First off, I'd like to say that I think there are a lot of false lines being drawn here.
The big one being between intellectual conversation and fun. I'd like to say that I personally enjoy intellectual discussion of videos and that for me it's not a chore. Perhaps it's a type of work, but some of like to work at what we love.
Edward Dmytryk wrote:Rule 1: Never make a cut without a positive reason.
Rule 2: When undecided about the exact frame to cut on, cut long rather than short.
Rule 3: Whenever possible cut 'in movement'.
Rule 4: The 'fresh' is preferable to the 'stale'.
Rule 5: All scenes should begin and end with continuing action.
Rule 6: Cut for proper values rather than proper 'matches'.
Rule 7: Substance first—then form
Many people have been responding to this saying that AMVs are different than film or that rules shouldn't be imposed on art. I think that both of these comments are correct. However, these rules are not being enforced, they are merely guides or starting points from which art can be built (perhaps you can see them in the vein of the classic artistic advice, "learn how to follow the rules and then break them").
Furthermore, since AMVs are different than narrative film, perhaps it is worth re-evaluating what the differences are and what guidelines might apply. I contend that every artist here follows the guidelines of his or her past experiences, so why not learn from others who have gone before you as well and written rules to express their experiences?
Looking over these rules, rule 1 is virtually nullified by the fact that there is almost always a reason to cut when you're trying to follow a song. I think this makes rule 2 actually apply in reverse to AMVs: Unless you have a good reason which makes you decisive about when to not cut with a change in the song, you probably should. Rule 3 usually does apply and may be a good guideline for some people starting out. Rule 4 is open to interpretation as to what is fresh and stale; so I'll skip it. Rule 5 is similar to rule 3, especially considering that AMVs don't usually have scenes so much as shots. Now Rule 6 and 7 get tricky.
Rule 6 - I think this rule is inappropriate for AMVs. I'm not saying cut for matches over values. Instead, I believe in the case of an AMV that proper matching is the basis for value. I can imagine cases where the original rule should be followed in more avant-garde AMVs. But in general, as we are taking someone else's work and changing it, we cannot adhere to the value natural to the work. Thus, the value of the scene is changed through juxtapositions and matches with the song.
Rule 7 - This relates to what I was just referring to, although I actually disagree with this in film as well. I think a second line is being drawn between form and substance; however, they are inseparable. Form both expresses and creates substance. Take for example AbsoluteDestiny's
Shameless Rock Video. It's psychedelic effects are not only the best "container" for its message -- they are its message (or at least part of it).
So, perhaps AMVs are often too concerned with "simple" form -- just cutting on every beat. But I do not believe they are too concerned with form in general. Instead, I think AMVs should endeavor to uncover and employ the connection between meaning and aesthetics, not put one on a pedestal. As others have mentioned, I also do not believe storytelling is the only expression of meaning. Storytelling is not essential in AMVs. AMVs may be like a trailer intending to create mystery and interest (not necessarily with any kind of storytelling, ), like an experimental film trying out novel ways to connect image to sound, a joke, or like an MTV music video expressing a lifestyle and letting the world get to know the band/artist (in anime, usually a character). One of my favorite AMVs is Nostromo's
Magic Pad which has no story.
servo101010 wrote:It's up to us to evolve the medium.
And I think we are. AMVs have come a long way. AMVs have evolved to a far greater extent than feature film has in the last decade and despite many of the more experienced AMV creators expressing morbid views towards the current trends and status of AMVs, I think AMVs are doing well and the future looks bright. People often say that there's nothing left to innovate in AMVs, but AMVs are not about complete innovation. They are about recombining pre-existing art to create something that connects with an audience, and there will always be new options for that.
That said, I'm going to end by agreeing with trythil that there are certain things holding AMVs back besides (and more importantly than) the artistic level of AMVs. Namely, illegality and what I'll deem the weakest link proposal: AMVs popularity appears restricted to its constituent parts -- AMVs are never even as popular as the least popular of the music and anime that they are created from. This is because AMVs are discovered almost entirely by people who are already fans of a song/anime. Some fans of AMVs in general will watch a video to a song/anime they are not already a fan of, but they almost always became a fan of AMVs by already being an anime fan. Any other slight crossover popularity is many times overcome by the fact that not every fan of a song/anime will like even a well-done AMV to that song/anime. There is little crossover potential not only because anime carries a heavy stigma (aren't cartoons for kids?), but also because there is little critical appreciation or media exposure to AMVs. This in turn relates back to their illegality. Obviously, I have no study to back this up, but this is what I've observed and inferred. So AMVs current gradual popularity increase seems predicated on the rise in popularity of anime worldwide. Any dramatic increase would need to overcome the legality issues or find a way to reach a new audience that can be easily distributed to (find a way to crossover into the gaming audience more perhaps?). Now, I'm sure this post is probably getting too long so I'll stop typing.
