The reason we do it?

[Voices_Of_Ryan]

You know, i've seen alot of topic on here about perhaps why we're all here and etc.
But I'm wondering if anyone else thinks of amv's the way I do...
Why do you make amv's?

For simple hobby?

Myself personaly, I use them as an emotinal bandage... When you make one you can make the characters as happy or as depressed as you actually feel inside. And being able to do that draws me to it above other hobbies, just for the simple fact that you can use your own emotions to give other people a sense of joy/depression/overwhelming awe/anger.

But recently, I've been wondering why I'm even doing it, i'm not wondering because no one likes my videos or some pissy reason like that.

I'm wondering because not only is it emotionaly draining to do something like that everytime you make a video... You can't do it WITHOUT it...
Because quite simply, this is more of an art than a hobby to me..
Something you're drawn to do rather than something you so simply choose to do.

To me there are 2 forms of art, hobby and actual art...
While hobbies sometimes (and generaly) progress into art, most never take anything seriously enough to bother trying to turn it into art rather than a hobby (Picaso was out for more than a hobby, Beetoven, Paul Cezanne)...
Perhaps, because generally art is more draining on your time, emotions, life, relationships.

Do you consider yourself an artist, or just someone doing it for hobby?

[Orwell]

i would call it art for some, i think it depends on how much is going on in your life and how much you need to express in a form of art, but i have a question. where do people draw the motivation to do this? i gave it a shot, it was alright, but it was before i was really interested in anime or amvs. ive got plenty of ideas, i even have the stuff to make them, programs, source, a vague concept, i sit down to do it......and the small feeling of motivation just disappears. to really do it, i'd have to force myself, and then it would feel like the rest of the things in my life, completely empty and devoid of meaning or purpose so what would be the point.

[Otohiko]

My own standpoint on this...

If it's about self-expression, you know it's gonna suck. - R.F.

(sorry if that sounds offensive. Maybe I'm exaggarating, but it usually proves true in my case...)

I don't do it for self expression, or for popularity, or bandwagon...
It's something I generally do out of love and interest for the music. For one, I feel it fixes the lack of certain artists and music pieces in the database; for another, I feel it to be one of the best ways of active, reflective listening.

Suppose I'd say rather than self-expression, AMV's (for me) are music expressed in terms of anime through the filter of my personal experience/emotion/judgement. But I don't feel I'm creating anything - nor should I be naive enough to suppose that...

I guess I do it as art then, but there's no reason you can't mix art with hobby. It's a commitment to be fulfilled, but as any other, it's a commitment to be made by choice. I choose to make it at my convinience, or sometimes choose not to, also at my convinience.

What do I feel from making AMV's? 1) Disdain for the software and anguish over useless technical detail. 2) Satisfaction of picking music apart and placing it in visual context. 3) Pleasure/displeasure with the final result as having accomplished/not accomplished the creative commitment/goal (varies).

Emotionally, I don't feel it's any sort of drain on me. When it is, I stop. In terms of creative energy, it's certainly a big investment though. Again, emotion and experience is not, for me, the creative source, it's only a filter. I'm not, or at least feel I shouldn't be, any more emotional making AMV's (or engaged in other creative activity) than I am walking down the street on a quiet day, or having a cup of tea in the morning. When the filter gets clogged, I stop. The challenge, for me, is using this filter effectively and providing some personal context in the video, without making it the focus. When I strike that balance, I'm happy. (As I am, for instance, with my two more serious videos).

Or, sometimes, I just let things roam free and see what happens. (As it happens to be with my less-serious videos). Which is fun by itself I suppose.

***

So, in other words, I guess I see myself as a dabbling artist in AMV's. Not more, no less.

As for great artists, for me, they're artists who don't let emotions get in the way of higher powers more than neccesary - but do let them get in the way to the point of providing some personal context.

***

What the hell did I just say? Well, suppose it makes sense to me.

[SQ]

Hrm. By your definition of both art and hobby, I'm inclined to say both?

It started out as a hobby, progressed into an art, and now it's kind of an exercise, or a practice for a real life job with live-action.

[Muyo_Ryu]

This might sound crude to everyone, but in my opinion, you can describe making AMV pretty much like when one is making love. It can be iether crude, raw, just for the pleasure of doing something, or it can also be passionate, indepth.

I agree with Voices_Of_Ryan, sometimes AMV making can relief you off your emotions, or even drain you out of them. This explains some music videos which make us cry, which make us feel the passion of the artist.

On the other hand, Otohiko also has a point, since some make music videos just for the fun of it, to see that particular anime along with that particular song.

Of course, both cases take thier equal ammount of skill, even though one does have a passion and feels in synthony with music and anime he uses, you still need the skill to make the anime.

All in all, you both have a point ... umm .. i guess =^.^='

[SQ]

That making love statement was crude but true.

[JCD]

Fun and entertaiment mostly with a few exceptions

[tuathaanwarrior]

As someone who is just starting to get into it, i do it because i saw some and was amazed by them. Ive been into anime for 4-5 years but never discovered amvs till this year prolly. I was somewhat struck by both the content and meaning i could see in the videos, and by the actual work i imagined went into editting them.

After my two week local download ban was over, i started downloading the top ten percent videos and became more and more drawn into the whole concept of amv's. finally, i decided to see if could imitate what i had seen and enjoyed so much.

I guess all of this means that i do it as a hobby right now because of my inexperience. However, for the creators of the better videos i have seen, i think it is definitely an art.

[)v(ajin Koji]

Apart from my last three AMVs they were all done as a hobby. The last three were to drain my of emotion, even Adrenaline Love.

[OtakuMegane]

I have small reasons, like it's cool getting them shown at cons and stuff. The main reason is simply to see what I can create. My most recent video was intended entirely as a junk one, just to see how many explosions I could fit into 4 minutes. It actually evolved some semblance of a story line and decent flow, while keeping a crapload of the explosions(still need to count them up sometime).

Anyway. It's like my main reason for doing martial arts. Just to see what I can accomplish, really. And to show off once in a while.