darkseid wrote:After all the negativity this board has seen, I think we could use a bit of positive energy and the best way to do that (at least to me) seems to be to go back to the beginning and remember how we got here...
Yea positivity!! Yea!!
I

positivity.
darkseid wrote:I mean how did you decide you wanted to participate in this hobby?
Prepare for a long story... ^_^
Well, I accidentally found AMVs on KaZaA when I found a Gundam Wing/Kryptonite video by, I believe, Tyler Loch, while surfing around. I downloaded it, loved it, and went on to download and love others. It wasn't until I saw
Pain of Ryoko's Heart by Eric Jones, however, that I attained the desire to make AMVs for myself.
My primary anime source at the time was Cartoon Network, and I was madly in love with Cowboy Bebop. There was also a certain song that was really popular on the radio at the time that I really liked. After I had finished the series for the first time, and was left immobile and mute during the entire end credits, I immediately had a vision of Cowboy Bebop with this song.
As you have probably already guessed, that song was Chop Suey by System of a Down.
I downloaded digisubs of eps 5, 12-13, and 25-26, and the song, and went to work. DivX gave me crap, but I made it work. Thus, my first video was born.
Although my abilities have grown since that time (Jan 2002-ish), this video still holds a place in my heart. I think it has it's own merits, particularly the ending sequence, which I am still VERY proud of.
darkseid wrote:Were you an anime fan first or did you happen to see some others and decided you wanted to see more anime and eventually try to make some for your own?
Until I finished Cowboy Bebop, I was only into anime as an off-and-on thing (re: I watched some Toonami infrequently). Then, Bebop made me want more, more,
MORE!! I started really looking into various series, through AMVs, this site, personal research, what looks good on the racks at Best Buy, etc.
Nowadays, I tend to go crazy with the DVDs if I don't check myself. There's so many series and movies I want to see, I don't think I'll ever stop.
YEA!!
I've also started buying OSTs, as well. I already have the four Bebop discs, and I shall soon have FLCL and Trigun.
darkseid wrote:Were you motivated by good feelings about another's vid or did you feel like you saw an AMV and just had to top it?
Definitely the good feelings one. I continue to be awed and inspired by various people, and I try to incorporate a little of what inspires me and moves me into my own database of knowledge. I feel no need to top people at all. Hell, I'll be happy if one of my videos just elicits more than a passing glance from people.
darkseid wrote:Also, was it hard to come up with your first ever idea and song/anime combination?
Nope. It came pretty easily to me. All of my videos just came from ideas that popped in my head at some point. It's not easy or difficult to come up with ideas. It just happens when it happens. I don't worry about it until then.