I am trying to get back into vidding again, and to do so I'm using Sony Vegas on a Windows machine. There are two things that are frustrating me (and that escape me from the last time I vidded, many years ago).

Can anyone recommend me some software to do the following:


1) Convert AVI files to MPGs (Vegas only lets you work with mpg source files, right?)

2) Clip my source files with.


Characteristics I would like the software to have:

- streamlined interface - it's relatively intuitive to use (eg. for clipping, simple "start clip here/end clip here/click here to export selection" controls)

- doesn't result in unexpected/unwanted changes to the source - e.g. altered aspect ratio, visible compression

- is free.

Software can be for Windows or Mac.

Halp?


ETA: Slightly unrelated, but um - if I bought Parallels, I would have to buy a copy of Windows as well, wouldn't I? Parallels doesn't come bundled as the parallel software + Windows? The site is very unhelpful in answering this.

double-ewe tee eff? Since when did I become a Johnfan?

It's weird, I'm becoming totally obsessive, and yet-- Like. I love Dean and Sam, totally love them and think about them all the time and they give me belly-melting glee and they're hot and make my brain whirr and all that. That beautiful fanlove. Cmon, don't play bashful, you totally know what I'm talking about.

I don't have that love for John, but... he's fascinating. I was inarticulately gesticulating to Mary about all this the other day, and yeah, she hit the nail on the head - he's compelling. I'm drawn to John's character not so much in a way that he makes me make weird little squealing noises, but that I just want to unwind him to find out what makes him tick. And lately, yeah, I've been compelled to do so.

And apparently this translates into a lot of exploratory John fanworks *shrug*

So, okay. That WIP meme. For fics and vids, because why the hell not?


Fic: John/wee!Winchester gen, set in 1984, of epic (for me, anyway) proportions. Currently at about 17,000 words.

( excerpt )


Fic: John/Dean bodyswap. Porny. Because, uh, derryderrydown and lcsbanana made me.

( excerpt )


And, I usually play the vid bunnies close to the chest, and that's partially because in this fandom it seems as soon as you get an idea, someone else carries it out for you... but hell, with all the podcasting and whatnot, who knows if I'll ever have time to make these anyway? That said, homg, plis don't steal them.

( vid WIPs )


Yeah. one day.

Other WIPs? Converting Super-canon to a wiki so I can announce it and get people to contribute already; the goddamn podcast; updating my Super-recs; oh, and right. that academic career thing I'm supposedly working on. Right.

I wanted to try my hand at cutting a trailer (instead of a plain 'ole songvid), so the result is this: something somewhat, er, experimental. Possibly I'll do a series of these, depending.

Supernatural Fan Trailer: Sam's brain
1 minute long; 6.2MB
Possibly the first in a series of trailers for SPN in the lead-up to Season 2. All footage from Season 1.

- View or Download here

Feedback's real nice, especially as this is me trying something new and all. If you link, please link to this post.

1. Choose a song with a beat.

2. Edit to a beat. Not necessarily the beat. Not necessarily every beat. But when you cut? Make sure it's to a beat.

3. Don't leave in the original edits - make your own cuts. If you simply have to leave in an original cut... make sure it cuts to a beat.

3a. Also, while you're off leaving in original cuts? Don't have more than one in a row. Like, you need to be editing clips together, not scenes. If I want to watch the show, I'll just watch it. If you just have the show playing on behind the music, I'll get bored. (Unless you're like, um, making your point by fucking around like that or something.)

4. You might be using the song you are because of the lyrics, but lyrics tend to work best when they're enhancing (not being the basis for) the story you're creating with the visuals. And, yet again, power and flow is created through a close affinity between the music and the visual - which isn't necessarily going to be a conscious thing. What I mean is, don't let the lyrics/vocals overwhelm the beat when you're tying it all together.

5. On the same token: Literalism with lyrics is funny. Atmosphere is moving. Instead of focusing on the literal lyrics, focus on the general 'theme' or 'mood' of your song (and subsequently, the vid). Choose your juxtaposition of clips to tell the story (i.e. communicate the theme/mood), don't rely on the visuals interpreting the vocals literally if you're looking to make a 'serious' vid. Self-conscious humour is always good for funny vids, though.

Mary remixed my Sweetest Perfection vid and everyone should go watch it now as it is very cool.

I just realised what song I'm going to make my Boondock Saints/Supernatural vid to.

HAHAH. OH YES.

Now, to work out how to rip this dvd...


Also, I might have, um, finally started that long-threatened spreadsheet recording all the wonderful, WONDERFUL uses of "the younger man", "the eldest Winchester", "the taller brunette" etc I come across when reading fic. It is alarmingly addictive.

and there will be graphs. GRAPHS, I SAY!

Oh dear.

Usually I get all anxious and possessive about my songvids and avoid talking about them in any specificity until they're done and posted, but as this song is over 7 minutes long? there is no way I am ever vidding to it. So I no longer feel restrained from geeking out about it, because ohmigod, so Winchesters, liek, all black-truck -car -tarmac, fucking gunpowder and salt and sweat and leather. Also, John totally listens to The Doors, as we established earlier. I have no doubt baby Winchesters totally dozed off to this endless song, totally tripping out into wee!soft baby sleep to the thunder crashing and organ tumbling, while John wound the road out behind them, sharp burr of the headlights grading along ahead.

Anyhoo. Riders on the Storm - The Doors. (eta: er, this is a song download - not a vid)


In other, more cryptic vidding news, gosh, this epic Dean one is totally kicking my ass. It's taken me about three weeks to do about five seconds, and the song is almost 5 minutes long. And bloody Vegas (vidding software) canna keep up with my split-second editing. So. Lala. And I have to do that one before I make the Sam counterpart. Then there's the remix of Mary's awesome vid. (I love remixing vids. I think more people should do it. Also, yeah, this is a call out to anyone who wants to remix my vids.) But in the meantime, I just totally got bunnied for a stupid short one, which maybe I'll do tonight. Only holy crap, it's 10.10 already.

Oh well, don't have to get up early tomorrow :D