Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion FoLC Productions Feedback Frustration

Maybe this belongs in the off topic folder, but it's something that's been weighing on my mind for months and I just thought I had to bring it up.

As you may have noticed I changed my last entry and deleted my posts...well I wanted to delete the entire topic but I wasn't given that power and my frustration levels were so high I ended up just deleting it all because the sight of my own words upset me. The reason for my frustration? Lack of feedback, which made me think I was wasting my time even posting my videos in here. Making me think "Oh everyone thinks they suck, where as others are very popular...guess I shouldn't post them anymore." I don't know if this is true or not and really don't even want to know the answer. Maybe some people are more popular than I, but I'd rather believe this isn't high school and that we've all moved past that. Maybe it's just time...maybe there are lots of reasons people fail to feedback some people and give heaps to others. I don't want to sound pety, but sometimes things just bother me that way. I've seen it happen to a lot of people who are hurt by this but don't say anything for the same reason I never did, for looking pathetic for needing the attention. Well, I've done a lot of thinking and I'm past it. I basically don't care if anyone likes or dislikes my videos anymore. Because if I spend days, weeks, months on a video then I've put the work in to it to feel satisfied with myself and what others think no longer matters to me. If I only cared what others thought then I would spend my life trying to please others and I would rather not.

I was also told the streaming video on my site caused problems for some, so I have disabled this and linked the files the old way. I doubt the man who attempted to sell my videos would do it again, or at least I can hope he won't. Right now I have too much on my plate to worry about people like him.

So, I apologize if I alarmed anyone into thinking I was no longer going to make videos. I don't see that happening anytime soon, I have one I'm currently converting to WMV and will post tonight for those interested.

A friend of mine said that maybe people only think people who just started making videos need feedback, but even those who have been doing it for seven years like to be acknowledged as well. I do thank those who always post feedback, Rachel, Kathy, and of course Molsey, and I know others are busy and maybe the enjoy the videos, or maybe they don't. But like I said before, I can't focus on that because then I just get depressed and feel the desire to stop making videos because then I look at it as a waste of time and I don't want to see it that way...ever.

As a personal birthday present to Molsey, who gets another year older today, I've resolved to no longer be so concerned with feedback. She knows how much it gets to me and I just end up stressing or upsetting her which I no longer want to do.

Sorry if this went long, I tend to babble like a brook sometimes.

Well, there can be many reasons for low or zero feedback, Andrea.

In my own case, I've had a problem playing any video posted on these mbs for months now and by now I've given up mostly paying any attention to this folder, let alone dl anything. It's become just a frustrating waste of time. So there you go. One reason that's not designed as a personal insult or because I like one member over another. I'm sure there are others.

I think my new pc may have finally solved this problem. But I doubt I'll have time any time soon to backtrack over what's been posted during the last few months. I'll probably just dl what's posted from this point on and catch up if and when I get a moment, gradually. And I do have to confess that generally, right now, I'm far more interested in Stargate music vids than LNC. But now that I might be able to actually view what's posted here, I think my interest might be reviving somewhat.

In the end though, you very much post anywhere at your own risk. Fdk can't be forced out of people. Making videos for the pleasure of it and treating any fdk as icing on the cake, but not the be all and end all of the experience, is a very healthy attitude to take. And if you've had a problem with people accessing your videos which you've now resolved, I can only imagine that this will give them more opportunity to post fdk in the future.

LabRat

Andrea....


I can´t believe yo actually think people dont care about your videos. You know I´m a true fan of your work... I´ve sent you sooo many e-mails about how much i loved your videos. some of them you didn´t answer me back, but whenever i had your "u´re welcome or thank YOU" responses, it made my day. You´re an inspiration for any movie/trailer maker wanna be like me.
I love your videos!!! you know it´s true. For me you´re one the most (if not the most) *Rachel, i still love you* talented ones around.

Please i beg of you.. keep posting... keep making my day.

You´re

MDL

Just wanted to jump in and say I do love your videos! I don't always have time to watch them all, but you're so talented that I'm sure they're all fantastic. And yeah, feedback comes and goes. I know I don't always get a lot of responses for every single thing I post, but RL is such a busy-body that I don't worry about it.

JD

Andrea-

First off, before I address the feedback concerns...I wanted to give you your overdue feedback. Way back when, before I had my little folcdom hiatus (and when I had a high speed connection to facilitate downloads of this nature), I was surfing around and ran into a music video with Lois and Clark in it. I was delighted that fans had seemed to have branched out from just writing fanfic. Not only did I see a few videos, I saw one of a song I liked, "No Place that Far", so I downloaded it. I absolutely adored it! It made me not just like the song, but love it. In fact, I still sing it at karaoke (yes, I sing karaoke!) and every time I hear it I think of the video. So, I just wanted to let you know this was the first video I ever saw and it remains a favorite to this day. ) is that not everyone has the same tastes. I'm personally not a fan of crossover fics, so I'm not going to read them, and thus you'll get no feedback from me. The same goes for videos. Now, in my case, I don't have a high speed connection, so anything I choose to watch has to be something I *know* I'm going to like, due to the time it takes to download. I'm only going to pick a song that I know and of which I love the lyrics. We have a very diverse selection of people on these boards and their taste will vary just as much. Not everyone likes every type of music, so they will probably only choose videos of the songs they like.

I fear I've rambled on a bit much, but if it's any consolation, *I* feel much better about getting this out. And I truly hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings in all this. Just had to say my piece.

Sara (who will be thoroughly ashamed if this video she downloaded so many years ago wasn't Andrea's )

Sorry you feel this way, Andrea. I am not a big fan of music videos in general, and I only watch them if they are a song that I really love -- and then I usually just listen to the song and let the images play in the background underneath another program. So that's why I don't leave feedback for you or anyone else.

The same is true for fanfic. I haven't been montivated to read anything in a few months. I've read some vignettes, but I haven't followed a longer story since before the spring semester was over (April? May?) and I just haven't started reading one.

I generally don't comment on fanfic any more because my comments tend to be kind of abrasive rather than glowing "I love this -- more more more". I've learned that it's better to keep my mouth shut and not hurt people's feelings in a lot of cases. I like to "comment the way I want my story to be commented on" (because I love constructive criticism), but I've learned it never works that way.

Now that I have stopped giving feedback, I am a lot more tolerant of people not commenting on my stories. True, I used to think it was a popularity contest, and to some extent I still do (only when it comes to people chosing which stories they will begin reading in the first place if they have time to read just one or two). And that is just a matter of personal preference. If an author has a history of writing next-gen stories exclusively, I am more likely to ignore their story and read someone's stories who ususally tend towards waffy revelations or waffy getting together stories. I'll generally give the other story a chance once it hits the archive.

So, Andrea, please don't be discouraged. I left the fandom years ago for just such reasons. I thought people were completely ignoring me and I got really upset about it. Now I've realized, it's not worth raising your blood pressure over .

- Laura

I don't download many videos. I'd love to, but my connections are a) very slow and b) very unstable. There's just no way I could download a video in less than 2 hours.

Given how you lately didn't offer the option of downloading the video (no offence - I understand how that ******* must have made you feel), it was virtually impossible to download something temporarily just to watch it once. So you that's why you haven't seen any feedback from me. Which reminds me... I don't know if I've told you this, but I have downloaded 3 of your videos - Crazy for you, Invisible and This Kiss - and they're awesome!! Now that the option of downloading is open too, I began downloading I Won't Lie and will send you my fdk soon.

One more thing. As a not-so-popular writer, I understand your frustration about the lack of feedback. Our ego needs some boosting every so often. But I think you're one of the most loved video creators and I'm glad you won't stop making new ones.

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Thank you for the replys guys, I really didn't expect it. I recieved some very mean emails when it came to some of my fics so I stopped putting those up, well from just one person but it upset me. Now I just write for me as well, and same with the videos. But I do have a friend who stopped writing fanfic for lack of feedback reasons so it has been on my mind.

I didn't realize there was a problem with the streaming because I had tested it on three of my computers, and one was a dial up, but I guess different circumstances can affect different people.

I don't expect everyone to love my videos,or even like or tollerate, I choose songs because they "hit" me. Some artists I do avoid for my own reasons, there is a pretty extensive list and most are younger than me, and I avoid watching those videos for my own reasons as well.

Oh and Sara, No Place That Far is mine, it's one of the many I still need to "redo" with my new equipment. I've already redone quite a few which is what I do when I'm blocked when it comes to making any new videos.

Andrea

I really love your videos.

I don't say much b/c I am not very articulate and have difficulty in varying my responses. I do not want to go to every one and say "wow" and "great job" for fear of sounding fake and redundant. I often wait and if something strikes my fancy - "oh that sounds like it has a different angle of observation, etc...." - then I'll post.

My posts are usually all at once and I feel odd when my name is all over the place. So sometimes I retreat.

I do find myself watching yours over and over again. I play them while I clean the room where my computer resides. I love the old and the new. In fact, I fancy the first version of "At the Beginning" over the newer one b/c I love Lois' stare in the beginning. I think that is one of the first ones I ever watched. The second one is still cool in my opinion - don't worry!

In the one where you feature a song by Sting - I like the slide in shot of Lois at her desk throwing something in her mouth. I love the pairing with that section of the song. I have always fancied that part of the song over the rest. I'm such a dork b/c sometimes I just watch that part.

I really miss the "Eighth World Wonder" one. I do hope it is eighth or I'll feel very pink in the cheeks.

B*itch and Miss Independent ROCK. They make me feel like I can conquer the world. I get that feeling after a really cool marital arts flick (I do martial arts so I kinda get a connection. Oh dear that embarrassing.)

When I saw the Lex/Tempus one - I was like FINALLY. I have been working on a pure Lex one since May. Though only in story board format. I don't know if I can be in the same league as yours.

Reflection made me relieved b/c I wanted a vid for that song. I have one that is 1/4 the way done for the past four months. I've scrapped it. I had an itch and it was scratched.

Crazy for you is cool too. That song I didn't expect, even though it is a fav of mine. Thx.

I have not watched them all though. I don't know why. Hmmmmm.

I guess I should think more highly of my opinion, comments, observations and give it more. I guess my little part does help the whole.

A few I have had trouble viewing b/c my computer says it isn't there to view. I get that white screen with a basic font in the upper right telling me the URL isn't available. I think I e-mailed you about that. Otherwise I have had NO difficulty in accessing your vids. I just wish I never deleted them off my computer. ACK.

I'm in the same boat as you concerning the issue of not getting enough feedback therefor equaling diappointment. I didn't get a lot of feedback on my two (I think two) vids I did. I wasn't too pleased with them and I wanted comments on mine to make it better.

I am too shy to be critical and I often don't have a reason to be when it comes to vids. I think it is all a personal preference.

I have my favourites. But I think I am swayed b/c of the song too. If I can connect with the song and then the clips then I am a happy camper.

You seemed established with your vids so I thought you were a seasoned pro and were just pumping them out and it was difficult for me to get the right words to express my joy over them in an appropriate time frame - sorry. I didn't know you wanted feedback that bad.

(I've been working on this post for 32 minutes - see slow.)

(EDIT - add on 7.)

That is so cr*ppy. If I was writing a fic I'd want all comments out in the open. But that is just me. I'd want to see what others would say about it. Like, how others would support or disagree with an opinion.....oh gee that is too much like an argumentative essay.

I don't see why some should get mad. Ugh. (the people leaving the comments, that is.) It isn't cool when people are mean. Constructive crit. is okay but otherwise

I guess then you have not seen my stuff, little that there is, but that is okay. I will eventually watch everything, when my schedules allows it (can't be too loud here and I have terrible hearing) b/c I like to see everyone's take on Lois and Clark vids, fics or anything else.

I agree with what others have said, that personal preference might have a lot to do with what we read or watch in the first place, assuming we are too busy to watch/read every single fanfic/video that's produced. When I first started getting into L&C music videos back in 1999, I had a 28k modem, so it took hours upon hours to download one video, and that was when my mom had this "2 hour a day" computer rule -- IF I could get past that, IF I'd get to watch a video, I'd always go for the ones that were to songs that I liked and knew well, because then it was almost like a guarantee that, well, I'd like SOMETHING about the video, no matter what! Eventually I'd get around to watching as many as possible but it happened slowly. When that happened, I was introduced to songs I'd never heard before, like "The Sweetest Days" -- that I learned to love thanks to the video.

I hardly read any fanfic these days, and I feel bad about it because I know that so many people work so hard to write them. I choose what to read based on premise, mostly, the short description of it on the archive. I simply don't read anything that doesn't catch my interest immediately. None of those people will ever get my feedback. I feel kinda bad.

I used to write next gen fanfic. Once, it was asked on the fanfic list how people felt about next gen fanfic and a bunch of people said they couldn't stand them and wouldn't even read them. Another time, there was some poll where a bunch MORE people said they hated stories written in the first person and wouldn't even look at a story written in first person. And then there were my fics... next gen, first person fic... and it killed me that so many people wouldn't even give them a chance.

But then there are certain genres of fic that *I* steer clear of, so...

I guess in the end, some people will find your videos or fics and you will have fans and you might have people who don't like them, but don't worry about it. Your fans might not always have the time or words to express what they're thinking right away, or ever, but people still enjoy the work you do.

This goes for everybody -- any artistic thing you do involving L&C that you put out there for FOLCs to see will, I'm sure, be appreciated by somebody, even if just one person... I think that makes putting it out there worth it.

I totally agree with that and I go for that when I do something.

Internal satisfaction that I have completed something too.

Also, I crave attention.

Dualistic personality - I have that at times. I cannot figure out what I want! LOL

Just please keep it up. I need something to keep my life colourful. LOL.

It's a shame when people send "feedback" that is deliberately mean and hurtful. I have received a few of those, and it used to really get to me. Now I shrug them off because I know that such people are generally mean and hurtful people and the problem isn't me, it's them. I suppose my father used to say it best. He said that if people would put as much effort into research as they do into trying to make other people unhappy, we'd have colonies on Mars by now.

I'm only sorry that people stop writing (or creating other forms of art) because some nasty person went out of his/her way to cause distress. It makes those of us who enjoyed the work the poorer for its loss.

I often don't have the time to download videos (I have a dial-up), but I do enjoy them. Yours are very well done, and I usually like the songs you choose to go with them. I suppose I should have left some kind of feedback before, but even we writers goof up sometimes when life gets hectic, and mine has been in fast forward for the better part of a year. I hope this makes up somewhat for the omission.

Also, I hope you'll let me encourage you to post any fanfics you may have written since you stopped posting it. Even if there is the occasional "wet blanket" out there, most of us who read it will appreciate it. This also goes for LnCroxmysox. Some people don't like next gen fanfic, but many do as well. I know, because I have a couple of series that are exactly that kind, and I have plenty of readers who appreciate it. I also know at least three other authors whose work along that line is very well-liked. Not everyone will read it, but enough will that your work won't be wasted.

Nan Smith

That's not cool. I'm sorry that happened to some of you guys.

I second that notion.