Spare me the After Effects!

[Summanaro]

I was at Otakon 2003 this year at the AMV contest and I felt that after the first video, that beautiful Escaflowne one, everything else seemed saturated with too much After Effects. Like, while watching a video of any sort I shouldn't have to watch it and be constantly reminded that After Effects was used to make the video. What happened to good 'ole video editing? Too me, utilizing good video editing will always make a much more powerful statement then all the aftereffects that one could ever pull out from their computer.

Like, AfterEffects should be used when it would be most effective and powerful to the piece, not to create the whole entire thing unless for special cases where you are going for a certain effect. Like transitions are good to use when they are necessay not after every cut, because then after a while, their effect seems to lose purpose once you've watched so many of them.

What I've been seeing has just been pure abuse more than anything else. I think that many video creators should remember the important things that make a good video, which is more than just a vision or idea with a ton of AfterEffects. It's about your ability to convey a message or story that will move, affect, and touch your audience.

To make a good video, you need one pure ingrediant, coordination. The effects are like.. a crutch to the videos... if you put some anime and music together with only one overlapping scene, then it doesn't make for much. I'm not saying make the whole video in effects, but don't make the video with just nothing either. Your point of making the effects in the most powerful part is good, but there can be many powerful parts in the song... before a chorus.... durring a verse... the beginning.. ending... middle... whenever, I see where you're going with that, but there can be many of those parts in the song that you can put to video and effects.

[Vlad G Pohnert]

After Effects is just a TOOL like anything else! It's what you do with it and how you use it... Personally Music videos have always traditionally been very visual so I don't see the problem here. Sometimes this TOOL is required to tell the story which just can't be suing a straight clip and cut method!

Now I'm a firm believer in traditional clip, fade, cuts video and ones with SFX. Now granted, SFX video are starting to be done in the masses and maybe the visuals are starting to overtake the story... This is what makes the video so challenging, balancing the effects with the intent of the video. Hence, for Drama I would not expect a massive undertaking of very "visual" effects if the anime already is very powerful and speaks for itself...

Again, it really has nothing to do with After Effects since it's a tool. It comes down to the concept and visual appeal of the video.

Vlad

[Nightowl]

My name is Nathan Bezner, and I use After Effects.

Whether or not you use After Effects doesn't make you a good OR bad editor. I used it for Mad World because I wanted to evoke a different feeling from FLCL than it could on its own. I wanted to make the series mine, adhere it to my vision. That may be egotistical, but hell, most filmmakers are - you have to be selfish if you want to tell your story.

There are no time lapse shots of the sky in FLCL. I wanted some because it fits the mood of the song and references Donnie Darko. Jeff and I know how to use After Effects. We're both trained in it. I'm fucking certified. We're going to use it. If it enhances the video and further brings out the creator's personal vision, fuck it, by all means. Of course, there's also a difference between those who can use it and those who simply use it.

On a side note, there was one transition in Mad World. Just one.

-N

[AbsoluteDestiny]

There are no time lapse shots of the sky in FLCL.

Except the one in the first episode

but yes, totally agree with the post.

[SarahtheBoring]

If you don't like videos with effects all over the place, then collect videos that don't HAVE effects all over the place.

Apart from conventions, nobody is forcing you to watch videos you don't like. And even then you can just not pay attention if you don't like the video; lord knows I've done it.

What exactly is the point of whining about this? A lot of people like super1337 FX!!!!! and will continue to use them. You're not going to cause any kind of big revolution here. Just watch whatever you like and leave the rest alone.

I don't see the point of this thread other than to bitch and whine and embarrass those of us who like effects-light videos but don't act like big babies about it.

[Arigatomina]

To make a good video, you need one pure ingrediant, coordination. The effects are like.. a crutch to the videos... if you put some anime and music together with only one overlapping scene, then it doesn't make for much. I'm not saying make the whole video in effects, but don't make the video with just nothing either. Your point of making the effects in the most powerful part is good, but there can be many powerful parts in the song... before a chorus.... durring a verse... the beginning.. ending... middle... whenever, I see where you're going with that, but there can be many of those parts in the song that you can put to video and effects.

And here is the problem. I'll get into my original (and flawed, I now realize) ideal for amvs, but first let's restate this.

When putting effects in an amv you place them in the powerful sections of the song - in every powerful section of the song. And most songs have a lot of powerful sections so you have a lot of effects. And if you don't have effects your vid has 'nothing' and isn't good.

That's the message I get from this post, and it seems to be the common belief here. I didn't know that when I first watched amvs, or when I decided I wanted to make them. I thought the point was to get the most out of the anime - using the footage more than some added lightshow. I thought you emphasized the powerful sections of a song by using powerful scenes from the anime - not by having a complicated effects that make it hard to tell what you're even looking at. I watch effects vids these days and can't tell what's going on in more than half of them - others are so layered and filled that it's just a distraction from whatever story might have been in the original mix of clips.

I *do* watch the vids, and I've even enjoyed a few that were more than hard on the eyes from the multitude of effects. But of those I liked, the only one I've rewatched was one of the crossovers. The others may be impressive, and I'll burn them to cd in case I ever want to show someone how people can use effects to make the screen flash and twist in response to the music - but if the most important part of a vid is effects and not anime, I don't care. I won't rewatch it since I watch vids for the anime more than anything else.

Disclaimer: With that said, I know now that I'm wrong - so don't think I"m arguing with the way things are judged. I know the vids that are layered with effects are the best ones. I know no one considers a vid that doesn't have effects to be good. I know. ^_^ I'm not arguing, just pointing out my 'wrong' view on the subject. I'm not insulting vids that are 40% effect and 30% anime footage (the rest tends to be a thick mix of the two). I know they're great and pro works, and I'm not stepping on toes with my different but very wrong opinion.

Anyway, I'm more amazed by amvs that make the most of the original anime footage. If a dramatic part of the amv calls for flashy or powerful scene - I am impressed by the video that finds an appropriate scene from the anime used more than the one who creates some flashy lightshow. And yes, I mean for action as well - the music picks up and you need something more to match the rising drama - find a scene that will bring out that great emotion and I'll be much more enthralled then a sudden shower of effects that make it impossible to see whatever clips might be hiding beneath them. As far as I'm concerned, the best amvs make the most out of the anime they use - not out of the effects they replace the anime with.

I watch amvs for the anime and the music. If I can't see the anime I have no reason to watch the vid more than once. That makes me wrong, I realize, but it's still my view on the subject.

[Ashyukun]

There's no such thing as a 'wrong' opinion, Arigatomyna... that's why they're opinions. Everyone is entitled to theirs, no matter how much any of us may agree or disagree with them.

[Vlad G Pohnert]

My name is Nathan Bezner, and I use After Effects.

Hmmm.. that sound like those Mac commericals

Vlad

[dwchang]

There will always be people with differing tastes in videos. Some people will look at something like Glory of Love and yawn and look for something flashier, while others will see something like Stop the Rock and gag at the effects and look for something simpler. We all like different things and have different ideas- and it would be nice if we all got along.

You are all not different. Everyone *must* Glory of Love! If not, you are lame

RAWR! I Stopped the Rock (err...Lee did) :ducks:



This sarcastic post provided by...

[dwchang]

Err...almost forgot to make a post with substance. Well not really since I wholeheartedly agree with Ashyukun, Vlad and Nate.

AE or any effect is a tool used by the creator/editor to try and attain the vision they have in their head. Some people's visions are grandiose and require such visuals while others rely on the strength of the scene or flow. As they said, it's diff. editor to editor since all of us think differently and see things differently.

At the same time, you're entitled to like or dislike any video regardless of their choices, but they can still make those choices with their vision. And given, you obviously have good tastes .

Regardless, I still stand by my point that too many videos use FX to cover-up a lack of concept and it's becoming too apparent in just about 90% of the videos uploaded. So, again, to a degree I do agree with your point of view since I see it too. However, within the contest, I enjoyed almost every video. It was a very selective contest and almost every video was very well made.