So...what exactly makes a video "good" or "bad" to you?

[Shui]

Gonna answer these individual questions too:

On the other side of the coin, what things will absolutely ruin a video for you, no matter how much else the editor might get right?

I hate it when people rely on 'good scenes' for their AMV to be good. Especially if they're Mutli-Anime. Unfortunately that's big trend with with all that multitude of shiny new Animes it's very easy to do. Some are well edited but I mean, come on everybody can search for 'that' scene. I prefer if people limit themselves as it makes them more creative in a way.

Are there certain effects that just slap you across the face with unpleasantness?

Overusage of Pans and Zoom transitions. They mostly look too fast for the song anyways. After I took a break from the hobby the big names changed and one of the new ones was Shin. I absolutely can't see how that kind of editing could work with any kind of music.

Are there things that an editor should do in a video, but doesn't, that lessen a video's impact?

Having a solid concept which hasn't been overdone.

Are you able to enjoy a video that uses a song and/or anime that you hate, if it does everything else correctly?

See the need for speed as mentioned above

How important are technical things like visual quality?

It's important. If you can't get it right in the beginning it's no biggie, everybody has to learn it first, but you better read those damn guides if I tell you to!

[dreamawake]

I could write out a long post that no one would read but, basically, my preferences all boil down to the audio-video connection. That can honestly make or break a video for me. The anime and music should be working in harmony to create the video. If you could slap another song on an AMV and it doesn't change anything about it, I probably don't like that video.

this

More or less.

I can enjoy a video with an anime i dont know or like, but its a little more difficult with a song I don't enjoy. If the editing is tight and has good sync though I still give a video it's do's even if i hate the music/source. As far as what makes the editing itself good or bad...I look at what they sync to, how they do it, if they go from a scene with motion to a static scene too often, or the idea of how they are syncing to what I hear.

[Castor Troy]

I'm with Ileia. Everything is about the flow and connection between the song and video.

EVERYTHING in a video matters from the song selection, flow of the editing, etc. Videos must be nothing short of a full package.

[seasons]

what things will absolutely ruin a video for you, no matter how much else the editor might get right?

AMV contest logos that are actually part of the video itself. Why do people do this? Is it required by the contest? Do editors think it will help them score extra points with the judges? I'm not talking about "bumpers" before the video begins, but rather, logos that show up 5 or 10 seconds into the video itself. I saw an AMV at a convention contest recently that did this... with the name of a different contest embedded in the video about 15 seconds into it.

Constant use of OP animation throughout the video. Or: AMVs that are essentially collages of OP clips.

Constant use of the masking effect on transitions, wherein some element of a clip (usually a character) will slide into the frame and sort of drag the rest of the clip that they're in in behind them. This seems to be the default transition for a new generation of editors who have no use for simple, hard cuts. This can definitely be used to great effect but when editors overdo it as so many are wont to do these days, it's kind of nauseating to take in over the course of an entire video.

Super-professional-looking production logos complete with mini-jingles, which usually feel really pretentious and it's difficult to not be more critical of AMVs that announce themselves with them. A lot of people who haven't even been editing more than a few months seem to think it's important to get one of these.

Fanservice focusing on tween characters.

Internet meme humor.

[Ileia]

AMV contest logos that are actually part of the video itself. Why do people do this? Is it required by the contest?

For some contests, yes. It is.

[Rider4Z]

AMV contest logos that are actually part of the video itself. Why do people do this? Is it required by the contest?

For some contests, yes. It is.

which contests are these?

[Ileia]

Probably the one you see the most often is:
http://akross.ru/index.cgi?sec=contest;id=306;l=e

"In the beginning or the end of the video there must be displayed the contest logo. The way of displaying it or its elements can be altered but at least for 3 seconds it must be visible in its original form. You can download logo from your "Participant's panel"."

[Rider4Z]

derp. how did I blank on that one.

[hasteroth]

if it doesn't have tits it's no good at all

[FlamingMangos]

I find those very heavily edited videos bad because all the effects and what not really showers over what the main point of the amv is. You would just pay attention to the effects and not what the amv is about. Just like icing on a cookie. Its not necessary to have but can make it better. Too much makes it bad. The good amvs, I find are the ones that have good songs used. Not the overplayed songs. Not too much effects used. Many clips used in an instance rather then a whole 30 secs of a clip. Thats why, my favorite amvs are upbeat cuz they use alot of scenes and it matches the beat. Its fun to watch.