SPN Vid Recs

[zimshan]

This list has been in the works FOR THE LONGEST TIME. Literally, the first thing I did when I finished catching up with this show was hunting down vids. But a couple different people had been asking about them lately and I figured, hey, I should finally post that list!

If there is one thing the SPN fandom is endowed with, its a wealth of absolutely FABULOUS vids. I started this list months ago as a means to keep track of them all, with a plan to post it as a master vid rec post when I got around to it. And the list has been growing consistantly ever since.

---

10+
'Born To Kill' (Dean) - by ringwench - Its more than the less you say you do/It's more than the shot that gets you through/Born to buy into something - This is THE SPN vid to beat for me. I've totally had a love affair with it since I first found it. Lyrically the song is pretty simple but the visual and musical aspects are matched up so well to give the vid more POWER than anything I've seen from this fandom so far. Honestly, my words do it no justice. So I'll just say, if there was one vid for you to download, this would be the one.

'Bricks' (Cast) - by sockkpuppet - I work hard everyday...'Cause I've got bills to pay - This whole vid is just so visually stunning, I have no words. Not only is about as sharp as anything you could ever find, the video source palette just GLOWS, quite literally. It's centered on the idea of the job, why they do it, what weight they carry throughout it all, and what it costs them. It implements this nifty brick metaphor from the speech in Devil's Advocate, 'Who are you carrying all those bricks for anyway?' with an interesting mash-up song of Aretha Franklin and Metallica's "Enter Sandman", arguably THE song for this show. If you haven't seen this one yet, SHAME ON YOU. Is all I have to say. :)

'All That I Am' (John, Sam, Dean) - by lithium_doll - And I breath so you breath / Let me stand so you'll stand / With all that I am - This is a vid that's been widely recced around my flist at least, but it no less deserves its spot up here. The gem of this is in the lyrical matchup which if you really concentrate on hearing and following, you will be rewarded. They so powerfully depict the Winchesters that if it doesn't make you just the little bit misty-eyed? There might be something wrong with you. Equally fabulous is the editing which especially takes fantastic advantage of the music's unexpected bangs to really propel the vid. The only thing I'd love to change is Rob Thomas singing the damn thing, but I'm known to have a particular HATRED for the man and his voice so maybe that doesn't bother anyone else.

Hemorrage (Brothers)- by wistful_fever - Dragging the waters til the depths give up their dead/What did you expect to find?/Was it something you left behind? - This vid is just a horrible punch in the gut. OF COURSE, I mean that in only the BEST WAY POSSIBLE. I hardly ever read fic in this fandom, but I had stumbled on a rec by morgandawn of this vid paired with a fic, because each had quite coincidentally ended up dealing with the same idea. It's a more abstract idea than most vids are, probably moreso because it's a song that I've heard hundreds of times before and never really gave a thought about the lyrics. But if you read THIS fic (equally fabulous in all of its horrible hurtiness) first to better understand where the vid will be coming from and THEN watch, I assure that that punch will hurt. In only the best way possible, OF COURSE.

'Two Step' (Dean and Sam) - by sockkpuppett - Do you believe that we might last a thousand years/Or more if not for this, our flesh and blood/It ties you and me right up/Ties me down - I’m not sure if I can adequately discuss this vid because I just love THAT much. For the easy answer? I will say, if you love Sam? If you love Dean? If you love Sam and Dean? Download this NOW. For the longer answer? Well, if you'd excuse me while I gush all over the place...
This vid focuses on the chaos that has erupted in each of the boys' minds since hearing The Secret, showing Dean’s determination to save Sam, along with their fears that the dark side is creeping up on Sam anyway. It brings a great deal of question to their ending, suggesting that their doom is inevitable and as they walk side by side, they only wonder where and when will it be. Despite this, the vid doesn't focus on just the devastation, and specifically brings in times of fun and happiness which together succeeds in bringing out the emotional core of the show. It’s power is propelled the fantastically smooth editing of short, fast clips, paying close attention to all the texture the music provides, keeping a tight narrative structure, and through the intensive focus on character expressions, this vid just perfectly captures the bond these two share. The lyrics don’t even kick in until after over a minute but damn if it doesn’t grab you within the first ten seconds to completely tug at your heartstrings. This vid is epic proportions of wonderful and deserves to be treasured, by SPN fans and vidders alike.
For a Fabulous Review of this Vid...
Author's Discussion

---

10

'Hey, Pretty' (The Impala) - by astartexx - Hey pretty, don't you wanna take a ride with me - This might just be my favorite thing ever. Because OMG THE MOST PERFECT IMPALA VID YOU COULD POSSIBLY DREAM UP. And I believe that is all I have to say.

'Blind' (Dean POV on Sam) - by starsouls1013 - Don't go and leave me, and please don't drive me blind - Watch, read her notes, and then watch again. The construction of this vid is just to be amazed and admired. Fabulously thought out with layers of ideas all conveyed through lyrical and visual matchups and crystal clear editing. There is a layered and progressive narrative structure implemented which showcases the steps Sam took throughout the first season to finally listen to Dean by the finale, covered from bookend to bookend. And she totally gets a cookie from me for going for the less obvious metaphor over the easier choiced literal visual on one particular line repeated over and over.

'What It Feels To Be A Ghost' (Dean) - by astartexx - Bypassed everything and went straight for the neck - This vid took me awhile to grow onto. Mostly, because while the lyrics make for a perfect Dean song, I couldn't seem to get past the artist's very typical pop punk voice which I felt clashed with the source. It improves as the song goes on though as the song finds its place to gel with the material, and by the bridge, the vid shows its power. But the real fascination is the incredibly intricate detail of numerous overlaid clips all working at once, just perfect in portraying the multi-layered character of Dean. You've got to have a quick eye for this one. Blink and you'll miss it. Even more so, give this vid a chance and rewatch it a couple times. The more times you watch it, the more you'll pick up from it, and the more you'll love it. Guaranteed.

'Watch The Sky' (Sam) - by astartexx - There's things that are worth giving up/I know, but I won't let this get me/I will fight, you live the life you're given with the storms outside - I made the vast mistake of letting the choice of a Something Corporate song for SPN cloud my judgement of this vid the first time I watched. Then a few months later I went back to it again, this time actually listening and watching, and I was blown away. She decided to take the idea of Sam slowly accepting the life of the road and job and instead of ending on a note of simple peace and agreement, turning it to a much...darker conclusion. It is definitely one of the strongest constructed Sam characterization vids I've seen yet.

NEW! The Good Fight (Winchesters) - dragonfly_sq1 - Fabulous two season wrap (up to 216) to instrumental music. Fabulous power and propulsion.

---

9
'Too Sick To Pray' (John) - by lithium_doll - Don't call the doctor, I'm gonna get better/Don't run for the priest, I'm gonna find my faith/Just because I burned my bible, it don't mean I'm too sick to pray - Every so often a vid comes out that so perfectly captures a character that you think, 'That's it. No other vid needs to be made for that one.' This, in my opinion, is that vid for John. It just completely encapsulates him and his twisted devotion to the mission. The song is perfect, the lyrics are perfect, the editing is spot-on, and everything is used to the utmost to bring out the fabulous grey confliction this character possessed. Consumed by his obsession to bring justice to those who have harmed his love ones.

'God Says Nothing Back' (Sam) - by morgandawn - This is probably the most unique vid I've seen, using some absolutely stunning visual imagery. But it took me a couple of rewatches to appreciation the narrative on Sam's character progression of the season. Watch, read her notes, and then watch several times more. I swear, the more I watch it, the more I love it.

'What It Is To Be' (Dean) - by merathanel - This is powerful instrumental piece that just never fails to completely BLOW ME AWAY. EVERY SINGLE TIME. There isn't much more you could ask for. This vid IS Dean. In a nutshell. No words are needed.

'The Way We Get By' (Brothers) - by charmax - And this is a vid that never fails to put a smile on my face. It's the brother's at their lightest, as their silly, joking, pranking selves. JUST. PLAIN. FUN. Also works as a fabulous recruiter vid since it is basically non-spoilery.

'Decree' (The Demon) - by astartexx - Get your subliminal decree/And your false security/Be all that you can be - This is probably the most interesting idea I've seen in SPN fandom, to center a vid on The Demon's POV. It surprising works incredibly well, in a large part because this song fits chillingly well as a tone of Evil laughing and snickering down at the Winchester family. Quite creepy to say the least. Fabulously edited as usual.

---

8
'See That My Grave Is Kept Clean' (John) - by killabeez - This is a slower paced but no less wonderful vid that works as the perfect eulogy for John in wake of his death, with an acoustic-played song and a Midwestern feel that sets a perfect mood for both John and the series as a whole.

'Come On, Angel' (Dean) - by wistful_fever - They were selling pieces of heaven and I thought hey, what about me? - By every rule I know, this song should not work for Dean. But it quite miraculously does. I'm not sure how. I'd like to just blame it on the piano keys of lone hope and despair, but really its to the amazing credit of the vidder that she was able to make it work so well.

'Soldiering' (Dean) - by astartexx - And keep soldiering on, 'til its done - This is all about Dean dealing with John's death in S2. The song doesn't have the peaks and valleys a normal good vid song would feature, it's rather slow throughout, but the visual aspects are stunning enough to make up for it and the length is shortened for maximum effect.

'Destination Darkness' (Cast) - by merathanel - - This one is all about the boys working on the jobs and the "no fear" they exhibit. I put 'no fear' in quoations because an interesting thing this vid does is play on that. As heroic as the boys can be, we all know fear sneaks up on them just like it does on everyone else, and this vid turns that around nicely. What starts out as just a plain fun, high quality edited vid, turns eerily creepy about halfway through as the "destination darkness" takes on a whole new meaning and landslides into an unsettling ending.

Ghost Boy (Sam) - by wistful_fever - This vid gets a knock because I personally found its use of bluish-green filters too distracting. Otherwise, it's attention to its music source is fabulous. And although the lyrical palette doesn't give much depth, the song style itself works because of its creepy surreal dream-like background that makes for a quite unsettling Sam vid. And I like it that way.

---

MORE NEW ADDITIONS:
- 'Inside Out' (Sam and Dean) - by sisabet

- Something To Be (Sam) - While it's not exactly the most polished of vids, the choice of song with the chosen clips perfectly highlight characterization for the first two seasons of Sam for me like no other Sam video. There are definitely more fancy Sam vids out there, but none makes me feel like I'm finally getting inside Sam's head quite like this one does. [There's only a link up on iMeem but if you ask, the author will upload a copy for you.]

- Fell On Black Days (Sam) - Ah, I knew it was only time before someone would pick up this song for a Sam vid, and I'm glad ringwench was the one to do it. Equal parts creepy with a dash of character study.

- Beautiful Lie (Dean) - I tend to not like Episodic Vids. Not only are they so narrowly focused, but they're a hard thing to keep interesting. This one I've come to enjoy because of what it adds to the text itself.

- Fallen (Dean) - up to 2x22 - More of an emotional vid than anything else, but given the end of the season, I think it's pretty justified. The song is one of those songs that just SHOULDN'T work for Dean. And yet it does. It's arguable whether the color palette used actually contributes or detracts from the vid, and the editing and overall quality probably isn't the most polished you can find, but the emotional resonance captured by it just gets me every time and makes it one of my few favorite post-2.22 vids.


*Yes, I've ranked them in some sort of semblance of order, which BELIEVE ME, is in the loosest term of the word. I keep them in tier systems for my own sanity so I can keep track of them all. So while I was picky in my comments about each vid above, I honestly LOVE every vid on this list and find fantastically well-done. I wouldn't be reccing it if I didn't. I truly tip my hat to every vidder on this list.

---

This list is by no means complete. It's only the stuff I've been able to find in the past couple months. So if I missed any vids that you think are awesome and aren't on this list, please comment and share!

Comments

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Thanks for the vid recs! I will have to check some of these out. "Hey Pretty" for the Impala = PERFECT!

[deathisyourart.livejournal.com]

Evening on the Ground/a> by lithium_doll, Carol of the Supernatural by dragonfly_sg1 and Ghost Song by greensilver.

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Ack! Evening on the Ground. I can't believe I didn't get that on the list! litium_doll just has too many awesome vids to keep track of.

And yes, the Carol! Of course!

I haven't seen Ghost Song yet though, so thanks for that link!

[deathisyourart.livejournal.com]

Is there any way that I could drag you over to the_reel to review and rec for Supernatural for March?????

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Hey, I didn't know you ran that!

Hmm...perhaps. How many would you need for the month?

[deathisyourart.livejournal.com]

Minimum of 2, more recs if you like. If there are vids submitted for review that month you can take a swing at them, and see how it goes. Some people find them easy, others find them an endless source of stress.

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Well, I can’t guarantee my vid talk is quite up to snuff, but I’d be willing to take a stab at it! :)

[deathisyourart.livejournal.com]

*makes Mr.Burns hands*
EXCELLENT!!!!

*grabs you for March*

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Stupid user typos. Of course, I meant lithium_doll

LJ, where the hell is that edit comment function we all need so desperately?

[deathisyourart.livejournal.com]

We REALLY do need that function, but there should be a time limit on it, otherwise THE WANK!!!

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Ha, time limit. Oh, LJ.

[bellanut.livejournal.com]

I am going to LIVE in this post for the next few hours. THANK YOU. I love good fanvids, and you're right, this fandom is blessed with an excess of them.

I LOVE lithium_doll's vids. Have you seen her vid to Evening on the Ground? That's one of my favourites which isn't on your list.

And I also love that vid to Blind. That was the first SPN vid I ever saw that blew me away. Now I could listen to that song for hours.

[bellanut.livejournal.com]

I'm replying to my own comment because I have more to add!

LOVED the end portion of Desination Darkness. MY GOODNESS. THERE MAY BE TEARS IN MY EYES RIGHT NOW.

And All That I Am? That one took a bit to grow on me because I didn't immediately get the shifting POV, but that Dean section around the middle is my favourite bit of SPN fanvid out of everything I've seen. Sometimes I just watch that one part over and over.

This is another vid I really love. (there's a link to download it on that page if put_file doesn't work for you)

Normally I'm not one for slow moving vids, but I find the melloness of the song, and the bluntness of the lyrics, and the time given to each clip in the start really suck you in. This is one of those vids that really gets at the love between the brothers, and I think that's partially because it doesn't cut away during some of those first shots of the boys looking at each other. But there are two shifts in tempo in the song which are matched by the vidder in clip choice and pacing which give it a nice depth. Though I think some of the clip choices could have been a bit better, and I didn't like the inclusion of the Dean sleeping bit near the end considering the vid is a Sam POV and not Winchesty. And the very last shot is maybe a little gimicky. But you should still watch it! I'm just rambling on because I'm not a confident reccer. *g*

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Glad to have helped! :D

And yes, I definitely have to add Evening on the Ground. I'm not sure how that didn't make it on the list.

Blind was my first good SPN vid too! It was at the top of my favorites for the longest time, and even though some flashy vids have surpassed it, I'm still totally attached to it for capturing what I love about the show so well.

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a wonderful thing for you to say! (Re: Blind) Thank you so much!

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

*munches on cookie happily* Thank you so much for the rec and the lovely comments! A person who commented on my vid said she followed this rec, so I decided to come on over and thank whatever kind soul did that for me :) I really appreciate what you said here.

And this is an awesome list you've compiled! I've seen 90% of them, and I like them all :) I was going to link Evening On the Ground for you, as that is probably my favorite music video, um, EVER, but I see someone else beat me to it! Hehe.

Again, thank you!

[http://users.livejournal.com/__tiana__/]

OOOOH, Shannon. Thank you for making this list! I've seen a lot of these, but not all of them. I am so excited! :D This is going to be fun to go through.

YAY!

[halcyon-shift.livejournal.com]

I got prodded in this direction - wow! Thank you so much for the kind words :)

[star-material.livejournal.com]

I love you for this, you know that right? I sorta hate you because really, you posted 18 recs, I already had 3 of them and I ended up watching and downloading 20 vids... not sure how that happened. But it's all good because - VIDS!!!

[wingstar.livejournal.com]

Ohh, what a great list, thank you! I am very amused that every single one of the 10+ and 10 vids? I already had saved on my computer, except for one. *grins* I think we have similar tastes, so I'm excited to dive into the rest of these. =)