AMV music, popular song = better chance of winning contest?

Ashyukun · Post by **Ashyukun** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:31 am

808-buma wrote:so, from what I gather for the most part, just run with what 'feels' good and damn the music taste of the (potential) voting audience...

Ed-zachary. Trying to second-guess how your audience is going to receive a song is a pretty pointless endeavor in general (there are of course exceptions- you can pretty much figure an audience at a more family-oriented con is not going to be happy with a song that has a high quantity of swearing in it), and in many cases the same applies to video source. Sure, the 'popular' *cough*Naruto*cough* shows are probably going to get a bit better response if editing is equal, but it still has to be well edited, and I've rarely seen a case where forcing something has ended up better edited than something you've really been 'feeling' while working on.

Knowname · Post by **Knowname** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:06 pm

HeavyMetal wrote:o. Don't kill the song. (Convention rules or something.)

This is why popular music sucks. Some artist even have it in their contracts that they cannot make a song over 3 minutes. That way it is radio friendly to maximize sell-ability. (Sell out bastards.)

I won't even buy a greatest hits CD. They are simply the songs with the most generic appeal to the mass.

Take Metallica for instances. The black album's Enter Sandman is one of their most popular songs. It is good, but most of the diehard Metallica fans prefer songs off one of the first 4 albums.

A lot of real great songs go unnoticed because they are not mainstream or have not so radio friendly formats.

As for your question yes a popular song will likely help you win the ignorant masses.

But, shameless ploys may get you the contempt of those whose opinions may actually have some validity. Most people are simply dazzled by all smoke and mirrors.

Good Luck. Though good skill will serve you better.

why would one be more inclined to enjoy a song if it's not radio FRIENDLY (key word being friendly) that's my only beef. Remember, the question here is whether your audience would be 'INCLINED' to like a popular song or not. Not if you pick out one person and if their favorite song is popular or not, don't get me wrong, their two VERY opposite things. I'm more INCLINED to groove to a popular, catchy tune than something I've never heard of. I may, however, like that non-radio friendly song (or I may hate it! Go figure... but I rareley hate popular songs... like you said, they're radio friendly or made to be that way!) but in a competitive atmosphere I still say your better off holding the middle ground ie a radio friendly pop song.

HeavyMetal wrote:Take Metallica for instances. The black album's Enter Sandman is one of their most popular songs. It is good, but most of the diehard Metallica fans prefer songs off one of the first 4 albums.

A lot of real great songs go unnoticed because they are not mainstream or have not so radio friendly formats.

As for your question yes a popular song will likely help you win the ignorant masses.

But, shameless ploys may get you the contempt of those whose opinions may actually have some validity. Most people are simply dazzled by all smoke and mirrors.

That's funny, I just finished my Enter Sandman [url=http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members ... hp?v=81224]video[url]! (now you see why I had to reply with basically the same thing you said lol I'm a bastard -_-)

dschlag007 · Post by **dschlag007** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:24 pm

I'm going to have to say that it shouldn't matter as long as your video fits the song. However you would have to make sure people who have never seen the anime can tell what's going on in the song (if there is anykind of "story" behind it). An example of this was at Anime North 2005 (so this year

).

haunter103 (a friend of mine) made a Yami video that fit really well with the song and won an award for it. The premier category winner used a instrumental song and used nature scenes...and that was the video (Most of the audience hated it...to boring and not only that but for those who went Friday night then to the finals had to sit through it twice)

However Anamorphic Productions made a very good edited video (technically well edited) which apperently had a story behind it, however if you hadn't seen the series, you were lost on the story and thus it appeared to be random images with music.

The judges choice was a really good comedy video by Doki Doki (which I believe he sent to Otakon and after that he'll upload it).

The common thing between these videos was that none of them were "popular" songs. Doki Doki's vid had a song I had never heard of till then (I knew of the group but not the song). The Premier winner, not sure of the song but I know most people didn't know it or not really cared if they heard it once before. Anamorphic Productions video I had never heard the song to before. And haunter103's I had heard before on the radio but it was a few years ago I heard it so not sure how many people had heard it before (the only reason he got the song was cause I said it would be good for his video so he used it)

So basically, the point to my "rant" and long speech is it doesn't matter about the popularity of the song as long as the video is well made to the song and they both fit together.

paizuri · Post by **paizuri** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:39 pm

dschlag007 wrote:However Anamorphic Productions made a very good edited video (technically well edited) which apperently had a story behind it, however if you hadn't seen the series, you were lost on the story and thus it appeared to be random images with music.

I have to disagree (no offense to Anamorphic Productions as I have not seen the video in question). If the general audience can't grasp the story you're trying to tell in a video, without seeing the source material then you have not edited it well enough. Good storytelling through editing means that you are able to present the emotions and events through your choice of edits regardless of whether or not the viewer is familiar with the source.

dschlag007 wrote:So basically, the point to my "rant" and long speech is it doesn't matter about the popularity of the song as long as the video is well made to the song and they both fit together.

Actually, I think this is somewhat untrue. To get the most acceptance out of the general public, you have to shoot for the lowest common denominator. An easy way of achieving this is by using popular music/footage because the audience has a higher chance of recognizing/sympathizing with things they are familiar with. If a video has a song that you like, you may be more forgiving of the video's faults since you are grooving to the music. If it is a popular song, the chance that there are people in the audience that enjoy that song is that much higher. If you choose an anime and your video is telling a story that fits the personalities established by the show for those characters, then people who have seen the show will have a preconceived notion of what to expect and, if that is the sort of thing they like, then they will most likely enjoy the video as well.

Of course, popularity is a double-edged sword. A song could be infamously bad and, even if your video is otherwise excellent, people may be turned off simply by the song choice. Or if you are trying to put characters in situations that they never would have gotten into in their respective series, it may piss off purist fans of those shows because you are presenting them in a different light.

So I wouldn't say that picking a popular song/anime makes no difference. Although a well-edited video with a song and footage that blend well with each other will probably always be recognized as a good video, I don't doubt that a lesser video using a popular song/anime/both could overshadow it.

However, if you have an idea and feel strongly about it, you should use whatever song/anime makes the most sense for you, regardless of the popularity of the sources you choose. Why? Because for the most part, people will put more effort into things that they themselves enjoy rather than things that they force themselves to do.

requiett · Post by **requiett** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:40 pm

You all got it backwards. You need a POPULAR ANIME to make it in this "business!" Sugarcoat it with stuff that looks like no one else could possibly do, and you're a shoe-in!

Beowulf · Post by **Beowulf** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:49 pm

Naruto + German Metal = Winner

Pyle · Post by **Pyle** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 7:00 pm

Beowulf wrote:Naruto + German Metal = Winner

Wait a minute, before, you said Naruto + SR71 = Winner.

BRAIN EXPLOSION!

HeavyMetal · Post by **HeavyMetal** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:23 am

Sorry for the delay Knowname.

As for popular and radio friendly here it goes.

Fans of a band will have different favorite songs from non-fans. (Of course Enter Sandman kicks ass, but Metallica itself is only popular in certain circles.)

Popular does not always mean good, because the earth is full of gullible people.

I know it may be a competition, but most people that might be voting don't know anything about music, video, editing, or any combination of such things.

They are not in a position to judge. Sure they may recognize one is better than another at a basic level, but fine details are lost to the public. Equally skilled videos will result in votes to popular songs and anime.

Some con groupie really may not have the skill to examine a video. While an editing peer's vote may not give you the win, it is the vote that really matters. (Ever see MTV movie awards. They are total un-artistic bullshit.)

To use a popular and high quality video reference, take Shameless Rock Video. I can identify all the effects in it and how they were done when I watch it. Also how well it is timed, the video quality, the audio quality, etc.

This means I can accurately compare it to other videos and how much effort was put into each.

I like Metallica, but if I see a half assed video to it I won't be dazzled by crap effects and a slop together job covered by a cool band. I have all kinds of video to songs I am not particularly fond of do to the skill of the editor. Skill makes a difference.

So back on topic, it is a matter of taste. Popular always wins, because the populous will vote for it. That does not make it good or meaningful.

I guess I am trying to say, yes, popular gets the win. But popular does not equal good, but rather generic.

Kubo* · Post by Kubo* » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:40 pm

In my experance pandering to the lowest common denominator usually (that is sex and comedy sometimes violence) will make a video popular. For example I had two videos showing a con (Invisable Sun by the Police to Jin-roh, and a song called I'm her sex toy to Sprite) not realy anything that would elicit a lot of response from the audience based on popularity. But never-the-less the Sex toy video got a great response because it was funny and had sex appeal.

I personally trry not to make videos that could be popular because of the song or the show. Not because I dont want to " sell out" to the audience but because I want to make something that peole haven't seen a hundred times before. Never worry about making a popular video just worry about making a good video that follows your own vision.