FAQs / Hosting RA videos /Making videos

General FAQs | Can I have my Richard Armitage videos hosted here? | How do I make my own fan videos? | Technical questions about downloading/playing the videos

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Where are the North & South videos?

There are so many North & South videos that they're on a different site (well, two sites)—foolishpassion.com and foolishpassion.org.

Where do you find all these fan videos?

I usually get them from fellow fan video artists ("vidders") on the C19 forum, but occasionally I recruit vidders from other fan communities, or from YouTube.

What's with the HD and HQ videos? I don't know which type I should download.

Shows like Strike Back and Robin Hood were originally shot in HD, so some of our vidders have made "real" HD videos (meaning, similar in quality to HD or Blu-Ray). The HD videos often are the 720p variety (1280x720 in size) but some are 1080 (1920x1080). Many viewers will be able to view the 720 HD videos if their monitor's resolution is high enough (often a 21" monitor or above will be able to display 720 HD). If a monitor is 23-24" or above, the 1080 HD videos can possibly be chosen. Other users can download the "HQ" quality videos (1024x576) which will look almost as good as the "real" HD but are compatible with smaller monitors.

Why are there "dinky" files (extra small files for dialup users) of some videos but not others?

I use a special bulk encoding application to make the "dinky" files, and it has some technical restrictions, so it wasn't compatible with every video hosted on the site. Starting from May 2010 and after, however, most new videos should have a "dinky" version.

Do you host any videos, other than for Richard Armitage?

There's a period drama fan video page on the "sister" site. The video selection process (finding videos on C19 and on YouTube) is also used, and most videos have excellent aspect ratio. There's also a Gerard Butler fan video section, but the videos are only made by me.

Why do some videos have different download options (no iPod file available, MPEG-1 file download, etc) than others?

Do not question the inconsistency of the file types available, because they never will make any sense! LOL. Sometimes a technical problem with the original video makes it difficult to convert the file to my preferred formats. (I have to use something other than my good old standby Quicktime Pro with the DivX plug-in.) Other times I just felt in a mood to make more file types for whatever reason. Don't expect it to make sense, because it doesn't always!

The file size you list for a video turns out to not be quite accurate. Why is this?

Argh! Videos uploaded after September 2009 might have this problem, because this is when I upgraded to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, which uses a different method of measuring file sizes. I usually try to figure out the "old" file size (pre-Snow Leopard) but I don't always get it right. On the other hand, if you also run Snow Leopard, then many of the files uploaded before September 2009 will have "incorrect" file sizes. There is no way to win on this one!

Is there a way to "preview" a video before I actually download it?

In a way. Click on any video download link that is for a MOV file or for an MP4 file, and usually it'll preview right in your browser window. Usually WMV files will preview in the browser as well. Then use the "back" button to return to the main web page. However, please DO NOT link to any video file directly (on some blog, message board, web site, or wherever). Links to RAFanvids are always welcome, but please link to the web page where the video is located, instead of the video file itself.

I notice that some of the videos on this site have really nice picture quality. How do I get this in my own fan videos?

Glad you asked! Here's a whole page explaining more.

Why do you call each series of Robin Hood and Spooks "seasons" instead of "series"?

I'm from the United States. When those of us in North America buy DVDs or watch these shows on BBC America, they are called "seasons."

Are you going to ever get a more sophisticated design for your site?

This is in response to the few emails I've gotten over the years, from those who offer to "redesign" my sites, usually with heavy duty CSS layout (tiny little boxes everywhere) and small fonts. It ain't gonna happen. I have a visually impaired relative (who happens to be a fellow fangirl), and such sites are torture for her to to try to read, even when she adjusts her browser.

Why don't you use a database on the site to make the videos easier to search/locate?

By keeping the site design simple and "old school" (I am very "old school," by the way), I keep hosting costs down. (Things like databases use up more server resources.) Plus, a simple design makes the site easier to maintain, and if (heaven forbid!) I need to switch hosts, that's easier too.

Can I have my Richard Armitage fan videos hosted on your site?

I wouldn't mind taking a look at them. But I typically discover videos on my own and then contact the vidder, asking if the video can be hosted here. Also bear in mind, that my criteria for selecting videos is not always consistent. There have been many times when I passed on an excellent video, just because I was too busy or burned out to upload it or update the site. (So, alas, I have missed out on hosting many wonderful videos.) I usually try to catch up later, but sometimes videos will be regrettably missed.

Also, I have made a decision to not host any videos with grievous aspect ratio issues on this site. (A few videos here have minor issues, but nothing major.) If you don't know what aspect ratio is, read this page. It's a major pet peeve of mine—incorrect aspect ratio distorts the picture so that everyone's faces are either too long and skinny, or too fat and squashed down. I don't want to see Richard Armitage's face looking like that, do you? LOL.

It's important to note that I do not select videos here based on whether I like the music or not. You'll notice that most of my own videos contain instrumental/Classical music, but the majority of the other videos here use pop/rock/contemporary. I don't necessarily have to love the music in a video to recognize that it's well-made and will resonate with fans.

All video editing styles (from the simple to sophisticated and/or effects-laden) are represented here. It doesn't matter if a vidder is a newbie or a professional-level vidding veteran, as long as their video has "fan appeal."

There are videos which I might enjoy watching, or feel are well-made, but probably won't host on the site. These are videos that require too many warnings or "disclaimers." For example, extreme violent content, lyrics that are very suggestive or profane, or sexually suggestive content. Never say never—I won't promise to never host a video that's a bit "on the edge" (I am more flexible if it's a humorous video) but if it requires a lot of disclaimers or warnings, I'm more likely to be giving it a pass.

Another thing that will be getting passed over are videos with those long intros (more than 5-10 seconds). A few seconds is fine, but those long intros with clips from other shows and some other song? They are beyond annoying. A few of the videos hosted here have "pre-video" (unique edited content put before the actual music video starts) but those are not intros per se and can actually be quite interesting.

"How come you have [vidder X's] videos on your site but you've never asked to host [vidder Y's] videos?"

I don't know if anyone's ever wondered this, but in case anyone has, here are some possible explanations:

I simply don't know the video exists. If it doesn't have the keyword "Richard Armitage" somewhere in it for YouTube, I may not ever discover it.
The video in question might have some distorted clips in it. Not everyone can immediately detect aspect ratio distortion, so they might wonder how come the video isn't hosted here. But often, that is the only reason. (If you don't know what aspect ratio is, read this page.)
The video has some content in it that I fear might distress the middle-aged Radio 4 listeners (LOL) which comprise much of this site's audience. (Okay, I'm only partially joking. But see my mention of this a few paragraphs up. . . if the video has explicit lyrics or some sort of suggestive or potentially disturbing content, I might give it a pass.)
I am aware of the vidder's work and think it shows great promise, but am waiting for them to have a little more experience with editing and then I will POUNCE on them and ask to host some of their vids!
While I personally am a huge fan of those flashy, fast-paced vids with a liberal amount of gratuitous effects, there sometimes is a limit. If a video goes too over the top (in my estimation) with effects and dizzying cuts, it might be overlooked.
I saw the video, liked it, then got busy with real life obligations and forgot where I saw it. This happens a lot.

The most important thing to remember is I'm just one person, and while I do try to host as wide a variety of RA fanvids as possible, I can't catch everything!

Finally, please remember that I am just an average vidder myself. I don't pretend to be some ultimate judge of vidding excellence here. It isn't my intent to only select the "best of the best" (what does that mean anyway?) but just nice videos with "fan appeal." I attempt to cast a wide net and represent many editing styles.

How do I make my own fan videos?

There's a whole site dedicated to creating fan videos, foolishpassion.org. Some of the vidders represented on this site made their first ever video (some which are hosted on this site) by following the tutorials there. Also, we now have a forum with even more tutorials, Foolish Passion Fan Video Forums. You are strongly encouraged to visit these sites and follow the tutorials.

A few tips about making fan videos—you don't need a new or expensive computer (though some spare disk space is really handy). You don't need to be a computer whiz—many of our vidders self-identify as "technophobes." However, you will need to be willing to read and follow the tutorials. These are not excessively complicated or difficult, so most people manage to follow along without much trouble.

In addition, it doesn't matter if you have Mac or a PC—either will do equally well for making fan videos. You'll notice that I like to list the software each vidder used to make their videos. It was felt that this was an important detail to include, because many vidders (and would-be vidders) like seeing what can be done with different video editing applications (for Mac and PC!).

I've added a special page on RAfanvids which gives some of the "secrets" some of the vidders here use to keep good quality (sharp picture) in their videos. Even if you're already making fan videos, you're encouraged to read this page!