Repeated clip scenes: They're Just Lame(tm)

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 2:24 pm

It's an interesting effect when an AMV author decides to insert a 3 instances of a clip into a scene consecutively. Even more if they're properly timed or regressed (each clip is a little bit forward).

It also seems there is a tendency to overdo this.

Isn't it just lame when clips over half a second are used consecutively? And what do you think is the limit on using this principle? Only once per video? Only on action vids?

Well, at least it's better than certain LBZ vids. After all, you can't be more wrong than to repeat an entire scene later in the AMV in the same part of the song.

Kai Stromler · Post by **Kai Stromler** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 3:01 pm

There's two 'ok' ways to do this. The first is when the clip is 'loopable'; that is, you really have to buckle down to see that the cut is being repeated. I've run as many as five (maybe six for still scenes) of these together. With more than a second's worth of animation, though, things get dicey.

The second way is to use crossfades to produce a really cheap 'delay' effect; three copies of the clip joined by two crossfades so that the time consumed is equal to twice the length of the base clip. This only really works when you've got just one moving element against a static background, like a scarf falling past a robot's face. I probably use it too much for my own good.

Looping you can do as much as you want, wherever you want, as long as it works. The whole point is so that viewers don't notice the scene's been repeated. Fade-delay gets old if done more than once per video, or with more than three clips. However, this, too isn't limited to one genre or another.

--K

turboneko · Post by **turboneko** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 3:03 pm

I am not sure that I understand correctly what you mean, but usually repeated scenes annoy me in an AMV.

However everything depends on the concept: there may be the case where intentional repetition of the same clip is necessary to the video from a structural point of view (green light from me to that).

But seriously thinking, if a scene is used more than once it's usually because either the editor ran out of footage or he doesn't know what he's doing

Talking about the same clip consecutively repeated trying to get some cool effect... well, I dunno. Depending on the music it might actually work, but my feeling is that if used more than once (or twice) it will get old very fast. But I think that this applies to any type of effect you put in a video: if it's just pointless it will make you "Hey! Why he's repeating the same stuff over and over?!?"

So my suggestion would be: concentrate yourself on a solid concept and screw the effects.

OR

Concentrate yourself on the effects only if they are needed by your (solid) concept.

But please do not throw the effects in just trying to make your video look "cooler" because it won't, trust me.

Making a video with random scenes is pointless. Making a video with a bunch of effects slapped together for the sake of it is just as pointless.

</end rant mode>

My .02$ in...

turboneko · Post by **turboneko** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 3:07 pm

myself wrote: So my suggestion would be: concentrate yourself on a solid concept and screw the effects.

OR

Concentrate yourself on the effects only if they are needed by your (solid) concept.

But please do not throw the effects in just trying to make your video look "cooler" because it won't, trust me.

Making a video with random scenes is pointless. Making a video with a bunch of effects slapped together for the sake of it is just as pointless.

Obviously my rant is not directed to you, but it's a general rant about effects misuse... my english has still a lot of room for improvement

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 6:15 pm

Yeah, I've done that. ~_~ Quite frankly I was still new to editing (still am for that matter), and it honestly *wasn't* the same scene. The anime simply repeated the same move 4 times in the match (tennis), and since I was capping that match, I used the first 2 moves, and a part of the last finishing move. I didn't think about it being 'reapeated scenes' until later, and I wouldn't make the same mistake again. But it wasn't the same clips, and each time it was used had different consequences. I won't try to defend it, though.

I dislike repeated scenes, but usually it only bothers me in something like a multi-anime vid, or an amv where I *know* they had more footage to work with while still focusing on whatever they're making the vid about. And there are times when you make a longer vid where a small seemingly simple scene may have a lot of importance, so I won't mind if they take a later glimpse back at it - I've done this as well (though I didn't use the same clips - it was a different pan on the scene). Either way I think it depends on what the video is, what the scene is, and how the repeated use of that scene plays into the entire video. With pure random action there's no sense in it - it isn't random if you go back to the same scene. With drama it can be very important (depending on the scene).

Then again, I dislike the use of the same scene in multiple amvs that have the same theme *using* that same scene... And there's really no help for that since people have a right to make videos using whatever they like, even if it's been used repeatedly before. ...but there's a limit to the number of times this viewer can watch that same Goku/Vegeta fight, or the same scene of Kenshin killing his wife. It just gets old fast. I don't think there's a solution for it, though - just note who uses repeated scenes and don't watch those vids. Then you'll be happier, right?

BishounenStalker · Post by **BishounenStalker** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 7:45 pm

Or unless the same clip has some kind of effect used on it. Using the same clip twice in a row but applying a horizontal flip to second instance can be VERY effective, especially for dance videos.

Org Profile · Post by **VicBond007** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 8:47 pm

You're allowed to break any rules there are, so long as you understand why they exist.

NME · Post by **NME** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 8:48 pm

Obviously some people don't understand some of the rules all that well

coughinsertnameherecough

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 9:34 pm

I'm not referring exclusively to recycled footage too... it's interesting how people use or misuse the classic "double-take" scene in AMVs. If it's a fraction of a second scene and you have 3 quick beats in your timing reference, you have a choice of either putting in...

The same clip...

The same clip, regressed, inverted or changed in the second or third instance

3 seperate clips with similar scene classes (can be from different anime) and motion vectors.

Anything else, well, isn't as effective?

NME · Post by **NME** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 9:36 pm

Just shut up.

Oh god you're annoying retarded and you make me want to lash out and kill something ALL at the same time.

Seriously, just die.