"doctored" youtube videos

[caliken]

Just for pleasure, I occasionally look at some of the many handwritten videos on youtube. Just recently, I have noticed a rather disturbing trend with some videos having been speeded up, to give a false impression of skill. This obviously fools a lot of people, as there are usually a few accolades in the comments. Unless it's possible to reload a dip pen with the inkwell out of shot in about 1/5 second, they're faking it. The uninitiated may well be fooled - but what a pointless thing to do! If you want to see some genuine example of speedy, accomplished handwriting, visit the work of Antoniosz. Does anyone else find this trend disturbing, or am I being particularly "picky"?

 

I prefer not to say which clips are "doctored", but if anyone's interested, they're not difficult to find.

 

Ken

Edited July 14, 2009 by caliken

[wykpenguin]

I don't mind speeding the video up, I sometimes fast forward your videos. Watching an "A" form itself in 10 seconds isn't always that appealing.

 

However, I am against not telling people that the video is "doctored".

[vidalia11]

I've never seen those, but I usually watch the ones of Joe Vitolo.

 

Karen

[openionated]

I wonder if they are doing it to give folks a false impression of their skill, or if they are time compressing it to fit YouTube's 10 minute limit.

[Pensee]

Thanks for pointing that out. As a rookie I wouldn't have noticed!

 

Just personal preference, but I'd rather watch video in 'real time' to see how long it takes a professional calligrapher to do Spencerian, German Black Letter, etc.

 

Me, I'd be happy to just to get a passable Copperplate! : 0 !

 

Just some random thoughts on a summer afternoon.

 

--Bruce

[Deirdre]

I wonder if they are doing it to give folks a false impression of their skill, or if they are time compressing it to fit YouTube's 10 minute limit.

Probably more the latter -- you can convey more information in less time as well.

[caliken]

I wonder if they are doing it to give folks a false impression of their skill, or if they are time compressing it to fit YouTube's 10 minute limit.

That point did occur to me, but I dismissed the possibility as I find it hard to believe that anyone would prefer to deliberately distort their work rather than just write less.

If skillfully done, handwriting shown in real time can be instructive and pleasurable. If it is artificially altered, for whatever reason, it loses all validity and is a pointless exercise IMO.

 

Ken

 

[Maria]

Dear Caliken;

 

It is hard to know what the 'spirit of intent' behind any YouTube video. I tend to think that the majority have good intentions, as to share what they know with those who are still learning Calligraphy in a specific category, e.g. Copperplate, Spencerian, Zanerian, etc.

 

The viewer comes in all skill levels and ages. I've been at my learning of Zanerian, etc., for almost a full year. I think with some familiarity of loading a dip pen; I am not bothered by this step being edited out.

I rather focus on the 'meat and potatoes' of the video--forming those letters and finding those hidden techniques that are your habits and my quest to pick up.

 

I think of you more fondly, I suppose-- due to your kindnesses to all of us struggling with this written art.

 

You are an excellent teacher, mentor, friend, guide and in being such; wanting all of us to know what is solid information and what may be skewed truth out there. And, as a professional that you are--you what to shepherd us away from things that would pose false impressions and or false intentions.

 

So, I personally thank you for being our good shepherd and looking out for all of our interests. You are picky because you care about others--like me. :clap1:

 

 

Respectfully,

Maria

---------------------------------------------------

 

Just for pleasure, I occasionally look at some of the many handwritten videos on youtube. Just recently, I have noticed a rather disturbing trend with some videos having been speeded up, to give a false impression of skill. This obviously fools a lot of people, as there are usually a few accolades in the comments. Unless it's possible to reload a dip pen with the inkwell out of shot in about 1/5 second, they're faking it. The uninitiated may well be fooled - but what a pointless thing to do! If you want to see some genuine example of speedy, accomplished handwriting, visit the work of Antoniosz. Does anyone else find this trend disturbing, or am I being particularly "picky"?

 

I prefer not to say which clips are "doctored", but if anyone's interested, they're not difficult to find.

 

Ken

 

[caliken]

Thank you, Maria :embarrassed_smile:

[Splicer]

I wonder if they are doing it to give folks a false impression of their skill, or if they are time compressing it to fit YouTube's 10 minute limit.

That point did occur to me, but I dismissed the possibility as I find it hard to believe that anyone would prefer to deliberately distort their work rather than just write less.

If skillfully done, handwriting shown in real time can be instructive and pleasurable. If it is artificially altered, for whatever reason, it loses all validity and is a pointless exercise IMO.

 

Giving the benefit of the doubt, if I were to make a video of that type, I would totally cut out all frames where my hand was out of frame and not speed up anything where my hand appeared in frame. That would give the impression of a 1/5th second dip in the ink bottle and even of a 1/5th second bathroom break. I don't think the integrity of such a video would be compromised in the slightest.

 

What would be convincing to me as evidence of distortion is if the non-writing hand movements are unnaturally fast. Even a slight speedup should become easily noticeable. If a dip in the ink bottle truly takes 1/5th of a second but there are no other telltale signs in the movement of the hand, it's probable that extraneous parts are being cut out, not that the video is being sped up. Five seconds to one-fifth is a 25x increase. No matter how deliberately the person tried to move their hand slowly to create the illusion that they were moving naturally, you'd be able to tell that the laws of physics and kinesiology were not being obeyed.

[caliken]

Giving the benefit of the doubt, if I were to make a video of that type, I would totally cut out all frames where my hand was out of frame and not speed up anything where my hand appeared in frame. That would give the impression of a 1/5th second dip in the ink bottle and even of a 1/5th second bathroom break. I don't think the integrity of such a video would be compromised in the slightest.

 

What would be convincing to me as evidence of distortion is if the non-writing hand movements are unnaturally fast. Even a slight speedup should become easily noticeable. If a dip in the ink bottle truly takes 1/5th of a second but there are no other telltale signs in the movement of the hand, it's probable that extraneous parts are being cut out, not that the video is being sped up. Five seconds to one-fifth is a 25x increase. No matter how deliberately the person tried to move their hand slowly to create the illusion that they were moving naturally, you'd be able to tell that the laws of physics and kinesiology were not being obeyed.

Splicer,

 

I only mentioned the "1/5 of a second dip into the ink bottle" to emphasise the point. To those familiar with stroke construction, the increase in speed is noticeable throughout the videos.

 

Incidentally, I have noticed this from more than one source, and sometimes the increase in speed is quite subtle.

 

Given the arguments expressed here, I accept that there may be no intention to deliberately mislead - but I still think that it's unfortunate, whatever the reason - maybe the equipment is faulty!

Edited July 16, 2009 by caliken

[publius]

Can one not play back the videos at reduced speed? For myself, I would find a time-compressed video useful in the same way as a rough guide of any kind.

[godan]

This thread touches an issue that is important to me, and perhaps to others. So far as I understand, Youtube has no particular standards of integrity. FPN, on the other hand, has an institutional culture of accuracy, truthfulness, fairness and trust. This is manifest in the careful wording of reviews and comments and in the practice of paying people we know only here, sometimes serious amounts of money, and being sure that the recipient of the funds will send the pen described accurately in a posted ad. It may be that the creators of the "doctored" videos are not FPN members. Otherwise, if they are, a clear failure to declare an alteration to a video would raise issues of general character and trustworthiness that would be of legitimate interest to anyone dealing with them through this site.