Where all that AMV editing got me

[DJ_Izumi]

Oh right, there's no edit button on this forum. I forgot that stupid fact.

Anyway, editing is a very important skill and AMVs give a leg up in understanding it. Though sometimes I'm learning fresh for editing, mainly, multicamera editing. All those camera angles you see them cut between in a TV show are produced by shooting the same scene successfully, once, for each camera angle, then editing between the angles to get the right result. In AMVs you can't go 'Wait, I like that moment but I want to use the wide shot rather than the medium shot'. You only have the shot that was in the anime.

And to specify, no, in television and dramatic film there arn't multiple cameras, you have to shoot once for each angle. I bet to most of you that sounds stupid and you're wondering 'Why?'. Lighting. Dramatic 'single camera' television series and films have 'low key' lighting, this lighting only 'works' from one camera angle and it needs adjustments for other angles. This is why 'multicamera' productions, like sitcoms or soap operas have a MUCH brighter looking set. They have more even 'High key' lighting that works for multiple angles but it loses some of it's 'feel'.

...Yeah, I was suprised to learn that one. :O

[Brad]

My story is very similar. Started out playing around with Premiere in 99, got into AMV's, transitioned into learning more about After Effects. For a long time though, I thought I wanted to become a 3D animator, working in an animation studio, making movies, and eventually make my own films. This dream wasn't terribly influenced by my AMV hobby, it was just something that I thought would be really fun and rewarding. By the time 2006 rolled around and I decided to get off my ass and go back to school, it was with 3D in mind. I knew I wanted to move to Chicago so I looked for schools up there and found AI. When I did my first tour of the school, I learned that the 3D animation program was fairly dependent on drawing skill (and required a drawing portfolio). Unfortunately, drawing has never been a strong skill of mine, but I did however learn about the Visual Effects & Motion Graphics program. It seemed like a pretty great fit, because it involved 3D animation classes, along with motion graphics, film production, editing, visual/special effects, etc.

Now, as I had mentioned before, I had started using After Effects to benefit my AMV hobby. I had also worked for a long time as a web designer (albeit a not terribly great one), so I had a graphic design background and was familiar with the software. I can relate entirely to your sentiment about having a leg up in school because of this. Rather than spending my time playing catch-up in class by learning the technical stuff, I was fortunate enough to just focus on making cool shit. While I did definitely learn a good deal about film, lighting, etc., for the motion graphics side of it, I ended up basically teaching myself, and I excelled significantly in all my classes. After about a year and a half of school, I realized that my future would be as a motion designer, and I structured my portfolio around it. I landed a fantastic internship, I started doing paid freelance work in-studio about a year before I graduated, and landed a full-time job about a month before graduating. The full-time gig ended up not lasting long (due to corporate restructuring shenanigans) but I had made enough friends and contacts in the motion graphics community that I've been freelancing consistently ever since.

I may not edit AMVs anymore, but I do know for sure that not only was it my interest in the hobby that lead me to where I am now, but also the community. Me and Jay had become very good friends and the main reason I chose Chicago was because we planned to be roommates, which was awesome. I also met my wife through the community and all of my best friends are AMV editors. So for me, not only did this community help lead me to my current career, but it directly lead me to the most important parts of my life.

Cool story bro.

[DJ_Izumi]

One thing I'd like to do is make a music video. Wouldn't it be great to lead your own television or webseries and then make the music video for that?

I did a music video for school in the late fall, I won't post it because it has some terrible issues such as...

1) It was shot on a Sony DSR-250, which is a circa 2000 professional video camera, that uses DVCAM tape (Not to be confused with DV Tape) and gets some of the worst color reproduction you could imagine. We don't get to use the bad ass 1080p Sony PMW-350 XDCAM's till second year. (1080p 4:2:2 MPEG-2 at 50mbps, I shit you not. :3 It's not a Red One but it's still pretty awesome ) This is why I shoot my 'personal projects' on a 1080p DSLR in the meanwhile.

2) It was an assigned project so we could ONLY pick a song from the 1990's.

3) It was an assigned project so the groups were assigned and THAT DUMB FUCK WHO NEVER CAME TO CLASS WAS IN MY GROUP AND HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING. Regretfully, we let him hold the camera, the only shots he did worth a damn were the ones where we micromanaged his every motion... Then we stopped micromanaging him. He flunked out after only four months; I celebrated.

But I'd love to do a trailer, music video or extended opening sequence for my own creative series idea. Hell, I wouldn't even need to make the movie or series, maybe JUST shooting a trailer for a nonexistant movie/series would be pretty awesome. You could focus on only the scenes with those golden moments of dialogue and the money shots!

[zibbazabba905]

Haha, I remember doing the video class things... when I was in school, it was the big clunky over-the-shoulder VHS tape recorders and all that

[Castor Troy]

Actually Kit, being an editor is also being all of the above things. Editing amvs already makes you a producer, writer, and director aside from being an editor.

I'd have to largely disagree with this. A producer mostly handles preproduction, budgets, arrangement of actors, sets, hireing, making sure the script gets done and finalized, even hireing the director. Most elements of pre-production, which is what a producer's primary job is, doesn't exist in AMVs.

I also wouldn't call it writing. The song already has a story and the AMV itself also already has a story, you're just artfully arranging it. It's editing, which can be very artful, but it's not writing, everything's been written for you. The same goes for calling it directing. You arn't involved in the create of the visuals at all, they've been made for you.

AMV's are editing and just editing I think.

I disagree with your disagreement. I've outlined quite a lot of this in my So you want to be a "Professional Editor"? Read this first thread I wrote a year and a half ago.

Any type of editing, regardless of it being amvs, film, commercials, etc requires a dedicated amount of creative input and absolutely is more than "just cutting the clips". Editors are absolutely the directors in the post production phase of any video related projects because they *still* have to choose the best looking performances, angles, etc just like a director has to.

Yes, while producers handle everything you mentioned above, they are also responsible for green lighting ideas to go into production. Since amv editors already green light their own ideas, that makes them producers.

Regarding writing, while many vocal songs tell their own stories, there's also instrumental/foreign/etc songs that don't rely on lyrics which require editors to tell their own stories. However, editors still have to come up with a concept to tell their own stories regardless and even though it's not written in a script, it's still a "concept" and coming up with concepts are still a form of "writing" in a way.

But amv editors aren't cinematographers, on-screen actors (this can be changed ), gaffers, grips, etc.

There's an old saying that goes "You're already a filmmaker the moment you decide to make films, even if you haven't made one yet. Don't think of being a filmmaker, you are one already".

There you have it. AMV editors are still everything I've mentioned above in some capacity. While not as intense as a real production, they still wear all those hats in some form or another.

I know you're in the "Hey, I make *real* stuff and doing everything other than editing is cool!" phase, but try to give a little more credit for amv editors as well.

[Chez]

Im a cinematographer and I edit........ just to throw a wrench in yo gears.

Editing is in my opinion the last director. Because you are the final part of the film. If there were no good editors there would be no good movies.

[Knowname]

Lol I think that's why he said he only 'sort of' disagrees lol. Anyway I can only see this turning into a flame war and while Izumi's statements is tantamount to calling for a DUEL in pirate language.... I don't think anybody wants one here down boy!

[Khameleon808]

lol @ this thread. My story is too awesome to post.
Anyone out there can breakthrough to the professional field. Don't let anyone here or anywhere else tell you ANY different. I pass projects on from professionals to "lesser known" editors all the time. And knowing how the business works rather than just the "technical" knowledge helps too if you wanna network and grow. If you think you need a film degree, you dont. It does help no doubt, but not vital for employment.

Clients want the goods. If you can bring that, it wont matter what the next guy has framed on his wall. When I first came to LA for interviews at trailer houses, there was a guy at The Ant Farm who interviewed me and it was going great. Until he asked me if I knew AVID. I told him no, but I could learn it very quickly. Now whether it was his lack of belief of even his mood that day, it stopped me from getting a job there. I told them its gonna take less time teaching someone with an imagination the software, than teach someone who knows AVID to have an imagination. Apparently that mattered to them because when the Creative Director left, they called me up and offered me a position and extra time to learn AVID on their machines at night. By this time however, I had already learned AVID and was editing for Disney. That is a whole other story.

My advice to people out there who arent doing this professionally yet, don't give up. If you are good at what you do and are passionate enough about it, there will always be someone like me out here that will help you as much as I can with opportunities.

Congrats to Izumi and everyone else that progressed from their history with editing amvs. I just wanted to clear up any misconceptions that once you "breakthrough" that you people dont forget where you came from and try to help others out who are equally deserving. If that's not your thing, its all good too. And for people like Brad, who have had multiple facets of his life enriched by the skill, that should be inspiring to most of you as well to continue doing what you are doing.


I think I get around enough companies now to where I can say that I am not above editing for or with anyone. I will edit for a multi-billion dollar company as well as a skateboarder down the street. Talent is a gift, tempered and harnessed to be shared with everyone else. Not to always be sold to the highest bidder. I did a free trailer for Disney and instead of paying me, I was invited to a red carpet premiere of the movie and got to meet the people who starred in the movie. To me, that kinda networking was way better than any check. And I still chill in the amv room, I still help new editors, and I still make time for my own projects as well as actually started collaborating on projects for the first time. Its really made me a better person, despite what a couple out there might think

Don't give up creating.

I guess that's all. If anyone is angered by this post, sorry for ya.
Just giving a real experience in the industry of mine.

[Ileia]

^
Okay, THAT is the kinda post we need to see from AMV creators who successfully moved on to a career in the film industry. See how he didn't feel the need to be condescending at all? AMAZING!

[Radical_Yue]

^
Okay, THAT is the kinda post we need to see from AMV creators who successfully moved on to a career in the film industry. See how he didn't feel the need to be condescending at all? AMAZING!

x1,000,000,000,000,000,000