Editor Questionnaire

[dreamawake]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?

I was bored, 10, and liked anime and music.

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

I wouldn't really say I got "good" for a few years, at least until I met KingDavid. So around 06 maybe.

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

I am one of the founding members of DZ Studios. I am also associated with Blood Sugar Productions.

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)

Trial and error, advice from other editors, beta testing, tips, etc.

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

Mostly hard cuts, effects when I deem them necessary, same with lyric sync. Internal sync when I can slide it in is always good, too. I also edit to a lot of hip hop, live action sources, and non-anime sources in general at times.

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 my favorite at the time, along with the last few videos I've made.

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

I'm a singer/song-writer, I play guitar, I rap, I record my own music, I write poetry and explore different psychedelics and art. Music is my main outside passion though.

8. When did you win your first contest?

I'm not sure when it was...maybe 2012 Anime Weekend Atlanta Expo, Cloudy With A Chance won Best Drama.

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. - Macchinainterna

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?

Everywhere, and drugs. Also music. and drugs. Mostly drugs.

[BasharOfTheAges]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
I think I just found the concept interesting - a visual form of storytelling. I was probably searching for a hobby at the time too.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
I'm still not sure I am "good" although in about 2006 I started to get recognized (after about 2 years doing this)

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
I talked some editor friends who all had been doing this longer than I had and already had personal studio brands they used into creating a joint one in 2011 or so... Most of them don't release under that name and half of them just stopped editing.

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'm mostly self taught (which is probably why it takes me so long to do simple shit), but I have used some Creative Cow tutorials when I had something new I wanted to try and didn't know where to start. I've also had help from several people here when I used to poke around on IRC.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
I lean heavily towards absurd humor half the time and try to do something completely different the other half.

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 don't think I have one. I'm still proud of my MLP parody of Extraball because of how quickly I pulled it off.

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
No. This is as close to creative as I get.

8. When did you win your first contest?
2005 I think. It was an unwritten rule that people who made good videos didn't submit to no-name tiny cons back then, so it was possible for rather mediocre videos to win things by shopping them around enough.

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

• Get feedback from people who are going to be upfront, honest, and critical.
• Don't assume your audience is familiar with the video source you're using - it's your job to help tell the story you want to tell.
• Pace yourself - you want to have time to clear your head and walk away at least once during the process so you can come back with a more discerning eye and a fresh mind.
• Get a comfortable chair.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
My own twisted sense of humor while music is playing.

[Ryvannis]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
I started in 2006 and was inspired to start editing by Castor Troy's "Die Another Day" AMV once I caught a glimpse of the AMV contest at AX in the same year.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
I still don't think I'm good now and lack sorely against other editors who have started late. In all honesty, I think it wasn't until late 2008 that videos started to pick up in quality.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
No studios. I'm keeping my game solo as I don't feel my creative/editing direction would correlate correctly with others.

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)
Lots and lots of tutorials. That and just pure experience. Watching other videos helped as well. In my own opinion, I like to believe that my technique needs tons of work.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
Rapid use of Shiny Toy Guns with a dab of awful special (*cough stock cough*) effects.

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)
Personally, this was my breakthrough video. It still remains to be my own personal favorite and I don't think anything I've made to date has topped it. Which isn't saying much to my past projects.


7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
Writing, listening to music, and breaking into film.

8. When did you win your first contest?
I believe it was in 2009 when I won Best Story and Judges Favorite at Tekkoshocon. I was a bit stumped to win one award, but winning two was a big surprise. The video in question was my breakthrough video that I just mentioned above.

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
1. Use a clean source. Can't locate it? Go out and buy the video source if needed then rip it. Support what you love.
2. Clean audio! It isn't so hard to get crisp audio Go spend a $1 on your song off Amazon
3. Please follow the above two. I can't stress this enough The number of new/regular editors that do this is astonishing. You'll be miles ahead already.
4. No subtitles or watermarks unless the intent is cleared for use within the actual AMV.
5. It isn't about what software you use but how you use it. Premier Pro CS5+ is my personal preference due to easy usability and I'd recommend. Don't be overwhelmed with the interface. It's much easier than it looks.
6. Use other AMVs as a reference, not as an example for imitation.
7. Ask the forums and your fellow editors! It doesn't hurt to ask around for help. A lot of senior editors are still active and some may even beta test your projects if you ask nicely. But you better be open to criticism.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
Listening to music. I love music as a hobby, but it has the horrible side effect of blasting me with ideas whenever a catchy song comes on. I sometimes listen to a select list of songs that I'd like to turn into projects.

[Changelling]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
Actually it was my girlfriend (ex lol) who was so much into AMVs, and well I was too I mean I used to watch them ever since 2007, but never thought about making them until one stage where she was showing me lots of different videos and I was like yo I make these things too you know~ (I lied hehe) and well ya, started from that moment. teehee

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
To be honest I think I still have not reached the stage where I can call myself a good amv editor, since my 1st video had the concept of sync and transitions etc etc, just not in a good way, and I've only progressed in improving these little things that I was already doing when I 1st started. Well I learned about encoding and all that editing stuff that I wouldn't have otherwise. So I can probably create a higher quality video that my 1st AMV, but I still can't say that I became good yet.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
Why yes, I'm part of my dear Ellines Nakama Productions. Its a greek group (so i'm basically the 1 foreigner in there Lol) that goes back to 2008, but I've always been a fan of some of the members like Ror0noaZoRo, iNatsuu, DnubsPro, Louftos, etc. So when I made my 2nd video I decided to visit the team forum and see if I can join. Aaaaand the guys were so ridiculously kind that they've actually accepted me although I was so much of an amateur, and helped me improve ever since.

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 developed the shakes on my own, but the general concept of camera moves / slides / transitioning / zooms etc. I learned from pieetrr whom I now call mastah for teaching me hehe~ and I learned everything I know about After Effects from Louftos, the previous leader of Ellines Nakama.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
Till now its semi mindless action that only focuses on learning more about atmosphere and intensity. I try to make more sense in my MEP parts and own projects now, and next one will probably not be mindless at all, but the general category is action because that's what I love.

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)
Hmm.. as I said I have only improved a little bit so I do not really "love" any of my current videos. BUT when it comes to the video I have had the most memories with and that started my journey i'd say its my 2nd AMV. Its old and has so many flaws so I didn't want to up it to the org (I will do so probably) so here is a streaming link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP7niNNiCZk

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
Why yes, I like writing short stories a lot, and I do some poems from time to time, but I don't share them since English is not really my 1st language and therefore they probably suck a lot Lol, but I still like activating my brains with that.

8. When did you win your first contest?
As in date? April 2013~ (SMARTASS ME YO!) It was an event hosted by some of the organizers of the comic con that came to Dubai, and well Dubai doesn't really have many anime fans or amv editors so there were only like 9-10 entries, with me being quite the amateur but some experience thanks to things I learned from my friends in ENP, so yea I made a video and won 1st place with it. I got a Samsung galaxy s3 as a reward yo!

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
Don't ever let the concept of amv editing turn into a competition inside your head. 1 thing I suffered from when I started was that I would feel discouraged every time I had seen a good video that I didn't know how to make myself. Eventually I started hating the editors deep inside before I even realized it. Thing is amv editing stops being fun once you take it too seriously, and also when taking it as just a joke since at the end of the day we do want to improve our editing no? So yes, just appreciate everything that is presented by other editors, get to know these fellas, perhaps learn from them, gain friends and have fun editing

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?Old videos that I used to love A LOT before I started editing. Like Kesidiii's "Akatsuki - don't stop" and GabberMD's "Tilly tilly bom" (just for the record. Although GabberMD inspires me a lot, his screen name is not what made me pick mine. I just called myself Gabber because its the closest thing to Gabriel, my name lol).

[Shui]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
Because I think it's a cool audiovisual experience. Kisanzis Bladebeat Graffiti is the AMV which got me to think "I gotta try this".

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
About a year and a half.. hell I never thought of myself as bad.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
No, but I am active in the German amv.de community. Some people view that as Studio - when it fact it's just some lone editors getting together.

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 other AMVs. I watched Ileias and others AMVs even in slow-motion to learn how synching works. The Technical Stuff I learned from the Read <a href=http://www.a-m-v.org/guides/avtech31/>ErMaC & AbsoluteDestiny's Friendly AMV Guides</a>.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
I think I have some quirky Ideas sometimes Right now my Style is mostly Fun/Upbeat - but I'm also an Action Editor at heart.

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)
Good question. It varies. My favourite AMV I haven't even begun yet. But the Concept is so good that it's already my fav
Right now from what I have my favourite is the first part of Looka Bomba (nsfw) which I made in a few hours for the german hentai IC Slumber Party.
Gotta finish that sometime

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
I make Music. And I think my understanding of how a song is structured makes me a better editor.

8. When did you win your first contest?
When I went to Prague in 2009 I sent in an AMV (Bullshit) just for fun and took 2nd Place.
Since then I did not participate in any other Contests. I think winning Contests is overrated nowadays. What I'm aiming at is being recognized by people in the community which I repect.

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
Learn how to properly prepare your footage and encode, read the technical guides. Ask for help if you don't understand something.
And most important LISTEN to the song you're editing too. Many badly synched amvs are shit not because the editor didn't cut correctly but because he didn't take his time to think about what to synch in the first place. Maybe try dancing to your song, that way you see which elements in a song are catchy - you should synch to those.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
Mostly from the Song itself. And of course from all the AMVs and other Videos I've watched up to now.

[Qyot27]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
It seemed interesting. I already had an interest in digital video, so it was kind of an outcropping of that.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
I didn't feel like I hit any sort of stride until the end of 2003, or early 2004. Realistically, there's a world of difference between the videos I edited during that first year (with VirtualDub), and the ones starting in June/July 2003, when I switched to Premiere.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
No. I carried around a studio 'name' for a few years, but it was only there because of the tendency to identify with studios in the early days, even if they were one-editor outings. It eventually got to be embarrassing, but I kept it around for a couple more years regardless. It was only after Eien that I officially dropped it.

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)
Trial and error for the actual editing techniques. For the technical stuff, that was the AVTech guides, browsing the forum here and at Doom9, and more trial and error.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
It's a bit of a personal lampshade that I need to get back to editing action, since most of the recent videos I've done are drama/sentimental/romance. Although comedy-wise, I did submit entries to multiple incarnations of AMV Hell.

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)
Either Eien, as already mentioned, or Daybreak, which is the most recent.

Eien took an entire year (not in dedicated time; there were months-long stretches where I didn't even touch Premiere) to edit, so it currently has the longest development time of any video I've edited thus far. After Eien, I had so much pent-up frustration with my cramped hardware resources that I basically went on hiatus until the end of 2012. Daybreak was the first full-length video I edited after the hiatus ended, and has clear similarities to the way I edited Eien, but was completed in a much shorter amount of time. Daybreak is also a commemoration of sorts; it was released on the 10-year anniversary of the premiere date of the first video I edited in Premiere (and had more in-references than just that; the music and video footage have connections to it also).

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
Software development, although for the most part I'm more involved in the build side. A good part of the hiatus between Eien and Daybreak involved my understanding of that side of the process evolving. It did/does have some impact on the editing, as I can't imagine having to cut clips manually anymore instead of just using a single for-loop in bash to do it automatically.

8. When did you win your first contest?
Never have, unless you count being one of the five(?) winners of the last round of AMV Hell CE. I've rarely entered any contest, for that matter.

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
Give yourself time if you want to improve. It takes a while to get it all absorbed and applied.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
Usually from music.

[Obsidian Zero]

Thank you everyone for your responses! I'm really happy to be getting so much feedback from everyone! And I've already had about 3 of my videos make it into cons, which is really great, but you're all right: I can't get caught up in the competitive aspect. It's all about having fun.

Best of luck to everybody. Message me on the org or Youtube if you have more advice, or you want to do a project, need beta testing, whatever. I'd love to help.

~Obsidian Zero

[irriadin]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?

In 2009, I went to my first anime convention. Otakon 2009. Out of all the events, panels and activities offered, the AMV contest without a doubt was my favorite. That, combined with my previous positive experience in editing, led me to go in with a goal of making the finalists the next year with my first video, which I did

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

Not until around Farewell to Tomorrow / Put Ya Guns On... so like my fourth / fifth video. It differs from person to person, and I like my earlier videos despite them being flawed (some of them won contests and stuff, but that doesn't really mean anything. It just makes me feel good, haha)

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

I'm in PixelBlended Studios. I was invited to join sometime before Otakon 2012, and Put Ya Guns On was my first video to go on the PixelBlended brand.

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 learn by doing. I reverse-engineer. So basically, about 45% of my technique was learned by examining other talented editors' work. Another 45% can be attributed to simple trial and error as I attempt to match my ideal vision of the video I'm working on.

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

I'm mostly known for my action editing style, and I've seen the best success for my action videos as well (though my most popular video on youtube is decidedly sentimental and not at all action, haha). I also have a soft spot for avant-garde, artistic videos that are very abstract.

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)

This is hard to answer. I'm just going to go with my two newest videos in both of the styles I like to edit:

Action:


In this video, I incorporate a lot of the new techniques and skills I've learned while still attempting to stay true to the visceral action style I'm known for. It's not perfect, and I readily acknowledge my implementation of the story is somewhat flawed... but I'm still happy with it.

Drama / Prententious Artistic Snobbery:


This video took such a long time to make. It has some of the most complex compositions and effects I've ever attempted. It's also replete with graphic collage overlays, split-screens, rough texture overlays, high contrast gradients, and copious color correction. Out of all the videos I've made, I think this one is easily the prettiest. I'm very happy with how it turned out, though in the end, I made this video as a form of emotional exorcism. Thus, it's rather impenetrable and difficult to follow. This is not the ideal, as I'd want everybody to get something out of watching... but I'm going on at length.

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

I'm a writer. And also a web designer. The latter being my day job.

8. When did you win your first contest?

My second video, Your Perfect World, won best action at Anime Boston in 2012.

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

Don't get hung up on trying to do what everyone else is doing; find your own niche, find what makes you happy and is fulfilling to you. Watch the best videos you can find in your genre, examine them closely. Ask veteran editors for help or advice. Remember that winning contests is fun, but it should never be the end goal.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?

The music I listen to. Books I read. Other AMVs, movies, TV Shows. Colors, photography, paintings, life. So yea, everywhere.

[hasteroth]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
Fell into the community and felt like contributing. Everything I made sucked and I wouldn't upload it at first, first video I was satisfied with was something I made for Kenzichu back in the day.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
First video I released was well received, if anything I got worse after that.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
Yes but it doesn't count.

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)
Trial by fire

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
Chaotic, I pick a song, pick some anime, start throwing clips that work onto the timeline and go from there.

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)
The first one cause it's the only one that was really any good... well Kenzi's birthday one was good too.

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
I'm a freelance editor in indie film... so I suppose that counts.

8. When did you win your first contest?
I didn't.

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
Uh... I wish I had something helpful but I'm drawing a blank.

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
Porn

[Hagaren Viper]

1. Why did you start making AMVs?
I kept running into Kingdom Hearts AMVs while looking for cutscenes and thought they were really cool. I liked the idea so much that it's a huge part of the reason I got a computer. I remember planning my first vid for a few months before I actually got the computer. It was still terrible.

2. How long do you think it was before you got "good"?
It wasn't until the tail end of 2006 that I started making stuff that was decent, which is also when I moved from Windows Movie maker to Sony Vegas.

3. Are you associated with any studios? If so, how and when did you join them?
I technically have my own studio but it's meaningless and I don't use it anymore. I never found the idea of a studio appealing for whatever reason so i never actually joined any.

4. Where did you learn the techniques you use most often in your videos?
A little from everywhere, I think? I know Ive asked silly questions on the forums a lot , and I've had friends/fellow editors show me a few things off the forums too. There are some kinda basic things about Vegas that I've only learned in the past year or two, tbh.

5. What do you consider to be your style/niche when it comes to AMV editing?
I'm not sure I really have a 'style', but I think I'm sorta known for making Digimon and Soul Eater vids. Someone commented on my youtube about how much of a waste it was that I was always making Soul Eater videos even though I only had two at the time

6. What is your favorite video that you made, and why?


Most videos I make are because I want to show ___ concept or make an action vid to ____, but this one I made purely to show how much I love this dang series and I was honestly a little sad when I finished. Still the most fun Ive had editing so far.

7. Do you have other hobbies similar to AMV editing, such as writing or art?
I draw, and I'm hoping to make a career out of it.

8. When did you win your first contest?
Anime Expo 2010 with This is Halloween.

9. What are some of your suggestions for a brand new AMV editor?
Honestly 995Gabber probablly said it better than I would have

10. Where do you usually find creative inspiration?
For both AMVs and art I have a lot of works that I'll go back and visit, so if I'm feeling stuck I'll look at those and figure out what I like about them, then maybe I can apply those things to my video/picture and with my own twist on it.[/quote]