Lost Video Island

[fearandloathin]

Hello all,

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Zoe, a third year media student at the University of Lincoln, and for my Dissertation, I am studying ‘LOST’ and its fan culture. I need your help! If as many of you could please take a few moments of any free time to spare answering my questions, that would be fantastic!

1. What is the appeal of lost to you?

2. How many ‘LOST’ forums are you a member of?

3. Do you part take in any fan culture activities? Such as fan fiction, fan videos, fan art, etc?

4. What would you consider as fan activity apart from the aspects I mentioned?

5. Do you look for spoilers, or avoid them?

6. Is six seasons enough, or would you rather there be more episodes to come?

7. To what extend does your fandom go?

8. Have you ever attended a ‘LOST’ convention, and if so, how were they conducted, and what did you do at them?

9. Would you go to Hawaii to go on the tour of the ‘LOST’ set, and if so, what would you get most excited about seeing?

10. Do your friends ever get tired of your expressed fandom of ‘LOST’, and would you consider yourself as an ‘Annoying Lost Fan’?

Thank you very much for your help, I’ll keep you all up to date with how my dissertation is going, as there also maybe more questions to ask!
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[HobbitRockGod]

1. What is the appeal of lost to you? The characters are interesting and well-developed. (Well, most of 'em.) Plus, I'm LOVIN' the Biblical symbolism that became so blatantly obvious in the last season.

2. How many ‘LOST’ forums are you a member of? Uh, just this one, actually.....

3. Do you part take in any fan culture activities? Such as fan fiction, fan videos, fan art, etc? All of the above, tehe. Fan fiction's my main thing. Then vidding, but obviously I have a really hard time focusing on vids.....as for fan art, usually just after I watch an episode and feel like doing it....lol.

4. What would you consider as fan activity apart from the aspects I mentioned? I guess discussing the episode with other fans.

5. Do you look for spoilers, or avoid them? *Try* to avoid them. Sometimes it's hard to resist clicking a spoiler tag. But I tend to stay away from the Spoilers forum on here.

6. Is six seasons enough, or would you rather there be more episodes to come? Six seasons is plenty. I think that's what they planned for, and that's all the story they have. They're going to wrap it up.

7. To what extend does your fandom go? Lol, I'm not sure what you mean....

8. Have you ever attended a ‘LOST’ convention, and if so, how were they conducted, and what did you do at them? No, never been....

9. Would you go to Hawaii to go on the tour of the ‘LOST’ set, and if so, what would you get most excited about seeing? That'd be epically awesome. XD I would love to see that little waterfall where Sawyer and Kate swam in the first season. And all those rocky cliff-things, those sets they use over and over, you know what I mean? Like in Abandoned when the Tailies were taking Sawyer and Michael and Jin back to the main camp....yeah.

10. Do your friends ever get tired of your expressed fandom of ‘LOST’, and would you consider yourself as an ‘Annoying Lost Fan’? Hmm, well, they used to, I think, but I'm not quite as obsessed or vocal about it anymore....however if someone brings it up, I'll definitely wanna keep talking about it.
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art by me&tammy

[Wickedgal]

I'll gladly help you!

1. What is the appeal of lost to you?
It's a great show with many plot twists and believable characters. The show always leaves me breathless with anticipation and I love how emotionally involved the show gets you.

2. How many ‘LOST’ forums are you a member of?
Just this one.

3. Do you part take in any fan culture activities? Such as fan fiction, fan videos, fan art, etc?
All of the above, mostly fanfic though.

4. What would you consider as fan activity apart from the aspects I mentioned?
Discussing the show with other lost fans, collecting lost items such as magazines etc, visiting lost forums etc.

5. Do you look for spoilers, or avoid them?
I try to avoid them if possible but I always peek at one or two if I'm bored lol.

6. Is six seasons enough, or would you rather there be more episodes to come?
I have mixed feelings about that. I'm sad that the show is ending and would love another season but I understand the story has to wrap up sometime and so I think I'm ok with there being just six seasons.

7. To what extend does your fandom go?
I collect lost magazines, have lost posters, actively seek out lost related articles and stuff and rewatch my favourite episodes over and over if thats what you mean.

8. Have you ever attended a ‘LOST’ convention, and if so, how were they conducted, and what did you do at them?
Nah, never been. Would've loved to have gone to one though...

9. Would you go to Hawaii to go on the tour of the ‘LOST’ set, and if so, what would you get most excited about seeing?
Hell yeah! I'd love to see the Banyan trees setting where Charlie was hung and I'd love to see where it all started and perhaps see the caves setting too.

10. Do your friends ever get tired of your expressed fandom of ‘LOST’, and would you consider yourself as an ‘Annoying Lost Fan’?
I'm probably a bit annoying as a fan but usually I keep my lost obsession to myself, so it doesn't really bother my friends as I don't really mention it.
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[nightdancer342]

1. What is the appeal of lost to you?

A large attraction for me is the many dimensions the show offers, and the development of the characters. I like the drama and the mystery, but that wouldn't be interesting if it was centered around characters I didn't care about. There's also a lot of hidden philosophy and it features a lot of symbolism with spiritual themes, and those are always fun to discuss. Also, I think because it's such an interactive show where you have to think about it and be engaged with it. It's not just a mindless show where you can zone out and watch it and you still get the picture.

2. How many ‘LOST’ forums are you a member of?

I don't use forum boards very frequently. I kind of drift to which-ever one I'm feeling at the time. But some sites have people that read spoilers and post them with no warning, and I don't enjoy watching a new episode when I know what's going to happen in advance.

3. Do you part take in any fan culture activities? Such as fan fiction, fan videos, fan art, etc?

Oh yes, all of that. I make fan videos when I can, I have a fan fiction that I work on updating every month, and I also run a role playing game on myspace with a group of very talented writers.

4. What would you consider as fan activity apart from the aspects I mentioned?

Definitely writing on my role playing game, sometimes the show will reference fan sites and we've been winked at before.
THEORIZING! I can spend hours thinking about how the next episode will begin, or what will happen to a certain character. I'm wrong a lot of times, but I seem to be adept at picking out who will die every season.


5. Do you look for spoilers, or avoid them?

I avoid them as much as possible. I used to actually go on spoilertv.net back in seasons 1 and maybe 2, and I realized I was ruining all the fun by not being able to control myself. I have more self restraint now. lol! Every now and again, I'll slip up and look at the guest stars on IMDB- it's spoiled me a little a few times. I don't mind episode summaries and looking up the title of the new episode, or watching the trailer, but I refuse to watch the 2 minute clips that ABC began to place out. It rather ruined the season 4 premiere for me because they showed all the best parts.

6. Is six seasons enough, or would you rather there be more episodes to come?

I sort of wish that there had been more episodes in previous seasons, like season 4 where they really could have made a better story arc. But you know, some seasons are better than others.


7. To what extent does your fandom go?

I might forget the show entirely while it's on hiatus (out of sight, out of mind) but whenever it's on, I'm completely obsessed. I'll collect magazines with Lost actors on the covers, I count down the days to a new episode, spazz out about it when I see it in stores or a preview of a new episode on tv... yeah, it's pretty insane. I also bought an official t-shirt with Dharma logos all over it- I'm ripping it out on season premiere day!

8. Have you ever attended a ‘LOST’ convention, and if so, how were they conducted, and what did you do at them?

I wish! No, I haven't attended a lost convention. I live way too far away from the action, sadly.

9. Would you go to Hawaii to go on the tour of the ‘LOST’ set, and if so, what would you get most excited about seeing?

Oh yes, if I had unlimited amount of money... totally. I would like to see the houses at the barracks, and the swan hatch (but they probably tore that down)

10. Do your friends ever get tired of your expressed fandom of ‘LOST’, and would you consider yourself as an ‘Annoying Lost Fan’?

Oh, I'm probably annoying because I'm like the encyclopedia of Lost, I know dates and times, and minor characters, and time lines, and all the inconsistencies (haha! I have to know everything to run an RPG that is so strict to the time-lines, so it's not all just useless knowledge) luckily, I have a sister who is just as obsessed so we can obsess about it together. My friends don't get tired of it, I wouldn't talk about the show to a non-fan... that's why I convert all my friends into Losties so we can have discussions!
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New account/other vids (my other account is on it's last leg with copyright notices)::

http://www.youtube.com/geminivids

[Belle MacFarlane]

1. What is the appeal of lost to you?
It broadens over mystery, sci-fi, action, romance and character easily and smoothly, with the genres sliding in comfortably with each other, instead of it seeming choppy like other shows.

2. How many ‘LOST’ forums are you a member of?
4 - Lostpedia, ABC, MEFB and LVI. But I never go on Lostpedia and ABC, it's mainly LVI and occasionally MEFB.

3. Do you part take in any fan culture activities? Such as fan fiction, fan videos, fan art, etc?
All of the above. Videos most often, fiction fairly often and fan art occasionally.

4. What would you consider as fan activity apart from the aspects I mentioned?
Loyalty, incorporating it into your everyday life (such as you with the dissertation). Following the show right to the end, even if you think it's going downhill (which it isn't).

5. Do you look for spoilers, or avoid them?
I did look for them, but as soon as they got further into season 6, I started avoiding them, so I wouldn't get any huge spoilers.

6. Is six seasons enough, or would you rather there be more episodes to come?
I'm gonna be really depressed and eat only McDonald's as comfort food for about a month after it ends, but I do think it has to end somehow, and six seasons is enough to get it done - even if season 4 was a bit of a waste of a season

7. To what extend does your fandom go?
I'm just as obsessed with the show when it's off-air as I am when it's on. With such a broad amount of episodes, and such deep meaning in almost every scene, there's always more you can do and see with the show, even if you haven't had a new episode in 6 or 7 months.

8. Have you ever attended a ‘LOST’ convention, and if so, how were they conducted, and what did you do at them?
I've never had the chance, they're all in America

9. Would you go to Hawaii to go on the tour of the ‘LOST’ set, and if so, what would you get most excited about seeing?
Yes, that is like a dream! I'd love to see Dharmaville and some of the DHARMA stations... but the main thing I'd like to see is the cast, as they are the core of the show. They're on the front line - even if the writing is bad, they get shot down for it, they have to put up with it.

10. Do your friends ever get tired of your expressed fandom of ‘LOST’, and would you consider yourself as an ‘Annoying Lost Fan’?
Oh, all the time. I'm one out of only three girls in our class who are hardcore LOST fans, the rest don't really care for it. When the three of us get together, the other girls know to avoid us because we'll be talking about LOST. Even my mum gets tired of it - she's convinced the last scene will be 815 landing in LA, but we've had countless heated discussions where I've got annoyed because she won't listen when I say that whatever happened happened, and if there is a reset, it'll happen at the start of the season, not the end. But she won't listen to me, and sometimes gets annoyed that I get so worked up about it.
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[fearandloathin]

thanks for the replies guys! keep it up! I still need more responses!
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[thefilmchick]

Hey Zoe! If responses are going to be anonymous, here is mine. I'd rather not reveal personal information, though, so take or leave as you will.

1. What is the appeal of lost to you?

As it says in my profile, I view it like I view 'The Prisoner,' the show I love most in the world (classic mind-screw show that was gloriously unhinged). To that end, I want Lost to give me mysteries, adventure, and keep me guessing. I'm not really interested in the relationships angle or the angst angle, and would prefer both of those kept to a minimum. On a shallow level, Josh Holloway and Naveen Andrews are both easy on the eyes.

2. How many ‘LOST’ forums are you a member of?

In my life, three. Right now, just this one, and I've only just returned to it after two-plus years away.

3. Do you part take in any fan culture activities? Such as fan fiction, fan videos, fan art, etc?

I used to write fanfiction as a de-stresser. I haven't for years. Now that I'm making videos again, I'll mess around with Photoshop, but I don't consider that 'fan art' because I'll mess around with anything in Photoshop (it's just something to use as practice, so to speak, as opposed to something publishable. Obviously, I made (and currently make) videos, but it's more for the sake of the songs than the show.

4. What would you consider as fan activity apart from the aspects I mentioned?

N/A.

5. Do you look for spoilers, or avoid them?

I avoid them. Since a large part of my interest in the show is seeing whether the mind-screw aspects are played out and things come to an interesting conclusion, spoilers to me are anathema.

6. Is six seasons enough, or would you rather there be more episodes to come?

It should have been four or five. There's been a lot of filler from seasons 2-halfway through 5.

7. To what extend does your fandom go?

(Extent.) Just making videos and stuff at the moment. I'm a working professional, so to speak, so I keep my fandom stuff at a low key beyond watercooler chatter. I'd never buy a T-shirt (unless it was something really funny that I could wear around the house) or a fan magazine.

8. Have you ever attended a ‘LOST’ convention, and if so, how were they conducted, and what did you do at them?

Hell no.

9. Would you go to Hawaii to go on the tour of the ‘LOST’ set, and if so, what would you get most excited about seeing?

Don't care. There are more interesting places to visit in the world! Just watch 'The Fall' if you doubt me.

10. Do your friends ever get tired of your expressed fandom of ‘LOST’, and would you consider yourself as an ‘Annoying Lost Fan’?

Nope. As said before, I keep this under my hat. I'll talk about it if other people whom I know like the show bring it up, but I don't tend to talk about it out of hand in some scarily obsessed way. (The only thing I remember over the past few weeks was that a student in my class asked me if I knew the winning lottery numbers and, as a joke, I gave him Hurley's numbers. He got it. That's about as far as I'll go, though.)

I may be a bit of an anomaly in your study!
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I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's. His hair was perfect.

[fearandloathin]

[thefilmchick]

You can use my handle here (you don't need to put 'Anonymous'), but I would prefer you not use my name (I go by my first two initials and last name in a lot of places, so it's not hidden, but... you get the idea.) Thanks!

Also, since I work in academia, I'd be interested in seeing a copy of the study when it's done. Do you plan on distributing it?
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I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's. His hair was perfect.

[Athena Alexandria]

You're doing your dissertation on Lost?! That's so awesome. Is that for honours? I did mine on comics/graphic novels.
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[fearandloathin]

Hello all again, to answer some frequently asked questions (not just asked on this forum):

1. Will the responses be shown as anonymous?
I will respect all your privacy. The only one who will see your usernames will be my tutors and the invidulators who mark my work.

2. May I see a copy of the study once it's completed?
You may follow the progress as I go along. I have a blog for my media work, which I am using mainly for my dissertation work at the moment. You can follow this on fal108-themediastudent.blogspot.com

@thefilmchick answers I receive and publish on my blog, I will block out the names. You may see the full study yes, and as I mentioned, you may follow my progress as I go along!

@Athena Alexandria haha thank you. Yes, it's just for honors. I'm studying media production, the assignment is a 10,000 essay on a question we have to pick for ourselves, and as I am obsessed with LOST it seemed an obvious and related choice for media!

Some additional questions I need to ask which is vital to my research!

1. How old are you?
2. Are you male or female?
3. What do you do for a living? Are you employed, unemployed, student, retired etc?
4. Are you an aspirer or a homemaker?
5. Do you think ‘LOST’ is for a narrow audience or broad audience?


Thank you all so much for the responses so far! It's a real help, and please continue helping and ask others to take part! It would do so much for my research!

Many thanks,

Zoe (aka fearandloathin/fal)
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[thefilmchick]

1. How old are you? 28.

2. Are you male or female? Female.

3. What do you do for a living? Are you employed, unemployed, student, retired etc? Employed F/T.

4. Are you an aspirer or a homemaker? Aspirer. Probably about 98% so--I have no drive to settle down yet. See 'travel is awesome!'-style comments that I offered above.

5. Do you think ‘LOST’ is for a narrow audience or broad audience? Objectively, a broad audience: the ratings reflect that (or at least used to; haven't looked at them in a few years.) Subjectively, I think it's like Twin Peaks: A lot of people watch it, but the 'core devotee' group is a small one. It's not often easy entertainment a la American Idol, and if you miss a couple episodes here or there, you are probably SOL (feel free to change that to a more academic term, haha.)

However, I think it's got a lot of the Campbellian core narrative elements that make it subconsciously appealing to a broad swath of the populace (antiheroes, mentors, Pyrrhic victories, etc.) I think it's targeted to entertain a broad audience, but to reach a small one.
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I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's. His hair was perfect.

[HobbitRockGod]

1. How old are you? 17
2. Are you male or female? Female
3. What do you do for a living? Are you employed, unemployed, student, retired etc? High school student living the joys of the end of senior year.
4. Are you an aspirer or a homemaker? Er, aspirer?
5. Do you think ‘LOST’ is for a narrow audience or broad audience? Mmm....broad, but only if you've watched from the beginning! It's not a show you can just jump into.
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art by me&tammy

[fearandloathin]

adding a 6th question to the audience research (cuz I was told by a comment on my blog it was a cultural fail to have missed it out)

6. Where are you from?
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[Belle MacFarlane]

1. How old are you?
Would rather not internet-ly announce my age: just say under 18
2. Are you male or female?
Female
3. What do you do for a living? Are you employed, unemployed, student, retired etc?
student
4. Are you an aspirer or a homemaker?
Aspirer. I already done the getting a man part, now it's time for all work and no play
5. Do you think ‘LOST’ is for a narrow audience or broad audience?
Broad in the sense that it covers many many genres - pretty much all to be honest (except musical. They should do that.) but narrow in the sense that you have to be able to concentrate and think about it - if you're slow-minded, LOST is not for you.
6. Where are you from?
Good ol' England
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