Spinning on that dizzy edge

I have kept my Festivids treat streak alive! I really enjoyed "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" last summer, so seeing it as a request for multiple people made it a great candidate for a treat.

I had my usual multi-day dither about what music to use. I initially thought of riffing on the theme of a D&D party, with something like Pink's "Get the Party Started", even pondering Shirley Bassey's version. Then my brain offered up Jane's Addiction's "Been Caught Stealing", which has been for decades one of my favorite songs to get my booty shaking, and the choice was obvious.

I dedicated this to such_heights for being one of Festivids' sponsors, and cupidsbow for all the enthusiastic commenting over the years.

( Been Caught Stealing )

It has been so abominably hot for the past week (In the 90s! In September! This isn't freaking July!), that I feel like the current gorgeous temps are a personal apology to me. I just want to press pause on the weather and keep it this way for a month or two, with this clear blue sky and sharp shadows, and the faint mustiness of imminent autumn on the breeze. I'm working from home today, and I just indulged in a walk around the block. *BLISS*

We are slowly but surely making progress in home-wise matters. We got the patio paved, the dead limbs removed from the huge oak out front and the dying pine cut down, and a quote on replacing the fence in the backyard. Before that repair, though, I need to get some landscaping done to cut down the jungle that's grown all around the perimeter, and a truckload of dirt dumped and spread to even out the lawn. I would feel guiltier about not doing the easier parts myself, but these past few months have been VICIOUS when it comes to bugs chewing on me (I would love to go a week without being in some stage of itchy welt recovery), so fuck it, I'm throwing money at everything else, might as well keep on stimulating the local economy.

I made a vid for the Fall Equinox Exchange! This ridiculous hobby keeps eating my brain. I don't know if I'm going to actually sign up for Festivids or just churn out a bunch of treats; I keep waffling back and forth.

In other erratic subject changes...Why is it so much easier to give other people advice than fix your own life? Is it the Vulcan-like logic you can apply from a distance, or the fact that words are much easier to type than actions are to do? I've been reading a bunch about ADHD/executive function disorders vs. laziness; with it all racing around my head, I couldn't pick my actual motivations out of a lineup. UGH, brains! So apologies for continuing to spam you all with my weak sauce suggestions, while I avoid tackling my own damned issues.

I got my Festivids entry completed and submitted well before the last minute, which is a record for me. I would say it came together really quickly and easily, except for the part where I spent literally months trying to get my hands on the source. If I don't already own the source, I try to get it through my library, which is normally excellent in its range of materials. This time, however, was a screwball comedy that I will share when my reveal post goes up.

While waiting for the source to come through, I spent some time thinking about treats, but I would not let myself actually get started until I finished my assignment. Then I got sick, and punted on everything after submitting my main vid, so the extras wound up waiting until last week. After a frantic few days, I have a first draft of one set aside to percolate while I work on a second. Bless my husband for encouraging me in my creative passions, as he waves off my guilty feelings about not doing more around the house while I'm brain-deep in vidding.

( Ongoing ick, family schisms )

I am maintaining a list of phrases to use in place of putting the word "President" next to that asshole's name in any context. Thus, Presidon't, Presiwon't, Dishonest Don, Hair Furor, The Yam in Chief, Ugly Bigly, and so on. Have you heard any good ones?

After a looooong time working on it, my Star Wars Club Vivid entry is just about ready for submission! (OK, subjectively it felt like a long time, as the folder says it's been over a month, as do the programs stacked up on my DVR.) One or two more tweaks and it will be good to go for tomorrow night's deadline. PHEW.

I can't wait to dance to this in a crowd of fans. :)

Title: Lose Yourself
Source: Hamilton (various recordings)
Music: "Lose Yourself [Original Demo Version]", Eminem
Vid Download Link: 63 MB at sendspace

AO3 link here.

Summary: Lose yourself in this music, this moment. We own it, we won't never let it go.

Notes: This is a Festivids 2015 treat for sdwolfpup, one of several people who requested a "Hamilton" vid. I really wanted to make a vid for this recent musical obsession of mine, and I wanted to express my thanks for her ongoing contribution to fandom that is More Joy Day, so here's the result.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has said that Eminem is one of his inspirations, listing the "8 Mile" track "Lose Yourself" as a specific song. I love the beat and build in that tune, but the lyrics weren't doing it for me, so I went looking and found Eminem's original demo for it, and nearly lost it at how perfect this version was.

After throwing together most of the vid, I approached heresluck for feedback. Her squeeful response was extra gratifying, and then her masterful betaing was beyond what I could have hoped for. This vid is a 1000% better because of her. Thank you thank you thank you!

Thanks, too, to all my fellow "Hamilton" vidders, and the enthusiastic people who left wonderful comments on the original Dreamwidth and Livejournal Festivids posts!


( Vid here! )

( Lose Yourself [Demo] Lyrics: )

I made two vids for Festivids!

Creator (Eureka, Jo Lupo)

What's Your Naked (What's Your Number, Ally/Colin)

They were both really well received, especially by the intended recipients, so I'm happy about that. gwyn guessed correctly that I had made the WYN vid for her, so I owe her a prize. You want icons with that? ;)

I still want to go back and respond to all the comments, which sets up a weird pressure in my head to find umpteen different ways of saying "thank you". Oh, fangirl problems...

I finally got a new laptop to replace my current workhouse with the broken hinge. The new one has Windows 8.1, UGH. I forget each time how much I hate setting up machines to have all the correct bells and whistles, and deleting all the unwanted crap. (McAfee can go suck it with their horrible protection and whiny "don't remove meeeeeee!" warnings.) Having this new awful OS on top of that just feels me with dread. Once I'm done, though, it will be zippy fast, and I can gift the Emperor with my old one (set up in the basement with a monitor, so he won't destroy it with the wonky hinge).

January blurred into February, and now February is almost done, too. As much as I love snow, I'm good now, so spring can arrive any time. Plus, March means my birthday and a visit to kass! Note to self: start planning media to bring for the trip for potential recruitment.

Speaking of new fandoms, I have fallen hard for "Arrow". I blazed through most of seasons 1 and 2 last weekend. I knew it was full of fabulous ladies, but no one told me just HOW full it was! Ladies everywhere! Duplicitous DAs and CIAs and CEOs, a whole rainbow of HBsIC. I was spoiled for a lot of it, thanks to Tumblr GIFs and such, but I'm still enjoying small unforeseen twists. However, I am getting tired of the Identity Angst and SECRETS EVERYWHERE. Hasn't that shit bitten them in the ass enough already?

Speaking of fabulous ladies, "Agent Carter" has ended, alas; I'm trying to manage my expectations so I won't be utterly crushed if it doesn't get renewed. We had a sublime run of it, and the DVDs can't come soon enough. I'm really hoping that "Agents of SHIELD" can build on some of that energy and keep me excited for Marvel on TV.

In other news, "Glee"'s final season is filling me with complicated (and CAPSLOCKy) feelings. What a long, strange trip it's been.

What all are you watching?

Title: What's Your Naked
Fandom: What's Your Number
Music: "I like you so much better when you're naked", by Ida Maria
Vid Download Links: 2:56, 49 MB here at Sendspace (updated link 5/30/2015)

Watch here or at the AO3 link!

Summary: "What's Your Number" and Chris Evans - I like this movie so much better when he's naked.

Notes: This is a treat for gwyn, for Festivids 2014. Her request was for a vid showcasing Ally and Colin falling in love, with as much naked Chris Evans as possible. I think this fits the bill. :)

A big thank you goes out to talitha78 for taking an initial look at this and giving it her enthusiastic approval, and to everyone who left fantastic comments on the original Dreamwidth and Livejournal Festivids posts!

( Vid here! )

( Lyrics )

It still counts as today if I haven't gone to sleep yet, right?

I'm slowly but surely trying to get through all the VVC vid collections so I can download the ones that really strike my fancy.

Today, however, has been endured thanks to frequent repeat plays of a vid from a while back: sisabet's Moves, a Stiles vid showcasing Dylan O'Brien's many talents, like comedic timing, extreme woobie face, and a natural onscreen presence that will hopefully serve him well for many years to come.

The only problem is, I kinda want a remake of the vid with clips from later seasons so I don't feel like such a dirty old cougar perving on a young actor playing an even younger teenager. *sigh*

Did I mention I'm so glad it's a three day weekend? I hope you all have fun times in store.

Title: This Mother's World
Fandom: Multi-sourced
Music: "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush
Vid Download Links: 3:12, 46 MB here at Sendspace

Watch here or at the AO3 link.

Summary: "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn." Stories of infertility, miscarriage, and loss.

Premiered at Vividcon 2014.

( Notes here )

( Vid here )

( Lyrics )

Title: The Moment of Truth
Fandom: The Last Starfighter
Music: "The Moment of Truth", by Survivor
Vid Download Links: 2:56, 37 MB here at Sendspace

Watch here or at AO3 link!

Summary: "Teriffic. I'm about to get killed a million miles from nowhere with a gung-ho iguana who tells me to relax. " Alex Rogan, a teenaged boy determined to escape the limits of his trailer park life, finds his destiny in a faraway galaxy as the Last Starfighter.

Notes: This is a treat for fan_eunice, for Festivids 2013. Her request was for a vid celebrating the cheesy 80's sci-fi goodness that is "The Last Starfigher", dedicated to her and her mom. This movie was also a highlight of my childhood; I lost track of how many times I watched it on cable. I've loved her vids so much that I wanted to pay her back just a little bit of joy. As a fellow child of the 80s, I was inspired to use an anthemic track from the Karate Kid soundtrack. If the whole thing feels over the top, well...that's the 80s, man. :)

A big thank you goes out to everyone who left fantastic comments on the original Dreamwidth and Livejournal Festivids posts!

( Vid here!: )

( Lyrics )