What's Originality?

Serv0 · Post by **Serv0** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:02 pm

I obviously don't know everything, but I do realize that we all have a different perspective to the term originality. In any case, this post not only reflects on the works put out by the many editors out there, but also by the reviews, statements, and opinions generated by its audience members that share the AMV experience.

The quality of something fresh, unique, and even different can up our likeness score for any piece of work. It seems our likeness is somehow proportionate to this level of individualism found in any product produced by the AMV community. Yet I see a lot of reviewers hammering the so called 'originality' portion with statements that involve the use of popular anime and/or music. And it didn't matter if the video was well put together in the first place.

Because of the mass number of AMVs already existing in our world, I know that we all borrow from each other concepts, ideas, techniques, and premises to suit our own. But does this answer the originality question? This editor doesn't think so.

And so the following questions are presented by Servo:
1) What is your criteria for justifying the level of an original factor?
2) When does the presented AMV decline in originality and how far does it fall?
3) What examples of 'other' AMVs can you show that fit as an original piece of work?
(Note: I'm not asking you to post someone's work and label it as unoriginal.)

I will first post an example of what I feel is an original work. Later I'll post the other two points.

This video is one of the first AMV's I saw. It has inspired me to take up editing and I surely think it's an original work. The video uses one of the most used anime: Dragonball Z. A big turn off for a lot of you out there I bet. I thank Scott for making this video.

BasharOfTheAges · Post by **BasharOfTheAges** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:10 pm

Originality is 100% about concept and 0% about source - hands down. People have gotten the two confused since most people can't come up with an innovative idea to save their asses and they see a direct corrilation between using source A and song B and a video being bad.

CrackTheSky · Post by **CrackTheSky** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:25 pm

BasharOfTheAges wrote:Originality is 100% about concept and 0% about source - hands down. People have gotten the two confused since most people can't come up with an innovative idea to save their asses and they see a direct corrilation between using source A and song B and a video being bad.

I definitely agree.

I have a lot more to say on this topic, but I'll have to come back later because right now I'm really distracted.

Kitsuner · Post by **Kitsuner** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:39 pm

Originality is for chumps; you're at the top of the ladder.

JaddziaDax · Post by **JaddziaDax** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:54 pm

haha make what you want to make...

Serv0 · Post by **Serv0** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:56 pm

BasharOfTheAges wrote:Originality is 100% about concept and 0% about source - hands down. People have gotten the two confused since most people can't come up with an innovative idea to save their asses and they see a direct corrilation between using source A and song B and a video being bad.

I will have to agree with you Bashar. It seems that reviewers pwn originality scores because of their inability to create something original themselves.

For me, when I'm watching a person's AMV, I try to first envision the piece separate from the source used. In other words, can you watch the video without having seen the anime?

Szwagier · Post by **Szwagier** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:01 pm

It's just like Bashar said, the concept is the main factor.
It may seem like people are hammering videos just for the use of anime, but when series are being extremely overused the criteria are getting much higher than just putting something with a song that haven't been used yet. For example Sasuke vs Naruto + rock was done so many times, that it doesn't really matter if you choose a rock song that nobody knows or something that was used several times already - you won't get originality points here. It's like watching the same wall being repainted in different shades of one colour - it's still the same coloured wall.
Also the originality have nothing to do with how good the vid is (though its often the good videos that are being original)

NS · Post by NS » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:27 pm

indeed. about it being about the concept and not the source, just very often. A source is used in the same uncreatvie way as all, Besides. That video is OLD.. so back then, That idea was original as all hell

Serv0 · Post by **Serv0** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:45 pm

NerdStrudel wrote:indeed. about it being about the concept and not the source, just very often. A source is used in the same uncreatvie way as all, Besides. That video is OLD.. so back then, That idea was original as all hell

I still think the video is pretty original today. I mean this obviously wasn't the first DBZ AMV. There were a lot of DBZ put to metal music when this video came out.

This brings up another interesting ponder. Does the criteria of originality change as time goes by?

post-it · Post by **post-it** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:50 pm

.. what is originality
. . can it be defined in words ? -- yup!
.. . what is it:
1) you see a man being hit by a girl on her bike. .. originality, no!
2) you are the man being hit by the girl on the bike. .. originality, no!
3) you are the girl on the bike hitting the man. .. originality, no!
4) you are the one who lost his bag of marbles causing the accident. .. originality, no!
5) you saw the bag of marbles break open, and didn't have enough time to warn anybody. .. originality, yup!

.. originality is being at a place during a time when nothing was supposed to happen and watching everything unfold right before your eyes ( good or bad! ) .. in writing, its called the fourth person perspective. Originality is seeing something that everyone else missed. .. does it happen very often in life? hell no! -- that's what makes it unique! .. a true original .. can be told by no one else.