Race and Representation in Vidding

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

For the Vividcon vidding convention in August, deepad and I are putting together a combined vidshow/panel called "Race and Representation in Vidding".

The blurb is as follows:

Visual markers of racial, ethnic and cultural identity are inscribed on the bodies vidders use to tell their stories. What are the political and social implications of the choices that vidders make? What narratives of resistance and subversion can be told, and what stereotypes and oppressions get perpetuated? How do the racial and cultural dynamics within fandom affect vidding and its creators? How can we analyse vids through anti-racist, anti-orientalist, post-colonial, and subaltern studies lenses?

From a vidder's technical standpoint, what are the editorial and creative issues you need to take into consideration when vidding characters of color? What implication does music and song choice have? Is there a different approach when you're vidding a character not of your own cultural/ethnic background, and what guidelines or mental reminders have proven useful to you?

We have some ideas of vids that we'd like to show, but we are also looking for suggestions. Do you know of any vids that fit this theme? Also, are there any points that you want to make sure that we touch upon in the panel? All ideas welcome.

Comments

[china_shop]

Hmm... I've seen some vids that have put characters of colour front and centre in shows that I'm not familiar with (and in doing so, incidentally, made me far more interested in the shows than I was previously). The three that spring to mind are sabaceanbabe's Flash Forward vid, No Fate, thuviaptarth's The Vampire Diaries vid, Names, and obsessive24's BSG vid, Wicked Game. Is that the kind of thing you're thinking of?

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

Is that the kind of thing you're thinking of

Yes, this is great. I hadn't thought of any of those vids, but putting "characters of colour front and centre" is definitely the type of thing we want to talk about. Thank you!

[dessert-first.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful idea! This is just a quick tossing together of things I've recced before, but there might be something you want here:

This vid celebrates Zoe from Firefly: Cowgirl (http://shati.livejournal.com/237423.html) by shati

Bend it Like Beckham vid: Whatever it Takes (http://fan-eunice.livejournal.com/15118.html) by fan_eunice

Dark Angel was really good about casting interesting and diverse characters from all ethnicities (including, of course, the protagonist), and the vids reflect that:
Plug-In Baby (http://txlsplash.livejournal.com/3404.html), by txlsplash
LDN (http://millylicious.livejournal.com/246073.html) by millylicious
Big City Life (http://lithiumchic.livejournal.com/17180.html)

I don't watch this show, so I don't know who this character is, but I really like the vid: lithiumchic'S Lost at Sea (http://www.alter-idem.com/videos/37/lost-at-sea/)

The Stargate shows have that problematic tendency to make character of color = alien and not much use of characters of color from Earth. Still, there are some wonderful Teyla and Ronon vids. I just wish there were more.

Ronon (such a wonderful, wonderful vid):
Red Moon (http://sol-se.livejournal.com/226924.html), by sol_se

Teyla:
When I Grow Up (http://community.livejournal.com/atlantis_vids/114948.html), by kitakatzz

There's also the very clever Secret Asian Man vid (http://shati.livejournal.com/230374.html) by shati.

I'll see if I dig up more on my hard drive.

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a great list. Thank you! Thanks, especially, for reminding me of the problematic portrayal of characters of color in SGA. Since I'm not really in the fandom anymore, I might have forgotten to include a vid from it, and that would be a shame; in addition to the ones you mention, I'm thinking of a couple of Teyla vids that are on point: "Mission Report" (I think it was by Lim, but I need to check), and keewick's 32 (you can find it on this page, if you're interested: http://keewick.livejournal.com/199708.html).

Thanks again. You've given us a lot to think about. It's going to be hard choosing from so many great vids. :)

[balistik94.livejournal.com]

I suggest watching videos at Remember Us (here : http://www.dreaming-in-color.net/video.html) it's an archive dedicated to videos about characters of color.

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you. That is very helpful.

[kuwdora.livejournal.com]

I made a vid about Maya Herrara of Heroes, circa season 2. TV critics and fans/fandom hated her so much. The hateage made me D: so I had to make a vid about her. *clings to Maya*

Grace Cathedral Hill (http://kuwdora.livejournal.com/328497.html?mode=reply)

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

Thank you! We're getting a lot of good recs for Heroes vids.

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

I think we have our Heroes vid, but I'm actually really interested in your Festivid, "All For Swinging You Around." I'm not seeing an active link for it, though. Do you have one?

[kuwdora.livejournal.com]

Ah, yeah, I don't actually have my festivid uploaded anymore--which I'm fixing right now. I actually intend on having All For Swinging You Around in the O' Canada vidshow. I do have another Little Mosque video--the one I premiered at Vividcon in 2008 called King of Spain (http://kuwdora.livejournal.com/396544.html) if you might be interested in that?

[kuwdora.livejournal.com]

Oh, nix my last comment. My festivid might be yours after all... I'll keep you updated. Sorry to keep you in limbo!

[kuwdora.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, Learning to Fly (http://rhoboat.dreamwidth.org/135309.html) by rhoboat awesome.

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

Yes, I had totally thought of that one, too. I have to see if we can fit it in. I was actually thinking of suggesting it for the "We're Here, We're Queer" show.

[kuwdora.livejournal.com]

Oohhhh yeah that would be most excellent for that vidshow too.

mmm I watched tearful_eye's Needs (http://tearful-eye.livejournal.com/69166.html) today which ... left me speechless. I'd love to see that one on the big screen.

I am so excited for this vidshow. <3

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

Ahhh! Thanks for reminding me about "Needs". I had totally forgotten about, and it's a beaut.

[bananainpyjamas.livejournal.com]

Looks like most of the vids that came to mind for me have been suggested but I thought I'd pop in to mention I made a Slumdog Millionaire vid, Khwaab (http://bananainpyjamas.livejournal.com/114440.html). :)

ETA: Oh, wait, I do have another suggestion: aycheb's SCC Ellison vid, Nobody Loves You. (http://aycheb.livejournal.com/93383.html)

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

Your vid is under consideration, rest assured! :)

Thanks for reminding me of the Ellison vid; I knew I had seen a good one, but I couldn't remember who made it.