To celebrate editors in the fandom, the HBO War Video Archive is doing a spotlight series to learn a little bit about the people who make all of our favorite videos!
Today's spotlight (#7) is on @bossboudicca! They have been making videos since last year for HBO War and Generation Kill, as well as Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Accountant, and more. My personal favorite video of theirs is "Without You." It's such a great Johnmanny song, and I love how well this video frames Basilone's entire arc around Manny. Using only footage of Basilone alone/later in the series for the first verse so that the chorus would really hit on that first flashback of Manny was so effective.
Check out their answers to 10 editing questions below, and find more of their videos right here on the HBO War Video Archive. Tell us in the tags or replies what your favorite @bossboudicca video is!
(Do you want to be part of this series, or do you have an editor you want to hear from? Let me know @hbowarvids!)
🎥 What made you want to start making fan videos?
I started watching AMVs on YouTube back when I was about 12 and thought they were the bee's knees, but I had no idea how to make them back then. Then I got on Tumblr and started picking up tips and tricks here and there, and eventually tried my hand at it.
💻 What program do you use?
I use an older version of Capcut (3.9.0, to be specific). I'd like to transition to another program for a variety of reasons, but for now I'm still hanging on to this one.
💭 Where do you find inspiration for videos?
I usually just hear a song and think, "Damn, that would be a banger for an edit," and then I try and make an edit with it. Sometimes it works out and sometimes not. I don't have anything super poetic to say about my inspiration, lol.
⌨️ Tell us a little bit about your process!
My process is probably not as efficient or sensible as what other creators do, but first I screen record whatever scenes I want from the shows. I have an external hard drive I save everything to, and try to have it organized by show, ship, or character, so I can just go in my little catalogue of scenes and grab what I want. After that I pull a chunk of audio out of whatever song I want to use (or sometimes the whole thing) and start playing with the clips and timing and what not. Last steps are filters, transitions, color grading, all the fancy stuff.
🗒️ What's your favorite part of editing?
My favorite part would be collecting the clips I need. It familiarizes me with the shows and characters more than just passively watching, and I start noticing all sorts of little scenes and interactions I never noticed before. Also, seeing the finished product is a great dopamine boost.
🎬 What video(s) are you proudest of (HBO War or otherwise)?
My Bradnate video set to "Virtual Reality" by Rey! Not the prettiest looking, but I just love the song and how it couples well with all the fond eye contact.
🪫 Do you have a video that got away? A great idea you never made? (Now's the time!)
Nothing specific, though I do have a whole playlist of unused songs I think would be great for edits; I just haven't found the right material for them.
🖱️ What's something new you'd like to learn/try?
I'd like to try making something a bit more flashy and fast-paced, but without looking tacky. Still haven't found that balance, though.
👨💻 Do you have any advice for other editors or someone who wants to try editing?
If you want to make edits, watch edits! Start noticing the little details, things you like, etc. And don't be afraid to ask other creators how they do things, how program features work, all of that. No question is dumb!
🎞️ Give a shout out to some of your favorite HBO War videos!
"Marine Bebop" by @june-saturday! Honestly, I wouldn't even know where to begin with making something like this; it's so impressive and also LONG. Such a fun and unique idea to begin with as well.
"The Night We Met"/Johnmanny by @rockpaperscissuhs. I love ALL the Johnmanny edits; that ship is so special to me but this one made me cry the hardest. The song choice is amazing, and the lyric/scene matchups are perfect. Go watch this if you want a good sob session.
"Teenage Dirtbag"/Bradray by @theweirdgoodbyes. Song choice once again! I love that OP used a cover of the original song, and combined the singing audio from the show. A very short, sweet, feel good edit that I could watch 100 times.
And "Still Standing"/Curt Biddick by @buthappysoverrated. Curt is such an underrated character so I love to see him in edits! The one is fast-paced and intense, and wonderfully done overall.
Those are just a few of my favorites; there are so many great ones and awesome creators out there.
Thank you so much to @bossboudicca for being part of this spotlight series—go check out their videos and let them know your favorites! And thank you to everyone who continues to make and support amazing videos in this fandom. We'll have another editor spotlight on Wednesday!
