This is where all that AMV editing got me: Weee, Firetrucks!

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DJ_Izumi
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This is where all that AMV editing got me: Weee, Firetrucks!

Post by DJ_Izumi » Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:17 pm

I'm taking Television Broadcasting at my college and all that AMV gave me a real leg up on the post-production side of things. It helps to already know video editing and a lot of After Effects when most people have barely touched Photoshop Elements. However there's lots of new stuff too. You see how spoiled an AMV editor is when they don't have to MAKE the footage they edit first. Everything from depth of field to image compsition to camera movement are things that are pre-determined but not when you're doing all original content.

So my school has a firefighter program, which has tonnes of gear and a big ol' truck I'd been drooling to use cinematically. To get access I pitched to them a cinematically styled recruitment commercial that shifts into a little bit of documentary style after, with the goal of impressing would be students into choosing this program. ...And I got to play with the big high production value toys and suction cup a DSLR to a firetruck. Shooting hand held in the truck with shallow depth of field on a prime lens was a real experience. We didn't have the time to green screen the windows and do a lot of things in post... So we just fired up the truck and filmed while it was moving. No key frames needed to make that shakey cam style. :P

And so here we have it, a commercial with all original content and fairly high production value. All filmed on Canon DSLR photographic cameras no less, those things are amazing. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-iUPA7uUyY
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DJ_Izumi
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Re: This is where all that AMV editing got me: Weee, Firetru

Post by DJ_Izumi » Sat Nov 17, 2012 9:48 am

Oshi... I walked into the school's marketing office all 'Sup, I got something to show you guys. :3' and blew their socks off. They're interested in paying me to produce more of these, doing a story on me and the production of these. Best part, they also asked if I could shorten it to 30s to fit in advertising space the school purchased at various Cineplex Odeon cinemas.

...Imma gonna be on the big screen. :3
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NS
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Re: This is where all that AMV editing got me: Weee, Firetru

Post by NS » Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:08 am

Very nice. It's a good feeling seein' your stuff on the big screen. Our school holds a festival every year that play on a movie theater screen, and it's awesome to see that. Congrats.

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HalOfBorg
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Re: This is where all that AMV editing got me: Weee, Firetru

Post by HalOfBorg » Sat Nov 17, 2012 3:08 pm

I've got some certificates, trophies and a nice plaque. I can sit here and re-live my glory days.

Just can't get the 'Go' to edit anymore.

And 'glory days' is quite the exaggeration. :)
Help HalOfBorg fight his cancer - http://www.gofundme.com/21ygdk

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Re: This is where all that AMV editing got me: Weee, Firetru

Post by The_McLaughlin » Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:01 am

DJ_Izumi wrote: You see how spoiled an AMV editor is when they don't have to MAKE the footage they edit first. Everything from depth of field to image compsition to camera movement are things that are pre-determined but not when you're doing all original content.
I actually found it to be the opposite for me, I found it easier to set up shots and camera movement because from watching anime and editing clips from it I kind of got the sense of how the camera should move and what kind of compositions look good. In fact I think setting up the camera became my favorite part of the film process when I started taking production classes. Now lighting I would say we are spoiled on, I really wish I was better at lighting, I guess its okay since my film style tends to be a bit darker and gritter though.
I really like the begging of it though it was almost like a movie, and I do agree amv editing does give you an advantage on editing in the intro classes (our school called it Production 1). This is my most recent short film though done for a project in my junior project class if your interested in checking it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEKjdZvuank

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DJ_Izumi
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Re: This is where all that AMV editing got me: Weee, Firetru

Post by DJ_Izumi » Fri Dec 07, 2012 5:03 pm

animefreak00007 wrote:I actually found it to be the opposite for me, I found it easier to set up shots and camera movement because from watching anime and editing clips from it I kind of got the sense of how the camera should move and what kind of compositions look good. In fact I think setting up the camera became my favorite part of the film process when I started taking production classes. Now lighting I would say we are spoiled on, I really wish I was better at lighting, I guess its okay since my film style tends to be a bit darker and gritter though.
I really like the begging of it though it was almost like a movie, and I do agree amv editing does give you an advantage on editing in the intro classes (our school called it Production 1). This is my most recent short film though done for a project in my junior project class if your interested in checking it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEKjdZvuank
Well, it's important to note however that a lot of shots you see in anime, while common in film, are uncommon in anime. Most of my exterior shots as they pile out of the truck and set stuff up are moving glidecam shots. These are uncommon in anime cause in anime they are typically budget blowing CG/crazy entire background animated moving shots. The same kinda shots that get cherry picked to use in AMVs, even if they're pretty typical following shots in film and television.

...And, maybe it was just me, but while I understand the combination of background and foreground somehow made 'A pretty picture', I had to put a lot more effort into learning composition AND depth of field. Particularly as depth of field is a matter of not just composition but understanding camera operation as well.

Lighting though, that's a fun one. It can be fun to do scenes but also time consuming and lighting is expensive stuff. Right now I only use my school's gear but I intend to blow some $700+ on a three piece LED lighting kit to use once I'm fully independent.
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Re: This is where all that AMV editing got me: Weee, Firetru

Post by Pwolf » Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:57 pm

DJ_Izumi wrote: Well, it's important to note however that a lot of shots you see in anime, while common in film, are uncommon in anime. Most of my exterior shots as they pile out of the truck and set stuff up are moving glidecam shots. These are uncommon in anime cause in anime they are typically budget blowing CG/crazy entire background animated moving shots. The same kinda shots that get cherry picked to use in AMVs, even if they're pretty typical following shots in film and television.
That makes no sense at all.

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DJ_Izumi
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Re: This is where all that AMV editing got me: Weee, Firetru

Post by DJ_Izumi » Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:15 pm

Pwolf wrote:That makes no sense at all.
What I mean is, you can put the camera on a dolly or a glidecam, and have it set infront, keeping pace with subjects as they move down a hallway or something and it's pretty typical stuff. In anime however, that's a very expensive scene that had to have the entire moving perspective of the background done by hand (before the days of CGI) or the entire background is done with CGI in modern stuff. Outside of these expensive scenes in anime, most backgrounds pan instead, because it's much easier and cheaper. So these arn't the kinds of shots you as often in anime as you would in film and television. But, ya know, that's just the two dimensional nature of anime.
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requiett
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Re: This is where all that AMV editing got me: Weee, Firetru

Post by requiett » Fri Dec 14, 2012 3:42 am

Nice color clipping there, Lee Smith.

j/k

Nice cuts.

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