She; she saved me [Kyoukai no Kanata AMV]

[Cirera]

New stuff~! First Kyoukai no Kanata video, pretty much a quick edit. I originally wanted to add text, but every time I do, people seem to hate them, so I left them out completely. Um~, not much to say really!

For some reason I wasn't able to upload this through the site FTP so, mediafire link on the video page and YouTube link.

Enjoy!

Would love some feedback, good and bad. Thank you!

[remus_damascus]

Nice video and nice choice of song.
I was listening carefuly to this song and I noticed that it doesn't have a climax that's vey apparent. You see, usually we hear this guitar solos or a different phrase that leads the song to the refrain once again. This song is so soft that all we got is these modest verses:

Now look, we've made a fool out of love
When all we want is to be enough
When all we want is to feel enough

I was also paying attention to the anime you used, and there's a lot of abstract scenes on it. Things we can't understand. Maybe it's a fantastic magical story about a girl who isn't really a girl. I just realized that the subject of this series is too complicated to be understood!

I won't be reckless enough to deny the fact that you chose both a difficult song and difficult series for your video. But I'll do my best evaluating this, so next time, I hope, you'll be closer to knowing how to get the best from both anime and song.

First of all, it's important that you follow an aesthetic plan. A good thing to do is to choose just a few effects and syncronization techniques, which you're gonna put in a organized way in your video.

Actually, I noticed how your video is following a pattern of syncronization. That's nice. But you should make it more evident somehow. And should definetly make it smoothier! I see that in the refrain, you synced mainly with the drums. Well, actually, that's not bad at all, but there's a right time to do that. Imagine a song with a strong climax (guitar solo, whatever). If that part of the song is the most emotional part of it, as there's a modification that you don't listen during the rest of the song, it's important that you fit the most emotional part of your video there. And there, is where you can put the heavy stuff. Although it may not work if it looks too heavy. This is a sentimental AMV, of course.

The climax is also one of the right parts to put a text! And you shouldn't be afraid of doing that, you know. Fuc* them if they don't like it. haha
Something you should also know is that what's most important about these texts is how the message goes along with the scene. That's really difficult to reach.
Imagine if you used the text in the climax of this video.
First thing is that if you did put a text in the climax part of this song, you would be obligated to follow the words of the song. Obviously, we don't wanna have different words that the ones the singer is giving to us.

"When all we want is to feel enough"
What scene would you choose to be a background of this text?
How would you build your viewers emotions so they get to feel those words inside their heart?
How would you give them enough information so that they understand what that text is all about and how it goes along with the main character?

Something that also called my attention in this song, is that the singer is telling us a story too. He tells us about a girl, who saved him when he was afraid of everything.
It's an introduction. The introduction is his present and the main part song is about his past with that girl.

I would suggest that you did the same thing, showing us the character in the "present days" where he's already been saved. Well, it's also important to know that you aren't obligated to do it, there may be other ways in which it can work very well too.
I liked a lot how you put that thing of them holding hands in black and white, but I disliked how you finished the introduction, showing us she disappearing as he hugs her.

It's kinda confusing the fact that the song is stating that she saved him, while she disappears leaving him all alone. This could actually work if the video led us to understand why her disappearence means his salvation. Maybe this series seems so complex that looks like we are supposed to understand that only if we watch it. But I don't know, maybe you could do something about that too. It's not impossible.

Something I noticed, is that she turns into a ring in the end of the video. It looks like he's holding that ring around 01:04. I think it would look great if you put that scene in the beginning, as he's in the present, looking to that ring and remembering how she saved him.

In 2:00 there's a "random girl" hugging her. I didn't see much relevance on having that in your video. We're seeing the savior from the eyes of that guy who's holding the ring. It would be good if that random girl had any relevance in the story of your video, but she hasn't. I guess.

Talking about syncing again

Be careful with some hard cuts you're syncing to the drums and using as transitions, you can see an example of that in 02:41. It's a pattern you've created, and I praise you for that. It's not everyone who does it. Although it's really not good to use scenes fast like that. I can see that you've used it in the refrain, as a kind of transition. The first time we see it, I think it's around 01:27. Again, be careful.

There's a heavier drums compass when the singer leads us to the repetition of the refrain. You've done well. Could be better somehow. Maybe if they were more "similar" to each other. An example:
At 02:50 we look at her looking up in a "medium shot" while an image of she jumping from somewhere is flashng with the drums.
At 03:06 we see lots of different images flashing over an image of her smiling in a "close up". And I must say, that this single part right here is brilliant! You know, that's a kind of technique that professional animators use in the openings of most anime. These images of character smiling... they get us releasing endorphine I guess. There's an AMV I watched today: Angel's Voice by Pwolf. It uses a lot of these close ups. A lot. The result is magnificent. I never watched the series, but I already feel nostalgic about it! hahaha wtf
Anyway, it's great the fact that you did that! Looked so good!

Hm... I think, that's it. I don't have much more to say I guess... Nice work!

EDIT
I was thinking about the usage of texts and I remembered one of my favorite vídeos.
It's a little bit old, unfortunately a-m-v.org's indirect link for it is not working anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhhkUEWjpfQ

It's not about how it looks, it's about what's behind it.
It's about providing the viewer with strong emotions just before it's end.
It's about it's location: it's located in a chorus that has repeated more than twice and, althogh the lyrics change, we still can understand the song and the text at the same time. For the melody is still the same.
Also this song has something that I would call post-clímax chorus, which is a stronger and more emotional chorus. Actually, most songs have it. I guess. Lol
Anyway, you still could use different words, words presented in the anime or words that you made up yourself.
I just would say that you should avoid using words different from the lyrics if you're using them in the clímax of the song and if the clímax of the song has lyrics on it. But maybe, it still could work. We never know haha

EDIT 2

I just remembered a great example of this thing of "not using different words from the clímax lyrics". Take a look, if you got the time to do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR9Dg3J4Ba0

It's also from silver_moon, but it was done with Sierra Lorna too. Anyway, right when the clímax of the song starts, they used some words that I think it's a quotation from the anime. Talking about this song, this clímax is not just a different part of the melody, but it also got some different lyrics as well. But look how they use it in the instrumental part, finishing it right before the clímax lyrics start. And look how they start an idea at that point, then finish that idea in another instrumental part that this time is placed in a part of the song that is just in the end of the clímax and in the beginning of the post clímax chorus.
That's pretty cool isn't it?

Song's clímax - Anime Quotation Text - Climax Lyrics - Anime Quotation Text - Post Climax Chorus

We could also compare the song and the vídeo like this:

A song, has clímax lyrics.
An AMV, has a well placed text.

If the song was an AMV, the clímax lyrics would be the well placed text.
Tha's why they can't interfere with each other, if each one has it's own meaning.

Anyway, I hope you don't be afraid of using text in your vídeos next time.

[Cirera]

First of all, thank you SO much for taking the time to watch the video and write all of that. It means a lot to me and I wanted to reply it properly.

To be completely honest, I didn't put as much thought into the video as I should have. This was one of my short videos, edited just because I felt the need to edit, and in those cases I sometimes rush to finish them, just to get them finished. After reading your feedback I realize the potential of the video/song combo and how much more I could have done, had I put the time and effort in.

I'm very insecure when it comes to text. I love adding it, I love editing with it, I end up liking it myself at first and then hating it. People don't seem to love them either and in two or three cases on the org, for example, I've felt the need submit a raw version after releasing a video with typography or subtitles. I'll try to regain my confidence with my text editing!

I agree with you on the scene where he's holding the ring, that would have worked better in the beginning. As for the ending scene, she doesn't turn into a ring, that's simply all that's left behind of her.

I feel bad for leaving such a short reply, but I don't know what else to say. Thank you again, I will take your advice into consideration and will be sure to plan more with my editing. Thank you!