Am I being too dark?

[Sephirothskr]

In my latest video I wanted to go dark. Beyond dark. My current project features murder, torture, and creepy scenes galore. To the point where the entire thing doesn't let up. Just constant creepiness. Is it going too far? Because my vision was to be just that.. I just don't know how the community will respond to rape, torture, and other things. The whole idea of the video is to be extremely uncomfortable for the viewer. (Unless you're into that stuff.) Is it good that I'm stepping outside the safe zone? ?

[CrackTheSky]

Have you seen this video? Or this video? Or this one? Not to mention countless others. There's plenty of disturbing stuff out there. If that's what you want to make then go for it. I love the dark stuff. Well-done horror videos are some of my favorites, but in my opinion, it better have a point and not just be mindless disturbing scene after mindless disturbing scene just for the sake of it. That doesn't do anything for me. The best horror/dark videos are the insidious ones that get under your skin.

This is probably one of the creepiest videos I've ever seen, for reasons I can't quite explain. It just freaks me out, despite being an otherwise kinda run-of-the-mill Eva video. It's all about creating an atmosphere that's just slightly "off".

Of course, this is assuming you're going for horror and not just shock value, in which case there doesn't need to be a point, I guess. Not personally my type of video, though

[Sephirothskr]

What I am making is.. Not abstract... but the idea is abstract. It makes sense, the lyrics match up with the scenes etc. for example at one point a lyric is "out in the poision rain" I show a girl standing out in the rain looking up (With creepy eyes) It does have a point... but the point isn't exactly apparent. It's not random violence. It's just dark creepy horrific things going with the lyrics of the song. So the song and the anime are both telling the story.

[CrackTheSky]

What I am making is.. Not abstract... but the idea is abstract. It makes sense, the lyrics match up with the scenes etc. for example at one point a lyric is "out in the poision rain" I show a girl standing out in the rain looking up (With creepy eyes) It does have a point... but the point isn't exactly apparent. It's not random violence. It's just dark creepy horrific things going with the lyrics of the song. So the song and the anime are both telling the story.

I don't think you need to worry. I'd say that the average anime fan has probably seen some pretty violent and disturbing stuff just through watching anime (Evangelion? SnK? Akira? Perfect Blue?), so whatever you have planned probably won't be too shocking.

[Bollocks]

That OP just screams "LOOK HOW EDGY I AM EVERYBODY!!!!"

No-ones really going to care if there's objectionable content in your video. The only outcry about content in AMVs I've ever seen (and while I haven't been a member long, I lurked here for yonks before I joined) was earlier this year about Centurione's Pandora, and that was due to it's somehwat sexually explicit nature. Generally though, no-one's going to care if your AMV is all dark and gory and stuff. I'd just recommend not announcing how grimdark it is to everybody, because it does just make you look like you're trying to be dark and edgy yourself.

[Sephirothskr]

Yeah yeah sorry . I was just wondering because I know these contests have the "No explicit content" stuff and I'm like So... does that apply to this? Thanks for clarification.

[Gene Starwind 21122]

You can make videos like this, but there are going to be certain contests where this type of material may not be allowed. A lot of conventions are becoming more and more viewer friendly and trying to make it a show for all ages. Which I get. However I think as time goes on we need to develope three different AMV Contests. One being the all age showing. The next one being the PG-13 showing. Then the after dark one that would be for 18+ .

I may pitch this idea at future conventions so the editors are not as restricted.

Gene

[BasharOfTheAges]

You can make videos like this, but there are going to be certain contests where this type of material may not be allowed. A lot of conventions are becoming more and more viewer friendly and trying to make it a show for all ages. Which I get. However I think as time goes on we need to develope three different AMV Contests. One being the all age showing. The next one being the PG-13 showing. Then the after dark one that would be for 18+ .

I may pitch this idea at future conventions so the editors are not as restricted.

Gene

I rather disagree with the assertion that there needs to be an all-ages contest. Plenty of cons get by without one and we get nowhere by cowtowing to the ultra-PC crowd who can't accept that certain events are not entirely inclusive.

[Sephirothskr]

I'm so excited for this video to be finished.. Here's the thing... It's 6 damn minutes long. Even if I wanted it in contests (Which I do) No contest in hell will accept that sort of time.

[Animated]

Here's the thing... It's 6 damn minutes long.

The best AMV ever made is 25 minutes long. Just saying.