This was poor. Obviously classic skating from the Habitat crew and I like the new additions.
But the editing. Fuck me. Dull, bland, vanilla… whatever you want to call it. Music may as well have been lifted from a “Habitat video radio” playlist on Spotify. Nothing was edited to the music, either.
Where is the b-roll and motion graphics that ties everything together? The one thing that set Habitat videos apart was that everything felt very tangible and the motion graphics/stop motion had a lot of care and intricacy given to it. Such a shame as I love Sect.
Maybe it’s better just to let go of the memory of those now very old videos? Back in 2000 Habitat had to really make its mark and differentiate itself from Alien but that was a long time ago and the pressure/motivation to do all that is surely long gone.
Unless you’re trying to say the blandness of the editing is actually ruining the skating for you?!
However if you look at Search The Horizon, that wasn’t that long ago and it had all of the ingredients of a great Habitat video. Also the Control Room series that Castrucci did is another great example of the strong editing and creative direction you expect from him/Sect.
Over a decade ago now, fair enough though, each to their own. The Control Room stuff that I can recall feels like a fair while ago too but I’d have to check. I’d prefer the videos to still look like Mosaic too but it would have to very, very different for things to be ruined for me.
I think that quite frequently. Semi-related to the above - Static VI had me wanting more of an event to watch so I’ve been watching a few older physical vids recently, got Tengu out and was surprised that is 10 years this summer.
You basically back my point here.
That video was edited by Joe Castrucci as I mentioned. His name is remembered because he has created projects that warrant his name being remembered for.
as per usual I went further talking about modern edits in general being forgettable (even if I enjoyed them) wasn’t really talking about the Habitat one with the comment you pulled.
I hadn’t watched the Habitat edit when I commented but now I have.
I didn’t want it to be but yeah, it was bland. Music felt like it had no relation to the footage, bit of effort tying the tricks in with some timings and it could have had a way better feel. Shame but some really nice looking skating and cool spots.
Sure. I did mistakenly think you were replying on the Habitat video as that was the video in the conversation…
I’ll be honest; I just don’t see how your angle you’ve put across works at all. It seems really ill thought out.
You are saying that people shouldn’t bother putting their name on edits unless its incredible.
Surely that is subjective?
…and If the person making the video is hyped on it, then why shouldn’t they credit themselves?
What is wrong crediting their work? These projects take a long time usually, regardless of standard.
What is the problem with building their name? Greg Hunt didn’t one day find himself making Mind Field. He put his name to previous works, built upon that name and got hired because people recognised his name. And I bet the first video he ever made wasn’t as good as Mind Field.
Put it this way - If the Old Masters would not have put their name on their artwork until they became the most recognised painters across Europe then how would they have become the most recognised painters across Europe?
Are we not talking about quality control here? Didn’t the best videographers get a rep by ensuring that what the put out, even in their come up, was a cut above? Whilst I’m sure they did grow and develop as they went along, I think the best (old masters included) got to where they are by ensuring what they put out was the best it could be, otherwise they wouldn’t be in the position they are now. Also, I agree that whether you like a video or not is definitely a matter of personal taste but there are still some videos we can mostly all agree are wack and some we can mostly all agree are amazing. Maybe I’m just getting old but I definitely feel I have to dig a bit harder these days to find anything that I’d classify as amazing… but it’s pretty easy to find the wack stuff.
Not ill thought out no, but probably and absolutely ill put across.
There is nothing wrong with crediting and the quality of work of filmers while they cut their teeth but that’s it, the quality of work is at a standard where people are just that… cutting their teeth. It’s all the same, everyone is doing the same style, no one has found their own feet yet.
This is discounting the people that have found their feet and doing their own thing of course (full of contradictions, me!)
I guess it’s more a case of things moving forward and what skate media has become. We can’t change what people have become due to changes in society.
Social media has made people need quick kudos so we have this style of content that is “get it out there quick!” people want their kudos like a snack as it’s so short lived and that’s why things are forgettable and have no longevity. It’s nobodies fault really, just how it’s panned out and I guess i’m looking back nostalgically that videos were more enjoyable “back in my day”.
There is nothing wrong in feeling that way either because it’s a perfectly natural way to feel. I can’t force myself to be stoked on all these edits that feel the same. I can enjoy them for what I feel they are though, and I do for the most part.
And to add in, no one is wrong for doing what they do either, up to them, if they are stoked on what they have done then great. Subjective etc.
I mean, you summed it up there nicely in saying it is subjective. Which it is. I agree on that.
I also think that working on a montage all summer isn’t really comparable to social media and the need for “quick kudos”.
Social Media is an entirely different beast and personally, I’d love it to just fuck off. but it wont and others love it and that fine.
But still…an iPhone line hard posted is not the same as that montage crews spend months on. I can’t agree on that, no matter the standard.
Anyhow…I feel like we are getting away from the reason I wanted to respond initially.
That is that the idea you put forward that filmers should put work out anonymously until it becomes of a certain standard is absurd to me and I should imagine anyone else out there putting out creative work.
Yep, on the face of it you could take that away from what i’m saying, fair enough but it’s not as black and white as that. It’s more that if you’re gonna put your name to something in the way people have been doing (with the caveat that it’s probably not as widespread as i’m making out) like they are already a named director of notable work then the edit should warrant that. If it looks like a jolly good edit with mates then credit yourself accordingly because there has been considerable effort put in regardless of what level of skill has been reached, so be proud, be stoked, stoke others in how well you’ve done while learning, credit yourself at the end, reap it and get better each time and develop.
I’m simply trying to say that levels of work deserve levels of credit and when we over credit, we get over credited people creating work that isn’t as fleshed and worthy of top credit.
We should always strive for top quality! new, unique ideas are born from pushing past the average but going through all that in a well learned fashion.
All qualities are valid and to be enjoyed and do not necessarily need to be took further if the creator cannot or be prepared to take it there but we need people to strive for new things and these people deserve the named credit before we have even seen any of the following art we are hyped for and poised to witness.
My understanding of what you are saying is that the viewer and not the editor is to blame for making noise about a person and perhaps bigging them up a bit ‘too much’.
But thats a subjective matter.
Who are you to decide what is too much appreciation from anothers perspective?
You won’t ever be able to tell people to keep quiet and not make noise for someones work because you don’t like it. That’s not how the world works. Unless you are North Korea.
Equally, how on earth would not crediting the person behind the work, on the work itself do anything either?
Sure it would stop that noise being made about them. But people would still be bigging up an edit based on how good it is, and by proxy the people involved would get the credit.
Am I missing something? Your idea doesn’t really seem to be grounded in any reality here.
Do you not think you’re taking offence a little because you are a filmer and editor yourself?
I think you have worked really hard over the years to get to where you are and you’re getting the work you deserve (unless you have found yourself zooming in on peoples faces before the trick in order to feel relevant… JOKE!) so there is no need for you to take any of this personally.
Anyway, i’m unable to explain myself any better and you’re taking something from it that I’m not trying to convey and what I am trying to convey could be seen as being just as cunty so just label me a Michael Fabricant and we’ll agree to disagree.
No beef.
