Hmm. DVD Commentary?

[icarus]

Haven't you always wanted to write a DVD commentary on one of my stories? Surely it's your "Life Goal." If so, here's your chance at last.

seperis and general_jinjur are coordinating.

You can sign up for the glory here.

I'm doing one. Like a lunatic I've signed up (to commentary?) (to comentate?) to do a commentary on In The City Of Seven Walls. It's just occured to me that Seven Walls is long, isn't it?


ETA: Hockey stop. Scrreeeek.

Apparently the DVD commentary meant only the line-by-line type of commentary. I want to be able to structure it the way you would a documentary instead of slavishly following the story structure, paragraph-by-paragraph, line-by-line. seperis and general_jinjur have been very nice and offered great solutions if the issue were the length, but I'm trying to explain that I want control over the structure of the commentary.

I'm not a fan of line-by-line commentary to start, but Seven Walls in particular would become unfocused and diffuse after the first 50 pages of commentary or so. I don't think it would work.

I need to get ready for the second day of figure skating competition this afternoon. I'll post and ask for creative ideas on how to solve this from you guys after I get back.

Comments

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, haahahahahahahha. Hah. Hah.

Hah.

*dances dance of now I never will glee*

You want material? How about those emails you sent that made me start working on it again?

*laughs like a lunatic*

The original outline on Wordpad?

Cut stuff?

Speak now, before I delete everything from the WIP folder.

It's just occured to me that Seven Walls is long, isn't it?

Oh, my ribs hurt now.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

We've run into a snag.

general_jinjur wrote to me to mention that this will probably be about 20 posts so I can link them outside the community.

I said, "Well, I don't plan to do a line-by-line DVD commentary. I don't read them as I find them choppy and dry." I sent them an example of thematic analysis I did.

She and seperis talked it over and said the challenge is to do line-by-line commentaries. They offered for me to do either a couple chapters line-by-line or do it in paragraphs, or do a different story... which, the length isn't the problem, and I'm not interested in doing another story.

I said I'd sleep on it.

If I find reading line-by-line commentaries boring, writing one will be just as dull. I find DVD commentaries on videos boring as well, I try to get through them, but eventually I click them off.

If one is going to do a commentary, you need to be able structure your information, decide what is important that you want to focus on, and what isn't, and thus have a narrative flow throughout the commentary. Like a documentary. (The brilliance of March of the Penguins was in its structure -- you didn't know why the penguins traveled so far until the very end, and then you didn't need to be told.)

The line-by-line commentary removes your opportunity to create a structure within the commentary, and treats every moment in the story as if it were equal. The chunks of text that are commented on then act as blocks, interrupting the flow of information (especially if you've already read the story) making it choppy and, in my opinion, uninteresting.

I think very few people, even those who love commentaries, will sit still through a line-by-line commentary that long.

I don't want to do just part of the story, that's abusurd -- a commentary considers the story as a whole. And I'm not interested in another story. Or another author.

So I'm a bit stymied at the moment. I didn't realize they only meant the line-by-line type of commentary.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Maybe one option is to do a commentary but not as part of the challenge. I told them I'd sleep on it and get back to them.

Icarus

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

I was going to say that. After all, they don't have any say over you or I.

Also, I think you have a point about the line by line commentary not working particularly well with a long story. It would be like writing a textbook.

I think this is why I suck at writing commentaries. I just look and think, well, there's the sentence. That's what I wanted it to say. Sort of self explanatory. A thematic exploration or something that looked at structure or style would be much more interesting.

Not tooting my horn, because I had nothing to do with it beyond reading it, but cofax7 did an interesting essay on one of my stories, without a single pull quote. Story structure and emotional impact (http://community.livejournal.com/thecuttingboard/2321.html). That's the sort of thing I love seeing.

Limiting the commentary to just remarking on sentences losses the potential for interesting analysis.

*shrugs*

I hope you work something out to your and their satisfaction. Thankfully, I've done my part of the work and can set back and spectate.

[comment deleted and repeated to fix a link, also because I had the sudden horrible thought that I'd written it in Jenn's journal.]

*matches your icon*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Wow. cofax7's article is kick-ass. It also explains how writers can do things in fanfiction that just aren't feasible in original fiction. She's dead on.

Limiting the commentary to just remarking on sentences losses the potential for interesting analysis.

It turns it into a really long and delicious review. Which as an author I love, but as a reader, well, not so much.

In talking it out with general_jinjur they really want just the line-by-line style. Okay.

So. Commentary. *g* Time to re-read Seven Walls beginning to end and drink it in.

Icarus

Wait. *screeek!*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You want material? How about those emails you sent that made me start working on it again?

I just read this in peering through possible material "behind the scenes." You're kidding. I got you to start working on it again? I didn't know that.

Cut stuff?

Yes, fuck yes.

The original outline on Wordpad?

Of course.

And dankeshoen.

Icarus + misspelled German

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

So...are you giving permission for us to choose any story of yours that we want? :-D

lyraeinne and I want to do Fools Can Dream. :::runs off to stake claim:::

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Any story you like. :) And thank you.

Icarus

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

Thanks! We also signed up for Sonic Boom. :-)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I saw that. *gleeful* Thank you!

Icarus