Lost Video Island

[LVI Council]

This month's Featured Council Member is the ever lovely and talented Kat (littleton_pace)!



Kat has been a Council Member for over 4 years, and is one of LVI's most loved vidders. In her six years on site, she has submitted a total of 251 vids and is LVI's most-decorated member with a massive 240 VPs! Here's our interview with the Queen of AU!


1) What got you interested in vidding?

Heather Really. The first thing I found when I Googled Lost videos was her "Still On The Bloody Island..." site and I would eagerly go to the video page every day to see if she had uploaded a new one, I was always so excited when a few appeared overnight. And on the far right hand of the screen she would make a note that some of them were entries for contest on Lost Video Island, so I became a member. But I don't think I started posting videos for a really, really long time. We had dial-up internet at the time so I could only watch the shorter vids on here or the smaller file sizes, and those were so intimidating to me. But eventually I dragged those videos into Window Movie Maker and played around with the clips. Around this time I realized LVI had a Clip Request section so that helped me out a lot. I think back now to how primitive my vidding skills were in those days, staring at WMM when it frequently froze hoping it would just unfreeze for one millisecond so I could save the work I had spent hours on and then resigning myself to the fact that I would have to close it and vid all over again. And these days I've been known to make a video in a day. My how times change!

2) Do you have a tip, trick, or technique you'd like to share?

If you're making an AU, search for audio. It's all well and good to have a story in your mind but you have to sell it, and writing it out in full in the summary is kind of pointless. The video should tell the story by way of conversations, audio, manips, etc. It's a hell of a lot harder but so rewarding when you finish.

My advice to any vidder starting out would be to find your own way of vidding. Everyone has a different style and you'll find you have strengths in some areas more than others. If you attempt to copy another video you won't be as pleased with the outcome because you'll always compare it to that video you saw originally. You have to vid what you want to vid the way you want to vid it. Don't put stuff in there because you think people would like to see it, put it there because you want it there. If you're happy with the final product you finish then that's the important thing - even if no one watches it! Some of my favourite videos I've made are my least watched/voted on YouTube, and it doesn't bother me at all because I love the video!

3) What are your favorite current fandoms?

Well, top of the list is The Walking Dead which beats out Lost only because it's on air right now. But Lost will always be my first beloved fandom, its the show that got me online searching for vids in the first place. Then once I'd figured that out I was able to vid Charmed, which has to be my first proper fandom. As well as those, I'm a huge fan of Falling Skies, Modern Family, The Office, Fringe, Damages, Parks & Recreation, Raising Hope, Homeland, Big Love, Private Practice, CSI: Vegas, Law & Order: SVU & Criminal Intent, American Dad and Family Guy. I'll give anything a look, but if it doesn't grab me a three or four eps in I kick it to the curb, with the one exception being Fringe. I blame added love for Josh and Anna for that.

4) What was your first vid and what is your favorite vid you've done?

My first vid I believe was a ConMama one, I think Heather had made one on her site and then I'd seen ConMama fans here on LVI and lost-forum (back when it was running normally) and became obsessed with such an awesome pairing, I knew I wanted my first video here to be about them. I loved the idea that Sawyer would die and Claire would be seeing him around the island for some reason. Angst from the start, foreshadowing my vidding future I guess.

As for favourite videos, well, my favourite thing to do with a video is to have the viewer believe a story that isn't actually true. If I can make you believe Kate and Juliet are a couple, then I'm thrilled. If I can make you believe *insert any of my OC's here* is truly a part of the show, then I'm thrilled. I love vidding ideas that people haven't seen or aren't used to. Of course I love general shippyness as well, but my favourite videos are the ones that even make me go "how the HECK am I gonna do this?"

Saying that, my favourite videos I've made are probably Penthus, TheKindredSacrifice series with Nikki which I still can't believe we accomplished because it seemed so crazy at the time, anything with my original characters, Dialogue, and all my series videos. Too much of an idea to cram into one vid, so I had to split it in three or more Leave Out All The Rest, Open Your Eyes... the list could go on.

5) Do you have any goals as far as skill improvement or dream projects?

I am determined to get better at colouring. Right now I follow tutorials and bug vidders for their colouring on YT because they are just so stunning and I can never get them as perfect as others.

I am never short on vidding ideas, but I like to keep them secret because I'm worried if I type them out online I'll instantly lose the mojo for it. Plus I love when people have a "WTF?" reaction to my videos because they had no idea that's what was going to come next so I prefer to keep my stories close to my chest.

6) How do you come with the story for your AUs? Do you know all the details going in, or do you let the plot form organically from the clips as you find them?

It really depends on the story. For example, my video Someone Else's Tomorrow came to me when I was without my laptop so I wrote out the lyrics and put clip/audio ideas next to each one. Then I got my laptop back and vidded it instantly. Sometimes I have the start of an idea and don't know how it will finish or even what kind of video to make, but I know I want to do something. For example when Rebecca Mader appeared in Fringe, I wanted to make a crossover with Lost and (along with Nikki) figured out an idea around that. Detail is very important to me. If something specific happens (character losing a loved one, a death, drug addiction, etc) it's no good to just show the character crying and assume the viewer knows why. Show why they're upset, show the bad moments and the good moments in their life. It makes the payoff that much more satisfying especially if you're creating a completely alternate story than the canon one of the character you're using. But don't be put off by this, everything is viddable. Everything! Some parts just take longer than others.

7) You have some great OCs. How do you choose what actor to use for them?

Picking the actor is always secondary for me, the OC comes first in my head. I know what they look like, and I try and find an actress who fits that mould. And it doesn't do good to pick just anyone. I've had actresses "cast" as OC's and then gotten absolutely annoyed at myself for picking them because they don't fit at all. When I find the right one, I know it always. And generally something will happen in the future that makes me think I was right. Like the actress I picked for a Lost OC will do a movie where she's on a beach, or after I "cast" the actress she will play a character with my OC's name in an upcoming movie/TV show. That makes it right in my head, and I know I've got the right person. Even if I never vid them or make art for them and all I do is write them out, to have that image in my head makes them real to me.

Featured Videos:

open your eyes - pbj/au - A stunningly beautiful PB&J video, showing how Charlie wants to take care of Claire.
I Cried A River Over You - Jate - An extremely powerful, slightly AU, Jate video.
Three of a Kind || Kuliana - A fine example of Kat's ability to create intricate stories using unusual couples...or in this case, a triangle of Lost ladies!

Thank you, Kat! We've loved hearing what you've got to say!

[Im1oftheOceanic6]

Great interview, Kat. I always enjoy your vids.

Loved what you said about, 'everything is viddable'.

Thanks for all the help you've given me over the years with clips. Your Charlie and Claire site has been an amazing resource.

Macaila

[tjmack1986]

amazing interview Kat! You're vids are some of my favorite.
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[Brooke]

This was a very enjoyable read; as one who loves AU stories I really found what you had to say useful.

Great interview

[Uruviel]

Congrats Kat! So glad to have helped you find LVI all those years ago, you've become such a major part of this site! *hugs* Love your interview!
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Heather

[HobbitRockGod]

Whoo-hoo! Loved reading this, Kat! *hugs*
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art by me&tammy

[ciaimpala]

Love this interview! It's so great reading your answers Kat
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[namaste nikki]

Congrats Kat!!!
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[Jemmz]

Great answers, Kat!!

[Charlies_Innocence]

Congrats, Kat! Loved reading your answers! ^_^
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