Go watch your old videos. Right now.

ngsilver · Post by **ngsilver** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:02 pm

I still to this day watch all of my old videos on a regular basis. It reminds me why I got into the hobby and I can see how far I've come in technique and in relaying the idea I had with the video through the editing and scenes.

I've had countless numbers of people randomly play some of my videos, old and new in attempts to embarrass me. Each attempt fails because I'm not embarrassed if my videos are shown or if I'm there to watch. I enjoy seeing my work and I also enjoy it when others think highly enough of my work to show it to others. Even when the video is my first or a joke vid like Dance 6.0.

I know I often feel that each video I've made is better then the last. Though I find some of my videos to be better then others just because of the work I put into them and the idea as a whole. I'm more annoyed that my first video has high scores because it was a linkin park vid put to Kenshin then I am that it was IMO bad (random clips, hard subs, additive dissolves.) I learned something each time I made a vid, and from that I grew. My style may still be the same, but my technique is better.

My first vid I simply learned how to work with premier. My second I learned about the 2nd video track and screening. My third vid I learned about opacity and the cross fade. My fourth vid I learned more about pacing and beat sync while still being able to work with lyric sync, it was also my first attempt at effects by using parts of the series, I also learned that most people don't care for vids that are over 6 mins long. My fifth vid I had a larger hard drive and was able to capture the DVDs in a higher quality, I learned a simplified technique to take a 4:3 source and make it 16:9, I learned some effects and video filters, I realized that older anime has shaky cameras, I also accidentally came across my first lip sync and thus started to create my own lip sync. My sixth vid (well, the SM vid that actually premiered after the next 3 vids) I learned how to work with DVD footage thanks to Read <a href=http://www.a-m-v.org/guides/avtech31/>ErMaC & AbsoluteDestiny's Friendly AMV Guides</a> and got my roomate to rip the DVDs, I learned how to mask with premier, and I learned how to use the masking technique for lip sync to defeat lip flap. My seventh vid I learned that upbeat/comedy vids is how you get people to notice you, I learned how to do a keyframes and mask moving characters, I also learned the general public could care less about quality as long as they see characters they like on the screen. My eighth vid I unknown music and little known anime may make good videos but wont get you noticed, I also learned how to clean up DVD footage and kill crap frames, crap edges, and black borders. My ninth vid was an experiment in editing using very little actual editing, instead to try to put the perfect audio to the perfect scene in order to garner an emotion and get across an idea, I also gained some social knowledge that the community seems to frown on an editor doing very little to a source even if a great deal of editing isn't needed. My tenth video I learned that even a beta can still win awards, that upbeat/comedy is still the way to go, and that a good majority of the community hates the visual quality of gifs. My eleventh video I learned how easy it could be to make a good video in a short period of time, at least when hentai is the source material. I didn't learn much from my 12th video, it was a gif video and wasn't that upbeat or funny, I did however hone my abilities to transform clips and work with different ARs while still maintaining AR. My 13th video I learned even the simplest idea can work in an Iron Chef format, I also learned that putting hentai to something from a person's childhood is the perfect way to mortify them. I don't believe I learned much from my 14th video, though I do feel I attained the highest amount of editing that could be done with gifs, I even used AE to achieve some motion graphics. My 15th video I went upbeat and honed my simple editing skills, I also realized that the community is full of people who can like a video or hate a video based off of song and source. My last two videos I've spend honing my ability to relay a story through editing, by not relying on lyrics (kind of hard to when there is none) and instead through scene choices, editing, and the feeling one gets from hearing the music.

I've learned a lot over the last 6 years I've been making videos. Each video taught me new skills. I've mostly learned everything via trial and error and aside from many technical skills almost entirely on my own. I've gotten advice from others, but in the end I've developed my skills on my own through hard work and watching good videos. I'm proud of my work. Each piece shows where I am on my journey, it's like looking into the past and seeing myself. I started making videos because I wanted to give back to the community I spent 6 years only watching from afar, I wanted to join in and get out of the community the same thing everyone who had made all the awesome videos I loved got. In the end though, I made what I liked, liked what I made, and what others thought was just icing on the cake.

Malificus · Post by **Malificus** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:27 pm

Guitars Last Forever is my favorite vid I've made. |: I should really remaster it.

I'm split on my old stuff, particularly the WMM amvs. I like two, am impartial to two, and am really happy I remade the first one. Half of them are progressive stages of me trying to learn how to clean up footage. I love everything post Kitty Action except P.E.D.O. and need for Greed, both of which I still like, just less so.

-MD · Post by **-MD** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 10:40 pm

I haven't made a video of my own...since last year August....and I started alil before then

I like my old vids for some reason XD I can't wait to make something "new" or should Isay start out fresh......

Megamom · Post by **Megamom** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:09 am

Nostalgia!!!!

I remember that I liked ami edit amvs with strange thematic music and rare, but gradually changing my style was, I would like to re-edit as he did before ...

may later to try again, but it would be difficult to resume a style, forgotten!

wurpess · Post by **wurpess** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:15 pm

I actually recently made a DVD for my mom with some of my AMVs. (She's been asking, since she doesn't have the right codecs on her laptop and refuses to put them on.

So the only way for her to watch them is to either take a 2 hour drive to my apt or if I put them on a playable DVD.) I had put on all my vids from 'Sexy Gods' and beyond. When I sat down and watched it with her, it was interesting to see the progression/improvement. And as much as I truly hate my newest vid, it really was much better than anything I had ever done.

As for my Pre-'Sexy Gods'/2006 stuff, I think I watched them a few months ago when I ran across them on a disk. My 1st one (the FMA one) made me cringe. I hated it. My 2nd one (the Hello Kitty one), I actually still like. I think I might remake that one at some point, because I think it deserves it. My 3rd one (the InuYasha one), I thought the concept was good, execution sucked major monkey balls. But I probably won't remake it. The 4th one (the FMP one and the last one I made on WMM), served its purpose of being a fun throw-away vid. Might get bored and remake it, might not.

So, my 1st one made me cringe, and I hate it. #2-4, while I facepalmed at the technical stuff, I still vaguely enjoyed them and got that feeling of nostalgia.

Embarrassment? Well, I always make my vids for me. I used to care if people liked them, but not anymore. And while I've made a vid or 2 that I kinda like, I haven't made anything that I'm truly proud of yet. So I guess, when it comes to showing my vids to the public, the embarrassment's never really stopped. But eh. I'm having fun. I think.

Pie Row Maniac · Post by **Pie Row Maniac** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:13 pm

My older stuff intrigues me. There is far more value in simplicity than it's given credit.

I'm satisfied with the fact that masking is the most advanced effect I'll ever use or need. Even then, I'll use it for lip syncing more than anything else.

mexicanjunior · Post by **mexicanjunior** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:42 pm

I love most of my old vids, they are good times...

Hareoic · Post by **Hareoic** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 4:18 pm

So far I've made four videos, three of which used the same concept. I think the process looks something like this:

1. Still Alive - Learned to put clips in a sequence.

2. Still At Large - Learned to time things better, match the mood of the lyrics and the music itself, and learned about fade in and fade out

3. STILL At Large - Learned how to remain as relevant to the concept as possible, learned to use fade transitions. and learned a little about editing clips in Photoshop. (I have that and Windows Movie Maker so I make do with it)

4. Salad Days - Learned to use the appropriate (or at least the most witty) type of transition between clips.

And if my ideas are any guess, the fifth will be where I learn to overlay one object with another in a clip in Photoshop to match the lyrics (and be utterly ridiculous).

...Could have sworn I had a point, but I think I lost it. Oh well.

Falconone · Post by **Falconone** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 4:18 pm

I like my old videos. Also the first one. it was really good for that what i had at this time, also an skills

Hareoic · Post by **Hareoic** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 4:19 pm

Forgot to mention that each one taught me a bit more about how aspect ratios work.