How long does it usually take to make a good amv

EX-Slacker · Post by **EX-Slacker** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 10:02 pm

Well Its taken me about 4-5 days now and ill be done by saturday no matter what , but ive been thinking of this video for about amonth because i couldnt find the right music/anime until i saw love hina So Ive Been Working On Mine Mentally FOr About a month but i started to put it together now (if this post is still up on sunday ill put it up

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Leanan · Post by **Leanan** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 12:22 am

My Chii video took about 4 months

mainly because I had a lot of trouble coming up with a solid concept. I would work on it for an hour or two at a time, though whenever I felt inspired. I'm just slow. I would spend hours working on things I thought were really great, but then later I'd realize they just didn't fit. I think I ended up getting frustrated at the end and just rushed the remaining minute ._. I think I spent more wasted time than productive time on it.

I agree, though, that everyone is different. My Warmth of Blue video took about a month of working on it here and there. I think I'm a lazy editor. My first video took about 4 hours

jonmartensen · Post by **jonmartensen** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 12:30 am

Well, I spent a month off and on on my first vid, and my second will take longer because almost all of the video is being re-animated (get it, rofflolzzors, I'm using a linkin park song jlk;ahsdoivnpoaiejroijasdfnlkvjfuck)

OmniStrata · Post by **OmniStrata** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 12:54 am

Yep, it's on the editor...

Now me, being the lazy bastard that I am, usually sit back, op other people's vids *hint hint* and then while learning from theirs, proceed to game the night away in Team Fortress Classic or Counter Strike...

When a fever DOES hit me, I don't move except at 3-4 hour bursts... [any longer and I suffer from mental block like a fuckin' freight train]

Feel the Rhythm taught me, that the time you WANT to work is the time to work... You can be the laziest bastard in the world [me] and still make amvs so there! ^_^

/me realizes he's behind on 4 vids at once...

doh!!!! DOH!!!!

Aisyrn · Post by **Aisyrn** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 12:02 pm

Warpwind, Leanan, I feel your pain. I've always been struck with awe at creators who say they churn out videos in a day.

I'm quite grateful that EX-Slacker posted this question. It was one that I was wondering myself, seeing how long it usually takes me.

schrizo · Post by **schrizo** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 2:32 pm

only made 3 so far (#4 in progress), but it really depends on what you do in the video. simple linear vids with few effects can be done lightning fast. Effects heavy vids can take forever, as can lip syncing (to do well). My 2nd vid took me a month- lots of frame by frame editing for lip sync. 3rd vid (which I consider much better than my 2nd) took like 3 days, but had no lip sync and the effects were easy to do for the most part.

overall- if you do simple vids, they'll be done fast. complex vids can take ages.

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 3:21 pm

Warpwind wrote:Oh my, I knew I was slow but I didn't realise I was that slow. It took me 3 months to make my first vid from the original idea to uploading it here. Admittedly I had no idea what I was doing since it was my first but still

Well at least I'm getting a bit faster my last vid took about 2 months. It's finished now but I have to fix up my hosting.

Of course I didn't spend every minute of everyday on amv's probably only 4 or 6 hrs on average each day. Meh, what does it matter so long as there good engough for me.

Nah, that's not that slow. I average 100 - 120 hours per video and the only reason I say 2 - 4 weeks is b/c I edit *a lot* during those weeks.

My best video may have taken two weeks to *edit*, but I'd been planning it for almost a year and scripting things. That's probably why it was easier to edit. Still took 120 hours.

In conclusion, you're not (that) weird.

ProphetDK · Post by **ProphetDK** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 3:25 pm

Well like the others have said its different for everybody. But I'd say how ever long till you think its right is the correct answer. Some take months some take days some take weeks, and some take hours. its up to you, how much can you sit through in an hour, how much info can you take in while watching the anime. how much the song hits you with ideas. Yatta yatta etc. etc.

AznRAVEr1022 · Post by **AznRAVEr1022** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 6:59 pm

Honestly... a good AMV takes about 16 - 20 years.

Have Fun!

iserlohn · Post by **iserlohn** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 9:35 pm

It varies from video to video, even with the same editor.

Why?

Well, sometimes you have to learn something (like how to do something in AE) and sometimes you have obnoxious perfectionists who spend two weeks going nuts before realizing that all they needed was a fade from white. Not to mention that taking longer and slowing down lets the concept congeal a bit nicer before being served on the table of presentation.

However, this really means jack when it comes to the audience. For example, I spent about three weeks on my DDR1 video, and it's the most popular thing I ever made. My FLCL video took four months and got a mediocre reply. I've spent three days making omake that have gotten over better than my Otakon video which took ~11 months from concept to the day I exported it to tape for Otakon.

Of course, I also treat my longer, more elaborate projects like the hobby that they are. If I come home and I don't feel like editing, I don't, even when I've got a deadline (like right now where I've got ~3 weeks to finish a video and I haven't worked on it for four days now). On the other hand, the fast projects are things like panel bumpers, CD filler, etc.

So, to put it all together:

It doesn't fucking matter. When you think the video is done, it's done. Until you decide that 1)it won't get any better no matter what you do to it or 2)you're so sick of it that you never want to look at that timeline again, you should continue taking the time you need. Not everybody is a pro and not everyone can artistically put forth in D-Mode. That's just the way it is.