu — Sat, 08 Sep 2018 17:32:16 GMT

Strange object in the imperial vortex!

Length: 3:58
Fandom: Flash Gordon
Song/Artist: "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Premiered at Club Vivid, VividCon 2017
Here on AO3 / Here on Tumblr

DOWNLOAD THE M4V

Lyrics
Guess what's happening now

Relax, don't do it
When you want to go to it
Relax, don't do it
when you wanna come
Relax, don't do it
When you want to suck it to it
Relax, don't do it
when you wanna come

But shoot it in the right direction
Make making it your intention
Live those dreams, scheme those schemes
Gotta hit me (hit me) hit me (hit me)
Hit me with those laser beams
Ow ow ow, laser beam me

Thanks for watching!

A few VVC thoughts + recs

bradcpu — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 18:30:37 GMT

I was sitting outside the Premieres show room Friday night at VividCon an hour before the show started, the first one to line up and with no one else in sight, gulping alcohol and trying to stop shaking. It was around that time - during my ninth VVC - that I finally came to accept that I'll always be nervous at these things. And I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

There's a level of electricity at VividCon that never ebbs. You're surrounded all weekend by talented, amazing people and their artwork, with your own work sitting alongside theirs. A positive reaction to your work is great but, more than anything, you just want to feel like you belong there. And it's all too easy to lose sight of the fact that your artwork isn't you.

All of that said, I've never felt more accepted and embraced anywhere than I have at VVC, and I honestly hope everyone else feels the same way (I've seen a few con reports and reactions that lead me to believe that many people do!) I want everyone to feel welcome to interact with me personally, but it's always a fine line between reaching out to include people and intruding on people who aren't as comfortable with that level of social engagement. I guess that's why the Fandom Life vidshow at this year's con meant so much to me. It really drove home this feeling of a shared experience, to the point that it brought me to tears.

The con "family" seemed to grow in some pretty literal ways this year, via a couple of new babies, some S/Os, and some relatives. There were also a few new first-time attendees of the fandom variety. All of them were lovely and made the experience better for me. Longtime regulars who couldn't make it this year were often still part of programming and part of the conversations around the hotel. Vids at the con were of a uniformly (often INTIMIDATINGLY) high quality, and I came away admiring the people who do this more than ever.

People seemed to like my vids, and they fawned over Milly and my new addition. I sincerely hope Victor's appearances didn't make anyone uncomfortable.

tl;dr - starships are meant to fly

Here are a few of the new (non-CVV) vids I enjoyed during the weekend:

Pompeii (The Martian) by Milly
She made this (and the hilarious intro vid for the Premieres show) in the middle of the night while nursing her newborn. And both are as good as anything I saw all weekend. Amazing.

Never Wake Me Up (Multi) by winterevanesce aka Kitty
For reasons that are probably obvious, I fell head over heels for this dreamy spin on childhood fantasy. Beautiful, seamless editing with a purity of heart.

Aphrodisiac (Star Wars: TFA) by hollywoodgrrl
I'll be honest, it took me a few rewatches to stop marveling at the hugely evocative visual style long enough to focus on the narrative layer, which is equally impressive. It's a vid that is An Achievement in terms of its character connections and statement about motivations but also has surface-level flair. That's a tough balance to strike.

Our House (The Sims) by elipie
I don't want to spoil it, but the progression is a thing of beauty and had the live crowd in stitches.

Suffer (Person of Interest) by Anoel
This premiered in the Kink vidshow, and there's obviously some amount of constructed narrative going on ... but it's hard to say how much is constructed. Which is awesome.

Byzantium (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) by Franzeska
A wonderfully transparent and playful statement about remake/reboot culture.

Fly Me To The Moon (Multi) by TBM
I think she says it best: "metaphor, schmetaphor, I always thought this song was about banging aliens and having sex in space." Hugely comprehensive, with bonus points for the Mass Effect love. Er, pun intended.

This Is My Hand (Multi) by hollywoodgrrl
An interesting look back at the vidder's first decade doing this, made up of vids finished and unfinished. Equal parts nostalgia and insight.

New vid: "It's Tricky" (Legends of Tomorrow)

bradcpu — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 16:02:31 GMT

Rock a rhyme that's right on time

By bradcpu and milly
Length: 2:36
Fandom: Legends of Tomorrow
Song/Artist: "It's Tricky" by Run-DMC
Premiered at Club Vivid, VividCon 2016
Here on AO3 / Here on Tumblr

Milly had the idea but not the time, so we turned it into a Club Vivid collab. I did the verses and most of the clipping, and she handled most of the choruses and instrumental bits.

The show is my favorite thing on TV at the moment, which is a statement I didn't expect to ever make after watching the first episode! It's almost like they took a team of comic book characters and had them slowly evolve into real people, with real relationships and complex motivations. That's been a fascinating arc to watch. It doesn't hurt that it's beautiful to look at ... and of course I'm a sucker for team feels.

DOWNLOAD THE M4V

Lyrics
This speech is my recital, I think it's very vital
To rock (A rhyme), that's right (On time)
It's Tricky is the title, here we go

It's Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time
It's Tricky, it's Tricky (Tricky) Tricky (Tricky)
It's Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time
It's tricky, tricky (Tricky) tricky

In New York the people talk and try to make us rhyme
They really (hawk) but we just (walk) because we have no time
And in the city it's a pity 'cause we just can't hide
Tinted windows don't mean nothin', they know who's inside

It's tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time
It's tricky (How is it D?) Tricky (Tricky) Tricky (Tricky)
It's tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time
It's tricky tricky (Tricky) Tricky (Tricky) huh!

When I wake up people take up mostly all of my time
I'm not singin', phone keep ringin' 'cause I make up a rhyme
I'm not braggin', people naggin' 'cause they think I'm a star
Always tearin' what I'm wearin', I think they're goin' too far
A girl named Carol follows Daryll every gig we play
Then D dissed her and dismissed her, now she's jockin' Jay
I ain't lyin', girls be cryin' 'cause I'm on TV
They even bother my poor father 'cause he's down with me

It's tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time
It's tricky (How is it?) Tricky (Tricky) Tricky (Tricky)
It's tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time
It's tricky, tricky (Tricky) Tr
We are not thugs (We don't use drugs) but you assume (On your own)
They offer coke (And lots of dope) but we just leave it alone
It's like that y'all (Y'all), but we don't quit
You keep on (Rock!) shock! 'cause this is it

Thanks for watching!

New vid: "Evacuate the Dancefloor" (Resident Evil movies)

bradcpu — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 18:56:19 GMT

Get infected by the sound

Length: 4:18
Fandom: Resident Evil (films)
Song/Artist: "Evacuate the Dancefloor" by Cascada
Premiered at Club Vivid, VividCon 2016
Here on AO3 / Here on Tumblr

No notes here, other than to say I have a lot of respect for the stuntpeople who risk their lives to entertain us with these kinds of wacky hijinks. Hope you have fun with this!

Thanks to milly for encouragement and hosting!

DOWNLOAD THE M4V

Lyrics
Turn up the music, let's get out on the floor
I like to move it, come and give me some more
Watch me getting physical, out of control
There's people watching me, I never miss a beat

Steal the night, kill the lights, feel it under your skin
Time is right, keep it tight cause it's pulling you in
Wrap it up you can't stop cause it feels like an overdose

(Chorus x2)
Evacuate the dancefloor
I'm infected by the sound
Stop this beat is killing me
Hey Dr. DJ let the music take me underground

Temperature's rising, I'm about to explode
Watch me I'm intoxicated, taking the show
It's got me hypnotized, everybody step aside

Steal the night, kill the lights, feel it under your skin
Time is right, keep it tight cause it's pulling you in
Wrap it up you can't stop cause it feels like an overdose

(Chorus)

Come on and evacuate, feel the club is heating up
Move on and accelerate, push it to the top
Come on and evacuate, feel the club is heating up
Move on and accelerate, you don't have to be afraid

Now guess who's back with a brand new track
They got everybody in the club going mad
So everybody in the back get your back up
Off the wall and just shake that thing
Go crazy, yo lady, yo baby
Let me see you wreck that thing
Now drop it down low, low
Let me see you take it to the dance floor, yo

(Chorus)

Thanks for watching!

New vid: "Psychosocial Baby" (Harry Potter)

bradcpu — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 15:42:54 GMT

The preservation of the martyr in me.

Length: 3:35
Fandom: Harry Potter
Song/Artist: "Psychosocial" by Slipknot vs "Baby" by Justin Bieber with Ludacris, mashup by Isosene
Premiered at VividCon 2016
At AO3 / On Tumblr

Thanks to laurashapiro and milly for their help!

DOWNLOAD THE M4V

Notes:
This started life a year ago as a planned dance vid for Club Vivid. In the end I had some concerns about it just not quite being the right fit for Club Vivid, so it turned into my Premieres vid at the con. Which was handy, since it was already done and I didn't really have time to do another vid for the Premieres show at that point.

The original idea was for a fun, somewhat cracky exploration of Tom/Voldemort's point of view. I'd imagine that he felt pretty constrained by a system that was slanted against Slytherin, to the detriment of all magical kind (from his perspective). It's kind of Voldemort as Magneto in that sense, I guess.

Anyway, it was supposed to be more cracky than this. Hopefully the "Baby" misdirection at least caught a few people off guard.

There's not a ton of tech work here. Most of the time-consuming structural work just involved intercutting of dream sequences and parallel images - with liberal use of jump cuts - to sell the Voldemort POV.

Lyrics
I did my time and I want out
So effusive - fade - it doesn't cut
The soul is not so vibrant
The reckoning, the sickening
Packaging subversion
Pseudo-sacrosanct perversion
Go drill your deserts, go dig your graves
Then fill your mouth with all the money you will save
Sinking in, getting smaller again
I'm done! It has begun!
I'm not the only one!

(Chorus)
And the reign will kill us all
We throw ourselves against the wall
But no one else can see
The preservation of the martyr in me
Psychosocial! (x6)

There are cracks in the road we laid
But where the temple fell
The secrets have gone mad
This is nothing new, but when we killed it all
The end was all we had
Who needs another mess?
We could start over
Just look me in the eyes and say I'm wrong!
(I'm going down, down, down, down
and I just can't believe...)
I think we're done! I'm not the only one!

(Chorus)

When I was 13, I had my first love
There was nobody that compared to my baby
Nobody came between us, no one could ever come above
She had me going crazy, oh I was starstruck
She woke me up daily, don't need no Starbucks
She made my heart pound
and skip a beat when I see her in the street and
at school on the playground
but I really want to see her on the weekend
She knows she got me dazing cause she was so amazing
And now my heart is breaking but I'll just keep on saying

Fake anti-fascist lie! (Psychosocial!)
I tried to tell you but (Psychosocial!)
Your purple hearts are giving out (Psychosocial!)
Can't stop a killing idea (Psychosocial!)
If it's hunting season (Psychosocial!)
Is this what you want? (Psychosocial!)
I'm not the only one!

(Chorus)

Thanks for watching!

OMG

bradcpu — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 17:18:18 GMT

Just when I thought this ship couldn't get more epic, this:

Gets followed by this:

I woke up like dis. #NXTakeover pic.twitter.com/hFRlCWHg1p
— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) October 8, 2015

My fandom, let me show you

bradcpu — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 14:14:41 GMT

I haven't been this into a show since the Epic Cara/Kahlan arc of Legend of the Seeker.

I think that's because this is like watching two shows at once.

There's the on-screen show, with incredibly talented performers playing out a beautiful, slow-burn story while rising to become the stars of the show and the reason that people watch.

Then there's the real-life, behind-the-scenes drama as their performance and the reaction to it has forced the company to re-evaluate the way it presents women as a whole. Which, of course, adds another HUGE layer of drama (and pressure) to the performances themselves.

There's something indescribable about watching massive, sold-out arenas lose their minds for these ladies. And then - when the women try to thank the crowd but get too choked up - hearing 20,000 people of all types chant "You deserve it."

Also, there's THIS BIT OF AWESOMENESS.

(NXT is the WWE's developmental league, the place where performers train before moving on to Vince McMahon's main shows. But because of these ladies, NXT has become more popular than the shows they're "training" to join - shows with plummeting ratings, where women are mostly still portrayed as bickering, catty "divas.")

VVC vid recs!

bradcpu — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 20:31:40 GMT

Just a handful of my favorite premieres from Vividcon last weekend:

Landslide (by Milly)
Hogwarts POV. I love my wife.

Afire Love (by Anoel)
Gut-wrenching look at the beginnings of AIDS in the U.S., using multiple sources.

Warriors (by John)
A very effective recruiter vid for The 100. IS THIS THE SHOW?? Also, the build toward the end is just sublime.

Bad Blood (by Milly)
Buffy/Faith, in a totes serious way.

A couple of Club Vivid favs!

1941 (by Rho)
The best pitch I've seen for Agent Carter, highlighted by some really clever music matching.

Anaconda (by Milly)
It's a Black Widow vid. To Anaconda.

Vid more video games please!

Journey (by SDWolfpup)
A gorgeous overview of the look, feel, and mood-focused narrative flow of this surprisingly moving game.

Madhouse (by Jetpack Monkey)
The vidder turned 15-year-old indie platformer Psychonauts into a surprisingly cohesive and enjoyable vid. Love the pacing and how well the cutscenes, gameplay, and artwork are blended.

New vid: "Knights of Cydonia" (Guardians of the Galaxy)

bradcpu — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 23:15:08 GMT

Take my hand.

Length: 4:12
Fandom: Guardians of the Galaxy
Song/Artist: "Knights of Cydonia" Orchestral Remix by Muse/Ian Cologne
Premiered at VividCon Challenge 2015
Tumblr / YouTube

Thanks to milly for beta help and hosting!

Download the M4V

Lyrics
Come ride with me
Through the veins of history
I'll show you a god who
Falls asleep on the job
And how can we win
When fools can be kings
Don't waste your time
Or time will waste you

No one's gonna take me alive
The time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must fight to survive

Thanks for watching!

New vid: "Jumper" (House season 5)

bradcpu — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 15:33:07 GMT

Can you put the past away? House season 5.

Length: 4:18
Fandom: House M.D.
Song/Artist: "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind
Premiered at VividCon 2015

Thanks to the amazing laurashapiro for beta help and milly for hosting!

Download the M4V

Lyrics
I wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend
You could cut ties with all the lies
That you've been living in
And if you do not want to see me again

I would understand
I would understand

The angry boy, a bit too insane
Icing over a secret pain
You know you don't belong
You're the first to fight
You're way too loud
You're the flash of light
On a burial shroud
I know something's wrong
Well everyone I know has got a reason
To say
Put the past away

I wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend
You could cut ties with all the lies
That you've been living in
And if you do not want to see me again

I would understand
I would understand

Well, he's on the table
And he's gone too cold
And I do not think anyone knows
What they are doing here
And your friends have left
You've been dismissed
I never thought it would come to this
And I
I want you to know
Everyone's got to face down the demons
Maybe today
We can put the past away

I wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend
You could cut ties with all the lies
That you've been living in
And if you do not want to see me again

I would understand
I would understand
I would understand

Can you put the past away
I wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend

I would understand

Thanks for watching!

New vid: "Miss Jackson" (Steve/Bucky)

bradcpu — Sat, 08 Aug 2015 14:01:42 GMT

Where will you be waking up tomorrow morning? Steve/Bucky

Length: 3:13
Fandom: MCU
Song/Artist: "Miss Jackson" by Panic! At the Disco
Premiered at Club Vivid 2015
Tumblr / YouTube

Thanks to milly for encouragement and for beta help and hosting!

Download the M4V

Lyrics
You put a sour little flavor in my mouth now
You move in circles hoping no one's gonna find out
But we're so lucky,
Kiss the ring and let 'em bow down
Looking for the time of your life (No one's gonna find out)

A pretty picture but the scenery is so loud,
A face like heaven catching lighting in your nightgown,
But back away from the water, babe, you might drowned
The party isn't over tonight (Party in your night gown)

Hey, Where will you be waking up tomorrow morning?
Hey, Out the back door goddamn but I love her anyway (Hey)
I love her anyway (Hey) I love her anyway (Hey)
Out the back door goddamn but I love her anyway

Miss Jackson, Miss Jackson, Miss Jackson
Are you nasty?
I love her anyway

Oh, Where will you be waking up tomorrow morning?
Oh, Out the back door goddamn but I love her anyway

Way down 'til the fire finally dies out
You've got 'em wrapped around your finger watch 'em fall down
There's something beautiful and tragic in the fall out
Let me say it one more time (Tragic in the fall out)

Thanks for watching!

Thanks, vidding, random top 10

bradcpu — Thu, 21 May 2015 22:57:18 GMT

I just wanted to say thank you for all of the words of encouragement during my vidding and website trouble.

Everything's still offline, but thanks to all of you I was able to finish a Club Vivid vid for this year's Vividcon and am planning to submit a premiere. It helped to unplug for a while, delete some of my social media accounts, etc. I'm hoping to find a permanent place for my vids some time this summer.

In the meantime, seriously, thank you.

Now a random top 10 list. Because everyone loves top 10 lists, right? OK, maybe not so random - I'm thinking of requesting this for Festivids this year so I wanted to have some links handy.

So yeah. Here's a countdown of my 10 favorite Epic Rap Battles so far. (Disclaimer: If you're unfamiliar, this is a silly web series about cultural icons insulting each other. So expect a bit of profanity and a lot of tastelessness, if witty, well-researched tastelessness. Never has so much creative brilliance gone into something so stupid.)

End of an era

bradcpu — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 05:08:54 GMT

My webhost pulled the plug on bradcpu.com this week. They claimed I was only authorized to use the site for html files, not for any sort of media files... which was news to me.

Long story short, all of my vid download links are dead and all of my vid banners and such are gone. People have offered hosting (thank you!) but I don't have the time and energy - or commitment to fandom/vidding - at the moment to try to move everything somewhere new and update a decade of links.

I'll say something if that ever changes.

Vidding paralysis

bradcpu — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 13:11:21 GMT

I'm not sure if anyone still reads this site but I just wanted to write through this in hopes of finding a path to the other side.

Earlier this week I got a YouTube comment on my Club Vivid vid from last year, which was a Sleepy Hollow vid about the Crane family in season one. "You must have done a lot of work to edit around all the people in this show who aren't white."

It was hurtful that someone would watch the vid and come away with that reaction, but not everyone is going to connect with something the way you hoped. So I replied and explained that it was meant to be a vid specifically about the Crane family, and when I tried to work in other characters I thought it weakened the narrative.

I mentioned the comment on a couple of my usual social media sites, but as far as I was concerned that was the end of it.

Then I started hearing from my friends, all of whom felt that the commenter had a point and that it was insensitive of me to vid white people on a show that also includes people of color. I didn't hear from ANY of my friends who felt differently. It was unanimous.

I was extremely embarrassed. I deleted the Club Vivid vid from YT, AO3, Tumblr, etc, and locked my twitter for fear that people were reading it and watching my vids and thinking I was racist. I seriously considered deleting all of my accounts at every site, including here.

There's another problem.

This year's Club Vivid deadline is about a month away, and I had just started work on what was going to be a Steve/Bucky vid. Now I find myself unable to do it because it's a vid about two white guys on a show with other major characters who are played by people of color.

I mean, I could just vid whatever I want if I didn't give a damn what people think, but that's not me.

A kind of vidding paralysis has settled in now. I start to do something, second guess myself, and then hesitate and freeze. Repeat about 10 times, and eventually go do something else that's not vidding.

I'm not sure where to go from here. Another hobby? I'd hate doing that because vidding brings me so much joy in so many ways.

I just can't see a way through.

New vid: "Can't Stop" (Romeo + Juliet)

bradcpu — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 19:43:17 GMT

Length: 3:27
Fandom: Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Song/Artist: "Can't Stop" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Made for milly as part of Festivids 2014.
A03 / Tumblr

Originally posted here.

Yes, I did make an anonymous Romeo and Juliet vid for my wife. Yes, I am that cheesy. Who said I wasn't?

Download the M4V

I heard the song and it just screamed out to me to be vidded to this movie. Which seemed odd, even to me but just... had to be.

Then I struggled mightily trying to put it together while keeping milly from seeing it, while she breeeeezed through the editing for her amazing vid for The Flash like la la la.

Basically, this was me.

Meanwhile this was Milly.

Then when Festivids went live and people started guessing that I made Milly's Flash vid, I was like YES I MADE THAT.

Anyway, here's the vid I actually made. Thanks to elipie for her help and advice.

Lyrics
Can't stop; addicted to the shin dig
Chop Top; he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not the life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt; the pistol that you pay for
This punk; the feeling that you stay for
In time I want to be your best friend
East side love is living on the west end
Knocked out but boy you better come to
Don't die, you know the truth as some do
Go write your message on the pavement
Burnin' so bright I wonder what the wave meant
White heat is screaming in the jungle
Complete the motion if you stumble
Go ask the dust for any answers
Come back strong with 50 belly dancers

The world I love
The tears I drop to be part of the wave can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you
The world I love
The trains I hop to be part of the wave can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to

Wait a minute I'm passing out
Win or lose just like you
Far more shocking
Than anything I ever knew
How about you
10 more reasons
Why I need somebody new just like you
Far more shocking than anything I ever knew
Right on cue

Can't stop; addicted to the shin dig
Chop Top; he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not the life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt; the pistol that you pay for
This punk; the feeling that you stay for
In time I want to be your best friend
East side love is living on the west end
Knocked out but boy you better come to
Don't die, you know the truth is some do
Go write your message on the pavement
Burnin' so bright I wonder what the wave meant
Kick start the golden generator
Sweet talk but don't intimidate her
Can't stop the gods from engineering
Feel no need for any interfering
Your image in the dictionary
This life is more than ordinary
Can I get 2 maybe even 3 of these
Come from space
To teach you of the Pleiades
Can't stop the spirits when they need you
This life is more than just a read through

Thanks for watching!

2014 year in vidding meme

bradcpu — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 20:18:11 GMT

Vids made in 2014 by date of completion

January
Perfect Day (Demolition Man)
Moonlight (Sleepy Hollow)

March
In the Dark (Sleepy Hollow)

May
No Sunlight (Motorama)

June
Happy (Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey)

October
My Own Worst Enemy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Just six? Really? I am surprised. Then again, it's been a pretty stressful year and I actually made vids. So yay.

My favorite video this year (of my own):
I know it's cliche, but I like several of these equally.

My least favorite video this year:
See above.

Most successful video:
In the Dark had an amazing reaction at Club Vivid, and Happy came along at the right time and place for Vividcon this year. So probably one of those two. It's just so wonderful to see people getting into the vids the way they did.

Video most underappreciated by the universe, in my opinion:
Oh god, definitely none. Lots of overappreciated.

Most fun video:
Perfect Day. It was just so much fun to match the audio effects from the source. Also their faces! :)

Video with single sexiest moment:
Looking at Nicole Beharie is like staring into the sun, so pretty much any moment she was onscreen.

Biggest vid fail:
Second-guessing myself and scrambling to re-edit the final 30 secs of Happy a couple hours before VVC submission deadline.

Hardest video to make:
My Own Worst Enemy. The song fits the story I wanted to tell, but it's hard to make Buffy move at that speed when you're working with a very limited amount of source from the show.

Most unintentionally telling video:
I'm not sure. You can probably tell better than I can.

For 2015:
First and foremost, keep vidding. And try to use a little better judgment about what projects I tackle and when.

Previous years
2013
2012
(nothing in 2011)
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006

Book meme

bradcpu — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 15:45:06 GMT

Tagged by cyren_2132

** List 10 books that had an impact on you, off the top of your head, and tag some people to do it as well. **

Going in chronological order, based on when I read them.

1. Beowulf My mom read this to me (in old english!) when I was 6 or 7. I remember being absolutely terrified of Grendel, but I really loved thinking about a different world and all the mythology.

2. Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol. I used to order these from the Scholastic mag when I was in elementary school and I would get so excited when I new one came in. It's the first time I can remember being thrilled about reading. I still get excited now just thinking about it.

3. Uncanny X-Men (1980-1986) by Chris Claremont. Mom bought me a subscription in 1980, and I started with the Dark Phoenix Saga, then the Days of Future Past storyline, along with the introduction of Kitty Pryde. A lot of these years were told from Kitty's POV, so I saw myself as her, meeting the team and trying to fit in and learn who I was. This run also included Rogue's defection from the Mystique-led Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to join the X-Men and her redemption arc, which led to so many tropes I still cling to today. It also spawned a lifelong love of ensemble casts. I could never get into comics like Spidey because if you didn't like the main dude you were out of luck.

4. The New Teen Titans (1982-1986) by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. I started reading this after a crossover with Uncanny X-Men, written by Claremont. This was back when they were a serious superhero team and not a bunch of wacky anime characters. It's on the list mainly because Raven pretty much singlehandedly triggered my puberty. :P

5. Dune by Frank Herbert. This was the first really substantial novel that I read on my own, back when I was 12 or 13. I really loved that I could escape to that world any time I wanted, and it was so vividly created that I could lose myself in it.

6. The Days Are Just Packed: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Waterson. I was older than a lot of people when I got into this - late teens - but I love the mix of carefree innocence and wisdom. To this day, it makes me feel young.

7. Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee. This was really a (wonderful) book about philosophy, as much as anything. I felt like I was seeing the world differently after reading it, like there was so much more potential in myself and the world in general. I also got really into the the exercises when I was younger. Should probably get back to that.

8. I Had A Hammer by Hank Aaron and Lonnie Wheeler. There was a lot I took for granted when growing up as a young white man in a rapidly changing South. This book made me realize that, aside from being just a gripping true story about one of the greatest athletes and human beings who has ever lived.

9. Tearing the Veil by Dreamsmith. Ah, Tearing the Veil. This showed me the power of fanfiction and fan art to expand the world of the source in beautiful and satisfying ways. It was a story set on Halloween in Buffy S3, in which Faith is visited by a comatose version of her future self. I still get chills thinking about it. It was everything I loved about the character and the show. I started writing fic because of this, and eventually started vidding.

10. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I had been a reporter and editor for decades by the time I read these books, and I thought my days of recreational reading were pretty much over. But wow. I consumed these in no time and was brought right back to those days of Encyclopedia Brown, with the pure excitement of reading.

Vidding meme!

bradcpu — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 04:20:32 GMT

Swiped from lots of people, most recently elipie

Give me a number (or several) and I will answer!

1. Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-vid.
2. Is there a genre or style you've yet to try your hand at, but really want to?
3. Is there a genre or style you wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole?
4. How many vid ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?
5. Share one of your strengths.
6. Share one of your weaknesses.
7. Point to a section from one of your favorite vids you've made and explain why you're proud of it.
8. Which vid was the hardest to make?
9. Which vid was the easiest to make?
10. Is vidding your passion or just a fun hobby?
11. Is there a section of canon above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?
12. What's the best vidding advice you've ever come across?
13. What's the worst vidding advice you've ever come across?
14. If you only could vid one show/movie for the rest of your life, which show/movie would it be?
15. Do you work mostly from start to finish, or do you vid sections out of order?
16. Do you use any tools, like clip notes or storyboards?
17. Stephen King once said that his muse is a man who lives in the basement. Do you have a muse?
18. Describe your perfect vidding conditions.
19. How many times do you usually revise your vid before posting?
20. Choose a section from one of your earlier vids and talk about whether and how you'd do it differently now. (Person sending the ask is free to make suggestions).
21. If you were to revise one of your older vids from start to finish, which would it be and why?
22. Have you ever deleted one of your published vids?
23. What do you look for in a beta?
24. Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?
25. How do you feel about collaborations?
26. Share three of your favorite vidders and why you like them so much.
27. Do you accept prompts?
28. Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your vids being canon compliant?
29. How do you feel about smut?
30. How do you feel about crack?
31. Which is your favorite site for posting vids?
32. Talk about your current vids in progress.
33. Talk about a comment or review that made your day.
34. Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

New vid: "My Own Worst Enemy" (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

bradcpu — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:09:46 GMT

Length: 2:45
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Song/Artist: "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit
A ~~Buffy~~ Jonathan vid made for my arch-enemy, me Eli.
AO3 / Tumblr

elipie won the Polka Slayer guessing contest last year and asked for a Jonathan vid. It was supposed to be a vidlet but it took a while. So, vid.

Thanks to kuwdora and milly for their help and encouragement.

Download the M4V

Lyrics
Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk?
I didn't mean to call you that
I can't remember what was said or what you threw at me
Please tell me

Please tell me why
My car is in the front yard and I'm sleeping with my clothes on
I came in through the window last night and you're gone, gone

It's no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy
Cause every now and then I kick the living shit out of me
The smoke alarm is going off and there's a cigarette
still burning

Please tell me why
My car is in the front yard and I'm sleeping with my clothes on
I came in through the window last night and you're gone, gone

It's no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy
Cause every now and then I kick the living shit out of me
Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk?
I didn't mean to call you that

Thanks for watching!