This year is weak.

[zmanjz]

You know, I'm kind of disappointed by this year's nominees.

I know that the Dance (Techno, trance, DDR type music) is popular, but it takes an exceptional video for me to like something from that genre. This year, there's dance in practically every category. (and an overabundance in the action category... What happened to hard rock? I know that the AMV community tends toward alt, but as a general rule I Hate dance/trance/techno.)

I noticed someone using paint it black, and that's allright, but not really great.

I mean when every other sound is a heavy beat, it's not too hard to get at least come action sync... How about the challenge of a Hard Rock beat? anyone up to it for next year?

Last year, there were an abundance of excellent videos that combined advanced technique, with a high level of enjoyability.

This year I find that the level of technique and skill in editing (Both sync and digital effects) have improved greatly, but none of the AMVs nominated for Character, or Action have connected with me.

And as I'm working my way through the vids in the other categories, I see that it seems to be the same videos over and over.

(Maybe there will be something good in the dramatic videos, but I see that there's alot of crossover between Character profiles, so as I grind my way through the 2nd round nominees, I'm finding myself more disappointed)

I mean there are AMVs that blew my mind the first time I saw them.

Shellshock (rubyeye)
Who's Robo (The Gline)
Stop the Rock (Nappy)
Odorikuruu (aokakesu) One of the few truly great dance AMVs)
The long lost "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm: Metallica Unforgiven" AMV
and others over the years...


But this year, so far nothing's jumped out and said "Yes, this is an awesome video." They've been saying: Yeah I've got skill, and I can splice with the best of them"

But where's the heart?

It's like this year's submissions are a discertation in "High level technical editing skills"

It's like Comparing Star Wars Galaxies to KOTOR. Galaxies is by far a superior technical achievement, but there is no story. there is no heart.

KOTOR won nearly every game of the year award last year because it combined solid skills with an amazing story that was truly engrossing.

I hope that as I continue through the 2nd Round AMVs that I find something that I can feel. (I haven't gotten tho Comedy yet either, so my hopes are high, but so far Action and Character are definitely weak this year. )

(Maybe people made nominations weighed more on technical skill? )

[Otohiko]

I'll say the same thing I said to someone once before:

Are you following the same AMV scene I am?


***

It's either an issue of subjectivity, or an issue of under-informedness.

[zmanjz]

I'm grinding through all of the nominees, I've gotten through all of the Character profile, and all of the action (which are cross listed in a large number of the others)

And I'm just not feeling them.

It probably is an issue of subjectivity, but from my POV at least, this year is disappointing (at least from those that have made it to second round VCA)

I'm not done checking them yet, but I haven't seen a single one yet that I loved.

(There were about 10 last year)

[Otohiko]

It probably depends on the point of view and personal taste. I've heard very similar things from others here, and I've heard very similar things last year, too.

I'm pretty happy with this year, myself. Not so much in these categories, but in general, there is some very solid videos that have both conceptual strength and technical adequacy.

Besides... and you can kick me for it if you like... I personally never really 'felt' most of the examples you gave in your first post, either.

[Bote]

I personally never really 'felt' most of the examples you gave in your first post, either.

Me too.

Hard rock? That's just a genre in music and it doesn't say anywhere that good action videos haveto have rock music. People went further this year and tried out metal and techno. IMO Regular or hard rock is really easy to sync, but try syncing some power or death metal songs and you'll see how tough it is. Most of the creators simply wanted a chalenge (or at least me for that matter ).

Is this rock enough for you? /shameless

[SSJVegita0609]

I'm working on the hard rock thing...

[zmanjz]

I personally never really 'felt' most of the examples you gave in your first post, either.

Me too.

Hard rock? That's just a genre in music and it doesn't say anywhere that good action videos haveto have rock music. People went further this year and tried out metal and techno. IMO Regular or hard rock is really easy to sync, but try syncing some power or death metal songs and you'll see how tough it is. Most of the creators simply wanted a chalenge (or at least me for that matter ).

Is this rock enough for you? /shameless

Now from my POV as just a pure action AMV, that one's probably better than at least half of the ones nominated for this year. (Most AMVs I review take a beating on "Re-viewability")

As for challenge, I can understand that this year is big on complexity/effects editing. (My favorite of those nominated in the character catergory is the A Different side of me / Goldenboy AMV. The editing skill with effects was excelent, and I think that editor did a great job of capturing the character, but even still it's re-watchability (a major indicator of how much I like it) was pretty low for me.

[GloryQuestor]

Personally, I recommend HurQlez03's (Daniel Hopkins') Faithless for one of the best videos with a story behind it.

I really felt that Mr. Hopkins really did a great job with this video, capturing one of the most central themes behind Neon Genesis Evangelion: that Asuka and Shinji really are the same, "with someone disappointed in [them]", as Linkin Park's Numb relates.

In fact, I have never seen an AMV that has the music so match the source anime before Faithless.

[SarahtheBoring]

You know, I'm kind of disappointed by this year's nominees.

Good for you.

...why should we care, again?

If you think this year is weak, have you made a video that will stop the world in its tracks? Hmm? Otherwise, how's about stopping the bitching and starting to solve the "problem" instead?

Or would you rather play armchair quarterback and demand that the whole scene conform to your tastes at the same time?

Yap, yap, yap.

[Toji Fujawara]

Personally, I recommend HurQlez03's (Daniel Hopkins') Faithless for one of the best videos with a story behind it.

I really felt that Mr. Hopkins really did a great job with this video, capturing one of the most central themes behind Neon Genesis Evangelion: that Asuka and Shinji really are the same, "with someone disappointed in [them]", as Linkin Park's Numb relates.

In fact, I have never seen an AMV that has the music so match the source anime before Faithless.

why does everyone bring that video up. No offense but its not that great of a vid. I mean the guy didn't even come up with the idea. He took an idea that was out there that had so many crap vids done to it and made a dcent vid. did i like it but damn come on its not that great.