I'm about to release a new AMV, but I think it will be my last

[DarkXPower]

So yeah, I am close to finishing a new AMV, but I am not even looking forward to releasing it. My youtube channel is almost 12 years old, and I have 735 subscribers. From 2005-2010, all of my videos were hosted on a friends youtube channel, and they got a lot of views, and I really enjoyed stopping in every week to read comments...but one day in late 2010, that channel was deleted. I went and uploaded my old videos to my channel, and continued making new AMVs, only to be constantly disappointed by low views and few comments. Recently, I tried making shorts of my AMVs, called them "Highlights", and watched them get 30-100 views in the first 24 hours, then absolutely nothing after that. I then tried doing some AnimeEdits, only to see the same thing happen, views for 24 hours, then nothing. I made a TikTok as well, just trying to get my videos out there, and those get no views either. Over the past month I released 2 music videos (A Strange New Worlds fan trailer, and a martial arts music video to Dragon Tiger Gate), and both got 100-150 views, and then nothing.

In 2012, my Pokemon Bitches video was blocked by Nintendo, so that prevented me from getting a lot of subscribers, and just recently, my most viewed AMV Spiderdweller, which had 85k views over 11 years (which is just sad), was blocked by Sony Pictures, and is no longer viewable by anyone in the world. In 2018 I released my greatest/proudest AMV (One Punch Nobis), and was so sure it would be a huge hit, but it wasn't...it got 10k views in 4 years, sigh...though it did get a lot of comments, so that was nice. So here I am, finalizing this newest AMV I been working on, I find myself feeling no passion, no excitement, no hope...I just feel sad about it all. I have had Agoraphobia since I was a teenager and I don't go out and socialize or even use social media...AMVs were the one thing I always had to feel connected to a world that I, frankly, don't like...but I don't even have that anymore. I would hate for this to be my last AMV, but I just don't see a point of doing something that no longer gives me joy, and somehow even makes me feel worse.

[darkfiretkd]

^^

yup bro.. youtube being like an ass these days.. try Bilibili platform (its popular in China and SouthEast Asia) not so sure for westerners.. reminds me of my old YT channel I used to have a lot of my deathnote amvs, clannad amvs and HOTD vids and they all disappeared when YT started having tantrums and decided to took down my old channel.. which was garnering decent views usually 30k-50k..

[Lord Rae]

Ah Eric! If only it was back in the days when we had Otaku Vengeance. Yeah I don't put a lot of stock in YouTube. A lot of my old videos I can't upload because YouTube blocks them immediately or strips the audio. But I can search for it and someone else has it uploaded.

So for the last couple years I just kept making videos and submitting them to contests. Because I like making things I still keep doing it even if my distribution is lacking. BTW you should come to Anime Weekend Atlanta next year and we can do a panel on Otaku Vengeance 20 years later. ;p

[seasons]

I imagine it would be frustrating to have a lot of views and then suddenly lose them. And then re-releasing the same works and not getting anywhere close to the same viewership would probably drive some people nuts. It doesn't seem fair at all and yeah, it's not. There's never any logic to the way these things work out.

Have you found a community of other people in the hobby to interact with?

Do you "enjoy editing" or do you get most of the pleasure from it in seeing how your work is received by others? That sounds like a loaded question but I don't mean it like that.

Are there other hobbies (creative or otherwise) that you feel drawn toward these days?

I have never watched any of your AMVs but I am going to try to change that soon.

[DarkXPower]

Ah Eric! If only it was back in the days when we had Otaku Vengeance. Yeah I don't put a lot of stock in YouTube. A lot of my old videos I can't upload because YouTube blocks them immediately or strips the audio. But I can search for it and someone else has it uploaded.

So for the last couple years I just kept making videos and submitting them to contests. Because I like making things I still keep doing it even if my distribution is lacking. BTW you should come to Anime Weekend Atlanta next year and we can do a panel on Otaku Vengeance 20 years later. ;p

Sounds like a good idea, but it would be the 23 year anniversary next year, and I'm not a fan off odd numbers like that lol...maybe we should plan a big thing for 25th anniversary? Then maybe I would have some drive to keep editing for the next 2 years...have you redone any videos? There are a few I was thinking of redoing but just didn't have much motivation, but, to "unleash" them at a convention sounds nice. I have only ever once sat in a theater at a convention and watched one of my AMVs with a group (it was my Fire Alive video at Otakon 2009)...and it was nerve racking, even though no one knew I was there. I can't imagine how I would feel in a situation where I was a focus on attention, that is literally my worst nightmare (being agoraphobic and all)...I could visit the next AWA and see how it goes. My main drive for leaving the house these days is my goddaughter, who lives with me...I have been raising her since she was a baby (shes 8 now), and I would love to take her to an anime convention. I will PM you my cell number.

[DarkXPower]

try Bilibili platform (its popular in China and SouthEast Asia) not so sure for westerners

Ok I will look into it, thanks.

1: Have you found a community of other people in the hobby to interact with?

2: Do you "enjoy editing" or do you get most of the pleasure from it in seeing how your work is received by others? That sounds like a loaded question but I don't mean it like that.

3: Are there other hobbies (creative or otherwise) that you feel drawn toward these days?

4: I have never watched any of your AMVs but I am going to try to change that soon.

1: A few months ago back in June, I moved from Philly, to the Jersey Shore. I had 1 friend in philly, but we only hung out at the library while our kids did homework, and he had no idea what AMVs were. Now, aside from my goddaughter and her mom, I do not have any friends...but that is by choice really, I prefer being alone and chilling and smoking weed. I play videogames with the kid all the time, so that's good enough for me.

2: I suppose my drive has always been to entertain and provide adrenaline, but I also make them for myself. I get chills watching my videos and I like to think it does the same for others (though granted there is a special feeling knowing that I made it)...maybe it sounds conceited but its the only thing I have in life that gives me pride, so I allow myself to indulge in that feeling.

3: I am planning to start a reaction youtube channel with my family, since I am obsessed with them and watch a ton of them. Waiting for Black Friday coming up and gonna grab some equipment, because my current stuff for recording isn't good enough. I will be wearing a hat and my eyes will be mostly covered, so I can be comfortable with that...no idea how well it will go, but it will be fun to make either way.

4: oh cool...enjoy.

[Lord Rae]

Sounds like a good idea, but it would be the 23 year anniversary next year, and I'm not a fan off odd numbers like that lol...maybe we should plan a big thing for 25th anniversary? Then maybe I would have some drive to keep editing for the next 2 years...have you redone any videos? There are a few I was thinking of redoing but just didn't have much motivation, but, to "unleash" them at a convention sounds nice. I have only ever once sat in a theater at a convention and watched one of my AMVs with a group (it was my Fire Alive video at Otakon 2009)...and it was nerve racking, even though no one knew I was there. I can't imagine how I would feel in a situation where I was a focus on attention, that is literally my worst nightmare (being agoraphobic and all)...I could visit the next AWA and see how it goes. My main drive for leaving the house these days is my goddaughter, who lives with me...I have been raising her since she was a baby (shes 8 now), and I would love to take her to an anime convention. I will PM you my cell number.

Ah watching a video with a bunch of people is intriguing. You suddenly notice flaws you didn’t before but if you applause or if people laugh at a joke it’s a great feeling. I’d love to do a 25th anniversary panel. The conventions with lots of editors are my fave because most editors have some social anxiety going on anyway so I fit right in. lol

[Castor Troy]

Feeling a bit nostalgic reading this thread and I haven't been here in a while. It's almost like a small hypeo forum reunion.

I've been using archive.org to host my old amvs since TOEI nuked 2 of my amv youtube channels. Been using it since 2017 with no issues.
https://www.3gkai.com/

I'd totally watch a 25th anniversary Otaku Vengeance panel.

[OmniStrata]

Don't think about the views. Release it for yourself. Ironic coming from me cause I retired from editing cause life and career. The original fool claiming dance videos. Once I started making vids for me as if I was the only viewer, it became easier and more fun. Don't release the vid if you don't love it. I would like to see it though...

[Zarxrax]

Yeah, my new videos get almost no views either. While its nice to get comments and stuff from people, I just edit now on the assumption that no one is going to watch my videos. I never engaged in Youtube or other social media to build up any sort of following around myself, and that's my own fault. At the same time, I've got 24k subscribers on my amvhell channel, and I could totally leverage that to promote myself if I wanted to, but at the end of the day I don't really care anymore. I am satisfied with the experience itself and seeing the end result. Joining some of the amv discords has helped me as well, as seeing other editors excited about making videos increases my interest and excitement as well.