I resurrected this topic because I am still in the dark as to who Kevin is. I know he was an incredible AMV maker, but what happened to him?PLEASE NO SPAMMING!! I don't want this one to get deleted!!
From what I've gleaned from the forums, it sounds as if Kevin just disappeared off the face of the Earth. Why did he leave so suddenly? Did he die or just have some sort of falling out with the AMV community?
By the way, is anyone currently hosting any of his popular vids? I'd love to see his acclaimed AMV's.
Let's Try it Again: Who is Kevin Caldwell Round 2
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y2kwizard
- Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2002 2:54 pm
- Location: Memphis, TN
- Contact:
Let's Try it Again: Who is Kevin Caldwell Round 2
"When I got fat, I decided to grow a beard" -- The Great Andy
"Is it a DARTH visor?" and "It's funny cuz it's pants" -- The Master of on-the-spot Funniness
"You're too young for your age" and "I'm sorry for apologizing so much" -- The Master of on-the-spot Randomness
"Is it a DARTH visor?" and "It's funny cuz it's pants" -- The Master of on-the-spot Funniness
"You're too young for your age" and "I'm sorry for apologizing so much" -- The Master of on-the-spot Randomness
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iserlohn
- Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2001 1:40 am
- Location: Wien, Österreich
Caldwell was a guy who made AMVs and then either stopped enjoying it or got fed up with the community or got bored or something. Does it really matter? People stop making AMVs all the time, they just don't usually win awards first.
"I'm recording an album tonight. Funny material and laughter will be dubbed in later."
--Bill Hicks
--Bill Hicks
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phantom_112
- Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2001 11:50 pm
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Vancore
- Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2002 12:36 am
- Location: Portland, OR
Well, from what I've gathered about Kevin Caldwell is that he's still alive and that he quit before a-m-v.org went up. His last AMV was 'Believe' and from what I've heard he'd mentioned that working on that vid was 'Pain'. It also lost in the contest it was shown in, whether that has anything to do with his disappearence I'm not sure but I do know the video he lost against was one of Brad DeMoss's (Forgot the name). The General opinion on this is that Brad's, even though it wasn't as well edited as Kevin's, was better presented. There was an AMV panel I went to that was discussing that with all the small faults to Brad DeMoss's video that it still won and someone in the crowd shouted "Ya, it beat Kevin Caldwell's Believe".
I do know a couple older people on this site have talked to him, and I do remember coming across a topic when I first joined the .org where a couple links were posted. One of them that lead to the 'real' Kevin Caldwell. Looked at a few of em, none of them seemed related to the AMV creator.
My guess is that from what he mentioned of making AMV's that he decided to leave because making AMV's seemed more like work then fun to him. That and knowing that this is a non-paying hobby probably lead him to leave it all behind and focus on some other job. My thoughts are that he never expected that this sudden change would cause his name to become legendary among many different creators and non-creators alike. Now even if he wanted to I doubt he would return, if he ever did come back I'm pretty sure many of the expectations of those on this site would be shot down in cold blood and the AMV community wouldn't have much of a legend anymore (Legends are supposed to be bigger then the real person).
So in the end I think its best that Kevin Caldwell stay a mystery, as he's a great inspiration to the AMV community. Although I'd still like to know the cause of his disappearence, I'll probably never know.
I do know a couple older people on this site have talked to him, and I do remember coming across a topic when I first joined the .org where a couple links were posted. One of them that lead to the 'real' Kevin Caldwell. Looked at a few of em, none of them seemed related to the AMV creator.
My guess is that from what he mentioned of making AMV's that he decided to leave because making AMV's seemed more like work then fun to him. That and knowing that this is a non-paying hobby probably lead him to leave it all behind and focus on some other job. My thoughts are that he never expected that this sudden change would cause his name to become legendary among many different creators and non-creators alike. Now even if he wanted to I doubt he would return, if he ever did come back I'm pretty sure many of the expectations of those on this site would be shot down in cold blood and the AMV community wouldn't have much of a legend anymore (Legends are supposed to be bigger then the real person).
So in the end I think its best that Kevin Caldwell stay a mystery, as he's a great inspiration to the AMV community. Although I'd still like to know the cause of his disappearence, I'll probably never know.
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Jebadia
- Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2001 8:54 pm
- Location: Parkersburg, WV
- Contact:
*Niff* That was beautiful...Indeed I agree that he'd remain a mystery, even though I've seen pictures of Caldwell, and he 'does' look like David Spade in a way, I prolly wouldn't want to actually meet the guy due to the fact mentioned above.
"If you believe in yourself, eat all your school, stay on milk, drink your teeth, don't do sleep, and get your eight hours of drugs, you can get WORK!"
Paperskunk:...PENIS!!!!!!!!! GIANT PENIS!!!!!!!!!! ERMAC WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!!!!!! GIANT JUICY PENIS!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH MY EYES!!!!!!
Paperskunk:...PENIS!!!!!!!!! GIANT PENIS!!!!!!!!!! ERMAC WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!!!!!! GIANT JUICY PENIS!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH MY EYES!!!!!!
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Castor Troy
- Ryan Molina, A.C.E
- Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2001 8:45 pm
- Status: Retired from AMVs
- Location: California
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Party on Wayne.Jebadia wrote:
Indeed I agree that he'd remain a mystery, even though I've seen pictures of Caldwell, and he 'does' look like David Spade in a way, I prolly wouldn't want to actually meet the guy due to the fact mentioned above.
Party on Garth!
"You're ignoring everything, except what you want to hear.." - jbone
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Castor Troy
- Ryan Molina, A.C.E
- Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2001 8:45 pm
- Status: Retired from AMVs
- Location: California
- Contact:
Oh wait, that's Dana Carvey. OopsCastor Troy wrote:Party on Wayne.Jebadia wrote:
Indeed I agree that he'd remain a mystery, even though I've seen pictures of Caldwell, and he 'does' look like David Spade in a way, I prolly wouldn't want to actually meet the guy due to the fact mentioned above.
Party on Garth!
"You're ignoring everything, except what you want to hear.." - jbone
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XStylus
- Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2001 12:11 pm
- Status: Fondly enjoying the salty air.
- Location: A quaint little village.
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Someone should create a Monty Python Parody called "Life of Kevin".
Anyway, here's the history of Kevin from what I know, and what I've been able to research in the AMV mailing list archives. My personal knowledge of Kevin's accolates is limited only to whatever he's won at Anime Expo, which as far as I know is the only contest Kevin has ever officially submitted his videos to.
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VH-1 Behind the music: Kevin Caldwell
Kevin Caldwell started out like all of us do - as a relative newbie to the AMV creation scene. He entered three of his very first videos to Anime Expo 98 where he came out of no-where to win all three categories (Comedy, Action, and Drama). The three videos entered were: "It's a Beautiful Life - Goldenboy", "Phantom of the Opera - Memories: Magnetic Rose", and "Media Vita in Morte Sumus - Evangelion". While it was quite impressive and turned a lot of heads, life went on, and other AMV creators quietly prepared for the next year.
The next year at Anime Expo 99, Kevin entered two videos, mainly because AX imposed a 2-video limit per entrant to avoid one person sweeping all three categories. He entered his two videos in Drama, and Action. His Drama Video, "Sleep Now - Key the Metal Idol", won Drama. His Action video, "Engel - Evangelion", won the Action category, and also totally floored everybody by being the first video shown at AX to employ perfect lip synching. It's mainly because of that one video that fanboy AMV freaks started to perceive him as the God of AMV creation, myself unfortunately among those people at the time. People began to talk incessantly about Kevin, and it was driving other AMV creators mad.
The next year at Anime Expo 2000, Kevin again entered two videos, "Caffiene Encomium - Childs Toy" and "Believe - Battle Athletes". "Believe" had lots of fancy special effects, but did not win the action category. Kevin did have much to say about that video when asked about it in the AMV mailing list:
"I actually consider that the second most embarrassing thing that I've ever created. My ultimate shame comes from the truly awful Goldeneye/VP Miyu video." ... "As I progressed with work on "Believe", I could see it straying ever farther from my initial vision. I felt like a prophet who forsaw his own death in a car wreck but for some reason immediately switched careers to become a stunt driver." ... "It also comitted a fatal sin in my book (for any category, but especially Action): I think that it's BORING. I'm glad it didn't win anything, because then I'd know that you people were just humoring me."
"Caffiene Encomium", however, won the Comedy category, yet was prevented from winning the overall category by Brad DeMoss' Star Wars - Episode 1 parody.
On July 4th 2000, Kevin announced on the AMV mailing list his retirement. It is rumored that he had received death threats, which led to his decision that making AMVs was no longer worth the trouble, but I have been unable to substantiate this rumor. He promised to remain active among the AMV community, however the last he was heard from was in a casual conversational post made November 3rd, 2000. While post wasn't anything special, the signature he ended the post with was rather interesting. He signed the post with the following:
Kevin Caldwell
(I don't want to be worshipped. I just wanna be LOVED! <sniff sniff>)
Kevin remains to this day (and to the annoyance of many AMV creators sick of hearing his name) a legend that just won't go away. Where did he go? What does he do now? Is he still among us under a different name? No-one knows. Many would strangely prefer to keep it that way.
Anyway, here's the history of Kevin from what I know, and what I've been able to research in the AMV mailing list archives. My personal knowledge of Kevin's accolates is limited only to whatever he's won at Anime Expo, which as far as I know is the only contest Kevin has ever officially submitted his videos to.
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VH-1 Behind the music: Kevin Caldwell
Kevin Caldwell started out like all of us do - as a relative newbie to the AMV creation scene. He entered three of his very first videos to Anime Expo 98 where he came out of no-where to win all three categories (Comedy, Action, and Drama). The three videos entered were: "It's a Beautiful Life - Goldenboy", "Phantom of the Opera - Memories: Magnetic Rose", and "Media Vita in Morte Sumus - Evangelion". While it was quite impressive and turned a lot of heads, life went on, and other AMV creators quietly prepared for the next year.
The next year at Anime Expo 99, Kevin entered two videos, mainly because AX imposed a 2-video limit per entrant to avoid one person sweeping all three categories. He entered his two videos in Drama, and Action. His Drama Video, "Sleep Now - Key the Metal Idol", won Drama. His Action video, "Engel - Evangelion", won the Action category, and also totally floored everybody by being the first video shown at AX to employ perfect lip synching. It's mainly because of that one video that fanboy AMV freaks started to perceive him as the God of AMV creation, myself unfortunately among those people at the time. People began to talk incessantly about Kevin, and it was driving other AMV creators mad.
The next year at Anime Expo 2000, Kevin again entered two videos, "Caffiene Encomium - Childs Toy" and "Believe - Battle Athletes". "Believe" had lots of fancy special effects, but did not win the action category. Kevin did have much to say about that video when asked about it in the AMV mailing list:
"I actually consider that the second most embarrassing thing that I've ever created. My ultimate shame comes from the truly awful Goldeneye/VP Miyu video." ... "As I progressed with work on "Believe", I could see it straying ever farther from my initial vision. I felt like a prophet who forsaw his own death in a car wreck but for some reason immediately switched careers to become a stunt driver." ... "It also comitted a fatal sin in my book (for any category, but especially Action): I think that it's BORING. I'm glad it didn't win anything, because then I'd know that you people were just humoring me."
"Caffiene Encomium", however, won the Comedy category, yet was prevented from winning the overall category by Brad DeMoss' Star Wars - Episode 1 parody.
On July 4th 2000, Kevin announced on the AMV mailing list his retirement. It is rumored that he had received death threats, which led to his decision that making AMVs was no longer worth the trouble, but I have been unable to substantiate this rumor. He promised to remain active among the AMV community, however the last he was heard from was in a casual conversational post made November 3rd, 2000. While post wasn't anything special, the signature he ended the post with was rather interesting. He signed the post with the following:
Kevin Caldwell
(I don't want to be worshipped. I just wanna be LOVED! <sniff sniff>)
Kevin remains to this day (and to the annoyance of many AMV creators sick of hearing his name) a legend that just won't go away. Where did he go? What does he do now? Is he still among us under a different name? No-one knows. Many would strangely prefer to keep it that way.
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dokidoki
- c0d3 m0nk3y
- Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2000 7:42 pm
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He's entered at A-Kon. Ref: http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=33 ... topher.netxstylus wrote:My personal knowledge of Kevin's accolates is limited only to whatever he's won at Anime Expo, which as far as I know is the only contest Kevin has ever officially submitted his videos to.
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SSJVegita0609
- Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2002 10:52 pm
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