Anime Expo 2015 AMV Competition - WINNERS POSTED!

[Terra_Omega_3]

I still didn't get it so I emailed you guys. Maybe I was an idiot when signing up or was half asleep or something when typing my email address..

[XStylus]

I still didn't get it so I emailed you guys. Maybe I was an idiot when signing up or was half asleep or something when typing my email address..

Have not received an email from you either. Very strange. Send me a private message via the forums here please.

[Terra_Omega_3]

WHY MEEEEE AGGGHH!!

[EMrain]

Hey It's Retro again,


I'm in a very, very critical situation here:

I am trying to find a way to refine my footage clarity to make the video more visually crisp. I am trying to implement some Avisynth scripts in attempt to do so, but to no avail. May 2 is the deadline, I'm only a third of the way through editing, and I am very concerned about my video getting dinged for video quality. Here is the quality evaluation/WIP Alpha Revision of my AMV here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9c9w82q2ujqf0 ... 0.mp4?dl=0

I need an answer ASAP, Should I edit and submit the final AMV to the contest when its done, or should I refine all of my source video further before editing any more of my AMV?

Please Reply back with an honest answer, giving me the best advice I can get. Thank you guys in advance,

-Retro

[Cyrix]

If my video doesn't have a lot of effects (meaning all of my videos >_> <_<) I don't usually filter it until after I've edited it - I render the final video to lossless UTVideo format and run that through a cleanup script. This probably isn't the proper workflow, but it can save you when you're crunched for time. Just be aware that if you are deblocking or debanding your final render, that might make fades or added effects go screwy on you. If you have the time, you can write a script that applies different filters to different sections of the video.

If you're really desperate, you can try TemporalDegrain(), but think of it like a tactical nuke - in some situations, it might solve all of your problems with one strike, but if you're careless with it, it can be very destructive ("didn't this scene use to have rain?"). Also, it can seriously take days to render the output on some videos. IIRC FastDegrain() works almost as well but is hella faster. With any degrain, pay special attention to your backgrounds to make sure they don't get blurred or softened.

[XStylus]

Sorry for the delay.

I am trying to find a way to refine my footage clarity to make the video more visually crisp. I am trying to implement some Avisynth scripts in attempt to do so, but to no avail. May 2 is the deadline, I'm only a third of the way through editing, and I am very concerned about my video getting dinged for video quality. Here is the quality evaluation/WIP Alpha Revision of my AMV here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9c9w82q2ujqf0 ... 0.mp4?dl=0

I need an answer ASAP, Should I edit and submit the final AMV to the contest when its done, or should I refine all of my source video further before editing any more of my AMV?

Please Reply back with an honest answer, giving me the best advice I can get. Thank you guys in advance,

-Retro

For starters, I really, really, really appreciate it when people are brave enough to ask this question.

The rules, as written, sound very scary and nitpicky regarding video quality. To be honest though, if I were to take those rules to the utmost extreme an overwhelming majority of the videos we receive (even ones from the pros) could conceivably fall under that rule because all AMVs suffer from generational loss to some extent. The trick is in determining how much is tolerable, and that's a very subjective thing.

Therefore, the rules are designed to be a scare tactic more than anything else. We invoke them very forgivingly, usually on entries that exhibit an unwatchably poor degree of quality and often have other flaws.

What you've shown isn't unwatchable. Is it so bad that it's not even worth showing in the non-finalist block? No. So would I push for a DQ? No. (Granted, I'm only 1/3rd of that decision, but I'm also the most nitpicky.)

I won't kid you though, it's not great, and not having seen your source I don't know what's possible in regards to helping it. I'm going to guess that you're working off of either a low resolution and/or low bitrate copy of something you downloaded. If that's so, that's probably the most challenging material to work with in terms of quality. Often times there isn't anything you can do for it.

Now then, the big question: Should you finish it? The answer is DUH, of course! Do it because you have fun doing it, and do it because it's good practice. It'll probably look fine on YouTube and your friends might think it's awesome. Should you send it to AX? Sure, why not, especially if you're attending. It's still cool to see it play in the AMV room even if it doesn't make the finals. Should you send it to other cons? Absolutely, because there's many cons that aren't quite as fiercely packed with submissions as AX that would love to have your entry. So even though I may have dropped a dump of negatives on you, stay positive. I like how you've got a desire to learn the tools (AVIsynth is daunting), get feedback, and take criticism. That'll take you far.

[EMrain]

Sorry for the delay.

I am trying to find a way to refine my footage clarity to make the video more visually crisp. I am trying to implement some Avisynth scripts in attempt to do so, but to no avail. May 2 is the deadline, I'm only a third of the way through editing, and I am very concerned about my video getting dinged for video quality. Here is the quality evaluation/WIP Alpha Revision of my AMV here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9c9w82q2ujqf0 ... 0.mp4?dl=0

I need an answer ASAP, Should I edit and submit the final AMV to the contest when its done, or should I refine all of my source video further before editing any more of my AMV?

Please Reply back with an honest answer, giving me the best advice I can get. Thank you guys in advance,

-Retro

For starters, I really, really, really appreciate it when people are brave enough to ask this question.

The rules, as written, sound very scary and nitpicky regarding video quality. To be honest though, if I were to take those rules to the utmost extreme an overwhelming majority of the videos we receive (even ones from the pros) could conceivably fall under that rule because all AMVs suffer from generational loss to some extent. The trick is in determining how much is tolerable, and that's a very subjective thing.

Therefore, the rules are designed to be a scare tactic more than anything else. We invoke them very forgivingly, usually on entries that exhibit an unwatchably poor degree of quality and often have other flaws.

What you've shown isn't unwatchable. Is it so bad that it's not even worth showing in the non-finalist block? No. So would I push for a DQ? No. (Granted, I'm only 1/3rd of that decision, but I'm also the most nitpicky.)

I won't kid you though, it's not great, and not having seen your source I don't know what's possible in regards to helping it. I'm going to guess that you're working off of either a low resolution and/or low bitrate copy of something you downloaded. If that's so, that's probably the most challenging material to work with in terms of quality. Often times there isn't anything you can do for it.

Now then, the big question: Should you finish it? The answer is DUH, of course! Do it because you have fun doing it, and do it because it's good practice. It'll probably look fine on YouTube and your friends might think it's awesome. Should you send it to AX? Sure, why not, especially if you're attending. It's still cool to see it play in the AMV room even if it doesn't make the finals. Should you send it to other cons? Absolutely, because there's many cons that aren't quite as fiercely packed with submissions as AX that would love to have your entry. So even though I may have dropped a dump of negatives on you, stay positive. I like how you've got a desire to learn the tools (AVIsynth is daunting), get feedback, and take criticism. That'll take you far.

Thanks for the advice, I'm just gonna make the video as good as I can and send it in when its done But something you said is, well, pretty darn obvious,

I won't kid you though, it's not great,

OF COURSE! IT'S A FREAKING ALPHA PROTOTYPE FROM A WEEK AGO! GEE WHIZ!

But yeah, thank you so much for the information you gave me! I am indeed attending AX2015, and you might think I'm flying into LA, and guess what? HECK NO! I'm driving across the country, Little Rock to Los Angeles, its gonna be a road trip! Wooo! Without a doubt, one of the things I am certainly gonna go do there is compete at the AMV competition. Yeah, that's right! In the big room with the big screen for all to witness the awesome AMVs (one of which I aim to send in by the May 1st ) I am indeed anticipating the crowd's reaction to the final product of my AMV, It seems a bit overwhelming, but that's a good feeling anticipating what others will enjoy about it! I'm so psyched about this coming July!!!!! Again, thank you so much for your much appreciated help and support,

- Retro

[Ryvannis]

won't kid you though, it's not great...Now then, the big question: Should you finish it? The answer is DUH, of course!

Can't tell if your being facetious.

@RetroMegabyte If your looking for help/opinions go ahead and ask in the sub forums. Or PM some of us. We're more than willing to help. Tip of advice is to not rush a video and to grab some hard ass beta testers. Especially before a contest deadline.

[XStylus]

won't kid you though, it's not great...Now then, the big question: Should you finish it? The answer is DUH, of course!

Can't tell if your being facetious.

You know me well, Dean, but not in this case. I'll never tell anyone not to finish an AMV. Even if it's rough around the edges, so long as you're enjoying it and learning from it I'll always encourage them to finish what they start.

As for whether one's vid is competition ready, I have to be "diplomatic" on that question. That's best posed to one's beta testers.

@RetroMegabyte If your looking for help/opinions go ahead and ask in the sub forums. Or PM some of us. We're more than willing to help. Tip of advice is to not rush a video and to grab some hard ass beta testers. Especially before a contest deadline.

^^^ This. All of this. AMV creators love helping fellow AMV creators.

[EMrain]

won't kid you though, it's not great...Now then, the big question: Should you finish it? The answer is DUH, of course!

Can't tell if your being facetious.

@RetroMegabyte If your looking for help/opinions go ahead and ask in the sub forums. Or PM some of us. We're more than willing to help. Tip of advice is to not rush a video and to grab some hard ass beta testers. Especially before a contest deadline.

Actually, I'm not rushing, as I firmly believe that consistent work sessions, not necessarily speed, are capable of meeting most deadlines, especially those that span multiple weeks, and especially if I want to actually make quality work out of the time at hand. It's about good time management skills, not always about speed. I also believe if you have to rush, you're too late, the cause in such cases being less than satisfactory time management. Again, to be clear, my strategy at use is consistent pacing, not rushing, since rushing does not get any good quality video edits.