Editor Questionnaire

[Obsidian Zero]

Hey, everyone! My name is Obsidian Zero, and I've been making AMVs for about two months. Frankly, I still suck, but I'd like to learn from the more experienced editors on the org. I've prepared a list of questions for anyone to answer. Thanks in advance! ~Obsidian

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos? (i.e. Youtube tutorials, articles on the org, trial and error)
5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why? (I would love to watch it and comment, so you may include a link if you wish)
7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
8. When did you win your first contest?
9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?

[Pwolf]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
I wanted to put some FF8 footage to music. Turned into a creative outlet.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
I entered and won my first contest 3 1/2 years after I started making videos. Did that make me "good"? Some people didn't think so at the time.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
I've always been associated with my own studio (Pwolf's Anime Music Videos). For a very short time, I had one other member. For a very long time now, Atomx Productions and Pwolf's Anime Music Videos have been trying to merge our studios but you know how these things go (very long running inside joke, don't worry about ).

4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos? (i.e. Youtube tutorials, articles on the org, trial and error)
I learned by trial and error as well as watching what other people did. The org's guides played a good role later on to learn more about what I already knew. When I started editing we didn't have a lot of the information you kids have nowadays.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
"Emotional Simplicity" perhaps? I like simple editing. I jump into effects here and there but I'm most comfortable with raw edits and fades.

6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why? (I would love to watch it and comment, so you may include a link if you wish)
That's a tough questions because I've been editing for so long and have so many videos. If I had to pick one, probably Angel's Voice. You can read more about the video and my feelings on it in the video's description. More or less, Macross was influencial in my desires to learn about science and technology as well as seeded my interests in air and space. The video is a fan's tribute to a fantastic series.

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
Photography, programming, and my car.

8. When did you win your first contest?
The first "real" contest i won, as mentioned above, was AX2003 (I started editing in 2000). I won Best Action. Last year, 10 years later, I won Best Action again... I'm a bit sentimental.

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
Suggestions/Advice: Make what you want, how you want, and how ever you want. The jist being don't let what other people say tell you how things have to be done. Yes, there are times when you may want to listen to those who have been down that road... If you're struggling with the technical stuff (video/audio quality for example), perhaps you should spend some time learning about it. If you're entering contests but not making into the finals, perhaps you should ask about what you could do to make your work better. Take that information and use it to get better. Don't mull around bad criticisms. Ultimately though, learn and make what you want and you'll be a lot happier with yourself when others enjoy what you made your way.

Also, don't be an arrogant asshole or a poor sport.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
In the past, I found it in my desire to express myself. Lately it's been lost and I'm still looking for it.

[Castor Troy]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?

Was inspired from a friend who took my video clips and made videos out of them.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?

I started in 1999 and didn't feel that I got "decent" until 2003 or so.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?

Random Destination Studios. I joined them in 2007 after simply asking if I could be part of it (plus, all the members are close friends).

4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos? (i.e. Youtube tutorials, articles on the org, trial and error)

Mostly trial and error. Tutorials were extremely difficult to come by before youtube.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?

I like to do all styles, but Action/Comedy/Fun is probably what I'm best known for.

6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why? (I would love to watch it and comment, so you may include a link if you wish)

It's difficult since I have so many that I'm attached to, but I'll have to go with Naruto Ball Z Shippuden because it embodies everything I love about videos such as storytelling, composition, and making something engaging for the audience.

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?

I do films and webshows.

8. When did you win your first contest?

Megacon 2002 with Dragon Bebop Z

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?

Always trust your instinct, start simple, and keep learning.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?

Anything random like listening to music, watching stuff, etc that makes me go "I think that would make a good video".

[Replay Studios]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
Back in 2002-2004, I saw some of my first amvs and I wanted to do it too, one thing lead to another~

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
Well, I don't know when I got good or if I am even good at this point. Hard question to answer~

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
Yes, I am a studio within studio (joke) I been in three before. First one was Dream On Studios, it as just bunch of friends. Later, I joined Re-Evolution Studios by audition process. Then finally as of right now, I am in Æon Studios. Basically another friend studio.

4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos? (i.e. Youtube tutorials, articles on the org, trial and error)
Basically just trial and error/guides/tutorials.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
I think most people would see me as a rawish comedy editor (I think)??? Personally I think I can edit multiple styles to a certain level. Really never thought about it.

6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why? (I would love to watch it and comment, so you may include a link if you wish)
For me, its my Milly AMV. I was laughing through out the editing process.

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
I like to draw once in a while and I also like learning more about other software. I also like doing 3d.

8. When did you win your first contest?
I can't remember X3

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
Make what you want. Also, practice makes perfect.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
After watching an anime or watching a very inspiring amv X3

[Drango]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
It was around 2003 when I first started editing... I'd just discovered torrents and gotten Kanon but was also still using Limewire and had found some AMVs through that... I liked the idea of them and thought it was a neat way to show your love for a series and also found out I had Windows Movie Maker on my laptop... After a little play around to "In The Shadows" by Rasmus that resulted in a simple slide show of some wallpapaers I had at the time that I ultimately got lazy with, I then went and threw Kanon and Iris into the editor and the results are on my profile and still on Youtube for everyone to see:

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
I got Okay after meeting Sakuraslight who got me using better editing programs and really drilling into me about no subtitles or credits and we then helped each other improve until we met ChaosGodProductions... And I'm still improving.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
Yes, I am. First was AMVUK which was mostly me and Sakuraslight, which has become more about showing AMVs and introducing people to them, offering help and advice now than about actually editing as a studio... But after meeting ChaosGodProductions, he Sakurslight and I formed TMStudios (Team Mutiny), and I'm also in a couple other studios besides tha, both of which I joined through TM.

4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos? (i.e. Youtube tutorials, articles on the org, trial and error)
Again, I got a lot of advice and guidance from talking with and watching Sakuraslight edit, and keep getting advice from others in Team Mutiny now when I get stuck. Beyond that, its just trial and error with what I've got to try and get the results I want.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
I definitely have a thing for internal synch, even if it's silly things like people blinking to guitar plinks, or tumbling to drum rolls. Some might call me 'raw' but with how much I use the masking tool now, I don't think that's really accurate...

6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why? (I would love to watch it and comment, so you may include a link if you wish)
OOh, kinda a tough one, as I really like, and am proud of a good few of my edits... I know they're flawed and not the best videos ever but I like them... But... Well, I DID make it 3 times so it'd have to be

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
I have been known to dabble in both drawing, writting and animation.

8. When did you win your first contest?
Tokonatsu... uhm... I can't remember what year that comp was held on... Beyond that, haven't won anything...

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
Keep at it! Get involved! Dont be afraid to ask questions! And, no, as much as we may all wish there was, there is no magical 'edit button' that does everything for you. Practice, practice, practice! But above all, have fun! You're not getting paid, so why treat it like work?

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
Most of the time it's just from listening to music and seeing if anything springs to mind... When something clicks, it clicks and I'll listen to the song a few times in repeat to play the idea out in my head before I get to work on it.

[ngsilver]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
I wanted to in my eyes give back to the community that made such awesome videos that I had been watching for 6 years prior. So when I finally got a capture card I started making them and it became another creative outlet for me.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
Well, I'm not exactly proud of my early work so it wasn't until 2~3 years after I started that I really started to enjoy my own videos at least looking back. It also took about 3 years for me to make the first video I won an award with at a contest. Not sure either of those things actually make me 'good', just really important points in development.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
Chaotic Bad-Raptor (CB-R) - I joined them back in like 2006/2007. I had made and AMV4000 was just floored by the video and invited me in. I've been making people cringe ever since.
I used to work under my own studio I called NGSilver & Friends Productions. I actually used that name to represent the group of people I would work with when doing anything creative that I had done online since the 90s. I was actually trying to build the studio up for AMVs but all of the editors that were going to join stopped editing and I finally decided to stop caring about which studio I released under and switched over to CB-R completely. The cookies were good.

4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos? (i.e. Youtube tutorials, articles on the org, trial and error)
From watching other AMVs and then doing it myself. I'm self taught as far as how to use my NLE and really every other piece of the adobe creative suite I use.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
Tight beat and internal sync with some overlying lyric sync. Or Old-School.

6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why? (I would love to watch it and comment, so you may include a link if you wish)
I love almost all of my videos. They're the kinds of videos I want to watch and so I make them. But if I had to pick one, I'm still extremely sweet on .

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
I'm a freelance author and have been writing stories since long before I started editing. I'm also now into directing the editing my own short films and youtube videos. I dabbled in game design for a time making a video game as part of my support of the Save Our Sailors campaign.

8. When did you win your first contest?
I believe it was in 2005. I won with my vid . I haven't stopped using gifs to make videos since...

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
Another editor quotes me in their sig and really that quote is the best advice I think I've ever given.
"Just make what you want to make. However, don't expect anyone else to like it. If you do, you'll be sorely mistaken."
Really, all I'm getting at here is that you should make the videos you want to make and be proud of what you make. Make your videos for yourself, not anyone else. Everyone has varying tastes and you're not going to please everyone. Winning contests is fine and all, but you should be proud of everything you've done, not just the ones that gain you a random certificate or small recognition. If you're not enjoying what you're doing, then why are you doing it?

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
Music. Actually, a large number of the videos I've made had come from ideas I came up with while listening to the song at the end of a movie. My creative juices often flow after listening to some good piece of music or after watching a movie or show. But everything always starts with the music. If I'm not inspired by a song it doesn't become an AMV. Every video I've made was because the song in that video had inspired me to make something for it, and from there the visions of the scenes I used come.

[imp]

ooh, interesting answers all over the place!

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
I started because I wanted a hobby that combines anything I already do with music, and I have been watching AMVs for some years until I realised that 'people' make these and I could be one of them.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
I'm still not good, probably will take me a total of 100 years.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
No, I never really got to the point of actually joining one.

4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos? (i.e. Youtube tutorials, articles on the org, trial and error)
I have learned the basics from org, specific effects from youtube tutorials, implementing the effects always went through trial and error, mostly error though.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
I'm mostly focusing on flow and internal/beat sync.

6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why? (I would love to watch it and comment, so you may include a link if you wish)
I'm not yet allowed to publish my favourite video on the internet because of a contest's rule. My 2nd choice would be... if I have to pick... never mind, you only asked for my favourite one.

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
I sometimes draw aime-like stuff but I don't actually have a lot of time nowadays...

8. When did you win your first contest?
lol

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
keep at it, don't disregard negative feedback, bladiblah eat cookies, lots of them

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
In the music, like, music is my life.

[macchinainterna]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?

I was inspired by other videos I saw from various editors and thought that this hobby would be a lot of fun and very creative. I wanted to see what kind of videos I could make myself.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?

I'm going to say 2 1/2 years when I finished my third video, Running on the Ragged Edge. After getting substantial feedback on my first two videos I was able to look at my editing more critically and improve at a considerable rate.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?

I'm not really big on studios anymore. I am still a member of Corndog Vidvids and I consider myself a member of DZ - Studios as well. DZ's team was the first group of friends I really made in the AMV community, and through them I met the CDVV team and after hitting it off with Fall_Child42, Ileia and Otohiko, I was invited to join their ranks back in 2010.

4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos? (i.e. Youtube tutorials, articles on the org, trial and error)

A lot of it was trial and error and natural progression after receiving constructive feedback on older videos. Much of what I've learned was from watching other editors' videos and conversations with friends on editing in general.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?

Internal and lyric sync are the styles I especially love to use in my videos. While I had a considerable run working on upbeat, fun videos that were either action or comedy, I've gone back to experimenting with developing my style in editing drama videos recently.

6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why? (I would love to watch it and comment, so you may include a link if you wish)

Veneration - It's my favorite out of all my videos because it is my most passionate work to date. I've accepted that a lot of people may not see it the same way that I do, but it's exactly the video I wanted to make on the subject and I couldn't be happier with the end result.

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?

I recently got back into gaming as well as graphic design. Also looking to get back into writing and drawing in the near future.

8. When did you win your first contest?

Anime Weekend Atlanta 2013 when Running on the Ragged Edge 2 won Best Race in the Music Video Exposition.

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?

Make the videos that you want to make and have fun making them. That's really all I can say for anyone starting out. Don't forget that this is supposed to be a fun hobby.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?

Past experiences suggest that it just hits me like a goddamned bullet train out of nowhere and I absolutely have to make the entire video before I can really rest ever. This is why my editing usually comes down to one or two videos a year because of how much it can really take out of me.

[CrackTheSky]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
My friend showed me a few and I wanted to try it, simple as that. I think that's how most people get started in this hobby.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
I made my first videos back in like 2004, but that was before I knew about the .org and thought of editing as anything more than a way to kill time. I also forgot about AMVs for over two years before I discovered the .org and really got into the hobby, so I consider 2006 to be the year I actually started. In retrospect, I didn't make my first respectably decent video until over a year later (d!gital me, also the first video that won me anything at a con). It was after that video that I started making videos that I can still watch today. I like most of them, so I guess that's about when I think I got "good".

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
I have a studio association in my member profile, but it doesn't mean anything really. It was a "studio" that me and a few other .org friends decided to start up back in 2007, but we never did anything as a studio and I only occasionally remembered to tag the studio name in my videos. I don't think any of the other people who were in our studio are still active members.

4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos? (i.e. Youtube tutorials, articles on the org, trial and error)
Most technical stuff I learned from the guides on the .org, and topics on the forums. The only exception to this was learning After Effects, which I did completely on my own. At least, I don't remember ever looking through any tutorials. I should probably look at some though, I only know how to use probably 5% of that program, if even that.

As far as my actual editing style goes though, that's been pretty much completely appropriated from other editors over the years. I don't know if I have a distinct "style", but I do know that when I edit videos most of my editing techniques are used because I've seen similar stuff in other people's videos that I want to emulate. I don't feel particularly bad about this, I think most editors probably work this way -- it's getting more and more difficult to be original in terms of pure editing style. I do try to be original from time to time in terms of concept though.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
Hard to say. My videos run the gamut from effects-heavy to very simple, but a couple things I've tried to focus on over the last several videos I've made are doing lots of motion/internal sync, and de-emphasizing crossfades as much as I can. I also try to keep scene selection as consistent as possible -- I like to make sure that scenes that are side-by-side on my timeline have something in common (colors, setting, same direction of motion within the scenes, etc.) so that the video is visually smooth. Not sure if that makes sense or even defines an overarching style, but it's how I tend to put my videos together. I typically like to take this approach over an effects-heavy one where those kinds of "connectors" may not be necessary.

6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why? (I would love to watch it and comment, so you may include a link if you wish)
Safe and Sound, definitely. It's by far my most emotionally engaging video (at least for me) and I just love the editing. I feel like it tells a clear story and has held up over the years to the point where I enjoy it more each time I watch it. It wasn't my best-received video at the time it was released but I've grown to love it regardless.

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
Not really. I've dabbled in drawing and painting, but I'm too self-critical and impatient so when I do either it tends to be an exercise in frustration. I don't really have any consistent hobbies besides editing; I have an extremely short attention span when it comes to most things. As soon as I start to enjoy doing something I lose interest and want to do something else (this makes finishing any video game over 20 hours long next to impossible). AMV editing seems to be one of the only things where this hasn't really happened during the almost eight years I've been doing it.

8. When did you win your first contest?
I won Best Horror and Most Artistic Endeavour in AWA 13's Pro contest in 2007 (with d!gital me). To this day that was one of the coolest feelings ever, especially since it was the first contest I'd entered up to that point. I've won a few times since then but I'll never forget what it was like to win that one.

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
1. Don't take this seriously. And what I mean by that is, if you're doing this for any reason besides the fun of it, you will not enjoy yourself. Even if having fun is part of it, once you start making your primary purpose for editing into something external (i.e. notoriety, winning contests, etc.), it just becomes draining. Similarly...

2. Make videos for yourself. You'll hear this a lot from editors, because it's good advice. It becomes difficult to live out once you start entering contests and people start enjoying your videos, but it's really important to keep yourself from burning out. If this means that you don't release the video to the public or your don't make an announcement thread, then don't. Once you start putting too much stock in what other people think of your video, you are guilty of violating suggestion #1 above and it becomes not fun. However, releasing videos to the public is not mutually exclusive with #1 and #2 if you adhere to #3...

3. Learn to accept criticism. If you realize early on that you can't and won't please everybody with your videos, hearing what they have to say about them becomes a whole lot easier. I've seen people who weren't able to handle this and basically implode under the criticism, or just disappear altogether. It's sad and unfortunate, but it does happen. This is a hobby, but it's also a way to share our art with one another (the "art/not-art" argument notwithstanding). With that sharing comes criticism. You can choose to ignore or accept it at your peril, just be aware that it's a fact of the hobby.

4. If you're serious about getting better as an editor, watch as many videos as you can. And don't limit yourself to modern videos -- the .org is an archive of thousands and thousands of videos, spanning multiple decades. Get familiar with videos of all types, from all eras. There's so much good stuff here, and good videos of all types can serve not only as inspiration but as blueprints and examples for you to follow as you try to learn new things.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
Since AMV editing is really my only creative outlet, most of my inspiration comes from watching other videos. Plenty of times, it's enough for me to hear a song and get ideas in my head that may or may not drive me to action, but probably more than anything it's watching great videos that reminds me why I started editing in the first place, and why I continue to love and adore the hobby and want to contribute more to it.

[Gene Starwind 21122]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?

The reason I started making AMV's was when I saw them for the first time at Otakon in 2002. I remember seeing alternatefutures light of day, VicBond007 When World's Collide, and Senta Millers Path of the Deus. When I saw those videos I was thinking man, now I want to make videos like those it seems like it would be fun.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?

This is an interesting question. "Good" is so hard to define. Personally I think I'm okay. I have never been in the "good" status, or great status like some of the other editors I have watched an known. Then again I'm my harshest critic. If winning an award means you're good then 2005. It took me 2 years in order to be consider contest materials at some cons.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?

I was once apart of ScoobsNet Studios back in 2005. I joined them because they were a fun group to be with and we beta tested for each other. It only lasted for maybe about a year or so. Then I formed my own productions Full Metal Outlaws. I had my group from 2006-2007. Then I stop editing for a while and now I'm back.

4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos? (i.e. Youtube tutorials, articles on the org, trial and error)

Most of my techniques were based off of trial and error. I learned from my reviews and a lot of the editors here on the org. Also the articles here on the org did help too.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?

My style of editing is more of the story-telling type or themed typed amv's. I use minimum effects, with a lot of internal and external sync. It still takes a while to edit a video based on the story, scene selection, and trying to give the characters a personality in the video.

6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why? (I would love to watch it and comment, so you may include a link if you wish)

I've made 25 amv's over the course of time. My favorite amv I have to say is either or . Reason being is Sending Freedom is my first amv to win multiple awards and to use photoshop work. Then there is Hunters or the Hunted, this one is very special to me as I wrote the lyrics for the song and was at the band practices guiding a local band on how I wanted to sound and be produced.

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?

Outside of AMV's I play Magic the Gathering. I also go Bowling, and starting to take up Golf. I also like to cosplay as well.

8. When did you win your first contest?

I covered this early. It was in 2005 for "Back To Paradise" it won Best Action at Anime Festival Orlando

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?

My suggestion is to have fun. Choose animes and songs you enjoy when editing videos. If you are determined to get better, you will over time. It just takes time and practice. There are a lot of people around here that will be willing to help and leave you feedback. Don't get wrapped up in the competition hype. After making Hunters or the Hunted and it winning 4 awards. I started pushing myself to do stuff I was not comfortable with, just to try and take the next step to win a major award. This ended up driving me away for 7 years and I ended up becoming a contest coordinator over that time. The more I watch those videos the more it made me want to get back into editing.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?

I find inspiration from a lot of sources. Usually it is from animes I have watched and then listen to the radio while driving to or from work. Random ideas I write down on a note pad. My newest idea right now comes from a friend I have and a song I heard. So it'll be a comedy dedicated to him, since we have been friends for a while. I see other editors videos and sometimes I think man I wish I could do effects like that. However music seems to be the inspiration behind my amv making.

Gene Starwind 21122