Loveless MV

metherlence · Post by **metherlence** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:12 am

I posted this MV called "Sacrifice for You" up yesterday, and it's from the anime Loveless and it contains some shounen-ai/drama etc, to the song All You Want (Michelle Branch) It's only part of the song though ^^; but this is my first video I have ever posted so I know it's nothing really great considering I was experimenting with Windows Movie Maker. So I'm a newbie at this, but I would really love getting comments about how to make improvements for future videos, etc =D and any comments on how you liked the video. Thanks so much!

It can be found here:
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members ... hp?v=75104

YouTube · Post by **Kionon** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:17 am

Uhm...

Good:

Song choice, audio quality.

Bad:

Everything else. Aspect ratio, subs, several examples of pixelation, lack of coherent storyline, no editing sync...

I see where you were trying to go, but you just didn't get there. You need to work on your storytelling skills before getting into the technical aspects of a video.

metherlence · Post by **metherlence** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:22 am

Thanks so much Kionon, yeah I did realize I was really lacking with a plot -_-;; and the pixelation I've realized is a problem I will need to fix in the future, do you have any idea is there a specific program or method that can help clear those up, considering I was using an .avi file?

YouTube · Post by **Kionon** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:29 am

Suggestion on plot issues. I only make romantic vides usually so I'm pretty good at this. You need to storyboard. Doesn't mean you need to draw it out (although this DOES help, and something I learned in my broadcastinc classes), just sit down think about your lyrics and try to remember what scene in the anime matches up with either that lyric or with the them that the song communicates. Then when you sit down with your footage, you know exactly where to go to grab stuff.

Ah, pixelation. Well, your first issue is using what appears to be downloaded source material. My first suggestion is see if you can get DVDs. You probably can't. Second suggestion is to get raw downloadable eps. Then at least you won't have to deal with subs. Set your editor to the right aspect ratio. If you're using WMM and a source that apears to be 16:9 (or more likely a resolution of something like 704x400) you need to find a new editor or you'll have to find someway to crop/pan your source. I'm not sure if flasKMPEG can do non vobs, but it's what I use to crop/pan. Then you convert via virtual dub to a lossless codec like Huffyuv, edit that, then export out to huffyuv and then use virtualdub, but in WMM you'll likely need to export to WMV. Having never used WMM, I admit I'm not sure.

Scintilla · Post by **Scintilla** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 1:14 am

Kionon wrote:Set your editor to the right aspect ratio. If you're using WMM and a source that apears to be 16:9 (or more likely a resolution of something like 704x400) you need to find a new editor or you'll have to find someway to crop/pan your source.

WMM2 can take sources that aren't 4:3, but it'll stretch them to make them 4:3 -- so you're better off letterboxing and/or resizing with something else first, to a resolution that IS 4:3.

(Whereas WMM1 will keep the aspect ratio of the source, but it'll automatically letterbox to make the whole frame 4:3, which is not much better, especially if you're using DVD source that's stored at a 3:2 resolution.)

I cover cropping, letterboxing, and resizing in my WMM2 footage prep guide:
http://www.aquilinestudios.org/wmm2guide.html

Kionon wrote:... but in WMM you'll likely need to export to WMV. Having never used WMM, I admit I'm not sure.

There is an option to export in DV AVI, and it is the preferred method:
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/ ... xport.html

SDM · Post by **SDM** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 1:51 pm

Scintilla wrote:(Whereas WMM1 will keep the aspect ratio of the source, but it'll automatically letterbox to make the whole frame 4:3, which is not much better, especially if you're using DVD source that's stored at a 3:2 resolution.)

DVD is not 3:2. Nor is DV, or any other form of video derived from analogue video (with one or two exceptions). The pixels aren't square: http://www.btinternet.com/~perrybits/pa ... Ratios.htm

(This is pointed out in the video guide referenced above, but with some unhelpful oversimplifications...)

Scintilla · Post by **Scintilla** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 3:36 pm

SDM wrote:
Scintilla wrote:(Whereas WMM1 will keep the aspect ratio of the source, but it'll automatically letterbox to make the whole frame 4:3, which is not much better, especially if you're using DVD source that's stored at a 3:2 resolution.)
DVD is not 3:2. Nor is DV, or any other form of video derived from analogue video (with one or two exceptions). The pixels aren't square: http://www.btinternet.com/~perrybits/pa ... Ratios.htm

(This is pointed out in the video guide referenced above, but with some unhelpful oversimplifications...)

I said STORED at a 3:2 resolution (720/480 = 3/2). I know about NTSC pixels.

I was trying to point out that WMM1 will letterbox DVD footage if you don't resize it to a resolution that is 4:3 (and by that I mean 4:3 with square pixels). And you don't want that.