Editing action amvs

[boagz57]

Hello,

I was just wondering if anyone had some general tips for editing action amvs. More specifically the heavier action parts of the amv. I'm finding it difficult to splice together the right clips and didn't know if there were some decent general guidelines to follow for action flow.

[Kireblue]

These guides might be a good start

[boagz57]

Thanks for the suggestions. I’m familiar with most of what she says but there were a few things I wasn’t thinking of before.

[Rider4Z]

Thanks for the suggestions. I’m familiar with most of what she says but there were a few things I wasn’t thinking of before.

For fast paced stuff it's all about keeping consistent focal points. If one clip has your eyes on the left side of the screen and you suddenly cut to a clip whose focal point is on the right it can be jarring to the viewer. Eyes are automatically drawn to faces so keep that in mind. There are a variety of transition techniques you can use to help maintain fluidity and "reset" the eye so the video feels smooth instead of like it's rolling on square wheels. When possible, let the footage move the eyes around and put clips together that line up nicely.

[boagz57]

There are a variety of transition techniques you can use to help maintain fluidity

Would you be able to name/describe a couple of those techniques?

and "reset" the eye so the video feels smooth

I think the emphasis for me here is the 'reset' part. I often get to points after a certain sequence of frames where I'm not sure how to transition into the next frame. Like maybe the last frame of the action sequence emphasizes an explosion due to a high point of the song, so the frame lingers a bit. But then I'm not sure how to 'smoothly' transition into the next sequence of frames or how to transition out of a more static frame.

[Rider4Z]

There are a variety of transition techniques you can use to help maintain fluidity

Would you be able to name/describe a couple of those techniques?

Masking transitions are common. Here are two examples:



Another common transition technique is to "fade to black" - darkening the screen helps relax the eyes and lose focus. BUT don't drop your opacity to a full 0%, this can actually be jarring. Try not to go lower than 20%, it's easier on the eyes and potential protector screens. Here's an example:


The "fade to black" principles also work with "fade to white".
You can also try adding blurs to your cuts to reset the eye.

Personally I try to put as many clips together as I can that create a natural flow of movement. It's less work for me than having to come up with smooth transitions, and it also feels more natural to not have to manipulate the footage so much. But I edit on a bit of a flat surface, I don't usually come up with stylistic designs that require 3 dimensional thinking for my videos.

[boagz57]

Never knew of the fade to black/white. Thank you for your help.