What's next for AMV's?

[#7]

Times have changed, and they won't be stopping any time soon. The focus of AMV's has definitely changed over the years, going from very simple editing to some of the more advanced editing such as in the Technique Beat videos. It's hard to imagine how far the art of AMV creation has come in so short a time, and with the advances in technology and software, we can only expect this to get even more extreme.

So I have to wonder, what's next for AMV's? Where could they possibly be in a few years? Where would you LIKE them to be in a few years?

I thought this post would be an interesting place for editors to share their perfect vision of an AMV, as well as thoughts and hopes for the videos of the future.



As for myself, I'd like to see messages or themes conveyed through a group and on a much larger scale. So I think videos maybe shouldn't focus so much on the specific anime being depicted, but rather the message of the song and just make appropriate anime selections based on that (Examples: Dead to the World, Jihaku, Shounen Bishudo, etc)
The problem nowdays, or at least it seems, is that people seem content with just a very basic concept. As long as a video has some general form of concept, thats considered completely acceptable and a good AMV. I have to disagree there. I believe that a video should be judged on what exactly the concept is and how its shown. For example if you take the song "Bodies" by Drowning Pool and just throw in random clips of people beating the shit out of other people, that concept works. Is that deep in any way shape or form? Of course not. Is that a very complex or difficult concept to edit around? No. A 13 year old in Windows Movie Maker could do a half decent video to that on their first run through if they really put their mind to it. Something like that just seems to require practically no effort and expresses little to no creativity on the editors part.
So with that being said, in the future I'd like to see a lot more videos focusing on some much deeper concepts. I'd really like to see AMV's take on a near poetic like form or at least more videos with this idea in mind. I'd like to have to watch a video a few times to maybe get a concept, and have some deep message suddenly revealed to me (whether intentionally edited that way, or unintentionally edited that way) and just something MORE to AMV's in general.

And while there are videos like that today, they are relatively few in number.

[Douggie]

There are already a lot of "collage"-like AMVs which explore a theme and show different situations of that theme matched to the song. Or at least, they feel more "collage"-like (not that that's bad, but seems like that's the editing style nowadays here). So I certainly like to see more story-based AMVs - as more in "linear story" (made by the AMV-editor him/herself) rather than a "showing different situations of a story" type of AMVs if you understand what I mean. AMVs like nightowl's Firewall, or suberunker's Wizard of Ozaka are some examples with self-made linear story-lines. I really like those as they take a stop away from the original anime and I try to make them as much as possible as this type of story-telling is quite fun do!

Also, I'd certainly like to see more experimental/concept videos, it's always interesting to see those as they are mostly fresher than all the other stuff you've seen on the .org - take for example Paul Kieviets' Mass Murderer or trythil's urban suite. But as seen in a topic a while ago, the opinions about concept videos is quite mixed.

...going from very simple editing to some of the more advanced editing such as in the Technique Beat videos.

Is "AMV Technique Beat" included in your statement?

[JaddziaDax]

hmmmn??

http://www.animemusicvideos.org/phpBB/v ... 227#998227
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/phpBB/v ... hp?t=75127
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/phpBB/v ... hp?t=67506

truthfully if you want to see deepness or whatever in amvs, then make them... personally I would like to see people enjoying their hobby and make what they want to make...

[Sukunai]

Yesterday I watched the video called "A Total Waste of 6 min 35 sec" and you know, that video was actually inspired comedy.

Because I have often shown my friends videos just to annoy them. Either it's too friggin cute, or some over the top aspect like "gee can they display any more bouncing tits than that?"

So A Total Waste of 6 min 35 sec naturally was classic comedy, and they both thought the idea that the joke only comes at the last second was good.

But otherwise, I think the thread starter here might be over analysing the issue too much.
I've seen videos that I didn't like, simply because the creator crammed an over dose of special effects into it. I mean sheesh, I don't watch amvs to witness your skill with a software editing program eh.

The reason Reflections, my current top slot video is my fav, is because the song is so damn perfect on it's own (can't stop listening to it in mp3 form), and it matches the video so well it looks like both were originally meant for each other.

Skittles is great because it's just so fun to watch.

But no matter what the video, they only rock if the song and the video are great together. It doesn't matter if the song is great if the video sucks, and obnoxious loud offensive street crap music, well maybe a few miscreants like the stuff, but I've yet to see any anime that actually has any useful connection to that sort of music outside of the minds or the people that make it.

Amvs are just what they are, music matched to anime video and occasionally game sequence material. The music is usually popular mainstream music, but the video is never mainstream content. Remember, anime is popular, but it isn't mainstream.
And it's not entirely cross cultural.

Most of the jokes are in jokes, most of the situational material is pointless if you don't know the anime. It takes real genius to make a video like Reflections, and make it so someone that has never heard the song or seen ANY anime can view it and say "wow that was really good".

Skittles while great, if you've never seen The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya, well it just kills most of the impact. If you've not seen the show, then it's just very colourful and has schoolgirls in it.

[ZephyrStar]

If you've not seen the show, then it's just very colourful and has schoolgirls in it.

I think most AMVs are this way. We deal with a fairly specific audience, and to make a video that appeals to non-fans could be easy, but maybe it's not as fun as making a video that only fans will get.

I think that's why Skittles has gotten some mixed reactions. I love it not really because I have seen Haruhi, but because it's just a feel good fun video. Same with my vid daydream...if you've never read Yotsubato, none of it makes sense. And even if you have, you might not realize that the author of Yotsubato is the same guy who wrote Azumanga Daioh. So the video is really pretty specific in terms of it's jokes and comparisons, but hopefully enjoyable because in a word, it's fun. Same with Skittles, it's just pure fun.

In terms of making stuff that the general non-anime public will enjoy, I personally don't care if they do or not

I make my stuff because I like to make it, and I'm just happy that people happen to like it. The vid I have done for AWA master's this year (yes I'm working on a release version) got all kinds of "man that's weird...." and "I don't get it." when I showed it to some people, but they still liked it. In my head it had to be done, and again, just pure fun.

My $.02

[Bote]

Anime: Original Drawings, Original Animation
Song: Original Music from the editor

That's what I'd like to see in an amv.

I have the music and the animation, but I won't waste them on an AMV.

[Lyrs]

Lawsuits, I think.

[Greggus1]

Same with my vid daydream...if you've never read Yotsubato, none of it makes sense. And even if you have, you might not realize that the author of Yotsubato is the same guy who wrote Azumanga Daioh. So the video is really pretty specific in terms of it's jokes and comparisons, but hopefully enjoyable because in a word, it's fun. Same with Skittles, it's just pure fun.

Underrating yourself again. daydream's story is pretty much crystal clear and superbly executed, and actually got me to watch Yotsuba. I didn't need to know her, because the AMV made me understand her. That's what it's all about

As for stuff like the same author comparison, that's just fangoodies, and really just a bonus, not essential to the story.

[Kitsuner]

Same with my vid daydream...if you've never read Yotsubato, none of it makes sense. And even if you have, you might not realize that the author of Yotsubato is the same guy who wrote Azumanga Daioh. So the video is really pretty specific in terms of it's jokes and comparisons, but hopefully enjoyable because in a word, it's fun. Same with Skittles, it's just pure fun.

Underrating yourself again. daydream's story is pretty much crystal clear and superbly executed, and actually got me to watch Yotsuba. I didn't need to know her, because the AMV made me understand her. That's what it's all about

As for stuff like the same author comparison, that's just fangoodies, and really just a bonus, not essential to the story.

You watched a book?

[ReligionX]

So I have to wonder, what's next for AMV's? Where could they possibly be in a few years? Where would you LIKE them to be in a few years?

All AMVs will be developed to only be watched with 3D glasses. That's where I'd like them to go next. ^-^