frayadjacent | New Buffy vid: "Under Stars"

Song: "Tightly" by Neko Case
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (entire series, no plot or character spoilers)
Character: Buffy
Download: 56 mb mp4

Buffy goes hunting. Second in my "Neko meets Buffy" series, but could be considered a prequel to "Deeds That Have Made Me".

Password: "Under Stars"

"Under Stars" (Watch on Vimeo)

My fourth vid, and I feel that I'm really improving in terms of structure and narrative, thanks in large part to the discussions (and undergoing an open beta on this vid) at vidpub.

Lyrics:
When I'm walkin' under stars
I covet all the waning hours
All the lonely houses stand like monuments
To thieves

When I'm walkin' in the dark
I'm free to covet all I want
You've made it all so very dangerous
I can't stay away

When I'm walkin' under trees
I'm free to covet all I please
New moons in the alley
And it's madness calls to me

Tonight, tonight, tonight...

If I meet you in the night
You're free to covet all you like
Don't you try and stop me
I cling tightly...to this life

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Interesting vid. Liked the narrative :)

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

Eeeee that was lovely! The song works so well for Buffy - I think it captures her attitude to slaying very well! Unlike Faith or Kendra, she (mostly) seems to take a much more relaxed attitude towards it, but still gets the job done in a matter-of-fact sort of way. It's one of the many reasons I fell in love with her so quickly :-)

I also like the way you really make use of the very fluid camera pans in BtVS - there is lots of gentle motion in the vid, which is lovely to watch.

Btw - such_heights and I watched the total hilariousness that is 'The Zeppo' last night, and had a little epiphany moment when we discovered where your username comes from! \o/

Thank you! Truth be told, this might be my favorite vid I've made so far, but it was also the easiest. The song and cinematography worked so well together that I often just laid down clips and found that the motion fit the music with little additional effort. The only part I had to struggle with was the ending.

And that's funny about "The Zeppo"! It's a pretty great line. And a great episode. :)

The only part I had to struggle with was the ending.

Really? Because that's my favorite part - from the moment we see Buffy (S5) wearing a pink scarf and pink flowers in her hair, crouched atop the masoleum scanning her surrounding. (I LOVE the slightly movement of her head there and the fact that you included that.) She is absolutely a huntress there, almost animalistic in how instinctive it all is, (And yet, not "animalistic" either, or not only that, but informed by expertise gained from experience and intelligence.) And the fact that you cut that with the image of her from Prophecy girl, another of my favorite images of Buffy, is brilliant (I didn't realize that they were from two separate eps until she got off the ground and I could see her face better.)

And then Buffy the warrior (which again is an aspect of her that is underplayed in favor of "shippiness"), and that last shot, both self-satisfied and matter-of-fact, as

purplefringe described it. The first half is nice but the second half of the vid is what compelled me to watch it twice in a row.

I noticed that except for the two images from Chosen at the beginning, I think it's interesting (and not accidental?) that all the images are from S1-5. That smile from Prophecy Girl, that easy confidence, is something that's going to disappear or become more rare as the show goes on. IMO S5 is the season that she "comes undone" and her self-confidence really unravels or diminishes: she only sees herself as competent in terms of slaying, but unable to even love despite the evidence to the contrary. (Fuck you, Riley) The tentative smile at the end of Chosen is entirely different from Prophecy Girl or even Anne, which is really heartbreaking.

Oh, well I was referring to the very end -- from after the kills the vamp in "Prophecy Girl" on. And actually I'm pretty happy with that part, but it took more effort and struggle and trying things out and discarding them than any other part. So it was a "struggle" in that sense.

OMG I'm soooo excited that you liked that part with Buffy on the Mausoleum, cause that is *definitely* my favorite part of this vid. \o/

I think it's mostly not a coincidence that almost all the clips are from S1-S5? The vid is about her love of slaying, the excitement she feels when she's out on the hunt, and the satisfaction she gets from doing it well. That definitely applies more in the first 5 seasons than later.

It's also meant to be a vid about Buffy's everyday (everynight?) life, rather than the big moments. Because I disagree with Whistler -- it's *not* just the big moments who tell you who you really are. S7 is kinda one big moment after another, and S6 just doesn't work for the tone of the vid, for reasons you and I already said.

So, I wasn't like, "I'm not going to include the last 2 seasons." But I didn't find much in those seasons that worked for this vid. Which I guess says something about how tightly made the show is? :D Then again, it's also possible I just got tired of clipping and didn't look as hard once I got to S6. :D

Oh I definitely disagree with Whistler on that one! And I sort of suspect Buffy would to -although her "big moments" and mine are two different things proportionately. Are rescuing Spike in the cave or throwing away the stake and not dusting him "big things"? It depends on who you ask. Or showing kindness and compassion as she so often does? Every night she stakes a vampire, she saves someone's life, it's no big to her. It's her job. But all those things matter.

And I can see exactly why you chose what you did. By the end of S5 she's exhausted, terrified that "A Slayer is just a killer after all" and then comes back haunted, horrified and ashamed; her sacrifice and her choice dishonored. (And I know Willow really, genuinely meant well. She meant to rescue Buffy as Buffy had so often rescued them.) There's no pleasure in it anymore.

The only late season episode I can think of that would work is Showtime, and that's an "event" , theatrical, she's trying to teach the girls a lesson. And it shows in the fight - maybe there was a different fight trainer that season but that battle is often very crude, without the style and grace of many of Buffy's fights.

Heh, very true. It'd be an epic moment in my life if I slayed a vampire! Falling off a log my ass. :D

Buffy Summers: Saved the World, Died Twice and All I Got Was This Lousy Headstone"

Ha!

Enjoyed this vid (which I found from your link on such-height's post). It's really fun to see a Buffy vid set to such a mellow tune--the contrast with the way the show often used driving, rockier music added a lot to me.

Aww, Buffy!

Thank you! I'm so glad to hear you liked it.

New Buffy vid: "Under Stars"

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