The Pointlessness of TikTok/Shorts EDITs

[Bote]

So, I've been trying to understand the new editing style, spirit of the time in AMVs so to say. The most popular style is short 7-30 sec edits on TikTok/IG reels/YT shorts done in After Effects, sometimes with over the top sharpening, brightness and hue and saturation. Editors that make those kinds of edits have 100k-1 million subs and 100s of 1000s of views per video. I've found at least 50 profiles like that.

I'm confused as to what makes them different from each other, because everyone is doing the same thing - a new JJK episode goes out, everyone does an edit with exactly the same scenes and transitions (blurry zoom in and shake) and similar manipulation of visuals (oversharpen, too bright, visibly changed hue). 10secs of that and boom - 100k likes. Any song used - same AE transitions and effects, someone adds extra effects like 3D text but that's all the difference.

No syncing difference based on music. No inventiveness in storytelling. No original use of footage with unpredictable music. Character profile videos are literally non-existent and that was a very fun AMV genre up to 2010. Even youtube horizontal vids are just 1-1:30 mins long.

Somehow, after watching 100s of hours of such similar content, I do not get any intellectual or emotional stimulation. This is all quite numb and unexciting. Then I watch Tana-Sama's Butterflies of God and it floods me with its emotional message. i watch Beowulf's HTTT and that editing is still more perfect than all the TikTok Shorts. I watch Koop's Euphoria or Saiyan Studio's Spoil AMV - still better and more creative use of effects.

I discover some new cool music only, that is the only + I get from the new 1 minute genre, which, again, has millions of viewers.

Somehow I think the old AMVcommunity (pre 2010) is superior artistically and has produced better AMVs. And that all it takes is to resize all those older vids or remaster a bit of footage and let them into the ether in the new form format - they would blow away everything currently produced.

[SQ]

The "old" (for lack of a better term) AMV editing community is alive and well, but it is severely fragmented among several different, smaller groups.

Due to the nature of 1min+ videos, they're not exactly favored by algorithms or attention spans these days, and so they get less views and recommended to less people overall. But find a discord group and/or convention with an fanvid showing or contest, and you will see all new content in the style you have missed.

As for the shortform "edits," It's just people creating with shares "scene packs" and preset transitions and effects (some share din their in-group, some just parts of the programs they use). It's a different way of doing things. Back in the early 2000s we had plenty of same-y videos too, look at DBZ + Linkin Park. There are edits that don't use the same things everyone else does (or they at least use those things in a different way), but just like old times, they're hard to find because they're severely outnumbered.

[darkfiretkd]

younger people nowadays prefer watching 10 second clips.. mostly on Edits they have bad taste in music.. I do not understand the music they use in all Edits it kinda irritates me for some reason.. it guess it is what trending nowadays..

[TritioAFB]

The algorythm has changed in recent years so it Will be easier to find that kind of video, personally I dont even consider AMVs those videos you mention. But as said earlier: this is whats younger people is up to.

I remember when making AMVs had a purpose, and even a feel of duty to create something. Not just making something

[darkfiretkd]

At the end of the day I still see it as a matter of preference, We can always get some ideas from these Edits (like those zoom-in and out effects) and incorporate them into your style of edit depending on the song that suits your style.. We don't really need to reject modernity. Unless if you are really too traditional like those AMVs of pre-early 2000's with simple transitions and with songs that can probably make you fall asleep then it is up to you. I guess might be a matter of style of preference (especially if your older you might probably like older type of AMVs) as long as what makes you happy do as you please since you don't necessarily need to listen to others especially if their matter of taste does not align with yours.

[Bote]

As for the shortform "edits," It's just people creating with shares "scene packs" and preset transitions and effects (some share din their in-group, some just parts of the programs they use). It's a different way of doing things. Back in the early 2000s we had plenty of same-y videos too, look at DBZ + Linkin Park. There are edits that don't use the same things everyone else does (or they at least use those things in a different way), but just like old times, they're hard to find because they're severely outnumbered.

You're right about DBZ/Linkin Park At that time, we could find better quality editing here on a-m-v.org and it was a very competitive and likewise cooperative community from all over the world. What would you say has the status as the ORG of today?

[Bote]

At the end of the day I still see it as a matter of preference, We can always get some ideas from these Edits (like those zoom-in and out effects) and incorporate them into your style of edit depending on the song that suits your style.. We don't really need to reject modernity. Unless if you are really too traditional like those AMVs of pre-early 2000's with simple transitions and with songs that can probably make you fall asleep then it is up to you. I guess might be a matter of style of preference (especially if your older you might probably like older type of AMVs) as long as what makes you happy do as you please since you don't necessarily need to listen to others especially if their matter of taste does not align with yours.

Ofc. I plan to learn from short edits and use what I like in a way I find suitable. But then, there is the issue of reaching a higher number of people. I'm not the kind of person that gets satisfied by just editing. Otherwise there's no point in publishing what you edit. I want to impact people and entertain, shock or spike their curiosity etc. So for me, success is when you reach high numbers of people and they enjoy your content. For that to happen, you need to understand why the current impactful content is impactful. And the simplicity, repetitiveness and uselessness of the most (statistically) impactful content is so ridiculously pointless, that I get higher absurdist dread from those edits than after reading Camus.

[Bote]

The algorythm has changed in recent years so it Will be easier to find that kind of video, personally I dont even consider AMVs those videos you mention. But as said earlier: this is whats younger people is up to.

I don't consider them real AMVs either, but they are perceived as such by many. A standard AMV is about the anime and music. A standard edit is usually just about the editing technique and what's the latest anime hype. I rarely find an edit which adds something else to the equation. I will use this as a rare and positive example:

PROTAGONIST - TOOFAN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92dvn8cfd4s

Even though it's a short format edit, the music drives the editing and it has decent scene selection which matches the emotion of the music. I have no clue what language this is or what the lyrics say, but it's pretty good overall.

[darkfiretkd]

Ofc. I plan to learn from short edits and use what I like in a way I find suitable. But then, there is the issue of reaching a higher number of people. I'm not the kind of person that gets satisfied by just editing. Otherwise there's no point in publishing what you edit. I want to impact people and entertain, shock or spike their curiosity etc. So for me, success is when you reach high numbers of people and they enjoy your content. For that to happen, you need to understand why the current impactful content is impactful. And the simplicity, repetitiveness and uselessness of the most (statistically) impactful content is so ridiculously pointless, that I get higher absurdist dread from those edits than after reading Camus.

^^ Agreed, Do what makes you happy we don't need to follow what is the current mainstream at the moment but it is fine take ideas from this trend and incorporate it to your own style which should make it unique. I do take some ideas with the current trend but not necessarily follow it.. it might be because I prefer a MAD style of edit but its up to author's choice anyway so I wish you good luck in your ventures Sir.

but style in my opinion people who do Edits have bad taste in music haha I just can't stand the music that they use.

[TritioAFB]

'Hurry up a New episode is coming put whatever music you have'