AMV Salad 3: next stop - NekoCon 12...

[Gaelstrom]

Thanks very much for getting more specific with your input, Code. It's sincerely appreciated.

I agree, the beginning should be cut like Code says in favor of the Law and Order start. Right now, it's confusing and slow and the clip is too long. Unless it gets a massive overhaul, it's detrimental in its current form. The Reservoire Dogs is just too slow and too niche a reference to be widely amusing.

I also agree, Match.com is unnecessary and should go. Clip's its own thing.

Krvabo wants Gunther cut, and I agree, syncing it will not really save it. If the ending visuals changed, maybe, but it's not worth it now.

I didn't put thought into it before, but yes, 'Coming to take me away' needs to go sadly. It was done in the first two, the joke is overdone.

I disagree with Code however on the Gurren Lagann clip, I side with InspZenigata. The lyrics are a bit hard to connect to the footage the first time because of the synth voice, but I enjoyed the clip for the timing and music to the visuals even not having gotten the joke. It's not laugh-out-loud funny like I said, but it causes a nice smile for me.

'Destroy you' clip I agree is a bit incomplete and random, but supposedly acquired decent reactions at AMA according to Deuce. I vote for Deuce or the author to repair Hughes' mouth flaps on it and let it remain unless everyone agrees it's not what it could be.

I vote for removing the Premiere commercial text from the Demolition Man clip entirely. Just like the text in the To Heart one, it's more distracting for me than entertaining. The clip is good on its own. Am I alone in thinking this?

Agreed all around on moving Big O head on back from the other. We also just had the excel Head On 3 clips before, so it definitely needs to move back a bit. It is the climactic head on commercial after all ^^ Also, it's probably worth it to ditch the Head On box graphic for the head on graphic you used in my Excel one so it works with the visuals rather than overlays them.

The other thing is timing on the test patterns and black space needs to get another pass, some places it's black too long, others, test patterns happen a half beat too late to nail the timing, but I think the entire movie will improve overall with a bunch of very small polishes here and there that shouldn't take more than a night, and allowing some clips to be sacrificed. It seems I'm completely wrong about the Now 63 clip, except I still believe the text needs to be repaired, but whatever, I'm very happy people laugh with it ^^

Thanks again, Code. We finally got some serious outside feedback.

Deuce, I think you shouldn't cling to the idea that these are all commercials. Like we both agreed before, it's not how it's amusing, as much as whether the audience is amused. I think trying too hard to force the Salad to be unified is causing half of our problems.

[sakuraslight]

With the test you added to mine you made people thing what he hell ..

the kung fo panda and demolition man never had any test or images when i submited them that have been aded by the director .

[Gaelstrom]

With the text you added to mine you made people think what he hell ..

the kung fo panda and demolition man never had any text or images when i submited them that have been aded by the director .

I think it's been determined that adding stuff to clips that wasn't intended to be there is what is causing a lot of problems. The Head On ones were designed for commercials, so the added graphic doesn't kill the joke, but added text everywhere else is breaking jokes it seems.

I also believe the text added to the last clip after the credits should be toned down. I would say you can get the same effect by taking all text out except 'AMV Salad 4 Otakon 2010' at the end. Otherwise it seems like one of those locally made furniture or car commericials that try too hard to blast you with irrelevant information or tell you what you should be thinking. I never feel as insulted as when something claims that its funny FOR me rather than letting me make that determination for myself.

[Squancho]

This is a lot of information coming at one time but I'm doing what I can to make everyone happy. The way it sounds, I'm gonna have to rework the entire thing which is gonna take it a bit out of context.

sakuraslight:
The Demolition Man clip on its own was kind of random. While nicely done, it went on for a bit long. I tried thinking of it as a movie trailer but the scene from the movie was kind of restrictive to what could be done. Then, one day, Sandra Bullock's last line in the scene made me think of Adobe Premiere, which made me take another look at the clip as a package. The a-m-v.org logo, the screwy screens, the violence,...it just made sense. The text was there to set up the joke at the end. People liked it, but it's your call if you want me to take it back to its original form.

As for the Kung Fu Panda, I was sure I asked you about trying to make this into a trailer. I could fix it up so it looks better, but again people liked the idea. If you want me to revert it, I guess I shall.

And since the theme was commercials and trailers, the last sequence got the editor's seal of approval. It's supposed to be loud and sell the fact that AMVS4 is coming because that's when I tell people how to join. Promos, by their very nature, are annoyingly up front but must leave no doubt what to expect. It is advertising, after all.

I'll address Code's remarks now.

Opening: tune in to TNT or AMC or any other cable channel when they transition between shows. It looks something like that. Maybe I could throw it in after the closing credits or even as an additive while the credits are rolling but it's gonna take some work. As is now, there's a movie trailer going in the window while the announcements for upcoming shows are being spoken and displayed on screen.

I realize I shouldn't have put the commercials first after the opening. I'm gonna have to do some heavy duty rearrangement of clips anyway so at least that will be fixed. Have you ever seen the recent "match.com" commercials? Dezbo turned that clip in not knowing what else to do with it. I asked if she cared if I made it a "match.com" ad and she told me to go for it.

I'll figure something out to do with the KFP clip, unless (as previously mentioned) sakuraslight wants me to revert the two clips to their original state. Otherwise, I can pretty it up some.

No real joke with the pic. It's from TakkoshoCon 2008. It's a fake [adult swim] random photo bumper.

The Haruhi dance wasn't originally meant for this project. Yeah, it's a bit long and it also has timing issues from what I'm told. If it's okay with the editor, I can work that out.

It was too bad that =DarKNesS= had but one clip this time. He lives in Russia and the army is taking his time these days. His talents are missed.

I think Captain Harlock is an older title but at least one person in the crowd recognized it. This is light humor, too. At least it seems the joke wasn't lost on you.

Point taken on the "I Wanna Destroy You" clip. As amusing as I thought the Pucca clip was, I suppose starting off with Hughes telling Ed he wants to destroy him would suffice.

Yeah, I'm trying to come up with a segment-ending blip of some kind. There's always dead space for a second between commercials as well as just after any show cuts to break. They try and end that segment with a big laugh to carry over into the commercials. I'm not sure what kind of separator should cap the segments, though. Another test pattern?

I'd be able to do more with those graphics if I could afford something like photoshop or whatever that included the function of a "bucket fill" of transparency to isolate the central object and allow it to be placed anywhere. I might be able to work something out about the logo..?

The Azumanga / Green Jello clip was something I thought would convey the "Are you boys on drugs?" sentiment, but maybe I didn't make it trippy enough? Should have used a different scene? I dunno.

I've been hearing this about the song used in this clip. I think it's the only one I have from this editor but I'll look into it. Anyway, I'm seriously considering the suggestion as it's quite a lengthy buffer between the other clips.

I think I get it now. So you think making a fake bumper to bridge the clip-to-commercial gap is the way to go?

The instant clip-to-bumper thing was a glitch. Must fix.

This is a clip (the Joan Osborne one) which needs replacement because of visual issues. So far, I think the editor for that and the other obviously mistimed clips is working on re-encoding them..?

The credits could definitely go by faster. I'll get on that as well.

All this is the kind of advice and suggestion I need to make this project something better than what it was the previous round. I'm beginning to understand why MEP producers don't work with deadlines that are as concrete as mine tends to be. I had to put kind of a rush on this one because of time constraints. That won't happen again, I assure you that...all of you. You all deserve to be represented better and I'll be working further on this chapter to make sure even the 'org viewers are impressed.

Well, as long as I'm still awake, I may as well go back to work on this monster...

[Squancho]

Deuce, you saw it at AMA, so you can tell better if the reaction was confused laughter or not.

The laughter came at the very end when the MW logo popped up. I dunno why they reacted so late, but something about it made an impact.

[thundercatlord]

With the text you added to mine you made people think what he hell ..

the kung fu panda and demolition man never had any text or images when i submited them that have been added by the director .

I think it's been determined that adding stuff to clips that wasn't intended to be there is what is causing a lot of problems. The Head On ones were designed for commercials, so the added graphic doesn't kill the joke, but added text everywhere else is breaking jokes it seems.

I also believe the text added to the last clip after the credits should be toned down. I would say you can get the same effect by taking all text out except 'AMV Salad 4 Otakon 2010' at the end. Otherwise it seems like one of those locally made furniture or car commericials that try too hard to blast you with irrelevant information or tell you what you should be thinking. I never feel as insulted as when something claims that its funny FOR me rather than letting me make that determination for myself.

* I like the text with the "Kung Fu Panda" clip. But I do agree with Code, that the logo at the end just needs to be the words. As it is right now it looks sloppy.
* I also like the text and the Adobe Premiere joke in the "Demolition Man" one. I was cracking up when the "you swear AT it" came up. For me that really make the joke, and as an editor I find it hilarious.
* The AMV Salad 4 promo is mine. This one came about when we had realized Deuce had left one of my clips out. So rather than squeeze in the the main video at the last minute, we decided we'd do an after the credits thing. The original clip was text less, but I personally am ok with all the text in this. I found it quite funny actually, and am pleased with what Deuce did with it.

[thundercatlord]

Opening: tune in to TNT or AMC or any other cable channel when they transition between shows. It looks something like that. Maybe I could throw it in after the closing credits or even as an additive while the credits are rolling but it's gonna take some work. As is now, there's a movie trailer going in the window while the announcements for upcoming shows are being spoken and displayed on screen.

I say leave it alone. I totally was pulled into the concept of a half hour programming block with that.

I realize I shouldn't have put the commercials first after the opening. I'm gonna have to do some heavy duty rearrangement of clips anyway so at least that will be fixed. Have you ever seen the recent "match.com" commercials? Dezbo turned that clip in not knowing what else to do with it. I asked if she cared if I made it a "match.com" ad and she told me to go for it.

I got the match.com joke. As for the timing issues that other people have mentioned... I don't really see a problem... Also, when I watch a MEP, I go in knowing that the clips were made by different people, with different styles, and different skill levels.

I'll figure something out to do with the KFP clip, unless (as previously mentioned) sakuraslight wants me to revert the two clips to their original state. Otherwise, I can pretty it up some.

If you want, I can make a .GIF image of just the text/logo "Kung Fu Panda" for you, that you can import into Vegas. That's what I did with the Power Rangers logo from my Excel Saga/Power Rangers clip.

The Haruhi dance wasn't originally meant for this project. Yeah, it's a bit long and it also has timing issues from what I'm told. If it's okay with the editor, I can work that out.

If it needs to be shortened, please keep 2:58-3:15. That is probably the best segment.

Point taken on the "I Wanna Destroy You" clip. As amusing as I thought the Pucca clip was, I suppose starting off with Hughes telling Ed he wants to destroy him would suffice.

I know I said that I go into these with the mind set that these all come from different editors... but honestly... this clip really bothers me... The lip sync on the FMA part is horrible (sorry Deuce) and the subtitle bugs me to no end.

I'd be able to do more with those graphics if I could afford something like photoshop or whatever that included the function of a "bucket fill" of transparency to isolate the central object and allow it to be placed anywhere. I might be able to work something out about the logo..?

Like I said, I can do this for you for the "Kung Fu Panda" clip if you want me to.

I think I get it now. So you think making a fake bumper to bridge the clip-to-commercial gap is the way to go?

Agreed.

[Squancho]

If you want, I can make a .GIF image of just the text/logo "Kung Fu Panda" for you, that you can import into Vegas. That's what I did with the Power Rangers logo from my Excel Saga/Power Rangers clip.

Sounds like a good idea. Show me whatcha got.

As for the rest of the project, I am rearranging clips so there are a couple after the first "donk donk" then a fake bumper and a set of commercials, "donks," clips, bumper, commercials,...lather, rinse, repeat. I'm making sure there's a big laugh at the end of each clip segment.

I also took the initiative to shorten and tighten up the sync between the dance steps and song for the Haruhi piece. I think it looks quite a bit better but it won't be perfect because of the way the scenes fall during the clip. I had to split and remix the video track somewhat to make it work.

For the opening sequence, I fixed the problem with the green line down the right side of the screen. I also removed the spoken announcements and added another text programming note. I'm probably going to look into having location text screens for the "donks" like after the "Fail Hard" blip, the message would read,
"In your hard drive
Downloading yaoi"
...something to that effect. Still pondering.

I did remove the "Funny Farm" clip since everyone was screaming about it. This project, after making adjustments to the end credits, will probably be more like 19-20 minutes in length. We'll see how this comes out...

[thundercatlord]

Ask and you shall receive, here is the Kung Fu Panda logo:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F552PL8D

[Gaelstrom]

Opening: tune in to TNT or AMC or any other cable channel when they transition between shows. It looks something like that. Maybe I could throw it in after the closing credits or even as an additive while the credits are rolling but it's gonna take some work. As is now, there's a movie trailer going in the window while the announcements for upcoming shows are being spoken and displayed on screen.

I say leave it alone. I totally was pulled into the concept of a half hour programming block with that.

If removing it is not to everyone's liking, I go for the overhaul idea. Right now the aquamarine is a bit saturated and the text isn't aligned very well so it seems very haphazard. Deuce, if you want to post a link to something you wanted to emulate, gimme some time in photoshop and I can do something for you that may help it be more unified. I still believe removing it would strengthen the overall movie, since the Reservoir Dogs clip is just too long and doesn't have any real impact to me, but if everyone vetoes that idea, let's make it look great and seem professional. It won't take long.

As an afterthought, I think I know what hurts it the most: scale down the movie clip a bit and allow space above and to the right of it of equal distance. This way it gives the effect more of a screen with a clip IN it, as opposed to the bisection of information that's going on. It needs more than this, but this may help.

I got the match.com joke. As for the timing issues that other people have mentioned... I don't really see a problem... Also, when I watch a MEP, I go in knowing that the clips were made by different people, with different styles, and different skill levels.

Trust me, it's there. It looks like the animation was sped up through scaling and there's a rogue frame in it somewhere that makes her foot teleport for a moment as if the program didn't know what to do (could be the render?). It's an easy fix. And I think different levels of skill is what makes this fun, but mainly because it's a way for editors to get critique in a project rather than people they aren't working with. There's no reason to leave clips behind in quality. Hopefully next year time constraints won't cause that to happen like it did this year.

* I also like the text and the Adobe Premiere joke in the "Demolition Man" one. I was cracking up when the "you swear AT it" came up. For me that really make the joke, and as an editor I find it hilarious.
* The AMV Salad 4 promo is mine. This one came about when we had realized Deuce had left one of my clips out. So rather than squeeze in the the main video at the last minute, we decided we'd do an after the credits thing. The original clip was text less, but I personally am ok with all the text in this. I found it quite funny actually, and am pleased with what Deuce did with it.

In this case, I think you being an editor may be preventing you from seeing what it's doing for the joke that's not for the editors ^^ The premiere thing is an editor inside joke, one for us, but for the audience, it draws away from the original clip, which I personally liked. Attention leaps from one joke to the other, and you lose both. I don't think sakuraslight likes the change either based on the post above. If you like the text on yours, I personally can't see why, because I want to see your Excel clip, not the overlayed text. The ending 'AMV Salad 4' text is fine with that major establishing shot. But every other clip with added text I believe with every fiber of my being should have the text removed unless it was in the original.

Gaelstrom wrote:
Deuce, you saw it at AMA, so you can tell better if the reaction was confused laughter or not.

The laughter came at the very end when the MW logo popped up. I dunno why they reacted so late, but something about it made an impact.

That is interesting. If I were to look at it objectively, the clip never was laugh-out-loud funny, but I guess that's the point where it actually lands as he's advertising and it was a commercial. Hmm... It may be that it's too much of a jump for people to recognize that the 'thing he can't help with' is her situation. ....it... may be worth it just to go: *Test Pattern* Some things we just can't help you with...

Ah! Another alternative is to emulate the original commercial and instead of him sitting there saying 'some things...' that line is overlayed over the frame of them as animals to transition into the commercial aspect. I'll try this out now.

What do you guys think, did you like the initial shenanigans happening to her followed by the commercial, or should we ditch it and make it just him starting off? I like it the way it is, but I'd like to know what you all think.