Sweet Charity Video: Still Breathing (Spike, BtVs, AtS)

[charmax]

Video Title: Still Breathing
Song Title/Artist: Still Breathing - Duran Duran
Character/Fandom: Spike, BtVs, AtS
Summary:Spike's redemption song
Length/Format: 4.06 (Xvid)
Notes: What it says on the tin image, commissioned as part of the Sweet Charity Auction, RAINN 2.0.

This is very much a character study of remorse and redemption. The parallels are to show where he's been, how far he's come and how far he still has to go in a geographical sense but more in a personal journey towards becoming a hero. It's also about how he can't escape his past because the same situations keep arising but this time he reacts differently. It's about never going back to his old self or repeating the same mistakes.

My buyer is happy so that makes me happy. :)

Thank you so much xandra_ptv, messyjessie58 & giandujakiss for your helpful beta comments. Sorry if it was you that missed out on the beta process, in total I had 6 opinions on this (which is way more than I usually have) and I had to draw the line somewhere.

Download Xvid (720x400 - 50MB)
Download Xvid (480x272 - 27MB)
stream @ imeem

Feedback is extremely welcome.

Comments

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Haha! What a brilliant reaction. I definitely rediscovered my Spike love with this. Thank God for slo-mo fights. :D

[charmax.livejournal.com]

It's great that you were able to get so much out of the vid. You've picked up on all the key points I wanted to get across. I wasn't sure they were clear to anyone outside my head. I'm thrilled you can "read" the vid.

Thank you so much for commenting!

[countessmary.livejournal.com]

I'm random as all get out... but Lily The Pink just came on my iPod and I started cracking up laughing thinking about your video to it. :) My friend and I actually sang that song in the middle of a poetry night one time. :)

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Wow that's a blast from the past and that must've been a raucous poetry night. Sounds like the beer was really flowing. At least you didn't do a rendition of "Four and Twenty Virgins" or "The Good Ship Venus" lmao.

[countessmary.livejournal.com]

There wasn't even beer... I just felt like singing... eventually people just join in. :)

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

you know, I fangirl your vids just a lil bit. or...more than a little :) you have such a great sense of timing...the clips become *part* of the music in a way I rarely see achieved. and then you go and lend new meaning to old canon and...yup. see me, fangirling you.

always a joy to watch. thanks.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Heee what a lovely comment! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed this vid so much and my other vids too, *blush*. Anyway, thank you and I hope you'll enjoy my future works.

[kellykcmom.livejournal.com]

Hi ~ That was amazing! I loved all the newer clips from Angel mixed in with the ones from Buffy! It was crisp and clear and a pleasure to watch! :) Ahhhh but when is Spike NOT a pleasure to watch huh? Really wonderful work!! Thanks for making it available to download! ~ Kelly *I would like to add you as a friend so I can watch for more videos! If you would consider me as a friend that would be fabulous!

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback and for the friend! It's not going to be a regular occurrence that I have Spike/James vids so if you change your mind about the friend bit then that's ok. :)

[kellykcmom.livejournal.com]

Hi ~ I didn't realize that you had a Journal! I have a page on youtube that is entirely set with videos with Buffy and Spike!

http://youtube.com/profile?user=kellykcmom

I am not talented enough to create the amazing videos on my page! I just share the videos that I love from my collection with everyone else!

Tonight on your page I recognized the name Charmax immediately as the creator and vidder of a popular vid on my page. It was posted Aug 12th, 2006.

It's "Wannabe - Angel/Spike" It has -
85 ratings, It's Been Viewed: 12,260, It has 40 Comments, and has been favorited by fans: 246 times

http://youtube.com/watch?v=X0XRDyoEMkw

I sincerely appologize for posting without permission but I did not know how to get a hold of you. And So many of the Buffy Vid Sites are now closed.

I did not take any credit for the video. My descriptions states clearly that you are the gifted vidder.

I would love to leave it on for the people that have favorited it. If you would like me to remove it just let me know!

Thanks for your time ~ Kelly

[charmax.livejournal.com]

I presume you originally downloaded my vids from my site Bronze Ambition? Under each and every video on my main site there is a polite notice "These videos are not to be re-posted anywhere without specific permission. Linking to the page is fine." Either you didn't see that notice or you chose to ignore it for whatever reason.

And at the end of all my vids it says "Edited by Charmax" or a variation on that, a quick search via Google and I can be found. As well as many of the other vidders that you choose to take form, presumably, without consent.

I'm very glad you came forward to tell me about this but I would prefer you take all my vids down. Yes, even with my name attached.

For streaming purposes I have an imeem account http://charmax.imeem.com you are more than welcome to direct your friends there.

[kellykcmom.livejournal.com]

Hi ~ I'll take it down right away! Again I'm sorry that it was posted. I've had it in my folder a long time and had long forgotten what site it was from! If anyone asks for it I'll refer them to your site!
Thanks again for your time! ~ Kelly

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Thank you for respecting my wishes on this and so quickly. I appreciate it!

[obsessive24.livejournal.com]

This is a gorgeous vid Charmax. I love your colour work and the clip choice is wonderful and full of connection. I love that he is both trying so hard to get to being a hero but also feeling as though he's perpetually running in circles. The parallel of Buffy and Fred, in particular, I thought was very strong and emotional. Wonderful stuff!

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Cheers, Nicky. I found it quite difficult to do something with Spike that I hadn't seen before. The song was a great asset in that respect and really forced me to think. "Perpetually running in circles" is a very good way to describe it. His determination that he is "never going back there again" is constantly challenged.

Thanks for commenting and good luck with your VividCon projects I'm sure they'll be awesome.

[muccamukk]

This is really amazing. I'm just getting into this fandom, so I can't pick up on about 70% of the subtleties, but even to a newbie it's really gorgeous. Your editing is perfect, I think.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It's great to know the fandom is still picking up new recruits.

[oxoniensis.livejournal.com]

That was gorgeous, and heartbreaking too. I kept getting the sense of how hard his decisions were, how much he had to fight himself to get where he wanted to be.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. Vidding this aspect of Spike was quite a challenge so it's good to have it described as heartbreaking.

[bradcpu.livejournal.com]

I've been meaning to tell you this for ages, charmax, but I just *adore* this. It just aches with this slow burn, and you feel it in every pulse of the music. Maybe the best expression of Spike's...well... existence that I've ever seen in a vid. Feels quite timeless.

On a more technical level, there's beautiful pacing, and I love your use of cool blue and firelight yellow throughout. It reminds me a little of Candleburn in how well you've mastered the connection between color and emotion here.

Also, *terrific* song choice. The lyrics - and the way you show them off - are just absolutely perfect. Got a chill at "I'm just waiting for a good day."

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Hey, Brad.

I wish I could take credit for the song but the sweet charity vidder gave it to me with the brief of it being Spike leaving Sunnydale or LA. I combined it with an idea I'd had for a while about comparing Spike in AtS with Spike in the later seasons of BtVS and this was the result. I am very pleased with how it turned out so I'm ridiculously pleased when anyone shows it some love but particularly when it's someone I know loves the source.

Thank you very much.

[hunenka.livejournal.com]

This is the greatest Spike vid I've ever seen. I love the parallels... It's so perfectly made, it's a PLEASURE to watch it. I totally love it. I think you're a genius. Thanks for making this vid!

[dualbunny.livejournal.com]

Can you tell I'm catching up on vids tonight? ;D Well, comments anyway. Hard to resist watching new vids from you immediately, even if I don't have time to squee. ;]

First off--I *love* how this starts with the amulet imagery. The opening of the song *sounds* crystalline to me, so that was just genius. And the visual parallels work so beautifully. But beyond the visual matches, the mood parallels and contrasts are just spot on. There is so much respect and care for the source in this. And as someone who has vidded Spike and watched a lot of Spike vids, you've managed, again, to make me feel like I'm seeing something new. It's introspective, but keeps such a nice edge with bitterness and hope constantly at odds.

And towards the end at 3:35--with the clouds. Gah, gorgeous.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Yep, I gathered it was feedback night for you.

I really do feel proud of this one so I will gladly take any love it gets, but especially from someone who really knows how to vid Spike. Trying to get a fresh angle on Spike wasn't easy but I got there in the end. No more Spike vids for me though (at least not in the foreseeable future)

I think the clouds are pretty too. :D

[beerbad.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to note that this is on my list of favorite vids of 2007 (http://beerbad.livejournal.com/214348.html)! :)