Favorite AMV Editing Techniques

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Favorite AMV Editing Techniques

Postby y2kwizard » Sat Sep 14, 2002 12:40 pm

Hello, all. I've been viewing many AMVs over the past few weeks and I'm trying to figure out some recurring editing techniques people like to use in their AMV's. SO, I'm wondering if anyone would like to post what his favorite technique is.

For instance, I've noticed that many people make extensive use of transparency: they lay one clip over another and set the top clip's transparency to 50% However, I've not seen a whole lot of uses of extensive masking, with the notable exception of Dragon Bebob Z and...I forgot the other one's name..the video featuring a Britney Spears cover and a man with green hair....

One of my favorite techniques is used extensively in VicBond007's AMV of Princess Mononoke with When Worlds Collide as the song. The technique I like here occurs whenever there's a high-energy drumroll: whenever one occurs, VicBond007 cuts between 2 clips at a high rate of speed....I'd suggest downloading this to see what I'm talking about.

Thanks in advance!!
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Postby The Non-Professional » Sat Sep 14, 2002 12:43 pm

i have no techniques, i just do it, like NIKE but not. *walks off*
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Postby mexicanjunior » Sat Sep 14, 2002 1:34 pm

I just go with alot of lyric synch and hope it ends up halfway decent. =P
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Postby fellowhoodlum » Sat Sep 14, 2002 1:39 pm

Me too. I just try to match the lyrics and the flow of the song. No uber 1337 editing techniques from me :P
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Postby You choose Sam,the rest » Sat Sep 14, 2002 1:52 pm

Me three, although I like to sync a random beat to keep the lyrics syncing from becoming a long cut.
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Postby Castor Troy » Sat Sep 14, 2002 2:35 pm

I like pressing the x on the top right of whatever program I use to make videos.
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Postby nailz » Sat Sep 14, 2002 3:37 pm

Digital effects. BAD digital effects, and BAD transparencies. thats what I like to use.
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Postby FurryCurry » Sat Sep 14, 2002 3:39 pm

^^ what he said.
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Postby AbsoluteDestiny » Sat Sep 14, 2002 4:00 pm

I know this is coming from completely the wrong person but I will say this.

You do not need any effects to make a brilliant video.

Now, I've got a bit of a reputation recently for using "effects" but I never really think of them as effects. Some of my videos I get an idea for a visual style that I want to create, so I do that - it's more of an experiment in visual composition most of the time (my latest video especially). However, this not necessary at all.

In some videos, effects really really get in the way. The only thing you need to know is that you have to make things fit. If that includes the techniques you have talked about then be creative and try to attain them but you dont always need these techiques to make a video work.

Truly great videos just do whatever is necessary to convey the right impression with the music and visuals - if that includes effects then you only have to think about what is right for that moment.... just remember that the moment may be much better without an effect.

Just think about what the video actually needs to make it work, and do it. If it doesn't need something and you just want to do it for the sake of it then think twice.
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Postby ErMaC » Sat Sep 14, 2002 4:11 pm

Despite my similar reputation I should back up what Ian said. Any effects you use should fit into the concept of the video you are making.

Sometimes my video concepts involves lots of "effects" like Soul of an Angel. Sometimes my video concepts call for none of them, like Cowboy Blues. Sometimes they call for only a single specific effect, like Life is But a Dream.

Digital effects may be a way of "pushing the envelope" of what can be achieved in an AMV (like Vlad's Transcending Love or Tainted Donuts before it) but if you just want to make a video that's powerful or you like, you don't need them, per se. I know there's been people lately talking about a lack of innovation or the stagnation of AMVs. Frankly I think that while people may be going over some of the same basic concepts again, that doesn't mean they aren't any good.

Hell, The Matrix was a pastiche of Ghost in the Shell, Hong Kong Action, and Descarte's Meditations. Doesn't mean it wasn't a good movie. None of the big three videos I did this year I feel has pushed the envelope or explored new territory in terms of concept like I felt Soul of an Angel did, but I still enjoy them and I think they're good videos.
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Postby Vlad G Pohnert » Sat Sep 14, 2002 4:35 pm

ErMaC wrote:
Digital effects may be a way of "pushing the envelope" of what can be achieved in an AMV (like Vlad's Transcending Love or Tainted Donuts before it) but if you just want to make a video that's powerful or you like, you don't need them, per se. I know there's been people lately talking about a lack of innovation or the stagnation of AMVs. Frankly I think that while people may be going over some of the same basic concepts again, that doesn't mean they aren't any good.


Yes, I agree that special effects don't make the video. When I come up with a concept in my mind and want it to look a certain way, I use special effects to help achieve the look come of like in movies. The best kind of special effects are the one's you don't notice ro distract for what you want to convey. The spcial effects I used in "Memories Dance" was there to convey thoughs I have of looking at photographs of Miyazaki's work. They only way to convey this was with the use of special effects, but only as a vechicle to conveny that idead, not to impress people or make or tell the story.

In Transcending Love, I wanted to tell a whole new story with three diferent elements which can only be acheaved through technical means. I wanted to make it so convincing that people who never saw the characters involved would wonder from what anime the video was from. Thus "special effects" were only used to create it visually around the story and the emotions I wished to convey...

In summary, I feel there is nothing wrong with using or not using special effects as long as it does not destract form what the intent of the video....

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Postby The Wired Knight » Sat Sep 14, 2002 5:08 pm

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Postby The Wired Knight » Sat Sep 14, 2002 5:10 pm

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Postby silver_moon » Sat Sep 14, 2002 5:30 pm

I tend to use lots of effects in my videos, especially in my later ones after I got Premiere. I personally find that they are very, very fun to make and put into your videos. I try to only do it when I think it will add to the video, and not to if I think they would be unnecessary for what I'm trying to do.

Something I didn't realize before I started getting into Premiere's effects was that effects are hard to do, at least they're hard to make look like you want them too. You cannot just throw effects together. If you do, it will probably make the video look un-professional and like you didn't try very hard. It takes me hours to perfect them until I like how they look.

But effects always come after matching scenes to lyrics for me. Scene choice is much more important, so what I usually do is match the scenes as best to the music as I can before adding any effects. I like to use effects at the parts where I want the video to stand out and I use the effects for accenting those parts. I don't know if it's the same for other people, but to me any section in a video that has effects will stand out more in my mind, unless the whole video uses effects, and then they won't be as powerful when you use them.

My new best friend in editing is the speed tool. If you use it right, it can really help in changing a scene so that it matches the music's mood and beat way better. Making it look natural is hard, but it always pays off for me.

For the video I'm currently making, I'm trying to put effects at a minimum and action and lyric syncing at the max. But I'm still using some strobe lights and overlays at the parts I want to stand out. I don't know if I'll ever do a video that's completely effects-free again, because I have so much fun doing them, but hopefully I will improve my instincts on when and where it's good to put them and when it's not.
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Postby alternatefutures » Sat Sep 14, 2002 7:24 pm

Well, I had a lot of fun creating the CG3D footage for my "Light of Day" video and am going to improve upon the concept for a later vid to make it less of a gimick and integrate it better.

I think the idea of the stagnation of AMV creative applies more to those who use digital effects than those who don't. Strobes, overlays, white flashes, etc... have all been done to death and then resurected and done to death again and been cremated and had their remains pissed on. I mean, sure, that drum roll needs something, but can't we do something different? And just because there's a beat going through the video does not mean you need to insert a cut on every one. I'm not saying don't do these outright, but I've seen so many creators who get stuck on them as if that's all there is. But every once in awhile someone comes along who plays with Premiere's filters and does something great ::cough::AD::cough::
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