For the final project I’m going to take the media route instead of writing a paper. As tempting as a paper sounds, I feel like some type of media project would be a fun way to approach Whedon’s work. Also, I like working with video and editing and since I didn’t get to do that in the group project it’d be nice to work with it for the final project. That being said, I’ve decided to dive deeper into the fandom section of the class and make a Whedon fan video. It will incorporate clips from some of his bigger works like Buffy, the Avengers, Dr. Horrible, Angel, and Firefly/Serenity, and maybe Cabin in the Woods. I was thinking of making it a music video of sorts, editing the clips to the song “Hollow Moon” by AWOLNATION. I chose that song because when I first listened to it it reminded me of a lot of Whedon’s characters and what they go through as heros and I think it’d be an interesting fit for his work. By making this video I’d be able to get a sense of how invested Whedon’s fans really are. There are a ton of fan made videos of Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dr. Horrible and pretty much all of Whedon’s work all over the internet. Whether good or bad they take a lot of time and hard work to make and I’d like to personally see just how far fans are willing to go to show their love of Whedon.

With the second phase of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe coming to an end and the dates of movies created for Phase 3 released, fans are more than excited for what’s to come. Fans are specifically interested in the Avengers and who exactly is going to join the team because of the licensing problems Marvel is having. This very well made fan trailer paints a very clear picture as to what fans hope to see at the end of Phase 3 with the 3rd Avengers movie. In the trailer, we not only see the original lineup of Ironman, Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, but we also see other Marvel characters who were apart of the Avengers at one time or another in the comics. These characters include Spiderman, Wolverine, Star Lord, Venom, and a number of others. What’s interesting about this fan trailer is that it really seems like it’s an actual trailer for the 3rd Avengers movie. It follows plot lines by including clips from a wide variety of Marvel movies, not only the Avengers. It also plays on the idea that Thanos is going to be the next super villain in the series by including after credit clips from some of the movies. With almost 80,000 views already, the trailer has reached out to other Marvel fans who are eagerly awaiting what’s to come for Marvel. Many comments praise the trailer for how well it portrays fans’ fantasies about Infinity War. So, even though it is just a fan trailer, it may accurately predict what will be the future. If Marvel sorts out (or is willing to sort out) it’s licensing issues in order to fulfill many a fan’s dreams and do it’s own company creative justice, I believe the creator of this trailer is right on the money.

For Joss Whedon, the pilot episode in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series was important for numerous reasons. Not only was it his opportunity to make up for the poor excuse that became of his 1992 movie of the same name, but it also was his chance to really establish himself as both a screenwriter and director. The dark alley scene in the pilot episode is a perfect example of how Whedon succeeded in establishing his style. As Buffy walks to the high school party, she realizes she is being followed. She begins to walk down a dark alley in an attempt to set up her stalker. Theres a closeup of the stalker with dark shadows on his face so the audience is unaware of his identity. As he walks down the alley the camera zooms out a little to show that Buffy is doing a handstand on the pole and swings down and tackles the stalker at just the right moment. As this happens the music doesn’t really build up in the way you’d think it would. It picks up as Buffy swings down but it’s more action-like than horror. This is important because it helps to portray Buffy as “badass” instead of the typical “blonde femme fatale.” As the scene continues Buffy confronts her stalker (who’s face is finally shown and although we still don’t know he name it is revealed later in the series to be Angel) by assertively saying “why are you following me?” The dialogue continues for awhile and then Angel says he wants the same thing Buffy wants. When she asks him what that is and he guesses wrong, she responds both assertively and sarcastically by saying, “Sorry, that’s incorrect, but you do get this lovely watch and a year supply of turtle wax, what I want is to be left alone.” The use of humor in intense scenes becomes a staple of Whedon’s along with the strong female characters he uses in his work. Not once does Buffy seem afraid that she could be in serious danger and she stands up for herself without questioning it. This scene not only establishes Buffy’s character as a true badass, but also lets viewers know that Whedon is the master of drama and sarcasm.