Your AMV Creation Process

DTJB · Post by **DTJB** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:29 pm

I've been working on my fourth video for about two months now, and a simple thought came to me. Obviously, we all have our own methods to making an AMV. Some are really good and some are pretty rotten. And I was wondering how everyone here makes their AMVs. Do you plan out everything before you start editing, or do you just take random clips and random songs, hoping that something worthwhile will be made?

My process goes as follows. After I decide what anime and song goes well together, I usually watch the entire anime from start to finish. If it's a short series, I usually watch it like I would if I weren't making an AMV. If it's a long series, I usually fast forward through the series, looking for a scene that catches my eye. When I see a scene I think would work, I jot a description of the scene down in a notebook (all scenes are grouped by episode). When I've finished watching the series, I listen to the song I want to use and check my list of scenes, picking a scene that I think fits with whatever part of the song I'm at (or cheaply looking for filler scenes if I can't think of anything good to use

). This part is always the hardest, especially if I have made way too many choices. Once I am satisfied with my selections (or I've given up on trying to make my scene selections make sense

), then I do my editing.

Please share your steps in how you make an AMV. You might just give us some good ideas.

Zarxrax · Post by **Zarxrax** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 5:01 pm

Planning it out is definately the most important part. I hate it though so I often try to skip that part. But trust me, planning it out is worth it.
Usually I just listen to the song until I see something in my head. Once I've "seen" what I want to do, then I just sit down and try to make it. What I actually make is very rarely exactly like, or even close to what I see in my head, but when you have something definate that you are working towards, thats the main thing.

Beowulf · Post by **Beowulf** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 6:52 pm

I usually throw a bunch of clips down that fit the mood and the few basic guidelines I've set for the video. Once the timeline is complete I'll go review it and either change the concept to fit what is present, or change what is present to fit the concept.

After that, there is the technical tweakings, and then release.

Zero · Post by **Zero** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 7:29 pm

Mine is rather simple, but lengthy and time consuming. Get an idea then listen to the music over and over again. Then I start chosing a source or howmany I ever need to complete the project. I start watching the anime or clips of it and keep the tune in my mind. From there, if I see that a paticluar scene fits, I write the time, episode and anime on note cards. From there comes a batch capture based on the note cards and a general cut together. Slap in some flowing effects, transitions and clean up, then watch it ten or so times. After sitting on it for a while, go back and change what I don't like to something better.

Of course, I've never published an AMV...yet.

-Zero

bum · Post by **bum** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 7:33 pm

Find and download a good, relatively unknown amv. Edit out any credits to the editor and add my own. Upload amv as mine.

Coffee 54 · Post by **Coffee 54** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 8:49 pm

bum wrote:Find and download a good, relatively unknown amv. Edit out any credits to the editor and add my own. Upload amv as mine.

I do the exact same thing. However, to make sure I get ones I'll really like, I only take from my alternative person Coffee 64.

DrngdKreationz · Post by **DrngdKreationz** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 9:43 pm

Mine is pretty robust.
once a song is selected, the way I want it to look starts falling into place in my head,
which leads to story boarding sketching out on paper what I want certain parts of the song to look like. they usually look like complete ass. parts that aren't anywhere as nearly heavily edited just get written down by mood. or if a specific scene hit I'll write it down.

after i have at least 50% of the video jotted down in one way shape or form I start ripping the dvd's and preprocessing the footage.

during the ripping phase I usually start creating the custom areas of the video and start with rough sketches on the PC.

once ripping is complete then i break the video down by time slots or "which part i feel like working on today" and start laying down the footage in premiere without even bothering with things like action synch.. well here i usually down even have the audio laid out yet. .. once i have the clips laid out I export the cluster of clips into a huffy file, and import that huffy in AE where it gets processed again to have the customized segment integrated into the video as well as most action synch. (this is where any photoshop/still frame work gets done as well)

repeat this process until most of the "segments" are completed.

lay out audio in timeline.

start exporting low quality divx files into timeline of premiere and see how the flow goes and where I could make things better. (also note down any major action synch issues I didn't see in AE and note them down. in amount +/- Xnumber of frames

correct the issues

re-export low-qual

repeat until satisfied

final exports

post processing in vdub.

inthesto · Post by **inthesto** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 9:43 pm

1. Drop acid.

That's usually about as far as I get.

godix · Post by **godix** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:07 pm

I steal other peoples styles. Then I throw a few pointless special effects in it to hide the fact I stole other peoples styles. Then I wonder why my videos get 1/10th the hits of the people whos styles I stole.

Pyle · Post by **Pyle** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:09 pm

1. Pray to the demon god.

It usually stops around that point. All his previous efforts gave me the shit in my profile.