paraka (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
paraka) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
podficmeta2010-08-19 09:56 am
paraka) wrote in podficmeta2010-08-19 09:56 am
Podremix Meta
As you guys saw from lunate8's post a while back, I'm running a podfic remix challenge. zvi invited me to talk about why so I started this post, then got kind of busy running the exchange. Still, better late then never, right?
It's pretty obvious I had meta driven motives for running this comm. In fact the third question in the FAQs is:
Do you have ulterior motives for doing this?
Why yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I'm hoping that running a challenge like this will help with the stigma that currently exists around multiple podfics of the same story. People seem to think that if someone makes a podfic of something that's already been podficed it's because they found the first podfic lacking in some way. Never mind that there are a lot of other reasons someone might want to podfic the story.
This challenge won't be about that though, it'll be about some of the other reasons you might want to podfic a story that has already been done. Like it's fun! And different! You really love the story in question! Hopefully this will help people realize that just because two podfics are a reading of the same story doesn't mean that they are copies of each other (podfic is not just a format shift from text to audio, it's an art form, a performance), or that one is necessarily better than the other. Just like a cover of a song can bring a new dimension/feel to the song being covered.
I really, truly believe that each podficer brings something new to the table and that having multiple copies is awesome. And while it seems like people are down with the idea of multiple copies in theory, I think that when it plays out in practice there are still hurt feelings.
The podficing fandom is filled with some of the nicest people in fandom (every once in a while, something happens and I expect wank to break out but it never does). People are interested in multiple copies (I had 30 replies to my info gathering poll within a day, all positive) but I think, since most people are aware of the stigma, the negative feelings, people are too afraid to try. They don't want to rock the boat or upset anyone. Maybe people are willing to approach friends about it but even then, there might be the fear that people will think that you found the original lacking in some way, causing you to make a new version.
I'm hoping that this comm will help so people can finally start thinking of remixing podfic in a positive light. And hopefully people will continue to remix, even after the challenge is over.
general_jinjur left me a comment, concerned that the way the comm was set up would lead to implications that you need a podficer's permission before you can remix a story they've already podficed. That was certainly not my intention with this challenge. I actually believe the opposite. For the purposes of the exchange I really didn't see any way to run it without it being opt in (not without a lot of needless complications and wank potential).
Honestly, while I recognize that there's danger is making it seem like this is something that needs to be opted into, I also feel that this is a feeling that already exists within fandom, if in practice more than theory. Because people know that hurt feelings will result, they either seek out the original podficer first or they just don't make a second podfic. Also, once the actual exchange is over, I'm going to open the comm up for people that want to remix without a deadline (since there has been some interest shown) and I think I'll make a point to say that people can post any remixed podfic, not just remixes of podfics people have oked for remixing.
Now that I've been working on this comm for a couple weeks I've noticed an interesting change in my podfic listening behaviour. Since I started podficing, it's like every fic I read is a potential podfic. I can't seem to help myself from examining it to see if it would make a good podfic, or imagining how I would read something if I were reading it out loud (I'm not the only one to do this, right?). Since I started this remix challenge though, I've been applying that same mind set to the podfics I listen to. I wonder, what would it sound like if I were reading it. What would I do differently? What awesome thing did the podficer do that I could never duplicate. It brings a whole new level to my podfic listening.
lunate8's post a while back, I'm running a podfic remix challenge. zvi invited me to talk about why so I started this post, then got kind of busy running the exchange. Still, better late then never, right?It's pretty obvious I had meta driven motives for running this comm. In fact the third question in the FAQs is:
Do you have ulterior motives for doing this?
Why yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I'm hoping that running a challenge like this will help with the stigma that currently exists around multiple podfics of the same story. People seem to think that if someone makes a podfic of something that's already been podficed it's because they found the first podfic lacking in some way. Never mind that there are a lot of other reasons someone might want to podfic the story.
This challenge won't be about that though, it'll be about some of the other reasons you might want to podfic a story that has already been done. Like it's fun! And different! You really love the story in question! Hopefully this will help people realize that just because two podfics are a reading of the same story doesn't mean that they are copies of each other (podfic is not just a format shift from text to audio, it's an art form, a performance), or that one is necessarily better than the other. Just like a cover of a song can bring a new dimension/feel to the song being covered.
I really, truly believe that each podficer brings something new to the table and that having multiple copies is awesome. And while it seems like people are down with the idea of multiple copies in theory, I think that when it plays out in practice there are still hurt feelings.
The podficing fandom is filled with some of the nicest people in fandom (every once in a while, something happens and I expect wank to break out but it never does). People are interested in multiple copies (I had 30 replies to my info gathering poll within a day, all positive) but I think, since most people are aware of the stigma, the negative feelings, people are too afraid to try. They don't want to rock the boat or upset anyone. Maybe people are willing to approach friends about it but even then, there might be the fear that people will think that you found the original lacking in some way, causing you to make a new version.
I'm hoping that this comm will help so people can finally start thinking of remixing podfic in a positive light. And hopefully people will continue to remix, even after the challenge is over.
general_jinjur left me a comment, concerned that the way the comm was set up would lead to implications that you need a podficer's permission before you can remix a story they've already podficed. That was certainly not my intention with this challenge. I actually believe the opposite. For the purposes of the exchange I really didn't see any way to run it without it being opt in (not without a lot of needless complications and wank potential). Honestly, while I recognize that there's danger is making it seem like this is something that needs to be opted into, I also feel that this is a feeling that already exists within fandom, if in practice more than theory. Because people know that hurt feelings will result, they either seek out the original podficer first or they just don't make a second podfic. Also, once the actual exchange is over, I'm going to open the comm up for people that want to remix without a deadline (since there has been some interest shown) and I think I'll make a point to say that people can post any remixed podfic, not just remixes of podfics people have oked for remixing.
Now that I've been working on this comm for a couple weeks I've noticed an interesting change in my podfic listening behaviour. Since I started podficing, it's like every fic I read is a potential podfic. I can't seem to help myself from examining it to see if it would make a good podfic, or imagining how I would read something if I were reading it out loud (I'm not the only one to do this, right?). Since I started this remix challenge though, I've been applying that same mind set to the podfics I listen to. I wonder, what would it sound like if I were reading it. What would I do differently? What awesome thing did the podficer do that I could never duplicate. It brings a whole new level to my podfic listening.