Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Announcement & discussion of Anime Music Video contests
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Dext3r
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Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by Dext3r » Sat Sep 09, 2023 12:55 pm

Has it really been a year already? I cannot believe how quickly time passes when you're stuck at home and have nothing to do but watch SeanPNG's amazing videos over and over again. But those of us who entered Accolades (cough: pro) are going to have at least a few videos to review to stave off that addicting hobby at least until Into the Merdnerss shows up again in our recommended videos. Anywho, to those new, this is the obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews! Here we give our opinions of the accolades videos and have a little fun in the days leading up to the announcement of the winners.

The rules are simple:

1. Do not out someone/yourself if you know who made the video (Some of us want to stay in the dark on who made what)
2. Write a review for each video.
3. It can be serious or satire, it doesn't matter.
4. Don't take the reviews seriously, the person who reviewed the video is probably trolling (except for me because I take everything seriously)

Also, The Accolades contest requires that videos have to premiere at their contest first before another con or being released online. A lot of people spend time making sure that all the videos haven't been released to other cons or on the internet first. Reporting videos like that does not belong here. That kind of outing is not what this thread is about. If you find one, just e-mail Josh or Kirby with the video info and where you found it online. It'll get handled by them. The point of these reviews is to share our thoughts, let others see what people said about their video. (good or bad, and believe me I've wanted to strangle some reviewers :P ) Try and be creative with your reviews to win the coveted "self-proclaimed winner of the thread" award. But most of all, have fun with your review.

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Katranat
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by Katranat » Sun Sep 10, 2023 3:38 pm

Hey everyone, this year I give you all reviews in the form of various images of the moon I found via google image search. You can see these in this google doc here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Cmm ... sp=sharing
I hope you enjoy the moon pic I chose for your video!

I am also slowly posting more serious comments on most of the videos in the Discord threads - apologies to anyone who doesn't use Discord, but I'm not vibing with markup so any of my actual comments will be on there.

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Lord Rae
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by Lord Rae » Sun Sep 10, 2023 9:53 pm

Hey all! I'm usually really bad about doing reviews. I'm not as clever as some of my fellow editors but luckily this year I have AI at my beck and call. I was actually really surprised at some of the responses. This isn't my response to your video. This is what the Midjourney AI thinks of your video title. Some are spot on. Some are great and some are just nightmare fuel. Anyway it took me several hours of my day to pull this off. So look it over and have some fun. I certainly did. I will update with actual reviews once I finish watching them all if I can. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y2x ... sp=sharing

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l33tmeatwad
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by l33tmeatwad » Mon Sep 11, 2023 12:21 pm

Welp...
Spoiler :
2KNB
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A boyfriend with good skills
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A Heroes Tough Journey
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Affairs of the Heart
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Albert Wesker vs Puggy Hawking
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All a Little Lost
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Attack of the Minimaxers
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Average Oppenheimer Enjoyer
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BECAUSE WE CARE
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Bleeding Colors
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Blonde Fragility
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Bocchi the Rock! - Shooting Star
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Bonfire
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Cain and Abel
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Champion - Anime Mix
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Classic Actress
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Creative's Block
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Dance in Memoriam
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Darkness
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Dead Reckoning
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Deathrattle
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Diary of a Whiny Sith
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Dinner is Swerved
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Distressed
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DO YOU WANT TO FUCK A GOOSE OR NOT
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Drift
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Facing the Canon
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Feeling Fabulous
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Feral Little Creature Laughing
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Fighting Myself
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Figure Skating Pun
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Final Boss: The Ballad of Buu
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Fucking Vampires
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Guiding Light
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Heart and Soul
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Hero Hopes
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Hypotrochoids and Epitrochoids
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I Am The Fire
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I Beat the Boss
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In Memory
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Just Move Your Robot
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K-186f
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Laika
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Let the Games Begin
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Let You Down
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Little Feet
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MacWolf
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Mad to the Max
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Marionettes, Eyes, & Poltergeists
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Matthew Patrick Davis
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Mentos the Frog Slayer
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Missing You
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Mockingbird's Hymn
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Muppet Sailor Song
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Naloxone
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Never-Ending Dream
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Nimoner? I Barely Know Her!
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Nuclear Mob
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On Legacy
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Origin
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Real Ais Realize Real Lies
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Romance is Dead
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Run Away
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SAVE TO WIN
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Shenani-hams
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Spring Awakening
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Superman to no Boken S01 OP Clean
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Takes Two To Twine
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The Bot Episode of Sports
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The Capacity to Change
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The Noise
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The Storyteller's Burden
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This is Freedom
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This Video Is Sponsored By Jimmy Johns
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Time;Moves;On
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Trí Scéal
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Velvet Visage
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Wake Up, Nightmare
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Walking with Monsters
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Witch Slayers
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You will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve.
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Zarxrax
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by Zarxrax » Mon Sep 11, 2023 4:39 pm

I was so deeply moved by all of the videos this year, that I wanted to personally write a thoughtful and heart-felt review of each and every one. But ain't nobody got time for that.
ChatGPT, I need to write short (1-3 sentence) reviews for a bunch of fan made music videos (such as anime music videos). The reviews should be generally positive, and make it sound like I have actually watched the video. I will provide only the title of each video.
Spoiler :
"2KNB" is an exhilarating anime music video that perfectly syncs the visuals with the music, creating an immersive experience that captures the essence of the series. The editing and song choice are on point, making it a must-watch for fans.

"A Boyfriend with Good Skills" is a delightful music video that skillfully combines heartwarming anime moments with a catchy soundtrack. The editing showcases the protagonist's talents beautifully, making it a charming and enjoyable watch.

"A Hero's Tough Journey" is a captivating music video that brilliantly portrays the challenges and triumphs of the protagonist's adventure. The choice of music and scenes creates an emotional rollercoaster, leaving viewers inspired and immersed in the hero's world.

"Affairs of the Heart" is a mesmerizing music video that beautifully explores the complexities of love and relationships through stunning anime visuals and a touching soundtrack. It skillfully tugs at the heartstrings, making it a must-see for romantics and anime enthusiasts alike.

"Albert Wesker vs Puggy Hawking" is an epic fan-made showdown that pits two iconic characters against each other. The editing and choreography are impressive, creating a thrilling battle that fans of both series will enjoy.

"All a Little Lost" is a touching and visually captivating music video that delves into the theme of longing and melancholy. The seamless blend of music and poignant anime scenes creates a profound emotional connection, making it a must-watch for those seeking a heartfelt experience.

"Attack of the Minimaxers" is a brilliantly executed fan-made music video that combines humor and action in the world of anime. The clever editing and choice of soundtrack make it an entertaining and humorous watch, perfect for fans of both genres.

"Average Oppenheimer Enjoyer" is a fun and cleverly edited music video that pays tribute to an iconic character. The humor and references woven into the video make it a delight for fans, showcasing the creator's love for the source material.

"BECAUSE WE CARE" is a heartfelt and beautifully crafted music video that radiates a strong sense of empathy and compassion. The emotional journey it takes you on, along with its poignant visuals, serves as a touching reminder of the importance of caring for one another.

"Bleeding Colors" is an emotionally charged music video that skillfully blends a vivid palette of visuals with a hauntingly evocative soundtrack. This stunning combination creates a captivating narrative, leaving viewers mesmerized by its artistic and emotional depth.

"Blonde Fragility" is a visually striking and emotionally resonant music video that beautifully captures the delicate and intricate nature of the human experience. Its evocative imagery and poignant soundtrack come together to deliver a powerful message that lingers in your thoughts long after watching.

"Bocchi the Rock! - Shooting Star" is an electrifying music video that rocks with high energy, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of the series. The seamless fusion of music and anime clips creates an adrenaline-pumping experience that fans won't want to miss.

"Bonfire" is a blazing music video that ignites the screen with intense visuals and a sizzling soundtrack. The editing is on fire, creating a thrilling experience that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

"Cain and Abel" is a compelling music video that skillfully explores the complex dynamics of this iconic biblical story. With its powerful imagery and thought-provoking soundtrack, it offers a fresh perspective on the age-old tale, making it a captivating watch for all.

"Champion - Anime Mix" is a high-octane music video that perfectly embodies the spirit of champions in various anime series. The dynamic editing and exhilarating soundtrack deliver an adrenaline rush, making it a must-see for fans of epic battles and triumphs.

"Classic Actress" is a beautifully nostalgic music video that pays homage to the timeless elegance of classic cinema. The graceful visuals and enchanting soundtrack transport viewers to a bygone era, celebrating the enduring allure of iconic actresses and their contributions to film history.

"Creative's Block" is a relatable and witty music video that humorously delves into the ups and downs of the creative process. Its clever portrayal of the struggles and breakthroughs resonates with artists and creators, offering both entertainment and a dash of inspiration.

"Dance in Memoriam" is a touching and beautifully choreographed music video that pays tribute to cherished memories and emotions. The graceful dance moves and emotive visuals create a heartfelt and nostalgic atmosphere, making it a poignant watch for all.

"Darkness" is a visually stunning music video that immerses viewers in a mysterious and mesmerizing world. The captivating visuals and haunting soundtrack evoke a sense of intrigue and wonder, making it an enthralling and unforgettable experience.

"Dead Reckoning" is a pulse-pounding music video that takes you on a thrilling journey through its intense visuals and gripping soundtrack. The suspense and action are expertly crafted, delivering an adrenaline rush that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

"Deathrattle" is a high-octane music video that packs a powerful punch with its intense visuals and relentless soundtrack. The combination of action and suspense creates an electrifying experience that's bound to leave viewers breathless.

"Diary of a Whiny Sith" is a clever and humorous take on a well-known character's inner thoughts and struggles. The witty storytelling and witty editing make it an entertaining watch that adds a fresh and comical perspective to the Sith lore.

"Dinner is Swerved" is a hilariously creative music video that serves up a delightful mix of humor and unexpected twists. The inventive editing and catchy soundtrack make it a fun and entertaining watch, perfect for those who appreciate a good laugh.

"Distressed" is a visually striking music video that artfully conveys a sense of turmoil and inner conflict. The haunting visuals and emotive soundtrack create a captivating and thought-provoking atmosphere, leaving a lasting impression on viewers.

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"Drift" is a visually mesmerizing music video that transports viewers to a dreamlike world of fluidity and grace. The elegant choreography and ethereal soundtrack create a sense of serenity and wonder, making it a captivating and contemplative watch.

"Facing the Canon" is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged music video that skillfully explores themes of inner conflict and redemption. The evocative imagery and haunting soundtrack combine to create a powerful and introspective experience, leaving a lasting impact on the audience.

"Feeling Fabulous" is a vivacious and uplifting music video that radiates positivity and confidence. The infectious energy and colorful visuals make it a joyful and feel-good watch, leaving viewers with a sense of empowerment and enthusiasm.

"Feral Little Creature Laughing" is a creatively intriguing music video that captures the essence of curiosity and wonder. The enigmatic visuals and unique soundtrack blend to create an abstract yet mesmerizing experience, inviting viewers to embrace the unconventional and explore the boundaries of artistry.

"Fighting Myself" is a compelling music video that delves into the internal struggles and complexities of self-identity. The evocative visuals and emotionally charged soundtrack create a profound and introspective atmosphere, inviting viewers to contemplate the universal battle within us all.

"Figure Skating Pun" is a clever and lighthearted music video that combines the elegance of figure skating with playful humor. The choreography and comedic elements make it an entertaining and enjoyable watch, perfect for those who appreciate a good pun and a dose of fun.

"Final Boss: The Ballad of Buu" is an epic music video that brings the thrilling showdown with one of Dragon Ball's iconic villains to life. The intense visuals and adrenaline-pumping soundtrack capture the grandeur of the battle, making it a must-watch for fans of the series and epic confrontations.

"Fucking Vampires" is a daring and audacious music video that skillfully combines sensuality and the mystique of vampire lore. The provocative visuals and sultry soundtrack create a captivating and tantalizing experience that pushes boundaries and ignites the imagination.

"Guiding Light" is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant music video that illuminates the path of hope and inspiration. The captivating imagery and uplifting soundtrack come together to create a heartfelt and motivational atmosphere, leaving viewers with a sense of positivity and encouragement.

"Heart and Soul" is a touching music video that beautifully captures the essence of deep emotional connections. The heartfelt visuals and evocative soundtrack create a profound and heartwarming atmosphere, inviting viewers to cherish the bonds that touch their lives.

"Hero Hopes" is an inspiring and uplifting music video that celebrates the spirit of heroism and the power of hope. The dynamic visuals and empowering soundtrack come together to create a motivational and heartwarming experience, reminding viewers that heroes can be found within us all.

"Hypotrochoids and Epitrochoids" is a visually mesmerizing music video that explores the beauty of mathematical shapes and patterns. The intricate visuals and hypnotic soundtrack create a captivating and thought-provoking experience, inviting viewers to appreciate the intersection of art and mathematics.

"I Am The Fire" is an electrifying music video that ignites the screen with its fiery visuals and powerful soundtrack. The intense energy and passion captured in this video make it a thrilling and empowering watch, leaving viewers with a burning desire to conquer challenges and blaze their own trails.

"I Beat the Boss" is an exhilarating music video that celebrates victory and triumph over adversity. The triumphant visuals and energizing soundtrack create a sense of accomplishment and empowerment, making it a motivating and satisfying watch for all.

"In Memory" is a poignant and emotionally charged music video that pays tribute to the beauty of memories and the people we hold dear. The evocative visuals and touching soundtrack come together to create a heartfelt and nostalgic atmosphere, leaving viewers with a deep sense of reflection and appreciation.

"Just Move Your Robot" is a lively and entertaining music video that encourages viewers to let loose and dance with abandon. The catchy rhythm and playful visuals make it a fun and upbeat watch, perfect for those looking to enjoy some carefree moments.

"K-186f" is a visually captivating music video that takes viewers on a cosmic journey to an alien world. The imaginative visuals and ethereal soundtrack create a sense of wonder and intrigue, making it an entrancing and thought-provoking experience.

"Laika" is a touching and bittersweet music video that pays tribute to the first living creature in space. The heartfelt visuals and emotive soundtrack create a poignant and thought-provoking atmosphere, leaving viewers with a sense of reverence for Laika's historic journey.

"Let the Games Begin" is an exhilarating music video that sets the stage for an epic adventure. The dynamic visuals and energizing soundtrack create a thrilling and action-packed atmosphere, making it a perfect watch for those ready to embark on a journey of excitement and intrigue.

"Let You Down" is a deeply emotional music video that explores themes of regret and vulnerability. The evocative visuals and heart-wrenching soundtrack combine to create a poignant and reflective atmosphere, leaving viewers with a powerful and empathetic connection to the narrative.

"Little Feet" is a heartwarming and charming music video that celebrates the innocence and joy of childhood. The delightful visuals and uplifting soundtrack create a feel-good and nostalgic atmosphere, reminding viewers of the simple pleasures of youth.

"MacWolf" is a creatively intriguing music video that pays homage to the classic Macintosh aesthetic while blending it with the world of Wolfenstein. The clever fusion of visuals and music offers a unique and nostalgic experience for fans of both retro technology and gaming.

"Mad to the Max" is a thrilling and high-octane music video that captures the essence of the "Mad Max" series. The intense visuals and adrenaline-pumping soundtrack deliver an action-packed experience that immerses viewers in the post-apocalyptic world of vehicular mayhem and survival.

"Marionettes, Eyes, & Poltergeists" is an enigmatic and visually captivating music video that weaves together elements of mystery and the supernatural. The haunting visuals and eerie soundtrack create an intriguing and thought-provoking atmosphere, inviting viewers to delve into the realm of the unknown.

"Matthew Patrick Davis" is a creative and potentially humorous music video that likely showcases the unique talents and style of Matthew Patrick Davis. It promises an entertaining and memorable experience, perfect for those who appreciate quirky and original content.

"Mentos the Frog Slayer" is an amusing and light-hearted music video that combines humor and adventure. The playful visuals and catchy soundtrack create a fun and entertaining atmosphere, making it a delightful watch for those looking for a good laugh and some frog-slaying action.

"Missing You" is a heartfelt and emotionally charged music video that beautifully expresses the emotions of longing and nostalgia. The evocative visuals and poignant soundtrack create a touching and relatable atmosphere, allowing viewers to connect deeply with the theme of the song.

"Mockingbird's Hymn" is a soulful and melodious music video that resonates with its emotive storytelling and enchanting visuals. The heartfelt lyrics and evocative scenes combine to create a captivating and introspective atmosphere, leaving viewers moved by the song's beauty and depth.

"Muppet Sailor Song" is a delightful and whimsical music video that promises to bring the charm and humor of the Muppets to the high seas. The playful visuals and catchy sea shanty soundtrack create a fun and entertaining atmosphere, perfect for fans of these beloved characters and their comedic adventures.

"Naloxone" is a powerful and impactful music video that raises awareness about the opioid crisis and the life-saving medication Naloxone. The video likely features emotional visuals and a poignant soundtrack, delivering a compelling message about the importance of addressing addiction and saving lives.

"Never-Ending Dream" is a beautifully poignant music video that likely explores the themes of aspiration and resilience. The emotive visuals and haunting soundtrack create a sense of wonder and determination, making it a thought-provoking and inspiring watch for those who dare to chase their dreams endlessly.

"Nimoner? I Barely Know Her!" is a humorous and playful music video that embraces wordplay and witty humor. The clever title suggests a lighthearted and entertaining watch, perfect for those who appreciate clever puns and comedic twists.

"Nuclear Mob" is an explosive and action-packed music video that likely immerses viewers in a high-stakes, post-apocalyptic world. The intense visuals and adrenaline-fueled soundtrack create an electrifying and suspenseful atmosphere, making it a thrilling watch for those drawn to stories of survival and conflict in a dystopian setting.

"On Legacy" is a reflective and emotionally resonant music video that likely delves into the theme of passing on one's legacy or values. The heartfelt visuals and poignant soundtrack come together to create a thought-provoking and moving atmosphere, inviting viewers to contemplate the importance of leaving a lasting impact.

"Origin" is a captivating and thought-provoking music video that may explore the origins of a story, concept, or idea. The visuals and soundtrack are likely to create an intriguing and mysterious atmosphere, inviting viewers to delve into the depths of creation and discovery.

"Real Ais Realize Real Lies" is a clever and thought-provoking music video that plays on the concept of perception versus reality. The imaginative visuals and witty soundtrack likely challenge viewers to question the authenticity of what they see and hear, making it an engaging and intellectually stimulating watch.

"Romance is Dead" is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged music video that likely explores the complexities of modern relationships and love. The visuals and soundtrack may convey a sense of disillusionment or longing, creating a poignant and reflective atmosphere that encourages viewers to contemplate the state of romance in contemporary society.

"Run Away" is an evocative and emotionally charged music video that likely delves into themes of escape and longing. The visuals and soundtrack are likely to create a sense of urgency and yearning, making it an emotionally resonant watch that draws viewers into the narrative.

"SAVE TO WIN" is a motivational and empowering music video that likely encourages viewers to strive for success and victory. The uplifting visuals and spirited soundtrack create an atmosphere of determination and achievement, making it an inspiring watch for those seeking motivation to reach their goals.

"Shenani-hams" is a whimsical and playful music video that embraces humor and lightheartedness. The creative title suggests a fun and entertaining watch, perfect for those who appreciate a good dose of silliness and shenanigans.

"Spring Awakening" is a visually enchanting music video that likely captures the beauty and vibrancy of the season. The imagery and soundtrack are likely to create a sense of renewal and rejuvenation, making it a delightful and refreshing watch that celebrates the arrival of spring.

"Superman to no Boken S01 OP Clean" is a nostalgic and visually captivating music video that likely pays tribute to the opening theme song of the first season of a classic anime series. The clean version may emphasize the clarity of the visuals and the iconic soundtrack, making it a delightful watch for fans of the show who want to relive its charm and adventure.

"Takes Two To Twine" is a creatively intriguing music video that likely explores the concept of interconnection and partnership. The title suggests a clever play on words, and the visuals and soundtrack may convey a sense of collaboration and unity, making it an engaging and thought-provoking watch.

"The Bot Episode of Sports" seems like a comically inventive music video that humorously blends the world of sports with robots or artificial intelligence. The playful title suggests an entertaining and unconventional watch, perfect for those who appreciate a good dose of satire and creativity.

"The Capacity to Change" is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant music video that likely explores the themes of personal growth and transformation. The visuals and soundtrack are likely to convey a sense of introspection and evolution, making it a reflective and inspiring watch that encourages viewers to embrace change and self-improvement.

"The Noise" is a compelling and intense music video that likely immerses viewers in a chaotic and cacophonous world. The visuals and soundtrack may create an atmosphere of tension and suspense, drawing viewers into a thrilling and gripping narrative that keeps them on the edge of their seats.

"The Storyteller's Burden" is a captivating and emotionally charged music video that likely delves into the weight of storytelling and its impact on the storyteller. The visuals and soundtrack are likely to create a poignant and reflective atmosphere, inviting viewers to contemplate the complexities and sacrifices involved in crafting narratives and sharing stories.

"This is Freedom" is a powerful and inspiring music video that likely celebrates the concept of freedom. The visuals and soundtrack are likely to convey a sense of empowerment and liberation, making it a motivating and heartfelt watch that encourages viewers to embrace the values of freedom and independence.

"This Video Is Sponsored By Jimmy Johns" is a humorous and cheeky music video that playfully acknowledges its sponsor. The creative title suggests a fun and light-hearted watch, perfect for those who enjoy a touch of wit and clever advertising in their entertainment.

"Time;Moves;On" is a contemplative and introspective music video that likely explores the passage of time and its impact on our lives. The visual and soundtrack are likely to create a reflective and poignant atmosphere, inviting viewers to ponder the inevitability of change and the journey through time.

"Trí Scéal" is a captivating and culturally rich music video that may tell three stories or narratives. The visuals and soundtrack are likely to create an immersive and emotionally resonant atmosphere, making it a compelling watch for those interested in storytelling and Irish culture.

"Velvet Visage" is a title that suggests a visually and emotionally rich music video, possibly focusing on the allure and enigma of a velvet-like persona. The title hints at an elegant and mysterious atmosphere, making it an intriguing and engaging watch for those drawn to the world of artistry and aesthetics.

"Wake Up, Nightmare" is a gripping and intense music video that likely immerses viewers in a world of suspense and terror. The visuals and soundtrack are likely to create an atmosphere of fear and unease, setting the stage for a thrilling and chilling narrative that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.

"Walking with Monsters" is a visually captivating and educational music video that likely explores prehistoric creatures and their evolution. The visuals and soundtrack may create an atmosphere of wonder and discovery, making it an engaging and informative watch for those interested in paleontology and natural history.

"Witch Slayers" is an action-packed and thrilling music video that delves into the world of witch hunting and supernatural battles. The visuals and soundtrack may create an atmosphere of suspense and danger, making it an exciting and adventurous watch for those who enjoy stories of supernatural conflict and heroism.

"You will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve" is a thought-provoking and introspective message that likely serves as a theme or concept in the music video. It hints at themes of restraint and gratitude, and the visuals and soundtrack may create an atmosphere of reflection and self-awareness, encouraging viewers to contemplate their own desires and actions.

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seasaltmemories
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by seasaltmemories » Mon Sep 11, 2023 8:01 pm

Sorry I couldn't come up with a funny gimmick these are most straight forward reviews with a critical bent, bolded titles are my personal faves of the contest, if you want further details feel free to DM me after voting: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by violetskies » Tue Sep 12, 2023 6:04 pm

Hopefully these well thought-out picture reviews make the Accolades season bearable.
(note: the quality, size, or beauty if your respective bear is not necessarily indicative of the quality of your video. If your bear is ugly, I apologize, and you can ask for a new bear after the contest)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oFT ... sp=sharing

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MadMegatax
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by MadMegatax » Sat Sep 16, 2023 6:12 pm

Hey everyone! Unfortunately I don't have fun visuals to share for reviews, but un-fun visual reviews instead. It's the same as what I did last year, mainly because I realized how well it helped me organize my thoughts and helped to differentiate quality vs my own personal enjoyment. Plus, the person I stole this format from retired so I'm claiming it as my own. =P

A brief overview:

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The x-axis is how much I liked the video, the y-axis is how well I think the video succeeded in what it was trying to achieve (though I might incorrectly assume the video's intention). These reviews are also a bit to the point in what I like/don't like so keep that in mind.
Spoiler :

2KNB
Spoiler :

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Overall, this video feels pretty same-y when it comes to the action. It’s nonstop basketball with no particular variation in pacing or establishment of stakes. Perhaps even more importantly, it doesn’t feel like you’re leveraging the music to your advantage. During many of the hype breakdowns in the song, you’re not editing to the song but rather letting the clips continue over them (ex: 0:50). I think if you address these points you’re on your way to an exciting action vid.
A boyfriend with good skills
Spoiler :

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I think this video is meant to be just a goofy fun thing. I just didn’t really understand the combo of movie source + movie audio + song. Maybe I’m not the target audience to understand if it did what it was meant to do? Didn’t really land for me.
A Heroes Tough Journey
Spoiler :

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This feels very static. I haven’t watched this show, but I feel like there should be action to use? This song feels like it would lend itself well to action, but the entire first chorus (and really the entire vid) was just face shots. I didn’t know what was going on based on what was shown so it felt hard to get invested. Also I thought the end clip felt out of place with your video.
Affairs of the Heart
Spoiler :

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I like the editing techniques used here to build tension. In terms of story, I didn’t really get that this was a story about cheating until after the first chorus. I wonder if it would help the storytelling if the other potential love interests were introduced earlier to help the viewer understand? Otherwise the first third just feels like a lot of arguing with no hint in the story as to where it leads (I guess the ring is a hint but still hard for me to comprehend on first watch). The end also feels very slow and one note (they seem purely happy, but given the circumstances I wonder if there’s a way to introduce a concept of letting go of their other lovers or mistakes or something). Still, a decent watch overall.
Albert Wesker vs Puggy Hawking
Spoiler :

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I don’t really get the casting here. Still, I appreciate the home footage with the doggo. It feels like you had a lot of fun with that part so I don’t think it’s a matter of thinking how this vid can improve, just keep chilling and doing fun things lol.
All a Little Lost
Spoiler :

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I think the storytelling falls apart in the second half. The first half did well in establishing the story and stakes. But when it comes to the middle, it just seems to start running through the plot (factory collapsing, imaginary friend showing up, speedrunning through all of riley’s issues). And then at the end of the video you don’t give the video time to breathe around the most impactful parts of the story (joy accepting sadness, riley coming back from running away).
Attack of the Minimaxers
Spoiler :

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Okay everyone is saying that you are fucked. But like. There’s no actual clips that are showing high stakes dire straits. Just cute fun fighting. If there was even something to show them being overwhelmed a couple of times it feels like it would fit more (and not just at the end). You don’t need it throughout the video, just in some more places to make the song and video pair seem stronger.
Average Oppenheimer Enjoyer
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I liked this a lot! Just high octane action with good pacing (slows down to accelerate on action later). There’s probably some velocity on clips that could be reduced when it’s just a tad too fast, but overall I still enjoyed it.
BECAUSE WE CARE
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I was digging the build up. And then there was more build up. And more build up. And then I realized we were at the chorus. My issue might be the song, since the premise should be really a really fun action, but the song doesn’t help with that at all since it’s slow and doesn’t help build energy.
Bleeding Colors
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Apologies but I don’t think I can accurately evaluate this. This video hit such a mix of deja vu and nostalgia for me. Like I start by thinking “hmm not sure about the voiceover” but then go “wait I did that in my TWEWY vid omggggg”. And then I think “is there any reason to use the game clips when the majority of the vid is anime” but then I watch the end and think “OH OF COURSE YOU GOTTA END WITH THAT SCENE OF COURSE”. And then “do you really need the first half because the second is when it pops off” but “you gotta have the build up with Neku to establish the emotions for the second part”. So in a competition setting I don’t think I would push for this hard but as a TWEWY fan I absolutely see myself rewatching this. There’s also some issues around the masking for the colors but hoping that it gets cleaned up.
Blonde Fragility
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I appreciate the framing of the vid and how it fits the vibes as it happened in the movie (especially the kenergy sequence and fight). Lip sync could use some work. The drop should have more impact when it goes into the more fast paced sequence. It falls apart a bit at the end but I suspect there’s only so much you can do with this source.
Bocchi the Rock! - Shooting Star
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This vid feels surprisingly slow. There’s a lot of lingering on shots where it might have been better to move on to other gags. The audio cut is noticeable. And the build up to the guitar part doesn’t feel like a proper build up, just still shots until bam guitar. I think there is potential here for this to vibe more, just needs some work around pacing.
Bonfire
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For some reason I feel like this is a vibe for me. I think I’d be interested in seeing more fantastical imagery (like the bird eating the limb and the sequence at the end). There’s a ton of focus on people, and I feel like it would help with the spiritual feel.
Cain and Abel
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I think there needs to be some work done on establishing the characters at the beginning. The first we see of blonde brother (I think) is when he’s on fire. If we could just see them as brothers at beginning it may help. It’s hard to follow throughout, but I do think the ending hits hard
Champion
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Don’t get your footage on bilibili and other streaming services where you could see the label. As an action mix there’s nothing to tie the sources together for a concept. You don’t necessarily need to do it for this sort of edit, but it could help your vid stand out amongst the other vids that do this sort of thing.
Classic Actress
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So I get the concept here, and the editing is well executed. But some of the sequences feel kinda same-y (lots of running). And then by the nature of the source, what feels like an upbeat vid gets dragged down in mood by some of the war imagery and death at the end. Hypothetically, you don’t have to end with her death/rocketship (and instead have her death be near the end). Instead, you could have the highlights of her life and end with a photograph or something to emphasize that she is timeless regardless of her death.
Creative’s Block
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I’m going to assume for the sake of my sanity that you got permission from the editors to use their clips in your vid. But like. What inspiration did you take from these vids, and how is that reflected in the AMV editing being portrayed here. The inclusion of these inspirations just comes off as fanservice because it’s never referenced again and no growth because of them is shown. And generally, this vid doesn’t feel reflective of the AMV experience I’m familiar with. Take the people talking while the main character is editing. The way it’s edited, it comes off as the AMV editor is talking in person with everyone. If you could somehow translate that into beta discussion on discord or something the concept might be more relatable. Outside of that, the masks are a mess. Also it would be nice to see a bit of the mob video that was being worked on.
Dance in Memoriam
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I apologize in advance because I’m not sure how to phrase this delicately, and I’m sure a topic such as death could probably use a more considerate tone. But with the entire montage of death scenes at the beginning, the emotions around death (loss, heartbreak, mourning) are diluted to the point where I feel nothing from the displayed loss. This might be tricky for a mix, but it might be better to dive deep into one example of death/loss and then branch out from there to other anime with similar imagery. As for the dance scene selection (and this becomes more of an issue once a viewer is familiar with the dance scenes), some of these dance scenes have nothing to do with death/celebration of life and thus these sections feel hollow. Still, it’s tricky for a mix because it is probably fine to assume the audience will understand that the AMV uses the scene without considering the show's context. Personally, I would appreciate more appropriate scenes here. FWIW, my favorite scene used was Sword Art Online because that felt like it matched the intent of this vid so well LOL.
Darkness
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I’m sad because I would have liked a Death Stranding vid.
Dead Reckoning
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I liked this one! The atmosphere was well done, with appropriate pacing/buildup at slow parts, and quick cuts to establish intensity. It could probably do with less cross fades, especially since that could dilute some of the more intense parts. Not a big deal though.
Deathrattle
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I think this vid is successful in what it wanted to portray with appropriate scene selection/pace. I personally just couldn’t find myself getting invested. The ending also felt a bit abrupt, I’m not sure if that was him dying??
Diary of a Whiny Sith
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I mean, yes this is accurately edited. It does what it set out to do. It’s just, this song was literally made for the source. You just gotta match the lyrics to the scene. These sorts of vids are fine, but I'm not particularly interested.
Dinner is Swerved
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This is so cute! My one complaint is the inclusion of the kiss because the way it’s portrayed, it’s one person forcing a kiss on someone else and then a hard cut to continue with the story. It just feels so out of place. I know the context in the movie of course but in isolation it feels weird.
Distressed
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I don’t know what the intro has to do with the vibe of the rest of the video. It’s a fine vibe video, I just wish there was more focus on the particular vibe it is going for (some clips are flowing animation with less defined lines while others are well defined).
DO YOU WANT TO FUCK A GOOSE OR NOT
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This is more of an issue with the source audio, but I preferred the comedy in the first half of the vid.
Drift
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There’s good moments of intensity throughout. I think the end falls off a bit (could linger on the kid’s unhinged face to better emphasize how all these events have affected him). I think the scenario surrounding the dead dad (I think? Whoever the guy was that was shot down with arrows) needs to have the stakes better established beforehand so that his moment of death feels more impactful for the development of the kid.
Facing the Canon
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I like this! The concept is straightforward but makes sense. At 3:46 I think the timing is a bit off, though in general since this the climax of the vid I would also like to see a more impactful motion to sync here. I also don’t think you need to flash back to Gwen Stacy at the end. I understand it’s to establish parallels, but I found it distracting and I’m not sure it’s worthwhile because it requires the viewer to instantly make the connection of Gwen Stacy = fail while MJ = success.
Feeling Fabulous
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HSM2 LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. This is a really fun edit!! Some cleanup around lip flaps is needed but doesn’t really distract from my enjoyment.
Feral Little Creature Laughing
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I’m not sure about some of the effects included here; they sometimes end up distracting more than adding to the experience. In fact, it’s so visually busy that I didn’t really enjoy the experience of watching the video.
Fighting Myself
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I don’t usually understand Mob Psycho 100 vids anyway, but I didn’t even really get the chance to explore the meaning you’re going for here.
Figure Skating Pun
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I think some of the timing at the beginning feels a bit off, and the clip selection could be stronger (middle section feels like filler). But overall I still think this vid is very sweet, I appreciate the low stakes focus on their relationship (maybe I’m just a sucker for Yuri on Ice vids idk).
Final Boss - The Ballad of Buu
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This is a very long ballad. As far as I can tell, it’s matching the song to a fight that happened in the show? I’m guessing that the concept is meant to be funny given that it’s a Tenacious D song. But what is the humor in the video? It takes itself too seriously with its editing for me to really see it as a comedy. As far as I can tell, there was only one visual gag to elevate the humor in the song. Otherwise, the only comedy parts come from the song, and all the clips accompanying the vid are played very straight with following the story. Also not a fan of some of the humor in the song but what can you do.
Fucking Vampires
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My very first impression was “geez the abusive take on their relationship is so overdone”. And then I realized it’s never actually been done in the community, I’ve just had way more exposure to Twilight fandom stuff LOL. Anyway, overall I like this a lot, I just have two issues: 1) Jacob doesn’t really fit that well into the narrative you’re building. He first shows up at the beginning and then near the end where I think you imply he gets hurt after kissing Bella? If you want to include the love triangle I think adding some more moments throughout the vid where Jacob is wary of Bella’s relationship with Edward could help a lot. 2) I can’t actually tell what the ending is meant to be. A lot of scenes flashing by without anything for my brain to really latch onto. As a result I couldn’t really get that catharsis of Bella finally leaving. Still really enjoyed watching overall.
Guiding Light
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The amount of crossfades in this video really blunts the intensity you’re trying to build. Instead of a cut between two scenes that lands on the beat and synergizes with the music’s build up, the crossfades result in a more flow-y feel. I think it’s also worth lingering on when the man and the girl reunite before he leaves with the animals, it feels like you’re speeding through what should have been an emotional moment between the two (which then also lowers the impact of when he leaves and how the girl is affected by this). I think you got the general storytelling down, it just needs some cleanup to make it more impactful.
Heart and Soul
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I don’t get this video. Is this supposed to be a look into Denji’s psyche? When the chorus hits and it starts going on about heart and soul, the actual scenes are fighting so I’m not getting a clear idea of what heart and soul is actually meant to be referring to. Pochita? Makima? Power? I think this video needs a better focus on what it’s trying to portray. The blurry beat transitions are also a bit distracting.
High Hopes
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I would highly recommend you utilize My Hero Academia’s action scenes to help make your vid more engaging, especially since the show offers a lot of good animation. Right now, you’re using a lot of facial reactions, which can look the same after a while and thus can make the video more boring. With a fun action song like this, you can make the experience more visually exciting by editing the action to the song to help tell your story.
Hypotrochoids and Epitrochoids
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Cute little short, not much else to say because it does what it set out to do for its runtime. You should consider sending to a contest that has an AMV shorts category hint hint ;)
I Am the Fire
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The editing here feels kinda slow paced. The scenes drag on when maybe they should be cut earlier, especially in the beginning when setting up the plot. In general, when making a GMV I believe in avoiding some of the more obvious UI elements (button mashing, text) in order to avoid detracting from the experience of watching.
I Beat the Boss
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Congrats.
In Memory
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Regarding your footage quality, I noticed some banding (see 1:13). In general I feel like you conveyed what you wanted to with this vid, but at the same time it didn’t really click for me. I wish there was a way to establish motivations more such that I feel more invested once she’s brought back.
Just Move Your Robot
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I love the ablublublub. You should consider sending to a contest that has an AMV shorts category hint hint ;)
K-186f
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I didn’t really find this video engaging. For me, it felt like a bunch of robot action with no established stakes. The song also didn’t provide me an opportunity to get latched into the concept either.
Laika
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If possible, I’d suggest rendering out a file that allows you to have a subtitle track and not hard burn the lyrics into the vid. Overall, I was trying to understand what this vid was going for but the subtitles were distracting. The ending also went on for way too long.
Let the Games Begin
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The ending feels like a bit of a mess. During the big drop to start the final chorus, the guy goes into the computer? And then he goes into a bug zapper and stops it but is also okay? In general, once we get past the first verse there aren’t any big moments to help build the impact of the main characters or their relationship. I suppose it’s not a big deal just to use gags with them all the time, it just didn’t feel like enough variety to fully keep my interest throughout the vid.
Let You Down
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I’m vibing with it tbh. On a technical level you could clean up the crossfade across the three panels near the end. You should consider sending to a contest that has an AMV shorts category hint hint ;)
Little Feet
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This is so cute, I really enjoyed this a lot!! A lot of good source to lyric pairings, and maintains the energy well throughout the vid.
Macwolf
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I was fine with just the spoken intro or the musical intro on their own, but by including them both one after the other I got taken out of it because I was expecting it to be over.
Mad to the Max
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I will be honest, I was preparing an entirely different review as I was watching this vid. And then I reached the end. This tribute at the end is so unfitting and so out of place I’m offended by it. To start off, your vid isn’t focused on Tina Turner’s character, or even the movie she was in. This video was a pure focus on Max. With the way this video was edited focusing on a fictional character, it comes across as disingenuous and shallow to add a clip of her talking to the end of the video and paying tribute to her. Beyond that, there’s so much more to Tina Turner’s life than Mad Max. She was most famous for her singing career! You at least had an opportunity to edit a song of hers to better represent her life, but you chose to use an action song. This feels like her tribute was tagged onto the end entirely as an afterthought, and just feels in incredibly bad taste.
Marionettes, Eyes, & Poltergeists
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I think some sections were more consistent than others both in terms of building the mood/atmosphere and just general composition. I’m fine with the separate sources, but it comes off as an inconsistent quality because some sections are so slow and not really scary.
Mathew Patrick Davis
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I don’t actually know how to evaluate the success of a demo reel. All I know is I did not enjoy the experience of watching this one bit. The horror movie source is definitely not for me. And idk addressing the convention feels weird to me for some reason. Not the usual meta I enjoy from the contest I guess?
Mentos the Frog Slayer
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BOXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Anyway, a straightforward cute concept! I think the mentos logo at the end looks a bit squished, but maybe that’s the original resolution? My only recommendation would be to clean up that end screen. You should consider sending to a contest that has an AMV shorts category hint hint ;)
Missing You
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The main character is spending 26 seconds on his commute at the beginning (20% of the video!!!). Still, this reminds me of my own feelings of suffering due to my own long commute, and this helps to further elevate my empathy with the main character since he’s also suffering.
Mockingbird’s Hymn
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I think this is a good song to source pairing. I just wish there was a way to pair male singer with beast and female singer with bell. Right now it’s the reverse during the chorus, but it also is the structure of the movie so I understand this order. The end feels a bit abrupt though, and I think there’s probably a more emotionally impactful scene for you to linger on. On a technical level, I think some of the zooms are a bit too heavy. I think this is almost there, just needs cleanup.
Muppet Sailor Song
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It’s a good pairing and well executed, I’m just trying to figure out why I’m not into it as much. Maybe because it’s straightforward singing along to the song? Maybe I just wanted some more of the Muppets specific stuff haha. Like during the fight scene with the sound effects you could lean into the humor of the Muppets by having more comedic clips (Miss Piggy off the top of my head). But then does it become too distracting? I’m not sure. Just something to think about I guess.
Naloxone
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My eyes kinda hurt watching this. I think there’s an audience for this type of video, but probably not me. I guess one thing I will say is that it’s kinda hard to latch onto the combo of source and song due to all the visual effects going on. If the goal is to add meaning to the visuals by pairing them with the lyrics, it may be difficult for the viewer because it takes time to parse through the visual confusion portrayed on the screen. But if the goal is just to have background noise that overwhelms then that’s fine I suppose.
Never-Ending Dream
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I think the horror section in the middle that’s trying to be oppressive before the truth is revealed could be stronger to really build up the dread, but it depends on the resources available I suppose. In general, I also feel like the story is kinda inaccessible if you’re not familiar with the source.
Nimoner - I Barely Know Her!
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Around 1:06 I think the big musical drop would have more impact with the rhino crash; right now the rhino crash is a bit before it. I think the storytelling around Ballister finding out the truth/Nimona getting betrayed is a bit muddled because you have it side-by-side so when watching it it comes off as Ballister gets scroll with Nimona on it -> Nimona remembers betrayal and transforms -> Ballister and non transformed Nimona fight -> transformed Nimona starts to attack -> Ballister shows non transformed Nimona scroll and she gets hurt. Having flashbacks and stuff is fine, but then it becomes flashback within flashback and it gets confusing. In general, good editing.
Nuclear Mob
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I think there was some potential here to further explore the emotional turmoil related to the bullying, but after the chorus hit it was just a bunch of footage of Mob being nuclear. Didn’t really feel like there was a payoff.
On Legacy
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I love this a lot!!! The build up and tension are so good aaaah. The one thing I wonder is if the last shot needs to be that guy (if only because it doesn’t leave an impression like the shot before it does).
Origin
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I think the storytelling in this one is a bit off. Going back and forth between the animals and the guardians without better establishing the (emotional) connection makes it hard to follow what we should be feeling. It feels weird showing the High Evolutionary deskinned in the middle of the video because this doesn’t feel like a payoff for anything. In general, it also doesn’t feel like there was a lot of effort building Rocket’s relationships with the other guardians either (and this could help the emotional impact of the scenes at the end).
Real Ais Realize Real Lies
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On a technical level, there needs to be some work done around the manga editing. Some of the effects don’t look that great or are visually distracting, or some panels may need more motion. Additionally, in the end of the vid it’s hard to tell what exactly Aqua is doing and how it connects to Ai (I know because I watched the show, but there may be ways to better establish a connection here). Still, I really love the concept of this video. I love the switching between manga and anime, and then using both to better build the idea of her lies vs real self. Good job on pushing forward this concept!
Romance is Dead
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This is so cute!!! I think the vid could be stronger in some areas by not closely following the plot (I assume). Like at the bridge before the final chorus at 3:13, the scene is them getting above the water but the song feels like it’s building up for way more than that.
Run Away
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You don’t need a blur transition between every scene, it gets distracting. Near the end, I think more time should be established on him dying because it happened pretty quick and I had trouble immediately understanding it so some of the emotional impact was lost. Still, I appreciate the romance vibes in this video, I think you did a good job establishing their connection.
SAVE TO WIN
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I think this video does a really good job at building the intensity around the sections of everyone fighting through the struggles. There’s good moments about the suffering, but because the beginning was so focused on either a montage of all the suffering across all the characters, or the fall of the concept of heroes it becomes harder to latch onto the emotional moments that are being established later on. For example, Tenko/Shigaraki backstory is shown in full so late in the video when we didn’t really get a huge focus on him earlier on (only hinting at Shigaraki being connected to a lost kid in the middle of the video). I think if there was a way to establish him as the emotional core in the video (maybe better connecting him to heroes and the failures of society) then the later sections would hit much harder.
Shenani-hams
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I thought the first section up to around 0:39 was incredibly strong and fun to watch, but then as the song continued it felt more of the same. I don’t even know if this is a thing that could be fixed due to the nature of the song (nothing new to offer in terms of variety), but by the end it felt like a montage of shenanigans that didn’t really keep my interest.
Spring Awakening
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I think this is a good video that’s edited well, I just personally wasn’t into it as much because it felt like it sanded down all the sharp edges/drama around the relationship into something pure and not really what I relate to when thinking about the series lol. But that’s fine for editing an AMV.
Superman to no Boken S01 OP Clean
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Aw man I was hoping for a full Superman vid 😭. I’m not familiar with the opening it’s parodying, but this feels like a montage of the series instead of an opening. Also I’m seeing some frame blending, are you using disable resample if editing in Vegas Pro?
Takes Two To Twine
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I liked this video a lot!!! I think you did a really good job of building up suspense and pushing on the more psychological aspects at intense moments. I liked the balance between normal girl vs everything feeling overwhelming while being pressured by a different version of herself (idk if there physically or just a mental manifestation since I don’t know the source).
The Bot Episode of Sports
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This is fun to watch, but this also feels like one of those videos on youtube that’s “best moments of BattleBots” or something. It doesn’t need to be anything more than what it currently is, but I suppose for improvement there could be more variation (I don’t know BattleBots so I don’t know what else makes sense).
The Capacity to Change
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You don’t need a constantly shaking screen to make a compelling edit. I recommend matching the aspect ratio of all your sources so you don’t have to deal with the black bar in shots. I like the mix itself, and there’s a lot of good scene selection. It just requires some work on the technical side of things.
The Noise
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I can’t tell if this video wants to be serious or fun in terms of having to deal with too much noise. Some scenes are (relatably) oppressive with how sound and everything feels overwhelming, while other sections are dedicated to gags, and there’s also the section where the mountain is torn apart for land development so maybe there’s industrialization too? I think in order to be stronger there should be some effort in focusing the idea, and it would also help to choose sources that fit the feel that you’re going for rather than any source that has a sound or facial reaction you’re looking for.
The Storyteller’s Burden
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RAKUGOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I think this does a really good job highlighting Yakumo's life and emotions around Sukeroku and his passing. My minor comments mostly come from my knowledge of the source, so feel free to pass them up haha. In terms of storytelling, it feels a bit less impactful to show Sukeroku dying but then following up with clips that show him and Yakumo together (even if it matches the song). I wonder if there’s a way to better build that up as reminiscing in order to also help the connection with Yakumo as an old man. I also wonder why you ended the video the way you did, where it feels slightly bitter. For me personally, as a fan of the show I would have thought Yakumo accepting his life and being content with it (like in the show proper) would have been a fitting resolution. And it’s a bit selfish but I would have loved to see some more rakugo performances here and there haha. I don't think it would take away from developing the relationship, but rather better build upon the bond they share through rakugo.
This is Freedom
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It feels weird to include other sources in this edit when most of the harder hitting moments revolved around Attack On Titan (with the quote at the end as well). Some of the clips are harder to parse visually due to the effects, which can blunt the impact of the video.
This Video is Sponsored By Jimmy Johns
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The video makes sense, but honestly it’s kinda boring to watch because it’s just watching a literal order from Jimmy Johns. For the first half of the video there’s no visual gags to make it more interesting. In the second half, there’s some visual gags to help make it feel more funny. But overall it’s just still a plain sequence of events visually that tries to match the audio without building upon it to make it seem hilariously outrageous.
Time_Moves_On
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The beginning feels like a bunch of characters posing and ominous shots without establishing something more about the story/universe/characters, so it’s hard for me to get invested. The chorus pops off after this though and I really liked the rest of the vid. I think if you have more focus in the first verse area it’ll be a solid vid.
Trí Scéal
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I didn’t really get this video. I couldn’t really understand anything that was going on because it shows a bunch of different elements without really establishing anything in this universe. If it’s just a video about Ireland itself, it feels like there should be some emotional resonance with the idea of the setting rather than going shot after shot of showing various clips that don’t necessarily match the lyrics?
Velvet Visage
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This is a really fun edit. The sync is slick, and the last 30 seconds pop off from all the foreboding buildup. Thinking about it now, the one thing I might consider changing is maybe showing something on the “oh” to end the vid (maybe her face but like quickly faded to black or something). Just a whim of mine lol.
Wake Up, Nightmare
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I really tried following the plot but it was really hard to understand at the beginning. In the middle, I was able to get the emotional tie between the two girls in that it was a rivalry between them so I could get a bit more into what was being shown. The emotion around the two girls was done well but I don’t really understand the conclusion, the main girl running away from it all? I’m sure it makes sense if you’re a fan of the show though so don’t worry too much about what I think lol.
Walking with Monsters
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I really like this??? I wasn’t expecting it because I don’t care for godzilla that much, but you did a really good job building tension and leaning into emotional moments to make the watch engaging. My one comment is that I wonder if there’s a stronger way to end the video in order to feel like the fighting has ended, or to tie up things poignantly or something.
Witch Slayers
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I don’t get the video and audio pairing at all. There wasn’t really anything amongst the characters talking that felt like it was elevating the audio, or leaning into any visual gags or anything. For example, “she turned me into a newt” is just spoken and this could have been an opportunity to at least show a newt or make something funny out of it.
You will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve
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This is overwhelming with both visual and audio. I did not enjoy the experience of watching this at all, and I couldn’t make out any of the elements that were being included here in order to make sense of the concept behind this edit.

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Rider4Z
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by Rider4Z » Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:21 pm

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 ENJOY THE KENERGETIC REVIEWS <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
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2KNB
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A boyfriend with good skills
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A Heroes Tough Journey
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Affairs of the Heart
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Albert Wesker vs Puggy Hawking
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All a Little Lost
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Attack of the Minimaxers
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Average Oppenheimer Enjoyer
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Because We Care
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Bleeding Colors
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Blonde Fragility
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Bocchi the Rock! - Shooting Star
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Bonfire
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Cain and Abel
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Classic Actress
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Creative_s Block
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Dance in Memoriam
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Dead Reckoning
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Deathrattle
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Diary of a Whiny Sith AWA
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Dinner is Swerved
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Distressed
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DO YOU WANT TO FUCK A GOOSE OR NOT
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Drift
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Facing the Canon
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Feeling Fabulous
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Feral Little Creature Laughing
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Figure Skating Pun
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Final Boss
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Fucking Vampires
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Guiding Light
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Heart and Soul
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Hero Hopes
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Hypotrochoids and Epitrochoids
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I Am the Fire
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In Memory
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Just Move Your Robot
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K-186f
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Laika
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Let the Games Begin
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Let You Down
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Little Feet
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Macwolf
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Mad to the Max
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Marionettes, Eyes, & Poltergeists
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Matthew Patrick Davis
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Mentos the Frog Slayer
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Missing You
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Mockingbird's Hymn
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Muppet Sailor Song
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Naloxone
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Never-Ending Dream
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Nimoner - I Barely Know Her!
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Nuclear Mob
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On Legacy
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Origin
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Real Ais Realize Real Lies
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Romance is Dead
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Run Away
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SAVE TO WIN
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Shenani-hams
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Spring Awakening
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Superman to no Boken
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Takes Two to Twine
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The Bot Episode of Sports
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The Capacity to Change
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The Noise
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The Storyteller's Burden
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This is Freedom
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This Video is Sponsored by Jimmy Johns
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Time Moves On
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Tri Sceal
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cuz he's in green
Velvet Visage
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Wake Up, Nightmare
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Walking with Monsters
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Witch Slayers
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Last edited by Rider4Z on Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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SQ
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by SQ » Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:25 pm

These are the reviews/comments I also left on markup (the video review site we're using this year). I just copy/pasted them here too so it's easier to read them all at once, if you're into that.

If it's structured oddly, it's probably because I left multiple comments.

Also please note: the length of the comment/review has absolutely no correlation to how much I liked your video or how good I thought it was.
And if anyone wants to talk more about their vid or what I thought about it, my DMs on Discord (standardquip) are open.
Spoiler :
2KNB
Spoiler :
2:10
The choice to do the split screens here seems odd and interrupts the flow for me. They were great in the beginning but without more interspersed throughout this one seems a bit random to me? But I also have no idea what is going on (haven't seen anime, don't know basketball rules) so maybe this point is just my own personal failing

To clarify: it syncs well, but it just seems like an odd style choice
Standard Quip

Wish we could edit comments LOL
Maybe changing it to a vertical like th eother 2 occurrences would make this part stand out less?

2:23
You're amping up here with opening doors followed by continuing pushes into character eyes, so having this scene with almost no movement and a door that isn't fully open seems like another odd choice imo

2:33
I don't follow any kind of sports and I found this video pretty thrilling, which was unexpected tbh. I would've liked to see more of the electrical sounds synced to, but what you have now is 👌♥️. I especially liked the pans and whips that sync to the audio pans. At some point I thought I heard sneaker sounds and audience cheering? Which if added in was great embellishment that is not too obvious.

Great action vid overall
A boyfriend with good skills
Spoiler :
I really, really wanted to like this. I think the concept is great and the pairing is perfect. However, the execution just isn't there. Scenes are ill-timed; some too short, long, early, late, or don't make sense.
This feels like a vid's first pass that put scenes on the timeline but didn't do the fine-tuning yet.

A great vid is in here so please continue with it! Would be excited to see the end product if you do remake it.
A Heroes tough journey
Spoiler :
There are some good bones here; you are especially consistent with external sync, but this video could be improved with more of a structured story, internal sync, and probably cutting the song down.
Affairs of the heart
Spoiler :
1:39
I am conflicted about this part.

One one hand, it works well as-is.

But I would've liked to see more here for the climax. You change lighting frequently for transitions through the amv, but here you do nothing. I suppose it works but maybe there would be more tension if you went hard into the levels shifting here too?

2:35
Good romance amv. I especially liked your speed ramps syncing to musical tones periodically. And your use of levels/brightness.

I'm not familiar with this anime, so not sure if this is inherent to the source or not, but if this is upscaled, some scenes have the lines really blotchy; mostly the scenes with smaller characters (the close up shots are fine).
It may be beneficial to runt hrough the upscaler with different settings for those scenes and then stitch the two different versions together, but overall it's not a big deal if it is left as-is too.
albert wesker vs puggy hawking
Spoiler :
0:02
It seems a bit of a waste to make these neat backgrounds and text effects to pause them on a still and artificially zoom in. It would look much better to extend the clip in the program you made this with?

I would've also liked to see the texture on the text be attached to that text (here it is still while the letters move, which looks a bit awkward imo) and to align the text in the center of the screen (here it is only in the lower half?)

I know there is a point to looking bad on purpose for videos like this, but I think in this case, at least the text turning into a still does the video more of a disservice... In my opinion

0:20
This is absolutely hilarious and top tier lip sync and/or luck. Either way 👌♥️
This goes for all of this guy's scenes; you did a great job with scene selection
all a little lost
Spoiler :
2:21
Would be cool if their bottom hit the ground at the piano key here but either way good sentimental video
attack of the minmaxers
Spoiler :
0:44
It really feels like the drop doesn't drop hard enough around here? Like the footage just doesn't support how fucked the audience should be right now.
Otherwise this is still a fun/ny vid
average oppenheimer enjoyer
Spoiler :
1:24
This is one of the simplest transitions in here but it's my favorite :)
because we care
Spoiler :
I like the sync in this video overall, but some parts really drag.

The train sequence from 0:17 - 0:30ish seem to be on screen for too long and I think the overlays could be timed better at 0:17. Everything else around here has a good pace so the drag here stands out.
1:34 - 1:36 is another one that drags for me; no need to hang on that one character/scene for so long
1:54 - 1:57 is another spot that could be tightened up. Feels a bit like you wanted to fit in all the characters when the sync did not support this.

About 3:20 it seems sync started to get less accurate. As a whole, the video and sync slows down (and that is fine), but about here cuts seem to be coming in accidentally late, or scene changes (or them *not* changing) don't quite make sense. I think 3:36 - 3:37 in particular could be cleaned up, but it might benefit from changing the ending scenes completely so there's more of a focus on the team doing the cleaning up other than the monster(s) being defeated.

All that aside, I liked this vid more than I thought I would. First playthrough I thought the overlays and inverts didn't play well with the footage, but they grew on me and I like how you used them for the transitions a lot now.
bleeding colors
Spoiler :
0:02
I wish the dialogue was louder, or the music softer, because it's hard for me to hear what is being said in the beginning

1:25
Unintentional? (see attachment)

4:53
Overall I liked the vid and it has a strong concept. I've played TWEWY but I'm not super familiar with it. I like your use of colors and I echo everything that The_McLaughlin said.

My criticisms are below.
I know that glitches are part of the games, but it really felt they didn't fit well with this song. Especially with the large blocky ones around 0:34 and 2:32.

There are some places where it looks like you tried to remove lip flap but end up looking awkward - 1:17 and 1:19 are standouts, where both characters lower their heads, each shot has 1-2 frames of an open mouth that looks missed or unintentional.

Masking - I commented on the one at 1:25 separately but I'll group the rest here.
2:00ish as Neku gets up, his hair goes in and out of the greyscale mask.
2:02 the bottom right corner of sign on the building goes in and out of the greyscale mask.
There's also a few random red pixels on the bottom of the top part of the S in "days"

sync -
2:26 change to neku zoom out seems a bit late
3:07 I would've liked to see these cuts match up closer - by changing zoom/position/etc so the subjects are all in the same spot in the frame.

3:22 just doesn't hit as hard as I feel it was meant to? Maybe messing with timing or scene selection here, idk. After this point, it really seems like all the sync could be tightened. None of the editing in the last minute feels as tight as the rest of the vid. Did you run out of time?
blonde fragility
Spoiler :
0:39
Lip syncing this part would really make it punch so much harder

3:37
I have not seen the Barbie film but I am somewhat familiar with Street Fighter. I really like the idea of this video. I think there is way more to work with here than just that his name is also Ken, which is why this video works the way it does.

My problems with this AMV are that there simply isn't enough footage to support the length of the song, and scene selections suffers greatly due to this. It might have also fueled some odd sync decisions, too.
My advice would be to either cut down the song, or use more Street Fighter films. There's 3 other anime you could use and they all include Ken to some degree.

The other issue is it seems like you're uncertain with what you want this video to accomplish. Is it a character profile of Ken or is it just a funny coincidence that you want people to laugh at? Right now the video suffers a lot with the (seemingly) indecisiveness. You can have a funny character profile, and a comedy with some serious parts, but there still needs to be a decision on which one takes priority and it seems this video lacks that direction.

My only other complaint is the transition at 1:17 which is completely random?? Please use something else or incorporate more erratic transitions throughout the vid.
bocchi the rock! - shooting star
Spoiler :
I have not seen Bocchi and vibe videos really aren't my thing, so I don't have much to say, aside from commenting on the mask transition at 2:18.

The rigid points and inner shadow are really distracting and take the moment away from an otherwise decent video.
You can improve your masking by either using more points, more masks (have more than one overlapping another, like hair for overlapping face) and/or using bezier curves. The specifics of these things vary by what program you are using, but ultimately masking is a process that will usually have to be adjusted for every single frame the mask is on, and therefore, take a lot of time / workhours.
Some resources:
Vegas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMzLcqiDonM
After Effects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMmWIc88HDA

If you made the mask this way intentionally, consider masking out the neon blue too, as that combined with the inner shadow is what made this really stand out and take a closer look at what was going on.
bonfire
Spoiler :
A vid that takes it slow and uses song lyrics and source footage to really hammer home that friend or foe, everybody lives and everybody dies. We all have problems and no one person's life experience is truly unique.

I want to say that the bonfire is a symbol of recognizing death (not exactly mourning but similar to a funeral or wake' not sure how to properly word this) given the scene selection chosen, but studying the lyrics that may not be so.

This is a video that is growing on me the more I watch it and I hesitate to look too deep into it less I embarrass myself. I have no complaints.
Wish I knew what category to put this vid in though. I hope it doesn't fall through the cracks during voting.
cain and abel
Spoiler :
This video would probably make a lot more sense to someone who has played FF16, so I'm a little out of the loop.
Of course with any GMV the footage limitations can be pretty detrimental to the editing process, but it feels like you did a good job with this. You set up the different characters with the different song verses and were fairly consistent maintaining which lyrics applied to which character.

I think this vid's strongest part is 3:46 to 4:21. The sync is tight for the most part, the chronology makes sense, and the visuals at 4:01 with the singer are beautiful.

Without having played the game, I can only make guesses for the rest of the vid, but the rest of the scene selection seems good but oddly paced more often than not. It seems like there's a lot of flashbacks, but the way they are put in this vid makes following the story confusing and disrupts the flow in my opinion.

There are some decisions that appear to sacrifice logical flow for beautiful imagery or noteworthy fan-favorite scenes (I'm speculating there), which is a thing that can be done, but in this vid seems to sacrifice some of the emotional depth due to those choices/placements. Or I could be reading too much into it.

For some more specific examples, 0:00 to 0:11. Begins with a close-up of the guy squinting at a cloaked figure that burns and then a close up of a hand using fire magic. The confusion starts early because it seems to me that black hair gets powers from the cloaked figure but has some misgivings about it - I make this assumption based on the hand montage. But watching the vid, I don't think that's what actually happens in the story.

You also have the cloaked figure turning away and going on fire at 0:02 but then immediately cut to the cloaked figure facing the camera, not on fire, but the town behind him is. By itself this isn't really something I'd normally complain about, but choices like this that upset chronology are scattered throughout the entire vid. You don't have to use scenes from the game in chronological order, but whatever sequence the scenes end up in should at least look they could have happened chronologically.

1:27 - 1:37 shows a very confusing timeline of events where I assume blonde guy figures out he has powers and they're a Big Deal(TM). But the ordering of the scenes combined with the white flashes don't seem to match anything currently going on with the music (the white flashes were especially jarring imo).

Another specific misgiving I have is with the ending. 3:46 - 4:21 is edited very strongly and is emotionally impactful. But everything leading up to it almost feels random with the way it was edited - like you were trying to fit in too many scenes because they meant something in-game.

It's okay to leave out important game scenes - your video can work fine (and maybe even better) without them. A more streamlined visual plot will guide viewers unfamiliar with the source to the emotional reaction you're looking for, and fans of your source will fill in the gaps with their own memories and experience.

In spite of the rest of this vid, 4:23 feels like a Big Nothing to complain about, but I'm going to mention it anyway because as I said I really loved 3:46 - 4:21.
You spent approximately 4 minutes telling this tale of two brothers who were separated, possibly hated eachother, reconnected, and then separated violently again. You spend almost an entire minute (3:46+) making me feel like Black hair was inconsolable with loneliness because he just lost this dude. You had a great transition at 4:14 visually showcasing how lonely this guy was, complete with the scene at 4:19 as the hope that maybe he wasn't actually alone after all.

And then the scene immediately following it is him hugging the dead body and crying.

Maybe it's just me, but 4:14+'s editing implies that time has passed and the body is no longer physically present. To show that everything that just happened (his loneliness and the feather) in between two scenes of him with the body implies that that sequence happened in his imagination.
I think you could've just faded to black after the feather scene and had a way more impactful ending, but at this point I'm just saying how I would edit your amv, so idk maybe ignore me, I just have feelings now and I hate you a little bit for that.

Your category suggestion of "sad" was accurate. But imagine how much SADDER you could've made me with some different editing decisions/scene selection! 😭

note: I want to explicitly point out that me saying the video is sad is referring to the story of the video and not how it was edited. I am not trying to insult the editor.
champion - anime mix
Spoiler :
+1 to everything everyone else said. There is a lot of potential here.

But also, consider:
- normalizing your audio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwlH7ecrZ9A
Your sound effects especially are so loud that the quality suffers.

- not using so much feather on your masks.
Typically 1-2px is all that is necessary, if it is needed at all.

- Not fading so much.
90% of your video would pop a lot more if you had simply cut instead of faded

- Adjusting the position and/or zoom level of clips so they line up much closer for match cuts

- Cropping or zooming the footage so all sources are the same size (no black bars or everything has black bars) or using the different sizes in an artistic way (animated the bars in or out)

- Cleaning up keys with additional masking, or spending more time on the keys.
You can duplicate a scene, make one version black and white (or as close to it as possible) with effects and/or masking, and then use a matte, which (depending on the type of scene) will dramatically lower the amount of masking and/or effort required.
Many of the scenes you tried to key would probably benefit from this method.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgbXGqYMxq4 is the most basic explanation of a track matte if you don't care to know the details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thn-vMrY_cQ is more in-depth and explains color channels and how mattes actually work.
classic actress
Spoiler :
1:33
My only complaint for this video is the "rewind" section, which feels off and too forced? The rest of the vid seems to emulate film, and this effect is for VHS. It might work better if you some other type of conveyance for "rewind" or maybe if it lasted a shorter amount of time or had a speed curve instead of all one speed? Idk, but something about it feels off.

I have nothing to say about the rest of the vid though. it's great and I love all your transitions. 👌♥️

[Zarxrax replied saying the rewind effect is present in the original movie]
creative's block
Spoiler :
Great vid, only 2 complaints:
Feels a bit weird to only namedrop 3 editors; perhaps adding more in this section or throughout the vid would help. I don't know what a good number would be, but there being so few and all of them packed into one spot is what's throwing me off.

The other complaint being the movie screen having the white edge in the corners, it feels unintentional to me, like it was sloppily aligned. I get that the idea is the projector is misaligned, so maybe extend this wqhite edging to a couple shots afterward too? Or hide the white edges alltogether.

Overall great vid, again, good mask work, liked the font choices and concept
dance in memoriam
Spoiler :
Love the transitions and good job maintaining quality consistency through all the different sources. I know a few of those are really hard to find in decent quality and/or make look decent (especially Air in my experience).
darkness
Spoiler :
Are you ready for Death Stranding 2? I know I am :D
dead reckoning
Spoiler :
I like this video a lot, I just wish I understood it.

I feel like there's a story beyond "getting away from the red thing" that I'm just not getting. I'm not familiar with the source, so I wish there was some clearer story telling so I knew what was going on. The first 30 seconds really sets this up to be a suspense vid, but the inclusion of the childhood memories seem random if not to go for something else.

It took me a while to understand that the red jacket actually meant something (you did set that up at 1:01), because on the first few playthroughs the shot of the jacket at the bottom of the ocean seems random. That point in the song feels like something more heavy should go there but again the way everything around it is synced seems intentional so maybe I'm just too dumb to "get it".

The video as a whole bounced between these monster scenes and I guess internal memory scenes that visually seem unrelated but clearly are related somehow, I just wish I knew what it was. I don't know if this is one of those cases where I'm completely missing the point or if it was a shortcoming of the footage, but I would've liked to see a more obvious pattern between the two stories and how they were related.

All in all it's a good video, synced well, love the first 30 seconds, the overlay at 1:34, and whatever is going on 2:09 - 2:14. I'm confused again by 2:41 though as it seems the video should end on a happy note since they got out of the monster scenarios?

This makes me interested in the source though, those visuals are stunning. Maybe I'll figure out what this all means when I watch the movie.
deathrattle
Spoiler :
0:12
love this

1:27
this scene seems oddly timed?

2:44
This vid really grew on me and I will probably grow to like it even more over the course of the contest. Great pairing and great execution.

My only real complaint is how the song cuts off at the end. I'm not sure if this is unfinished, intentional, or if you weren't quite sure how to otherwise cut the song. If there's a lack of footage, I would've cut this a bit differently, probably taking out a chorus that's earlier in the song. I don't think there's much you can do to make the line you cut at sound much better if you really want to end the vid on it, so I wouldn't judge you if you decided to just leave it as-is.

But if the footage and the will exists, I would really like to see this wither extended to the end or edited differently so the song cut is less noticeable.

Overall, a great, unexpectedly positive vid about accepting your age, limits, and mortality. 👍
diary of a whiny sith
Spoiler :
I'm not a star wars fan and I've only seen the first movie with Kylo Ren in it.
That being said, it seems like the idea has merit, it just didn't land for me.
Loved the "TRAITOR!!" part though
dinner is swerved
Spoiler :
cute!
distressed
Spoiler :
I like this. You do a lot of creative things in here. Masks and overlays that are easily missed. I find something new every time I watch. I hope you do one of those videos that explains your thought process behind some things you decided to do in here.

My main point takes place at the start of the video, where you have live action(?) footage of a hand playing a piano. It's in the dying woman's eye and you take care to mask it into a bunch of things, I assume the message is that music is reflected in everything. (ps: nice touch with the iguana eye).
I like the idea of this, but the fact that this is the only live action used throughout the video is a little jarring.
Maybe that's part of the point since the title is "distressed" after all, but you also never follow up later with the piano fingers. They stop showing up by 0:20 and never return again.

You use different mediums pretty seamlessly through the rest of the vid, so it's a shame this one sticks out so much.

I would've liked to see a return to this footage (or at least something from the same source), because right now it is used so heavily in the beginning that the latter half feels uneven. It also given the impression that the piano fingers don't have any real meaning at all and are instead a cheap sync trick. There's more to the hands that you could probably fit in other places if you didn't want to go back to the specific piano scene - for instance the hand grabbing a raindrop that is in the raindrops at 0:08 - so I think you really did have some options you could have taken advantage of later on.

The other option would be to use less of this footage. I think your video would work well without the piano fingers; you don't need it unless it DOES mean something deeper. The animated sources work strongly without relying on it and with all of your other mask work not being as obvious as these, it would make sense to make whatever message you were trying to put here more subtle.
My favorite part of the video is 00:39 - 1:05.
This is an absolutely beautiful way to transition between aspect ratios while also making things feel more cramped and distressing.
You have some theme going on of blurry eyesight, so I would've liked to see the vertical edges get some black feathering too, especially when the vertical bars start to come in. You could also increase the edge feather ever so slightly every time the screen gets smaller (or at some other sync point that would be visually interesting but still subtle).
Another small detail that may add interest without being too obvious would be a very quick blur in and blur out on each beat you decrease the size - to imitate blinking and having to refocus your sight more fully.

Of course these are just my opinions; I only have one actual complaint during this part and that is that some of the changes in size occur on weird beats (which again, "distressed" so maybe that's intended) but 0:42 and 0:45 especially seem oddly timed.
0:42 looks like it syncs with the thud, but 0:45 syncs to a note you were previously ignoring (and doesn't happen again), so it stands out oddly.

0:55 is a great use of that scene with black bg and no bars to "reset," but I would've liked to see a black vignette or something that slowly dissipates on 0:56 to complete the transition.
1:01 - 1:09 has some visually strong elements (well, the whole vid does lol) but the sync here seems much less tight than the rest of the video. I probably would've had the eyes come in much later and have the eyes open at 1:03 to sync to that chord(? - I don't know proper music terms, apologies). And have the cross effect thing happening at 1:05 to sync to the next chord.
This is to say nothing of the video happening in the background, which I would also personally sync differently.
I like the visuals here, but in an otherwise pretty tightly synced video, this sequence stands out as somewhat sloppy.

1:17 has some type of glitch that doesn't look intentional?

2:01 I'm not sure if it's possible, but if you could sync the casings falling on the ground with the tones here more tightly, that would be stellar.

2:23 re-using the eyes and the V thing to distract you from the aspect ratio change that occurs again was genius.
However, the edge feathering on these changes seem distracting, so using actual letterboxing (with no feather) I feel could work much stronger here.

2:29 consider playing with the levels on the super hero guy footage so it starts out pure black and white and eases into the greyscale and then back again as it goes back to the psycho-pass scene.

2:43 it would be nice to have something sync to this noise here, too (currently it seems like the FMAB scene comes in too late)

2:50ish I really enjoy this sequence when the colors and joy(?) comes in. But I would've liked to see the letterboxes disappear here with the explosion of the mask. It feels a little random that it happens at 2:51 instead.

These are a lot of notes but this is one of my fave vids in the contest. Hope we can be friends (if we aren't already)! I like your editing style.
do you want to fuck a goose or not
Spoiler :
This is perfect and I would change absolutely nothing stylistically; congrats to being one of the few comedy vids that actually makes me laugh (overall, not just in this contest).

Here are some technical notes:

It would be great if you could find a better quality "Lucky Channel" star or recreate it for the first scene. However, it being how it currently is is also not distracting and part of the charm.

0:12 this whole lp sync section has ghost frames (or some type of interlacing?) because you can see his open mouth (at an extremely low opacity) when you have his mouth closed.

0:28 - 0:31 the left half of the screen when the guy moves is misaligned

1:16 there is some type of yellow line above the F in "fuckable"

1:32 GIVE 'EM A LITTLE SUIT!! (this isn't a tech issue, I just love that part and wanted it noted somewhere)

1:38 there's a blue line inside the lucky star on the far right of the screen (might be native to the source?)
drift
Spoiler :
Great vid, great scene selection, great sync and composition.

I only have a few notes:
You pay special attention to composition and smooth transitions, so the sequences at 0:39 - 0:42 and 0:51 - 0:54 feel like odd choices.

The first feels like you tried too hard to sync to beats during the wine segment and I think it does a bit of a disservice to the video. With no context to the wine (it's only close-ups) it feels like visual filler instead of progressing the story you're going for. I think this could have worked without changing scenes so much; perhaps only showing the first and/or last scene would give you the visual flair you're looking for without looking as forced?

The wine sequence is odd for me but ultimately easy to ignore. The second area in the gambling/coin segment interrupted my sense of flow completely and gave me pause. I think you were trying to convey that the blonde guy had no idea what the worth of the coin was (to sync to the lyrics there), but I think this sequence would look much better if you left the close up of his face out of it, or at least reordered the shots so it wasn't the last one. Focusing the bloom on the coin in someone's fingers would be more visually interesting and meaningful than the guy's face, in my opinion. But I have also never seen Vinland Saga, so maybe there's a deeper meaning I'm missing.

As a technical note, the blurs and some of the fades in the first ~20 seconds (0:03 especially) feel a bit choppy. Maybe some adjusting in the easing could help?
3:16 - 3:17 I think syncing the burning wood falling to the clap(?) sound might work better here than syncing the man looking up?

Other than those (frankly minor) things, I think this vid is perfect how it is and the rest of these notes are just things you did that I found especially interesting and cool:

1:09 - 1:18 ❤️ (though you may want to feather the mask a bit at 1:11)
1:39 - 1:41 ❤️❤️
1:54 - 1:55 that arrow sync
2:07 - 2:11 the foreboding shadow being the boat
2:17 - 2:19 eye aligned with bloomed hair aligned with the woman inside the crown ❤️❤️❤️
2:46 - 2:49 overlay/blending mode + blur for this transition is *so good*
3:20 the horse
3:25 - 3:28 the people jumping off the boat!

Overall an epic vid showcasing this epic viking tale 👌♥️
facing the canon
Spoiler :
This vid does exactly what it sets out to do and is obviously great at doing it.
Also lol at the title - love it.

The only notes I have are 100% personal preference so if you want to hear them, DM me, but otherwise are of no relevance here.
feeling fabulous
Spoiler :
+1 to everything Zarxrax said. I think if you're going to do the type of lip sync that imitates characters singing lyrics, it's imperative to mask out the lip flap everywhere else.

The major pain points that I noticed were 0:27 with the kid in the cage and 0:33 when he reveals the dinner meal.

Overall the lip sync could be tighter, but with a video like this it really doesn't need to be to hit the mark.
My only other note is a tech issue: at 0:50 there's a line near the bottom of his chin; probably just missed part of the shadow from an open mouth you masked out.

Anyway, the vid is accomplishes what it was going for, so good job 😊
feral little creature laughing
Spoiler :
0:34 unintentional? (see attachment)

2:13
I'm not exactly sure what this video is trying to do, but I am sure it did it very well lol.
Love the name being able to be abbreviated to FLCL. I only had one tech note and I left it in another comment.
fighting myself
Spoiler :
A+ Action video, hope you finish it one day.

I would've liked to see some different kind of transition at 0:06 (between kick and red outline), and maybe some color grading or a tint for the black and white parts at 0:12. Would help flow but also make the black and white "insignificant" scattered percentage pop more by being even more different from the scenes surrounding it.
figure skating pun
Spoiler :
I think this has good bones. The storytelling is solid, the pairing is good, and the scene selection is on point.

My only major issue with it is 1:13 - 1:35ish where you go through some good memories, but some of the clips have letterboxing.
I would've liked to see black bars added to all the memories, to help bring consistency to the footage here. It would also give it a visual flair that distinguishes it as separate from the rest of the footage. I think you could animate the bars coming and and going out with the watercolor dancing scenes, though simply cutting back to fullscreen could work there too.
final boss - ballad of buu
Spoiler :
Great pairing, good lip sync, I think the scene selection is good although I'm not really familiar with the buu saga so I don't know what you had to work with, really.

I think this goes on for a bit too long. I think using the entire audio has merit, so my advice would be to cut some of the more repetitive parts (like having them say fuck once instead 2 or 3 times in a row). Cutting out little bits and pieces throughout the whole thing instead of skipping a full verse, although skipping a verse is still an option, would help this vid move along.

If you don't want to cut the audio, the sync (or at least the order of clips) for the non-lip synced parts could be improved in most cases, especially the beginning. I think this is one case where more style over substance might benefit. You have a great setup in the beginning with buu landing and the reaction shots, but I don't know, it just feels like the whole thing takes a bit too long to get started. That could be helped by trimming some of the intro audio or spicing up the visuals in some way.

But I think this was the first time I ever heard this audio, so that probably clouds my view a lot; I had no idea what to expect, so the video did more work for me than the knowledge of song and knowing what is coming would have.

I do find the video funny, it just seems to drag at random times (which again I point to most likely the audio). All the lip synced parts are great, the casting is perfect, all the reaction shots are stellar. The vid doesn't give a good first impression though; During my first watch through I definitely tuned out about 1min in.

But watching the whole thing does prove itself - This is going to be one of my top storytelling picks.
fucking vampires
Spoiler :
Hello.
I love this. It is perfect and cannot be criticized. 👏
I also love your transitions.

Did you add extra film grain?
guiding light
Spoiler :
I was interested in this anime when it originally was announced, but then forgot all about it.
Thank you for reminding me it exists, because I need to watch it now!

Regarding the video, I would've liked to see more clear storytelling (for example why the guy ends up in jail in the first place), but the storytelling that is there is certainly more than enough to get the story across, and I liked the editing overall.
heart and soul
Spoiler :
This is a pretty unique take, love the direction you took with this. Focusing on the main character's simple motivations is great, and the song is a perfect match. I like that you went for the old look to match the song.

My only real complaints for this video are that the first 12 seconds are really oddly timed, like you couldn't decide what was worth syncing to, and as a result the pacing is erratic and awkward. After 0:12 it catches its feet though and is consistent, with only a few missed opportunities, the most obvious one being at 1:15 where it seems an odd choice to hang on that particular scene through the tambourine(? cymbals?) beats(?).

I liked the directional blur transitions but they may be slightly too strong or possibly last too long. 1:30 might be an example of you forgetting to add the blur to the transition? I think these would overall perform better if you toned them down just a bit.
Additionally, You pretty regularly use this transition for specific sounds, so continuing to use them during the acapella section around 1:49 - 2:04 feels somewhat distracting. Regular cuts might perform better here.

I think the lip flap at 2:49 really takes away from the moment here as well; I think masking it so she's not talking would be a good choice. I also think this, or the reaction from the guy, would be an appropriate place to end the video. You could probably fade the song here and not lose too much.

Nearly everything that happens after this moment is nonsensical and I believe actively harms your video - it feels like you ran out of footage and just put whatever in the last ~20 seconds (and if I recall correctly, all of this is from the OP too).
The woman petting the guy at the end is a good enough ending, but especially since the scenes between this and 1:49 focus on the 2nd guy (who is not shown in your vid prior to now), it actively pulls away from the vid's message.

You managed really good pacing for the rest of the vid so to have all that work fall flat due to the last 20 seconds is somewhat disappointing.

Overall it's a strong concept and currently decent video, but with just a little fine-tuning could be much more.
hero hopes
Spoiler :
It's a good pairing of video & song, but the pacing feels like it's spread a bit too thin.
I would either cut the song down or find a wider variety of scenes to show.
hypotrochoids and epitrochoids
Spoiler :
I like how the characters start out all calm and fun and then progressively get more frustrated lol.
My only complaint is that the quality disparity between some of the sources is huge, so maybe trade out some of the oldest sources for something newer or somehow obtain a better transfer. 0:07 and 0:09 especially stand out with their blurriness.
i am the fire
Spoiler :
The storytelling and pacing in this feels really strong, also feels like a very strong pairing. I enjoyed this video, and have very few complaints, all of which may not be applicable simply due to the nature of working with video game cutscenes.

I haven't played FF16 (yet) so I don't know what all scenes are available to use. My general opinion is that it seems you rely a bit too much on black dips (fading to black before another scene), but it is a very effective transition especially if there's not much related footage to get you to where you want to go in the story's pacing. So the dips aren't really a detriment so much as maybe something else may have worked better, depending on what you had to work with.

2:15 - 2:27 is the only part that drags. This all probably means something in context to game players, but without having played the game it seems like wasted time to show him punching a guy and then befriended the guy right after. Maybe there would be better footage to establish their connected past and why it should be left behind (according to the lyrics)? Or maybe the video would be better served by skipping this whole sequence entirely and jumping to them working together as in 2:28.

The last thing I have to comment on is just unfortunate and there may be nothing you can do to change. It is the square button for the final attack appearing in the middle of the screen and the "cinematic clash" text. It's disappointing this is here so I'm just a bit bummed about it, but the scene is absolutely detrimental to your vid imo so I don't think it was a bad idea to use it. But maybe there is a way you can grab that scene without those things - sometimes there's no HUD options or mods out there.

I think "Cinematic clash" could probably be masked out with some work, but I'm not sure what to do about the square button.

In any case, that stuff is all easily ignored and/or forgiven by people who appreciate GMVs, and it's still a great a vid overall so I'm glad you made it the way you did.
i beat the boss
Spoiler :
I really don't know what I'm looking at, so I'm out of my depth here lol
in memory
Spoiler :
I've never seen Kaiba and I've only seen a few Kaiba AMVs, all of which definitely make me feel some kind of way that is hard to describe.
I think this video is about processing grief and moving on, and also might have some special meaning for the editor? So it feels disrespectful to criticize it.

I really don't have much to say about it, but if you are interested anyway, you can DM me on Disccord (@standardquip) (either now or after the contest)
just move your robot
Spoiler :
Very well edited, I have no notes other than I wish the audio was a little clearer. Great pairing!
k-186f
Spoiler :
I think the anime combination is a good idea but could be integrated better. Rather than having Gundam at the beginning and end with Outlaw Star in the middle, try incorporating them both throughout the video and highlighting each journey's similarities.
laika
Spoiler :
I think this AMV is edited in a very specific style, one that is not that common.
So I think it is very good for what it is trying to do, however if the editor wants to be competitive (which you definitely do not have to be!! Edit what you like!!) you may want to edit in a way that is much more common, with tighter sync to beats, lyrics, etc.
Zarxrax gives good advice in that regard.
let the games begin
Spoiler :
Cool concept with an anime I'm not familiar with, but it looks fun. I wish the tempo of the editing more closely matched that of the song. The pacing also seems a bit tenuous; is the amv just about fun antics or is there a story to be told? Your self-selected categories indicate the latter, but I don't really notice any particular story building in the amv.

3:11 - 3:48 has pretty tight sync and keeps the pace up; I would have liked to see the rest of the amv have as much enthusiasm as this part does.
let you down
Spoiler :
This type of editing style is not often seen in the con circuit in my experience, so it's nice to see it bridging the gap since it's a lot more popular online.

I'm not too experienced with this style so I don't know if I can really critique it, but my only real comments are on the over-reliance of the black flickering and the focus on Maine in the middle.

For a video that begins and ends with Lucy, it feels weird to have random action sequences with Maine. This felt like it was going for a story but in the end did not. I don't know if that's just a thing that is intentional for this style, though.

The black flicker, on the other hand, could be a great tool for the tat-tat-tatting in the background. The only problem is it doesn't seem synced to anything in particular, as it noticeably continues regardless of what the song is doing. So that was disappointing, not to mention kind of hard on the eyes.

That being said, I did enjoy the video overall; there is a certain appeal to style over substance, and this video does accomplish that.
little feet
Spoiler :
1:32
lol love using the boiling water to sync here

2:22
Funny vid, enjoyed the lip sync. My only notes are the first 6 seconds, where I would've liked to see more of an establishing shot or less external sync.
I think not changing scenes so much would help that record scratch "nah just me bitch" pop more.
macwolf
Spoiler :
I'm not familiar with Airwolf but I looked up the intro for this, and it is such a respectful and accurate parody! I really appreciate the effort taken to replicate the visuals.

I think I understand why you included the beginning narration, but I couldn't find that part on youtube so can't compare the visuals there. I think including this part ultimately does help your video - especially for people unfamiliar with Airwolf and its opening - but currently the narration and theme feel a bit too disconnected.

Perhaps adding some kind of visual transition or indicator that the video isn't over yet and is going into the music video part would help. Maybe if you took out the jet sound at the end of the narration and started the OP there (with its jet sound instead) that would be a good transition, too.

On first watch, I really thought this was 2 different videos in the same file, so I think some change is necessary if you want to reach a broader audience. But if not, I hope you find the airwolf anime fans, because I am sure they will like this.
mad to the max
Spoiler :
Seems like a good Mad Max tribute, though I have not seen any of the movies myself.
I liked the gun sync and overall vibe.

My only true complaints are the beginning and end. The engine car noise in the beginning is cool, but without following it up with more sound effects throughout the vid, it stands out as odd. The text at the end could be cut, but I can understand wanting to give homage to the movie posters. I would at least take the white shadow off "to the".

Meanwhile, the dedication to Tina Turner does not make sense, as she's rarely in the video. If this is truly a dedication to her, I would like to see the video focused on her, instead of the action of Mad Max.
marionettes eyes & poltergeists
Spoiler :
2:48
The centaurworld part is my favorite. Including the previous parts in the background was genius for this "never ending" loop theme you have 👌♥️

4:12
Let me start with the fact that I like this vid and it looks like you had fun making it. I am familiar with most of the sources used.
So please keep that in mind if you choose to read the rest of this XD

This vid has one foot firmly in "spoopy" while trying to keep the other foot in "horror" and I think the vid suffers by not picking a lane to drive in. The first part with the glitchy supernatural video sets false expectations for the rest of the vid imo, and the footage choices just get more odd the further we get in. I'd like to know the reasoning behind which sources went where, and if there's any deeper meaning to that, of if you simply picked stuff you liked and put it in (and no harm if it's the latter - edit what you want!).

That being said, stylistically this is also pretty different from part to part. It seems to start out pretty tightly edited and then get more loose the further in. I don't mean "tight" and "loose" as "good" or "bad" because it's pretty clear all your sync choices were intentional. I'd like to hear why you edited this the way you did, otherwise seeing a more consistent style would be nice.

That being stated, I do want to comment on the lack of gore. Even the parts that have blood don't make it a staple (avoiding the worst parts of elfen lied was appreciated). It's difficult to make a horror vid without defaulting to gore, and the non-spoopy parts of this vid do it well, so I really appreciate your decision to avoid those scenes and setups.

Likewise you also put effort into making the more kiddy sources darker, and this does make the style changes between sources softer, although still apparent.

Overall I want to reiterate that I really DO like this video, the song is a bop and I like most of the sources used and the editing style too.
matthew patrick davis
Spoiler :
This looks like a great tribute to an actor you love, so I commend you on your dedication to this actor.

I think hiring someone for a part in your vid is a neat idea, but this also feels a little too on the nose and like an attempt to market for the cameo website. I think the vid is well edited and you can ultimately edit what you like, but it being in this contest feels pretty weird.
mentos the frog slayer
Spoiler :
I like the concept. It seems like a good pairing; the mentos and soda being the key to winning is funny.
Unfortunately, as a whole, the video just doesn't land for me at all, and I'm not sure how to change that.
missing you
Spoiler :
Well put-together vid about a breakup (or possibly a death?). Love the singing lip sync, also very good setting up of spaces and time with the use of establishing shots throughout.

I literally only had one note and it was strictly a personal preference thing, so no use in mentioning it here.
mockingbird's hymn
Spoiler :
I'm not familiar with the movie so this is my assumption of how the plot goes:
main character's mom saved a kid but drowns in the process, daughter deals with that through song and being online, meets beastboy and metaphorically does the same thing mom did?

There's good storytelling here. It's easy to follow who is who online and offline. The song and source seem like a good pairing.

You seem to reply on ken burns (constant zooming out or in) and while this is fine, many are too strong in my opinion. Ken burns are generally subtle, zooming from 100% to 101% or 102% over a decent length of time.
I get the section around 0:30 is meant to be frantic, but the sped up footage of her writing, tossing the papers away, and tearing them up is so quickened as to be distracting imo. Try slowing them down a tad (still faster than normal speed, but slower than they are currently) and cutting some of the scenes off; you don't need to show all the motions to get the point of the scenes across.

I'm fairly certain Belle is progressive, but your video is interlaced. I can't find the fps Belle is supposed to be at through a quick search, but anime is typically 23.976 and your file is encoded at 29.97. Aspect ratio for your video is 16:9 but Belle is supposed to be 2.39:1. All this tech jargon to say that the video is not displaying how it should, and as a result the quality of the video suffers imo. These may be timeline or encoding settings that were overlooked. Depending on where in the editing process the settings were changed, it can be an easy fix.
muppet sailor song
Spoiler :
Seems like a lot of people love this video, but unfortunately I really do not like muppets, so I am sorry lol.

So really my only note here is that some of the lip sync is pretty awkward looking, with a clip playing forward and then backward right after. One of the most obvious ones is with Ms Piggy at 1:01. With that being said, I'm not really sure how you'd fix that aside from cutting away more or just not lip syncing. Most of the vid (and lip sync) looks fine, so I'm not sure it's even worth fretting over to begin with. I just state it so you know I watched your video all the way through despite my muppet hate. 😅
naloxone
Spoiler :
I think the source combination and vid execution is perfect and I hope it finds the audience that will appreciate it for what it is
never-ending dream
Spoiler :
0:31
this scene feels like it comes in a bit too late

2:59
I haven't played OMORI, but I've watched a few video essays about it this year so I'm a little biased as I already am somewhat familiar with the story.
I think this vid is an excellent use of the limited footage available. It is edited in a way that compliments the franticity and tempo of the song without relying on traditional means. This is a perfect pairing of source materials; I love this video a lot.

I wish the story were a little clearer, but given the limits of the source material and what I assume was the intent to make it just as confusing as it was for the boy and/or player, I probably wouldn't change anything to "correct" that. What you established already is quite masterful in my opinion.

A truly touching story of a boy confronting and (hopefully) overcoming his trauma.
nimoner? I barely know her
Spoiler :
Haven't seen the movie, but scene selection seems perfect.

My only real note is that I didn't understand what was being synced to through 2:23 - 2:30ish. The rest seemed really tight, though.

Good, uplifting vid about found family and/or friendships imo

Sidenote: love the flickering shadow sync at 0:27
nuclear mob
Spoiler :
0:52
Love the "off the scale" visual lyric sync here

1:48
I'm a big fan of this song and this is an excellent song cut 👍
on legacy
Spoiler :
3:08
love the foot step sync

3:11
Good vid about the horrors of war. Haven't played the game and not quite sure what is going on other than what the song lyrics are saying, but I have a feeling that was the intent.

One of my fave vids in the contest this year.

TIL there's a character limit. Continued in next post.
Last edited by SQ on Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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