Here she is...Bccmee!

 DAY THREE

Welcome to Phylly’s Faves! I have been enjoying your videos for awhile now and wondering about the person behind them. You seem to have a very good sense of humour which comes out in your videos (usually with an extra surprise at the end!)

Wow thanks for your kind words. It’s a source of amazement that anyone likes some of the crazy videos I make!  And I want to add that I get such great comments on my vids.  Some of them are so thought-provoking that I can’t even respond immediately, but I always try to answer each comment since the viewer took the time and trouble to leave their thoughts.   As of this writing, I’m still working on a Valentine’s Day new video.  It’s not as sweet as my Christmas fanvid, that’s for sure!

First and foremost I’m a computer and math geek.  And I’m very visual and I don’t like writing. I like to show and not tell.  Also, I love to try new things so I have very little fear. The only time in recent memory that I was out of my comfort level was when I made some mince pies at a friend’s house in the UK!  I don’t cook or bake and I usually order take-out which is quite common for people living in New York City. Although today I cooked a hamburger!

It must be wonderful living in New York City. I have never been there, but I have certainly read many works of fiction and seen many movies about people from that great city.  What part of the city do you call home, and what are your favourite things about living there? 

New York City. Just those words conjure up a sigh of love. Yes, I am in love with this city.  It can be dirty, noisy and smelly and yet I overlook those traits because of that love.  New York is different than --and superior to-- any city I’ve visited. It’s got the hustle and bustle and a certain energy and realness that I thrive in.  The people are friendly deep down even if they’re gruff on the surface. Perhaps it’s because we’re a mix of so many different cultures that we don’t become complacent. We’re the most international city in the world, although with “only” 8.4 million people, we’re not the most populous.  Still it feels like a small town.  We actually greet each other and hold doors open if necessary.  

Everyone should visit New York City at least once. I will gladly show you around, and be sure to wear comfortable shoes!  I really enjoy entertaining out-of-town guests.  Depending on your preferences, we’ll ride past the Statue of Liberty (thank you, France) on the Staten Island ferry, which to me is a sunset-colored floating castle; walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with its criss-crossing cables doing a high-wire act; have lunch at a midtown cafe and watch the crazy taxi drivers make U-turns; wander through and get lost in Central Park; and we’ll see some big movie star onstage in a Broadway show.  Yes, I’m serious about that offer.

What was it that made you become a fan of Richard Armitage?


One day I was browsing on Netflix for something to watch instantly.  I had nothing specific in mind, except that I wanted a comedy. So I’m clicking through when suddenly I came across The Vicar of Dibley which sounded familiar.  Then I saw the episode title “The Handsome Stranger” and I thought, “Mmm, that sounds good!”  So I watched it streaming online.  As it turns out, I had never seen an episode of VoD before,  but I’ve visited the UK several times so I must’ve heard of it at least.  When Harry Kennedy opened the door of Sleepy Cottage I took notice and said aloud, “Who is THAT?!”  Finished watching both episodes and immediately commenced researching Richard Armitage.  He struck me as familiar too but as it turned out, when I looked him up on Internet Movie Database (IMDB), I had not seen his work before.  His name was recognizable because he shares that with an *ahem* “American politician.” But where had I seen his face?  Lo and behold, North and South had been in my Netflix queue for ages and ages. Even though he looked completely different between the two TV programs, his face must’ve registered on some level.  I watched all four episodes of N&S in one sitting which is remarkable for someone with my attention span.

This happened in March 2009 which makes this my 2-year anniversary.  So it was a case of mistaken identity. One of my better mistakes. My life sometimes feels like a series of random events.

Happy 2nd year anniversary! I noticed that your first fan video was of The Impressionists which you created just over a year ago.  You stated in the notes that it was your first fanvid. Can you tell us how you came to make videos and why you chose this one as your first subject?

Screencap from Claude and Camille Monet fanvid by Bccmee

Thanks for the anniversary wishes. Someone should design a set of greeting cards: “Happy Xth Anniversary in the Richard Armitage universe!”  I decided on a whim to try my hand at making videos after doing so many graphics.  It seemed like the next logical step.  I chose Monet and The Impressionists for my first video because it was not done overly much and I had just watched it and loved it immensely!  I have to admit that I did not like the screencaps of the Monet character but I adored him in action.  Someday I will make another Monet fanvid.  (Oh I really hope you do!)
Bccmee's fanvid about The Impressionists was showcased on a separate post this week.  Here is some background about the video from her description:

This is my first-ever fan video. Even though the BBC drama The Impressionists was made years ago, I first watched it the other day and I loved it! Whenever I visit the Museum of Modern Art or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City or the National Gallery in London, I go straight for the Monet paintings. It's incredible to see them "live and in person."

One of the hardest things about making this first video was concentrating on the technical aspects and not getting too absorbed by the story. I plan to make more videos! This is fun.

What software do you use to make your videos? Is this the same program you started with? Do you find it user friendly? 

For my videos, I use Adobe Premiere Pro for cutting and basic transitions, Adobe After Effects for titles, color corrections and special effects and sometimes Adobe Photoshop for freeze frames and other little touches. After a quite a bit of practice and lots of tutorials, the basics have become second nature.  There is no way to learn everything but I try to stretch myself and come up with new ideas all the time.  Frankly, I doubt I’ll have time to make all the videos I’ve thought of.  I have two and a half notebooks full of ideas for future vids and notes on how I did some of my effects in past vids.


I notice you like to make little surprises in your videos (usually at the end), but now I have seen more hidden throughout your latest videos.  You really do seem to enjoy making these vids. I know your fans certainly enjoy watching them (or should I say participating in them)!

That is so cool of you to say “participate!”  Having interaction with the viewers has always been my unspoken, and sometimes spoken, goal. Indeed I do enjoy making videos; it’s so much fun to change the stories from the way they’re presented in the TV shows. Depending on the song and the choice of clips, Strike Back can be a drama, a romance (or porno), or a comedy.  Someday I want to make it into a horror film!  I would also like to do a collaboration someday.  The simple reason I decided to do the surprise endings in some of my videos is because I always sit through the closing credits at the movie theater and occasionally--but very rarely--there is a little surprise.  I wish more movies would do that, so I decided to make my own wish come true.

Tell us about your new website. What made you decide to create one. Have you ever done a website or blog before?

I had websites back in the 1990's but this is my first in a long time. It's fun to click all the buttons and widgets available in the blog, but I don't consider myself a "blogger" because that would involve maintenance and upkeep to which I'm not suited.  Since I don’t much like to write, it’s almost laughable that I have a blog. However, it started out as a necessity.  I posted a clip of the Hobbit Press Conference on YouTube and close-captioned it.  However after one day and about 4500 hits, it was removed under a copyright claim.  Since I did not agree with that decision, I filed a counter-copyright notice.  It took two weeks but I did win my case.  Details can be found on this page of my blog:  http://fanvideos.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/copyright/

At the time I filed my counter-copyright claim, I had no idea if I would win or not.  Regardless, I did not want the video to be unavailable for any length of time, so I quickly found several new hosting sites and decided to put it on a blog so the video would have a stable home base.  I’m delighted that the video is back up on YouTube because that’s the only site that has closed-captioning for its free accounts.  I’ve posted a few more interviews and their respective transcripts. In the future, I’ll have some more things to post.  



Have you always been a creative person?

Until recently, I did not consider myself creative. I was more into math and science and computers.  I still can’t draw, but I have become handy with my graphics tablet for cutting out Richard Armitage characters!  In one of my videos for Spooks, I used Photoshop to remove Lucas North from several scenes so it looked like he disappears or appears. 
Click link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdUTthKJPSw 

watch here:

Here’s an example of one of the shots:

To view larger: http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae312/bccmee3/art/laboratory/walking_from_container_no_Lucas-1.jpg

Why do you think Richard Armitage seems to inspire so many of his fans to so many creative endeavors?

A big part of the reason so many Richard Armitage fans explore their creativity is because of the community support. Also, the actor himself is so versatile that at least one of his characters will capture the imagination.

You recently visited England. Did you find yourself looking up any locations for any productions in which Mr. Armitage appeared?

I had a great time in England and Scotland.  One day I found myself in Greenwich and thought the columns looked familiar so I took a picture. 

It was confirmed that this is where a scene from Spooks was filmed.  There were a few other locations that I accidentally came across, but I never sought any out.  

A large percentage of your videos are about Strike Back. Is this your favourite show starring Mr. Armitage? 

And check out those biceps!

Oh  yes. *heavy sigh* John Porter is my favorite Richard Armitage character and has been since that first promo picture showed up.  

What is it about that show that appeals to you so much?

The reason I find the John Porter character so appealing is his raw masculinity. 

Here's lookin' at you Bccmee!

This may offend some, but I always thought of the Lucas North character as merely pretty.  One reviewer said of the character, “Lucas North (Richard Armitage), is wasted in counter-intelligence work. He should be modelling for Hugo Boss.” Immediately after reading that, I made a siggie based on a Hugo Boss ad.  

John Porter represents the rescue fantasy--the knight in shining armor. The story with Katie is my favorite of the three Strike Back episodes. Here he is, looking totally hot in contemporary leather, bringing flowers to Katie in the hospital.

It’s difficult to see, but John Porter is holding Katie protectively in the helicopter.

And Katie definitely doesn’t want to let go of him. Who can blame her?

I’ve made hundreds of graphics and 18 fanvideos for Strike Back.  Eventually I’ll be posting more of these on my new blog.  Right now, you can see some of my artwork on RichardArmitageNet http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/sigs/188.html and all my fanvideos are on my main YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/bccmee

Thanks for sharing your videos, screencaps and photos with us, Bccmee!  It's been great fun finding out about you.  As a final treat, I'd like to show your Strike Back comic book video. It's very clever and artistic as well.  May you continue to create more music videos starring our favourite actor for a long time to come!