Well, that helps...
Jan. 5th, 2013 10:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
imbecamielI'm WARM! I'm finally warm!
Heheheh. Yeah, it's seemed like it has been feeling unusually cold in the basement (where I sleep, and do the vast majority of my work) this year. And then, just last night, my dad made a discovery - apparently, my brother forgot to switch around the vents like he was supposed to. Y'see, the design of our house, while pretty, is somewhat less than efficient. So, when we have the A/C going in the summer, we close off all the vents to the basement and fully open the upstairs ones, so that things stay fairly balanced. In the winter, we switch that around, so the basement stays warm enough and the top floor doesn't get overheated. The switch-around is usually done by my brother and/or dad, because the vents downstairs are all on the ceiling, and kind of hard to get to. Only this year it... somehow didn't actually happen. Until last night. XD
So - today I was warm! Yay!
Also, we went to see The Hobbit in 3D for Nef's birthday. (Though not in the higher frame rate.) I wanted to see it that way, just because theaters are the only place you can really get that experience, but I wasn't expecting too much. I'm... not a big fan of 3D, generally, although it's sometimes very impressive with animated movies. Those glasses, though, particularly when you already wear normal glasses, just... blargh.
I was very pleasantly surprised, though. For the first few minutes, I wondered a bit if we shouldn't have just opted for regular 2D instead. But wow... Yes, I'm glad we did see it. I think the CG - somewhat to my surprise - looked better that way. It really brought out the intense attention to detail in the costuming, and some of the sets, as well. (Both Nef and I, as it turned out, were somewhat mesmerized by the water in the foreground during certain shots of the White Council. *g*) And some scenes - particularly the scene with the stone giants, which I'd been pretty "meh" about previously - played to much better effect in the 3D. And the part at the end with the eagles was just gorgeous. And wooooow, that moment at the end when Smaug's eye pops open? O.O I think it might've been worth it to see it in 3D just for how awesome that was.
Even aside from the 3D, though, I did enjoy it more the second time around, as I'd expected from previous experiences. The overall tone seemed more internally consistent. Mostly, I think, because my brain didn't keep snagging on little surprises. And there were a number of small details that I noticed that just really pleased me. Among them: I'd thought the first time that there were a couple of dark-haired elves without helmets riding with Elrond who might've been the twins. But this time - do my eyes deceive me, or did I actually catch a glimpse of Glorfindel there as well? :D Yeah, probably just wishful thinking. But I am such a huge Glorfindel fan.
So yeah, I'm pleased overall. I do see that some of the criticisms I've read from others are valid ones, either from a movie making perspective or from a book-fan perspective. And there are things that bug me, too. But... I don't know.
I can be incredibly picky about both books and movies. I'd say I have fairly particular personal tastes, which has been compounded in some ways by the years I've spent working as an editor - both in developmental and line editing. I've spent many, many hours dissecting other people's stories and trying to find ways to make them better, in big and small ways. And even when I'm just in it for fun... Well, let's just say that Nef and I have spent many hours discussing all the things that were not up to snuff in a movie or book, what Works and what Does Not Work. (That's not to say that I might not still enjoy it - it certainly does happen that the characters or story are compelling enough to make me love something, even despite acknowledging major shortcomings. It's not as if I universally turn up my nose at things that don't meet my standards of perfection, or something. ;) )
But. I still enjoy fanfiction. And not just on those occasions when it rises to meet what I'd expect from published original fiction. (Though it's a delight when I find those.) And not just in a "guilty pleasure," "junk food" kind of way. (Though I'll willingly admit to enjoying the occasional "junk food" read, either original or fanfiction.) It's just that the way I enjoy fanfiction, and what I'm looking to get out of it, tends to be different.
It's kind of hard to explain, or even define to myself exactly what I like and why. I suppose, in part, because there are so many exceptions to various rules. (For instance, strong dislike of major AUs in one fandom, while absolutely loving them in another.) I often enjoy fanfiction for its ability to explore aspects that would really bog down or ruin the flow of a story/show/movie. Particularly when it comes to character interaction, and the development of friendships. (I am such a sucker for strong friendship and "found family" dynamics.) Sometimes I'm driven there by frustration with a show, etc. that seems set on ignoring the reams of potential that it's set up, or skipping really major things between one episode and the next. In many cases, though, it's simply wanting to spend more time with these people I love, in a world that's captured my imagination.
So how's that relate to movies? When it comes to movie adaptations of books, I've recently realized that... I think I approach them much like I do fanfiction. I tend not to go into them thinking of them so much as "a visual representation of X book." That's an aspect of it, yes, but I'm generally okay with the fact that some changes will have to be made with the translation to a different medium. Mostly, I'm looking for that opportunity to spend more time in a world I love.
Oh, that's not to say that there aren't things that annoy me, or will even make me utterly hate the movie. There certainly are. (And everyone's got their automatic "do not want" buttons.) But, for the most part - particularly when it's a movie where I know that this might well be the only adaptation of that book made in my lifetime - I go into it wanting to like it. I try not to be overly suspicious based on rumors beforehand, to go in with an open mind, hoping to like what I see.
There have been times - more than I'd like - when, despite that, what I see looks more like gross disrespect to the source material, writers and directors who, it seems, could not possibly actually be fans of the original work. In some cases, the liberties are mind-boggling in their pointless stupidity.
But when the movie as a whole is well done, when the atmosphere of it rings true to the world I've come to see... when the balance of it is on the side of things I enjoyed, I tend to be able to tune out less egregious annoyances and just have fun with it. Do I prefer it and enjoy it when the resulting movie is a cinematic masterpiece? Naturally. But I can still enjoy it for a fun movie, even if it may not be a great one worthy of many awards from an objective point of view.
Soooo... yeah, kinda rambling thoughts, and I'm not sure what the point of all that was, beyond trying to figure out for myself what I'm thinking. XD
At any rate - happy birthday to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nefhiriel! Love you lots, tithen muinthel-nin. ;)
Heheheh. Yeah, it's seemed like it has been feeling unusually cold in the basement (where I sleep, and do the vast majority of my work) this year. And then, just last night, my dad made a discovery - apparently, my brother forgot to switch around the vents like he was supposed to. Y'see, the design of our house, while pretty, is somewhat less than efficient. So, when we have the A/C going in the summer, we close off all the vents to the basement and fully open the upstairs ones, so that things stay fairly balanced. In the winter, we switch that around, so the basement stays warm enough and the top floor doesn't get overheated. The switch-around is usually done by my brother and/or dad, because the vents downstairs are all on the ceiling, and kind of hard to get to. Only this year it... somehow didn't actually happen. Until last night. XD
So - today I was warm! Yay!
Also, we went to see The Hobbit in 3D for Nef's birthday. (Though not in the higher frame rate.) I wanted to see it that way, just because theaters are the only place you can really get that experience, but I wasn't expecting too much. I'm... not a big fan of 3D, generally, although it's sometimes very impressive with animated movies. Those glasses, though, particularly when you already wear normal glasses, just... blargh.
I was very pleasantly surprised, though. For the first few minutes, I wondered a bit if we shouldn't have just opted for regular 2D instead. But wow... Yes, I'm glad we did see it. I think the CG - somewhat to my surprise - looked better that way. It really brought out the intense attention to detail in the costuming, and some of the sets, as well. (Both Nef and I, as it turned out, were somewhat mesmerized by the water in the foreground during certain shots of the White Council. *g*) And some scenes - particularly the scene with the stone giants, which I'd been pretty "meh" about previously - played to much better effect in the 3D. And the part at the end with the eagles was just gorgeous. And wooooow, that moment at the end when Smaug's eye pops open? O.O I think it might've been worth it to see it in 3D just for how awesome that was.
Even aside from the 3D, though, I did enjoy it more the second time around, as I'd expected from previous experiences. The overall tone seemed more internally consistent. Mostly, I think, because my brain didn't keep snagging on little surprises. And there were a number of small details that I noticed that just really pleased me. Among them: I'd thought the first time that there were a couple of dark-haired elves without helmets riding with Elrond who might've been the twins. But this time - do my eyes deceive me, or did I actually catch a glimpse of Glorfindel there as well? :D Yeah, probably just wishful thinking. But I am such a huge Glorfindel fan.
So yeah, I'm pleased overall. I do see that some of the criticisms I've read from others are valid ones, either from a movie making perspective or from a book-fan perspective. And there are things that bug me, too. But... I don't know.
I can be incredibly picky about both books and movies. I'd say I have fairly particular personal tastes, which has been compounded in some ways by the years I've spent working as an editor - both in developmental and line editing. I've spent many, many hours dissecting other people's stories and trying to find ways to make them better, in big and small ways. And even when I'm just in it for fun... Well, let's just say that Nef and I have spent many hours discussing all the things that were not up to snuff in a movie or book, what Works and what Does Not Work. (That's not to say that I might not still enjoy it - it certainly does happen that the characters or story are compelling enough to make me love something, even despite acknowledging major shortcomings. It's not as if I universally turn up my nose at things that don't meet my standards of perfection, or something. ;) )
But. I still enjoy fanfiction. And not just on those occasions when it rises to meet what I'd expect from published original fiction. (Though it's a delight when I find those.) And not just in a "guilty pleasure," "junk food" kind of way. (Though I'll willingly admit to enjoying the occasional "junk food" read, either original or fanfiction.) It's just that the way I enjoy fanfiction, and what I'm looking to get out of it, tends to be different.
It's kind of hard to explain, or even define to myself exactly what I like and why. I suppose, in part, because there are so many exceptions to various rules. (For instance, strong dislike of major AUs in one fandom, while absolutely loving them in another.) I often enjoy fanfiction for its ability to explore aspects that would really bog down or ruin the flow of a story/show/movie. Particularly when it comes to character interaction, and the development of friendships. (I am such a sucker for strong friendship and "found family" dynamics.) Sometimes I'm driven there by frustration with a show, etc. that seems set on ignoring the reams of potential that it's set up, or skipping really major things between one episode and the next. In many cases, though, it's simply wanting to spend more time with these people I love, in a world that's captured my imagination.
So how's that relate to movies? When it comes to movie adaptations of books, I've recently realized that... I think I approach them much like I do fanfiction. I tend not to go into them thinking of them so much as "a visual representation of X book." That's an aspect of it, yes, but I'm generally okay with the fact that some changes will have to be made with the translation to a different medium. Mostly, I'm looking for that opportunity to spend more time in a world I love.
Oh, that's not to say that there aren't things that annoy me, or will even make me utterly hate the movie. There certainly are. (And everyone's got their automatic "do not want" buttons.) But, for the most part - particularly when it's a movie where I know that this might well be the only adaptation of that book made in my lifetime - I go into it wanting to like it. I try not to be overly suspicious based on rumors beforehand, to go in with an open mind, hoping to like what I see.
There have been times - more than I'd like - when, despite that, what I see looks more like gross disrespect to the source material, writers and directors who, it seems, could not possibly actually be fans of the original work. In some cases, the liberties are mind-boggling in their pointless stupidity.
But when the movie as a whole is well done, when the atmosphere of it rings true to the world I've come to see... when the balance of it is on the side of things I enjoyed, I tend to be able to tune out less egregious annoyances and just have fun with it. Do I prefer it and enjoy it when the resulting movie is a cinematic masterpiece? Naturally. But I can still enjoy it for a fun movie, even if it may not be a great one worthy of many awards from an objective point of view.
Soooo... yeah, kinda rambling thoughts, and I'm not sure what the point of all that was, beyond trying to figure out for myself what I'm thinking. XD
At any rate - happy birthday to
nefhiriel! Love you lots, tithen muinthel-nin. ;)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2013-01-06 04:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-08 03:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-06 05:12 am (UTC)The one thing is, though, I will forgive fanfiction for not being up to professional standards, because I know it's _not_ professional. I clicked my mouse and read the story for free. I pay around 10 dollars to watch a movie. So my standards are a bit higher.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-06 05:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-07 04:28 am (UTC)Mmhmm, the fact that fanfiction is purely a hobby, stories written for free for the enjoyment of the author and fellow fans, does put it in something of a special class. My pickiness levels where they're concerned can be influenced by so many different things, though, that I honestly find it hard to describe what will or will not turn me off a story.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-06 07:36 pm (UTC)I'm debating whether or not to eventually see The Hobbit in 3D while there's still a chance to. Generally, I get so, SO sick during 3D, but pretty visuals.... *wants* Anyway.
I think you and I are basically in the same place where book adaptations are concerned. There's a part of me that is always able to distance myself from an adaptation and expect far less (or significantly different impact) than I got from the source material. Not always (I will never, EVER forgive M. Night Shyamalan for what he did to Avatar: The Last Airbender, which enraged me, heheheh), but most of the time, I end up fairly receptive to a visual interpretation of a book simply because I ultimately don't care whether or not it thrills me like the source material. (It's a rare movie that provokes me to think as deeply about Stuff and Life as I would in reading...I expect it to be far more shallow, generally, with some rare exceptions.) So anyway, I am generally less enamored of film anyway, and don't take it as seriously.
Anyway, I think I kind of don't feel terribly strongly about The Hobbit one way or the other? I can say I'm disappointed in quite a bit of it, and yet there are parts that I really enjoyed...but I'm also kinda meh about debating over it because I am too in the middle...depending on whether the person I'm talking to is a mad Kili fan girl or a Tolkien purist, I could pretty much take any position whatsoever, because I just don't feel terribly strongly about it. Heh.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-09 05:11 am (UTC)LOL, it does make such a difference, not to feel like spending the rest of winter huddling up in a puddle of blankets for warmth. XD Aw, though, drafts are no fun to deal with. Does she have any idea if the source might be something she can fix herself? (Without tons of construction/expense, that is. :P)
It's tough when it actually makes you sick, on top of the annoying/uncomfortable elements. Overall, I'm really hoping that the 3D fad dies soon. The Hobbit is just so pretty, though... one of the very few where I've been really glad ot have seen it in 3D. (Also, it didn't give me a headache this time either, so. \o/)
Yeah, it's not that there haven't been adaptations that've had me thoroughly disgusted and up in arms... because ooooh, there certainly have been. But overall, as you said, I just don't take them as seriously, so I tend to be able to find things to enjoy there, without it taking away from my very different appreciation of the source material.
I think I know what you mean about The Hobbit. I'm pretty sure I could be swayed into being a lot more disappointed/annoyed with things in it than I am now, because there is a lot that I'm not passionately in love with. Which is actually why I've been avoiding a lot of the more intense fan discussion of it. It's kind of hard to express, but I guess... I just don't want to spoil my own fun? Because at this point I can just shrug and enjoy it overall, since I haven't taken The Hobbit as seriously as LOTR proper.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-08 01:41 am (UTC)Although I'm not sure if I can quite say the same for fanfiction. I do cut FF a lot of slack for the reasons you stated - it's free, it's for fun, it's brain-candy and rather silly to expect too much from it. But I also become incredibly frustrated with unfinished stories, people so eager to post they don't read through their chapter to clean it up and make it easier to read. Then there's fandom and fandom reaction, which drives me crazy the vast majority of the time.
On the other hand, compared to how picky I am when it comes to published novels, fanfiction has it easy. I think I tend to quit more books than I actually finish, which I feel bad about. But it's heck of a lot harder to find a book that pushes at least some of my happy buttons, while with fanfic I manage to find quite a few that push nearly all my happy buttons.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-08 03:29 am (UTC)You know, I think part of my difficulty in defining whether or not I'm picky over fanfiction has to do with the fact that the the definitions of picky vs. easygoing can vary so much from person to person. XD I think I tend to consider myself relatively easygoing with fanfiction, just because I can be so critical of original. So while all the things you mentioned certainly can drive me crazy and have turned me off many a story... there are other things that I just don't take into consideration as much with fanfic as with original fiction. Solidity of story structure, research, level of originality - I'm much more likely to handwave things like that. To an extent.
So. As you said, a lot of it's just a relative difference in the slack I'll cut. And, now I think about it, the fact that hitting "back" on a fanfic story that doesn't appeal, or skipping over it entirely, is something I do much more lightly and with less analysis than I do a book. So some of it may just be that I don't think as much about why I don't want to read/finish something when it comes to fanfic.