the meaning of "FLOW" in the editing community.

[Siwz4r]

I've asked lot of people on how flow can be achieve and the only thing they've said was "you will get by the time you're going to edit more and more to gain experience" 8 years since than and i'm still asking my self about this called "flow"

[Kireblue]

I think that this tutorial from Vivifx does the best job at explaining it

[Siwz4r]

Thank you for replying and also for the help.

[Mol]

basically you try to match music in a different way than just blindly cut on sounds ; d. Imo rarely pure flow works in amv without some variety with sync in one way or another. Anyway i guess everything is use to one preference/taste.

[seasons]

8 years since than and i'm still asking my self about this called "flow"

[Pathos Prime]

In AMV League, we try and define Flow roughly as "Do these scenes, placed in this method and order, look like they create a coherent whole? Or does it just look like a bunch of disorganized and unrelated cuts?" We have a shorthand we use when grading - "JBOS," for "Just a Bunch Of Scenes." Like many artistic elements, it's hard to quantify or describe.

[PieandBeer]

WAIT i creeped on your youtube and i think u have great flow don't be worried haha. the vids i linked are all upbeat so i don't think they apply to you directly. imo drama flow is bit different from upbeat/action flow, but the basics below are still there. don't let anyone tell you that you need crazy effects and transitions to have your vid have flow, especially in drama vids

Or does it just look like a bunch of disorganized and unrelated cuts?"

Disagree. i think it's important to distinguish narrative flow from visual flow. you can have a completely random video with great visual flow. i'm assuming the ask here is for visual flow.


here is a video that jumps around for lyric sync, but maintains flow through motion and transitions.


here's another good example, note the use of transitions and groupings of similar clips

crazy transitions aren't necessary, but they certainly help with some anime. i tend to edit raw, but i compensate by going for anime with lots of native motion or put a lot of effort into adding my own.

other editors can talk to you about color correction for adjacent clips because im a pleb. for me the most important thing for flow is motion. unless there is a distinct moment in the song that calls for a halt, then motion both native to the clip and added by the editor should have a smooth pattern. this doesn't mean it has to be constant. you definitely want "peaks and valleys" where the faster moments of the song are distinct from the slower sections, but the transition to those parts of the song should be subtle and ramp up and down as needed. also super important to match the energy of the song. don't simply go for smooth looking clip pairings that are not the speed the song calls for.

attention should also be paid to how clips look next to each other, matching movements between clips and not jumping back and forth from a ton different types of shots (like close up, scenery). like try to understand where the viewer's eyes will be at a certain point and let that inform what the best next clip would be.

really, flow just makes it so the editing isn't as noticeable in the video, like it helps make it seem like the song and anime were always meant to be paired. it makes the video easier to watch and imo lets the sources get more attention than the cuts.

MORE EXAMPLES cuz i suck

another effects heavy vid but its smooth like butter


and a more raw-ish video to show you how simple motion and internal sync can be used to maintain energy

[Scintilla]

really, flow just makes it so the editing isn't as noticeable in the video, like it helps make it seem like the song and anime were always meant to be paired.

You said the magic words. I am now obligated to give, as an example of what that feels like, Kevin Caldwell's Engel.

[DJ_Izumi]

You said the magic words. I am now obligated to give, as an example of what that feels like, Kevin Caldwell's Engel.

608 x 448@ 29.97 fps

Someone needs to re-remaster that remaster at 1080p, STAT.

[lloyd9988]

really, flow just makes it so the editing isn't as noticeable in the video, like it helps make it seem like the song and anime were always meant to be paired.

You said the magic words. I am now obligated to give, as an example of what that feels like, Kevin Caldwell's Engel.

Down to it's core, I'd definitely agree that this contains the fundamentals of flow.

I found that "Dark Sun" to be a good example of atmospheric flow because I don't try to pay attention to what the lead singer is saying but just how the video and music feel together.