Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion FoLC Productions Does anyone else...

...have the problem I have with music videos? I mean, they're a lovely way to rewatch clips from the show, and they're great at highlighting moments you'd forgotten or just glossed over when you were watching the entire episode. But it jars me when characters start speaking, yet you can't hear what they're saying, and instead of their words there's someone on the sound track singing completely different words that don't match the movements of their mouths. It's the same effect, for me, as when the lip-synch goes wrong on TV or film.

Anyone else feel the same? Or am I in a minority of one?

Yvonne

Well, knowing FoLCs and FoLCdom, I'd doubt you were in a minority of one, Yvonne. Don't think we're capable of having a minority of one on any subject.

But, speaking only for me - no, I don't have a problem with that. For me, it kind of goes with the territory, it's always been the purpose of music vids. You replace the dialogue with music.

So, no, can't say I've ever thought of it that way.

Sure someone out there has though.


LabRat

I don't think it drives me nuts, but I definitely prefer it when they use clips where the characters aren't saying anything. I.e. action ones, or have Lois & Clark stare into each other's eyes, etc. So in some ways I'm with you, Yvonne.
But I prefer trailers to music vids anyways--I don't know almost any of the songs people use (except for the classical or Yanni ones, and I recognized Holding Out for a Hero when I saw the vid--probably from hearing it on the Pilot), plus I'm hugely fanfic-oriented (only ever watched up to Witness so far, didn't have the eps before). And with a trailer you get to hear the dialogue, mostly, for the trailer's purposes. I guess I am with you on that, then. So you are no longer in a minority of one.

Hey, definitely agree with you on this one. That's why I do my best to look for clips that don't have them speaking. Hard to do sometimes, but I think it makes it just that much better.

Sara

No, it's not a problem for me. I just replace the emotion of the song with the image. And the fact that the actors speak or not don't bother me at all. It's no big deal when you're just feeling the emotion, the feelings of the moment. It's why I enjoy the music videos: we can feeling more than understanding with the words of a script what happened in the hearts of the characters.

Talking of which - anyone else remember Corrine's Set Too Music vids? Those were done on videotape and she mailed them through the post. She went to so much trouble to put a twin track on them, so you could have the dialogue or the music.

There were two of those that I especially adored. One that went through the four seasons, with a clip for every episode (Through The Years?) And...Te Adoro? Something like that.

Wish her vids had made it online. They were definitely worth a look. (Think I've seen a couple of them up, but not all).

LabRat

I think it depends on the scenario.

Sometimes it's distracting and pulls you out of the moment, but sometimes it adds to the effect.

Case in point: the 'Predictable' video by Jen.
There's one scene that stands out in my mind, about 2 and a half minutes in, the revelation scene in from TF is used and you can make out what Lois says after she slaps Clark ('And don't pretend that hurt, Superman), to the lyrics of "I knew it all along, you're so predictable."
I don't know if that was planned or if it was a lucky coincidence, but I thought it was excellent. It really added to the overall effect of the video.

Now that I've comfortably justified my position on the fence, I'll be off

Doesn't bother me in the least. But then I'm so very used to the lips/dialogue discrepancy from living in a country where only satellite networks don't broadcasted *dubbed* movies that it probably explains a lot.

Kaethel

Good point, K! I can see how that would help you ignore any discrepancies.

Poussin, your point also helped me understand why this doesn't trouble some people. Perhaps I'm less of a mood person than some.

In a way, it's weird that I even have this problem because I hardly ever pay attention to the lyrics of songs. All I hear is a nice tune with a fantastic accompaniment.

It's not all about weird lip-synch, either. Some of it is a feeling that someone's pulled the plug on the sound - their mouths are moving but no sound is coming out. It's like watching a film with the sound turned down. And if it looks like they're saying something interesting, I want to turn the volume back up.

A question - do people pretty much know what the characters are saying when they're watching music videos? Are the chosen scenes ones that you're so familiar with that you know what's being said, or at least the gist of what they're saying?

Yvonne