Some suggestions about what to do and what *not* to do...

[TROAL]

I've only been making fanvids for a short while, but I've been watching them at conventions for years. If you really want your vid to be noticed, here are some of my recommendations:

1) Stay away from "fanboy" anime that has been overdone. Currently in this category by my reckoning are Cowboy Bebop, DBZ, Evangelion, and Trigun. If you *truely* have an original idea that hasn't been done to death, or *truely* think you can do something better than what has already been done with a current song/anime combination, then by all means, go for it. However, don't expect glowing praise when you crank out the world's 1000th video done to DBZ/Linkin Park.

2) Try to find obscure music. And by "obscure" I mean something that people might still recognize, but is not played every 10 min on a top 40 radio station. A lot of popular music already has a fan-base that asscociates certain feeling and images with the music. Even if your video is *really* good, the preconceptions of your audience may ruin the effect.

3) Pick music that fits. Occasionally, as with the "Hubba Hubba, Zoot Zoot" video done to El-hazard's Jinna, you can get away with doing wacky things and create something truely funny, but usually, if the song's mood and lyrics do not fit the show(s) used in some way, you've created a gap between the music and images that will be hard for fans to bridge.

4) Timing. This takes practice. No one is going to be good at this overnight, but at least make an attempt. Slapping random images to a soundtrack without at least trying to time the cutscenes and action to what the music is doing seriously kills a video. Nothing irritates me more then seeing a video at a contest like this. Most big conventions filter out the drek now-adays, but occasionally one will slip through.

5) Do it for yourself. Making a video that will please fans is great, but don't always set out distinctly to do this. If you are not happy with what your video is doing, then most likely that will come across to the fans as well.

Some of my personal favorite videos (Kusoyaro's "Bachelorette" and D.O.G.'s "A Kiss is Still a Kiss") combine everything I have talked about above to make truely entertaining videos, especially in terms of music (We need *more* Reel Big Fish vids! lol).

Anyway, just my thoughts on it, feel free to add your own or provide a counterpoint, but please, let's keep it constructive for those who want to learn something.

[Wildfire2k2]

The 10 commandments of AMV making:

-Keep holy the songs of Engel and Tainted Donuts
-Thou Shalt not use DBZ or Linkin park
-Thou Shalt not leave subtitles in AMVs
-Thou Shalt not have un-synched talking
-Thou Shalt not kill an anime with a poor AMV
-Thou Shalt not use downloaded source footage
-Thou Shalt not covet thy neighbor's AMV
-Thou Shalt not steal other's ideas
-Thou Shalt not covet thy neighbor's source footage
-And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three. No more. No less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then, lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.'

[Vazor]

For the most part I agree with what you said. The one thing I didn't feel was quite right though was your first point, "Staying away from 'fanboy' anime". While in the eyes of some, using an anime that has been done quite a few times, this might be unoriginal, you should realize why there are so many vids to these anime in the first place. LOTS of people are familiar with and enjoy these anime. Now I'm not saying that there won't be people saying "Oh, another DBZ/Eva/Trigun/Bebop video", but I do think people tend to download and watch videos using anime that they are familiar with.

[Vazor]

The first post was in regards to TROAL's post. In regards to wildfire's list, I think your first commandment should be replaced with "Thou shalt make AMV's for oneself."

[shocker]

Here's another idea:

When picking a song, try not to use live tracks.

[burntoast]

Here's another idea:

When picking a song, try not to use live tracks.

i guess u haven't seen Evangelion Opus... but yea, some live music sound horrible...

[TROAL]

Yerah I agree, don't make a video with an anime you know nothing about. I think I qualified that in my orginal statement. If you think you have something fresh do do with a heavily used series, then go for it. But watch the vids others have done first, so that you can be sure you're not beating a dead horse. Someone posted an idea for a Bebop vid on this forum a few days back. I jokingly ran screaming from the room at the suggestion, but his muscial choice was really interesting. New vids with these series can be original and fun, but since there are so many out there already, the list of good ones is growing thin.

[TROAL]

The 10 commandments of AMV making:

-Keep holy the songs of Engel and Tainted Donuts

The song used in Tainted Donuts is actually by a group called Shaka Zombie. :p But I digress. hehe

[shocker]

Here's another idea:

When picking a song, try not to use live tracks.

i guess u haven't seen Evangelion Opus... but yea, some live music sound horrible...

No I haven't.

Also, here's another idea:

When making your video, if a video is made to the song you're doing, don't use clips from the video or any clips of the artist performing the song. But if you do, make sure they go along with the video.

[Wildfire2k2]

I saw a really good Sonic/Offspring video to their "The kids aren't all right" and it blended really well. Once again I guess the rules are suggestions, not the be-all end-all must follow guidelines.