[DZX] Path of Advent

Sephzilla · Post by **Sephzilla** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 12:02 am

This video will appear at the AMV Competition at Acen 2006.

http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members ... p?v=113739

Video - Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children
Audio - Apocalyptica: Path (DZXtended Mix)
*Custom remix done by _Ice-Angel_ and myself

Obviously its using a beaten up video source in Advent Children, but given the nature of this song and the Advent Children storyline I honestly feel it captures the 'epic feel' that Advent Children has in it.

This is my personal favorite video I have produced, and I personally feel I put more effort into this video than I have in the past as well. Specifically, I spent 24 hours over a 29 hour span (only stopping to sleep) in order to finish this video for the Acen AMV Contest deadline.

This video is dedicated to two motivational and inspriational friends of mine from DZX Productions.

_Ice-Angel_
AltruisticCrono

Prodigi · Post by **Prodigi** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:02 am

Hmmm.

I originally watched this video yesterday, when i was in a damned horrible mood, and i didn't like it. But out of fairness i waited until today (and i'm in an incredibly good mood atm) before deciding to rewatch and review it. I still don't like it that much :\

Sorry X, normally i like you're editing style, but this just didn't do it for me. The first thing that really got to me, was the aspect ratio. The footage is stretched out of proportion, and so before i could rewatch it today i had to run it through an avs filter first to correct it, it was that bad. You're displaying a 16:9 ratio movie in 3:2 ratio [ie: you present in 720x480 when it should be 720x405]

Next thing that i didn't really like was action sequences. You kinda seemed to jump all over the place. An example is the action sequence starting at 2:50, you use single clips from 3 different fight sequences in a seemingly random order. Also i didn't like the fact that you extended the song. The song is perfect in it's normal length, leaving you with that killer ending that leaves you wanting more, but you've given more here and it just makes the song seem too drawn out. At the end when you change the emphasis on the song to try and make it different to the original to make it more of a finale... well... i really, really, wanted to skip this. It just... i dunno, it really got to me, got under my skin, and irritated me really bad. I can't explain why, but i just found it really horrible, and it made my skin crawl.

After all those negatives i think i should leave on some positives. The visual quality was excellent (apart from the ratio), and the audio quality was cd calibre (except for the edits). I enjoyed most of the editing in the "verses", and thought you did a good job in telling the story in those places.

In all honesty i would have much prefered to see _Ice-Angel_ attempt the remake of this video, because it's not your editing style. She did an amazing job with the original, and i would have loved to see her re-do it with full quality and some new footage. Unfortunately this video is out of your style range X. Sorry, but i can only give this a 3/5.

ZaCloud · Post by **ZaCloud** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:35 am

Opinions are opinions. In mine, I really really like this vid. ^_^ (Thank you so much for the props, Prodigi-san

But I myself think Sephy did a better job than I could have for the most part

)

It does have a few issues that I'll include in a formal opinion submission (gotta wait till I get hi-speed so I can re-download it since I got the indirect link, durn technicalities >_<). But overall this video does something very important: It examines the true core of what Advent Children is about. Not just kickass action and pretty-boy angst. It's Cloud's journey toward forgiveness, with Sephiroth's looming presence coming more and more forward until he faces it for a final showdown.

SephirothX did a wonderful job capturing all kinds of subtleties and story nuances, and bringing them into the visual plane, even in context of other situations (Example, when Cloud was talking to Rufus, and his status as a would-be ex-SOLDIER is brought up. SephX showed flashes of Zack/Zax as if to fill the viewer in on what was being mentioned.). Many examples of this exist throughout the vid. This kind of thing is difficult to pull off right, and he passed with flying colors in that regard.

He also balanced out the story and emotion elements with power-images in order to carry the music along. From the start, Aeris bringing in the color from the black-and-white, Sephiroth slowly forming among flames in a foreboding presence... beautifully done.

SephirothX has definitely been known for complex vids (some think too complex though opinions do differ), this was actually a departure to a simpler way of doing things. It definitely does still have complex effects, but they're not as overbearing as in many other vids. Except in a few distinct cases, the effects are very well rendered and extremely effective in terms of musical relation and what they're trying to convey. Most of 'em have a definite purpose. I commend Sephy for using natural timings and simpler style than usual; it worked very well for this vid (and is a bit of what appealed to several folks in my original).

The vid has a personal, emotional feel to it since it focused so much on Cloud's journey. As a viewer, I felt a more intimate connection with the character than in most FF7:AC vids. Just something about the close-ups used, the sequencing, the thought processes/emotions captured in a particular order at a particular time... it was just masterfully done.

Thank you so much, SephirothX, for a great tribute to a great story, and a great tribute to what I thought was one of my meh-ok vids ^____^

4.6/5

Sephzilla · Post by **Sephzilla** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:01 am

Well just for corrections sake Prodigi, this is the DVDs natural resolution

so perhaps you're simply shrinking it too far.

Sephzilla · Post by **Sephzilla** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:14 am

and *since a-m-v.org lacks the ability to edit my stuff* I'm going to put up a solid defense / reasoning for my opinon.

#1- the original song most people would agree is simply not long enough. The traditional version only holds 2 short chorus's with short bridgings between them, not enough to to work just about any video source let alone something along the lines of Advent Children.

#2- You mentioned how you felt the 2nd chorus felt rather random, yet you suggested using the original much shorter song as well which would involve even larger amounts of jumping around Advent Children movie. I'm sorry it just feels like a very difficult double standard and contradiction.

I'll acknowledge your opinion, but I just felt you should have potentially looked more into things before wording up your opinion.

Nessephanie · Post by **Nessephanie** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:34 am

SephirothX wrote:Well just for corrections sake Prodigi, this is the DVDs natural resolution so perhaps you're simply shrinking it too far.

That's exactly your problem. Every DVD's natural resolution is 720x480. DVD's never rip at the anime's correct aspect ratio you always have to change them to the right ratio for the anime. Prodigi is correct that your aspect ratio is wong

Sephzilla · Post by **Sephzilla** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 12:51 pm

I know what you mean, but my DVD specifically says this is formatted to play at 4:3 aspect ratio rather than 16:9. I kinda almost prefur it because 720x480 is a common AMV competition standard anyways, plus i dunno some of the people I've seen who format their Advent Children footage to widescreen almost do it -too- much and it makes everyone look fat T_T.

---
On and for clarifications sake - my response to Prodigi's critique wasnt meant as any kind of stab at Prodigi or his opinion, I just thought Id clarify a couple things that he ended up pointing out because in my vid's bio I didnt make much reference to them.

Nessephanie · Post by **Nessephanie** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:50 pm

SephirothX wrote:I know what you mean, but my DVD specifically says this is formatted to play at 4:3 aspect ratio rather than 16:9. I kinda almost prefur it because 720x480 is a common AMV competition standard anyways, plus i dunno some of the people I've seen who format their Advent Children footage to widescreen almost do it -too- much and it makes everyone look fat T_T.

720x480 isn't 4:3 or 16:9, do the math man. I've never seen an anime that is naturally 720x480 from any DVD, you have to change it accordingly.

But if you don't beleive me, thats cool, your choice.

Idraeus · Post by **Idraeus** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:00 pm

There are just a few tiny things up with this. There is a small part which could have benefitted from a little more synching just after the fade-to-colour passage. And there was, to my eye, a little too much crossfading in the fade-to-colour passage itself.

Aside from those leeetle things, I thought it was very good work all round.

Brad · Post by **Brad** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:30 pm

SephirothX wrote:I know what you mean, but my DVD specifically says this is formatted to play at 4:3 aspect ratio rather than 16:9. I kinda almost prefur it because 720x480 is a common AMV competition standard anyways, plus i dunno some of the people I've seen who format their Advent Children footage to widescreen almost do it -too- much and it makes everyone look fat T_T.