by jal0021 » Tue Jan 14, 2003 10:37 pm
For me, the music is the foundation for everything. Essentially, I'll be listening to a song, and I'll be struck with a vision of it working with a particular anime series. In other words, I don't decide on a song and then go in search of an anime series to use as a source - instead, the two come together at the same moment of the initial realization of an idea.
After that, things go in different directions. Sometimes I'll sit down with the song lyrics (if applicable), listen to the song a million times, and flesh out some ideas. Sometimes it's just a rough outline, and other times it's a pretty detailed storyboard. I actually DON'T like doing this as much as I used to, as I'll sometimes fall into the trap of approaching it like a director, envisioning the sort of shots and scenes I WANT to use in order to make an idea work, whether they exist or not. I've had to scrap too many good ideas because of this, so now I prefer to just jot down a rough outline at most and get on with it.
If it's been awhile since I've watched the series I'm using, I'll usually shelve the idea for a later time (in other words, for after I've watched it again). If it's something I've seen recently and remember well, I'll grab the DVDs and fast forward through everything, keeping an eye out for particular scenes that fit whatever story I'm trying to tell or mood I'm trying to set. As I'm going along, I'll note the chapters on each disc that contain scenes I'm thinking of using.
After that, I'll start ripping the DVDs, only grabbing the chapters I'm interested in. It doesn't make much sense to have a whole series - hours upon hours of source footage - sitting on the HD when all I need is a few minutes worth. Sure, that adds time to the preparation stage, but it really pays off once I start editing, as there'll be less source footage to scrub through. And if during the editing process I discover I missed something or find that I need something I don't have, it's a simple matter of grabbing the DVDs, finding it, and ripping it.
Once I start editing, I just kind of go with the flow. Even if I have a detailed outline, it won't be long before I'm changing things up. To be honest, once I'm in editing mode, I just let the creative process take over. Then, it's just a matter of working until I get bored, tired, or creatively spent. A video may take 50 hours spread over a month or so, but much of that work will come in long sessions of editing. If I don't think I have the time to devote to a long session, I'll just wait until I do. I don't like to stop working when I'm on a roll.
-Jeff Lawson | <a href="http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_myprofile.php?user_id=295">My Profile</a>