Gift for Franzeska by bironic (Chee & Leaphorn Mysteries)

[fv_poster]

Title of vid: Don't Let It Bring You Down
Recipient: Franzeska
Vidder: bironic
Fandom: Chee & Leaphorn Mysteries
Music: Don't Let It Bring You Down by Sarah Fimm, covering Neil Young - edited
Summary: Jim Chee's job as a tribal police officer isn't easy. But it gets a little better when he finds a partner in detective Joe Leaphorn.


A little background if you're not familiar with the source: These were three PBS Masterpiece Mystery movies -- Skinwalkers, Coyote Waits, and A Thief of Time -- directed by Chris Eyre and based on books by Tony Hillerman. Jim Chee (Adam Beach) is a Navajo tribal police officer and medicine man-in-training who partners with the more experienced and secular Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Wes Studi) to solve crimes that often have a supernatural element to them. There's of course much more to recommend about the stories and the array of excellent actors involved (Graham Greene! Tantoo Cardinal! Peter Fonda! Keith Carradine! Paul Guilfoyle!), but that's pretty much all you need to know for this vid. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinwalkers_(2002_film)

Content notes: other, Murder crime scenes, depression, brief physical abuse of a child (:23-:24)
Signed length: 02:57
Signed URL:

Link to signed vid

Lyrics
Old man lying by the side of the road

With the lorries rolling by

Blue moon sinking from the weight of the load

And the buildings scrape the sky



Cold wind ripping down the alley at dawn

And the morning paper flies

Dead man lying by the side of the road

With the daylight in his eyes



Don't let it bring you down

It's only castles burning

Find someone who's turning

And you will come around



[Instrumental]



Blind man running through the light of the night

With an answer in his hand

Come on down to the river of sight

And you can really understand



Red lights flashing through the window in the rain

Can you hear the sirens moan?

White cane lying in a gutter in the lane

When you're walking home alone



Don't let it bring you down

It's only castles burning

Find someone who's turning

And you will come around



[Instrumental]



Don't let it bring you down

It's only castles burning

Just find someone who's turning

And you will come around

Comments

[franzeska]

Am I wrong, dear vidder, or did you accidentally use the credits version here?

ETA: I am currently downloading, so I can watch it in just a minute, but I e-mailed the mods so they can yank it ASAP and you can remain mysterious.

[franzeska]

*scream*

Wow, that music is perfect. It captures the epic, wistful feeling that cinematography and landscape give me. Aww, you got Emma in there too! And Joe's sweetness really comes through. Wah, Jim, so much aaaaangst!

I love what you did with this source. It's beautiful, but not necessarily in a way that's easy to vid. You make it look stunning. I love the long shots of Jim. They're perfectly timed: they never feel a moment too long. (Smart music choice from that perspective too.)

Wonderful!

[bironic]

>>Wah, Jim, so much aaaaangst!

Ha. That is what worried me most about putting this vid together - between his angsty faces and the angsty music, it was very easy for this to go over the top instead of simply being an engaging character study. I hope that worked for you.

>>You make it look stunning.

Hooray!

>> It captures the epic, wistful feeling that cinematography and landscape give me.

Also really glad to hear that. I kept your feelings about the scenery in mind when selecting shots for particular sequences, including Chee standing on those salty/chalky cliffs, coming out into his backyard on those echoing piano chords, and of course the final shot. I do love those pink bluffs. Wish I could have included more clips of them from Coyote Waits.

>>they never feel a moment too long. (Smart music choice from that perspective too.)

Ha, and by the way, I sped up the song a few percentage points in Premiere because the original was really, really slow. That changed the key, but I think it saved the vid.

[(Anonymous)]

I cannot believe I screwed up the embed code like that. Hope it didn't detract from the vid-watching experience.

Glad you enjoyed, and will say more after reveals!

p.s. I did not make all your vids. So there is at least some mystery still. :)

[franzeska]

I mentioned something in chat about a vid with this problem. Everyone immediately PMed me to go "WAS IT ME? OH GOD!"

[sanguinity]

Oh, that was... I don't really have words right now, but it was a beautiful choice of music, and just a beautiful handling of Jim Chee and the irony of trying to be a tribal cop, especially one who is doing it out of love. Thank you so much for vidding this.

[bironic]

Thank you so much for your wonderful comment. I'm so glad this vid worked for you. I was worried about it; it was so easy to tip over into super-angst when really I wanted it to focus on Chee's internal and external conflicts and the eerieness of the crimes.

[isis]

I really liked this. The music works well - I hadn't heard this version before, but the slow, measured pace fits the visuals. The way you focus on Jim on the verse and then bring in his interactions with Joe in the chorus brought a smile to my face. And them smiling at each other at the end was just ♥.

[bironic]

Yay! Thank you very much. I'm really glad to hear the structure and the song worked for you. I actually sped up the song a few percentage points because the original was really slow for vidding.

[sakana17]

I really liked this. The music and clip choices were very effective. Very well made.

[bironic]

Thank you! Very glad you enjoyed it.

[cupidsbow]

Gorgeous.

[bironic]

Thanks so much!

[barkley.livejournal.com]

Oh, lovely! I am unfamiliar with the source, but was intrigued by young Adam Beach (I know him from Artic Air) and what a gorgeous song to use with this. I think it really heightened the mood. Gorgeous vid! You pulled me in.

[bironic]

Thank you! I'm very glad to hear it. Adam Beach does a great job as one of the two main characters. Wes Studi is also a personal favorite, although from the collection of vids I made this year you wouldn't know he's got half the screen time. :)

[no_detective]

Wow, beautiful work! Love the song choice too.

[bironic]

Thank you! I'm especially glad the song worked for you. I was worried about it; it was so easy to tip over into super-angst when really I wanted it to focus on Chee's internal and external conflicts and the eerieness of the crimes. Speeding it up a few percentage points helped a little. I liked having this stripped-down, female-vocalist version - felt more personal than Neil Young's and Annie Lennox's versions.

/tl;dr

[boomqueen]

What a beautiful vid. Not familiar with the source at all, but you captured so much emotion and mystery that I was completely invested.

[bironic]

Super glad to hear that. Thanks for giving it a try, and so glad it engaged you.

[frayadjacent]

Lovely work! I don't know the source, but I got a strong sense of internal conflict for the main character in addition to the external mystery.

[bironic]

Excellent! Thanks for giving it a try and for your lovely comment.

[ghost_lingering]

This is really excellent -- you show his frustration with the crimes and the situation really well.

[bironic]

Ah, thanks! Glad this worked for you.

[sweetestdrain]

This is so gorgeous! I'd forgotten all about this mystery series and you really make me want to rewatch it.

[bironic]

My job here is done. :) Thanks very much!