In Search of Potential Betas

[frayadjacent]

I've been vidding a bit over a year now.  I've joined Vidpub, participated in Festivids, posted on various vidding-related coms, signed up for another vid exchange, and even spent hours and hours in #vidding chat.  But something is missing: a handful of solid betas to give me feedback on my Works in Progress. 

Soooo..is anyone out there OK with being asked to beta future vid projects?  Saying yes doesn't mean you're promising to beta anytime I ask, but rather that 1) you're OK with being asked, and 2) you imagine you'd say yes at some point, depending on availability, fandom, etc. 

jetpack_monkey has already offered beta services for future projects.  This is awesome!  But I'd love to know if there are other people out there as well who are willing to share their thoughts on my WIPs.  More brains = better vids, I suspect?

Since I don't have much experience yet with the beta process, I'd also love to hear how it works for you, how much depth you like to go into in feedback, how many versions of a WIP you'll look at, etc.

ETA: Um, I forgot to write this?  But I am more than happy to exchange beta services, not just receive them!  Be forewarned that I have not yet ever beta'd a vid before (or any other fanwork), but I'm getting more confident that it's something I could do.  A gal's gotta start somewhere, right?

Comments

[chaila]

Looks like you've got plenty of offers, but since you asked, I'm usually willing to be asked and to beta. I'm better/more secure if I know the fandom, but have definitely betaed without that. Though I think I've become a less and less effective beta over time, heh. Partly because I always use the same beta now, if at all, who I know really well and who knows me, and we take shortcuts and feel fine ignoring each other's beta comments. :) I usually like to know what you're looking for though, because at some stages of the vidding process I just want cheerleading or general reactions b/c it's not done, and at other stages I am ready for more closewatching feedback, and it kinda sucks when I want one and get the other. :) I also used to think "more eyes = better" until the first time I had multiple betas who had completely opposite reactions/advice, which was yet again different from what I preferred. Panic! Though I think as a beta, it's pretty different with everyone, depending on what they want, how they vid, etc.?

I've definitely relaxed how I approach the whole beta process from both sides. In general, now I definitely approach it more as, like, kicking things around, and am totally cool with people listening to my comments and then deciding not to take my suggestions. I often vid pretty intuitively, without always having a reason for putting something somewhere? So beta comments might make me think about why I did something, and change it, or not, but even if I don't listen to the advice, it was helpful? So that's the kind of beta I like to get, and tends to be more and more the kind of beta I am better at doing. If that even makes sense. :)

[frayadjacent]

Hooray! Thank you. If/when I ask I'll definitely let you know what I'm looking for. And I'm happy to beta for you if you're ever looking for someone in addition to your usual. :D