Question about matching lyrics

SunMoonAndSpoon · Post by **SunMoonAndSpoon** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:52 am

Okay, I'm confused as all hell. When I started making AMVs, I was told that it was very important to match up the lyrics, and if you didn't the song was a bad fit and made no sense. Seemed like that to me, too. Since I started putting them up here I'm told NOT to match the lyrics to the clips...so I'm wondering what people think on this issue. How important is it that the lyrics match the clips, and if that's not important, what is, and why?

I want to make my work as good as I can...right now I'm just figuring out the technicalities--how to get rid of unwanted clips, the timing, stuff like that...but I'm really confused about this other stuff.

JudgeHolden · Post by **JudgeHolden** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:02 pm

There is a difference between Litteral lyric sync and Metaphorical lyric sync.

Often time people what to make a litteral translation of what the lyrics say, and if it's not done well, it ends up just looking silly. Really, IMHO you should match more of the Idea behind the lyrics or the mood.

For instance (this is an example that Ravfen gave during my panel at AD):

I know a cat named Easter.
He says "Will you ever learn?
You're just an empty cage, girl, if you kill the bird"

If you take this litterally and have a image of a cat and then a dead bird ... then you fail. (Unless you are going for comedy). The above is a metaphor ....

Now you can litterially sync to the lyrics in a comedy piece or in a song that has a strong storytelling element.

Minion · Post by **Minion** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:17 pm

headstrong to a really pissed off guy guy

JaddziaDax · Post by **JaddziaDax** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:17 pm

its a tough balance... one thats sometimes hard to find...

as judge said you can take things for their literal meaning and that can kill the mood of what could be a good drama piece...

or if you take a comical song and use some really dramatic visuals that can kill the mood of the comical piece

literal lyric sync works awesome for comical songs...

and metaphorical lyric sync (and mood sync) works better for dramatic/romance/any other kind of video...

you can take a dramatic song and make it funny, but i doubt you can make a funny song dramatic... (if someone has done this please show me) either that or its just difficult as all hell to do so.

your best bet is to know your song, and how you want to use it...

YouTube · Post by **Kionon** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:24 pm

And then sometimes you get a song so perfect that you can be literal, and it works even for dramatic videos.

mexicanjunior · Post by **mexicanjunior** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:26 pm

SunMoonAndSpoon wrote:Okay, I'm confused as all hell. When I started making AMVs, I was told that it was very important to match up the lyrics, and if you didn't the song was a bad fit and made no sense. Seemed like that to me, too. Since I started putting them up here I'm told NOT to match the lyrics to the clips...so I'm wondering what people think on this issue. How important is it that the lyrics match the clips, and if that's not important, what is, and why?

I want to make my work as good as I can...right now I'm just figuring out the technicalities--how to get rid of unwanted clips, the timing, stuff like that...but I'm really confused about this other stuff.

When I first started, I did this as well and often times was criticized for doing it. If this was your vision in the first place though (lyric synching), then do it. If people don't enjoy your vision, that's too bad but don't compromise what you envisioned the video to be (lyrics connected to scenes) for the sake of making it more technically sound. I got stuck in that mood and hated the results, so I went back and just made what I envisioned to begin with.

BasharOfTheAges · Post by **BasharOfTheAges** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:35 pm

Kionon wrote:And then sometimes you get a song so perfect that you can be literal, and it works even for dramatic videos.

I thought this too until people repeatedly bashed my White Flag - One Piece idea. still can't believe nobody's tried that yet o.o;;

YouTube · Post by **Ileia** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:31 pm

I think it depends on the genre and the song. Most comedy songs are very narrative, and tell a story with specific examples. A lot of drama and action type songs use metaphors. I've learned that metaphors are bad to sync to. o_x

But just remember that everyone that leaves a comment has a specific taste. You can't cater to everyone.

guy07 · Post by **guy07** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:48 pm

Minion wrote:headstrong to a really pissed off guy guy

What's a guy guy?

Szwagier · Post by **Szwagier** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 3:37 pm

What Judge said + if you are going for storytelling drama you can wonder off from the lyrics, if what you are doing is essential to the story you are showing. If your story is fluent and well connected lack of strong connection to lyrics at some points will go unnoticed. If the story is random and hard to unfold it will look bad whether you synch to lyrics or not.

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Question about matching lyrics

Question about matching lyrics

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