Typing about everything and nothing at all
The quality of any True Blood episode is directly proportional to the screen time of Alexander Skarsgard... the finale had little.
- The theory that I had two weeks ago that Eric was supplying the vamp blood for the Queen was correct, and my new prediction is that Lorena grabbed Bill. That isn't a big stretch, so I doubt that I am alone in that thought.
- Bill is still acting like a controlling *******, and now wants Sookie to run away and marry him without bothering to inform her of Hadley, or the real reason he returned to Bon Temps, or his work for the queen. Is this just a reaction to Eric's new connection to Sookie, or does he suspect that the Queen will reveal her plan soon? Even with Sam pointing out that things would be better with everything out in the open, Bill still doesn't even try to be honest with Sookie. ASSHAT!
- Eric looked interested in Hadley's question about Sookie & Bill, so it will not be long before he figures everything out. YAY! Also, it is interesting that the Queen implied that the only reason Bill was in love with Sookie was because he tasted her, and Eric is interested without ever having done the same.
- Looks like we are getting Claudine next year! I wonder who they will cast for that? Also, exactly which books (because it is going to have to be multiple with where they left things) will be poached for season 3?
- I still love Arlene and Terry, and that Arlene's kids had to tell their mom about meeting Eric. Something tells me that uncle Sam will never be allowed to babysit again.
- Everything else bored me, bothered me, or made me say WTF? Overall, was not impressed with that episode and still think that the episode with Godric's death was a better season finale than anything that came after. Sookie didn't even get her drive way! Grrr!
This should go without saying, but considering that things are still a bit raw in the vidding community I'll say it anyway: Everything posted in my own journal is my own opinion or rambly thoughts, and it should not be given any more authority than that.
I’ve been working on some vid rec posts - yes, I take forever. I know. - and putting together an inspiration and resource post for vid_commentary, and one of the things that I have been noticing is that from my perspective there is not as much careful design in title effects and typography as there is in other areas of vidding (structure, effects, etc…). The inspiration and resource post I am compiling heavily favours title sequence design which is why this topic is on my mind.
Title sequence design, more so in television than in film, IMO operates similar to recruiter vids in that it is a montage set to music whose primary purpose is to capture the tone of a show, and give the viewer an introductory glimpse in hopes of encouraging them to continue watching. The typography use is suppose to compliment the series and should give the viewer an idea what to expect in terms of the mood, genre, and sophistication of the show or film; in recent years some television series have passed on an extended opening sequence and opted to use the title on its own (Ex. Lost, Fringe, Supernatural), requiring just the name of the show and minimal effects to convey what an extended sequence does for other shows. These truncated title sequences, like film titles, are used to simply set the tone for what comes next, and work in a similar fashion as the titles alone do in vids. That is a lot of weight to place on a couple letters, but if done correctly can become a recognizable logo, a good marketing tool, and seamlessly work with the images it represents.
Considering that titles are often the very first part of a vid that one sees, I think that as much careful consideration should be taken with the titles as with all other aspects of a vid. I saw a wide range of titles on the VVC discs this year, with my personal favourites being those with clean and simple design, and some of my least favourites being typography that I felt was chosen because it was trying too hard to represent a theme, or that looked as if it was tacked on as an after thought. That isn’t to say that all thematic typography should be excluded, or that everyone should be using a basic sans serif, but there is a point where the type choice can look cartoonish or boring when it isn’t suppose to. Also, just because the vidder likes a typeface, doesn’t mean it is right for the vid; a lot of people love the typeface Bleeding Cowboy, but their beta should probably stop the vidder from using it unless absolutely necessary. Also, not every Serenity vid needs to use Papyrus… I’m just saying!
This isn’t something that everyone doesn’t already know, but titles are there to communicate information, so if they are semi or totally unreadable then they are not performing their function and are taking up space for nothing; so why have those kinds of things in your vid? The vid and the editing style might be very edgy and raw, but a typeface that reflects that too closely could be the wrong choice; titles that are too big, or that need to be HUGE in order to be legible are also a bad idea, just like titles that are super tiny. Also, if a graphic is made to go with the vid, then it would be a good idea for the graphic to use the same font as the vid titles for a consistent design.
....I’m taking this WAY too seriously, aren’t I? Ya, I know, but I needed to do something other than worry about school for a while, and this was what I was thinking about. You are the one still reading, so what does that say about you? :P
Two of my favourites from this year’s VVC discs were greensilver’s titles for American Tune:
and Mlyn & feochadn’s It Comes & Goes in Waves:
Also, just because I love these titles like burning, I will once again point out halcyon_shift’s titles for Patterns:
Anyone else have any favourites, or thoughts on typography and titles? Feel free to chime in and tell me why you make the choices that you do for your vid titles, or if my current fixation is the sign of a mental disorder (see: Avoiding the pressures of University).
Speaking of University based mental disorders, I’m this close *holds fingers really close together* to demanding that the vidders I beta for put citations in their vid posts; with links to books, art, or other media that influenced the vid. Stop looking at me like that, I know that I am crazy, but I have power as a vid beta and I find myself wanting to abuse that power. This is probably just a side effect of thinking about the commentary challenge too much, but just like how I love extensive behind the scenes footage on DVD sets, I would geek out for picspams, IM conversations, and links to content that influenced the process. I see a lot of vidder notes telling me how to interpret vids, and that I don’t want, but give me the story about the moment that the idea came to you and I am thrilled!