Help with a School Project!

[Tinkerlina]

Hi Everyone,
I am an anime fan who is doing a fieldwork project for an Anthropology class on the folklore of anime fandom. I am hoping to gather a lot of information on AMVs and the people who make them. If anyone is willing to answer the following questions, I would greatly appreciate it! FYI, the Project will be archived in a Folklore Compendium in the Niagara (NY) region so if there is anything specific you don't really want to be part of that, keep that in mind (although if for some unlikely reason someone ever wanted to use this paper in the future, I would be notified first and would, in turn, notify anyone who responds to this). Please give as much information as possible in your answers! Feel free to add anything else you think is relevant! And Thank You! You can post responses here, or email me at Lovelynanaochan@gmail.com

On to my questions!

1) What got you started in making AMVs? How did you hear about them?
2) Why do you think you enjoy making them?
3) Do you use any particular Animes frequently in the AMVs you make?
4) What kind of music?
5) What themes do you like to base your AMVs on?
6) Are there any “inside jokes” (or even stories) that only AMV makers would understand?
7) Do you use any certain word(s) to describe yourself as a person who creates AMVs?
8) Do you write Fanfiction or do any other kind of Fanart?

OPTIONAL (I totally understand if you are not comfortable providing the following information, it would be helpful if it is something you are OK with telling me but the first eight questions are the most crucial part of the project)!
First Name:
Age:
Location:

Thank You So Much!
Katie

[Vivaldi]

1) Word of mouth, my brother came home from collage one time, and said "hey, look at this" and pulled up an amv on you-tube. I was very intrigued, especially since it introduced me to all kinds of music I'd never heard before. (Before this I was never interested music very much)

2) Just being able to create something. I know for me it isn't necessarily the act of editing itself, but stepping back, playing the amv, and watching it all come together. I edit for the final result.

3) When I first started, I would use the same anime again and again. I saw amvs as a way to showcase the anime. Essentially "favorite anime + favorite music". Later on, I started to see amvs as an art form, worth making in their own right. Since then, I find anime to suit the idea, not the other way around. Going so far as to watch whole new series that I think I need.

4) Amvs have massively broadened my musical horizons. There is now no type of type of music I won't use if I think it fits the idea. (Though listening to music often brings genesis to the ideas themselves.)

5) I've tended to use themes of conflict or tragedy most often, in part because I find it hard to capture the subtleties needed for romance or sentimentalism, and I enjoy that gene. That said, I enjoy other genres very much, and recently have made several amvs with a more uplifting tone.

6) Probably yes

7) I just refer to myself as an editor.

8) I enjoy writing, but I don't do fanfiction. I'm learning art because I admire the ability.

First Name:
Age: 16
Location: American midsouth

[JudgeHolden]

As an Anthropologist I find this an odd way to go about your research.

[Nya-chan Production]

1) What got you started in making AMVs? How did you hear about them?

I first heard about AMVs some time about I started watching anime, it just comes hand in hand and you can either accept or deny that. Don't know precisely why or what started me (bets on it being Euphoria, though), but I just created a piece, which was very bad (bad PC at the time and not knowing enough). I restarted making AMVs later on, last year, because of one Con AMV competition.

2) Why do you think you enjoy making them?

I enjoy making something new from sources that have been made for some other purpose, while giving them something from me, my personal touch (which is also why I usually refuse to add very heavy effects and 3D).
Also, I love both anime and music, so it's easy for me to work with both.

3) Do you use any particular Animes frequently in the AMVs you make?

Because my PC isn't still top-notch piece of hardware, I tend to use shorter pieces, particularly Makoto Shinkai's work, as those are movies. Also I often work with only an episode or two. There aren't any anime I "totally" prefer, though, it's just about matching the song.

4) What kind of music?

I prefer slow and romantic one, without the US women singers school (those I tend to dislike). I also like to use Japanese music. On the other hand, I like to challenge myself, so I often ask people to give me something faster (which I edit slowly nevertheless, so there).

5) What themes do you like to base your AMVs on?

Originality, definitely originality. Originality for me is like 70% of the rating and I like to being original, be it in the story, the effects or just using new songs with unused anime.
Romance is fine too, and I like to do M@D style pieces.

6) Are there any “inside jokes” (or even stories) that only AMV makers would understand?

I think that the whole "Hot White What", as a parody for notoriously famous koopiskeva's AMVs, would be understandable only for someone who has seen those. Anything other I am involved in... I'd say the IRC myth of #AMV channel being a gay place is pretty much supported by me... and godix for Most Helpful, of course... and then there are neverending Multi Editor Projects (like Gateway) and lots of memes from somewhere which appear and then are forgotten (or not).
If we talk about my vids only, then I suppose it's less, mainly because I try to make my vids watchable by wide community. Sometimes I rely on the fact, that I know the source anime, too much, though.

7) Do you use any certain word(s) to describe yourself as a person who creates AMVs?

Well, it was not my word originally (thanks for it to grandbahamut) but people tend to describe my work as "Mellow". I also like to add "Original", though how I succeed... that's not much for me to decide. If it's my original work, then it often gets "Romantic" as well, even though I might not seem so.
As a person... "Nitpicking", "Slow", "Fast" (slow on starting, fast on creating), etc. Don't really know much, never described myself.

Though, when I think about that... as I have on my profile...

~ Shy ~ Purple hair lover ~ Iconist ~ Banner maker ~ Stupid romantic that often gets hurt ~

Though I should probably replace Iconist for AMV maker...

8) Do you write Fanfiction or do any other kind of Fanart?

I have never written a fanfiction, but I like to draw a fanart here and there, mainly to Mahou Sensei Negima or of Hinata from Naruto (however weird that is).
I also like to make graphics, as Org's banners or original works, but don't know how much that counts...

Age: 22
Location: Děčín, The Czech Republic

No problem,
Nya-chan Production

[godix]

As an Anthropologist I find this an odd way to go about your research.

It really isn't any different than this was. Although I question the validity of any study who's sample is self selected rather than a random sampling.



1) What got you started in making AMVs? How did you hear about them?

Boredom. Saw them at an anime con

2) Why do you think you enjoy making them?

To torment others mostly. I'm not joking, that actually is my motive more often than not.

3) Do you use any particular Animes frequently in the AMVs you make?

Not particularly although for some weird reason I do tend to fall back on Kare Kano. I don't know why. Probably because it's one of the few series I own and actually know where the DVDs are.

4) What kind of music?

Whatever suits my end purpose in the video. I usually choose an overall theme for the video then look for music that matches that.

5) What themes do you like to base your AMVs on?

Insulting or annoying people. Again, I am not joking.

6) Are there any “inside jokes” (or even stories) that only AMV makers would understand?

Sometimes. I've targeted specific creators or specific styles of videos which only AMV people would really get I guess.

7) Do you use any certain word(s) to describe yourself as a person who creates AMVs?

Cheap comedy. Asshole. Lazy.

8) Do you write Fanfiction or do any other kind of Fanart?

No

First Name: Not answering
Age: 35
Location: Illinois

[JudgeHolden]

A study on new forms of creative expression and communication using digital technologies and an Anthropological study are two different things entirely. Anthropology is the study of human culture, therefore an Anthropological study of AMVs would involve studying the culture of AMV creators (our sub-culture). The above survey is a tool for a sociologist collecting raw data. An anthropological approach would involve studying how we interact, how our culture works. Honestly, reading these forums, doing in-depth case studies of individual editors, attending AMV creator gatherings (Cons), would be far more effective. A survey, or sampling , is an ineffective way of studying a culture. It's like handing a survey to a bunch of Lolita's in Tokyo, and thinking that said survey would tell you about Lolita culture. The only way to understand Japanese Lolita culture is to follow the group, or as many Anthropologists would do, become part of Lolita culture for the duration of the study (which is far more complex it may sound). The only reason I am making an issue out of this is the simple fact that she wants it published. If it where just a simple paper for a class, then it wouldn't matter so much; however, once you talk about publishing the bar / standards on your research are raised.

Just my 2 cents on the matter.
JH

[Garridy]

I agree with Judgeholden completely.

[Bauzi]

1) What got you started in making AMVs? How did you hear about them?
It was when I discovered anime. I started with some random dbz manga from a friend and got into it quite fast. After reading the manga I wanted to check out the anime. My only possibility was to check out the internet for random clips and stuff. That´s where I crossed amvs for the first time. Me and my friend collected them and decided to start to edit too.

2) Why do you think you enjoy making them?
It´s a damn good way to express & challenge yourself. You express yourself and the ideas you have. It´s often bassicaly about mixing two things I love (music and animes).

3) Do you use any particular Animes frequently in the AMVs you make?
Yeah there are some anime that I use more frequently. I have most of them on dvds. If I have to name one in particular: I think my most used anime are NGE movies now, because you can use the scenes for a lot of things. At the beginning it was Hellsing and DBZ.

4) What kind of music?
... I´m used to take dark and raw (industrial oriented) music. However I have ideas with a lot of musical styles.

5) What themes do you like to base your AMVs on?
Character profiles. Action videos. Horror/Atmosphere vids and creepy ones. I tend to visualize "dark stuff". I´m a quite happy person, but that´s somehow the stuff that I like to create the most.

6) Are there any “inside jokes” (or even stories) that only AMV makers would understand?
... I can´t think of one right now.

7) Do you use any certain word(s) to describe yourself as a person who creates AMVs?
The wired jester, but in the end it wouldn´t fully describe myself.

8) Do you write Fanfiction or do any other kind of Fanart?
I would love to have time for Fanfics.

First Name: ...
Age: 21
Location: Austria

[The Origonal Head Hunter]

1) What got you started in making AMVs? How did you hear about them?
Stumbled onto the org at random, downloaded a few and liked it. Got started making a few years later when I thought "hey, I can do this too!"

2) Why do you think you enjoy making them?
I like to see it all coming together from the idea in my head to a finished product.

3) Do you use any particular Animes frequently in the AMVs you make?
I use what I've got and only series I knew very well, so I don't have to go randomly searching for clips.

4) What kind of music?
Whatever fits my idea.

5) What themes do you like to base your AMVs on?
Suicide and other tragedies that have a silver-lining.

6) Are there any “inside jokes” (or even stories) that only AMV makers would understand?
More than likely.

7) Do you use any certain word(s) to describe yourself as a person who creates AMVs?
Just editor.

8) Do you write Fanfiction or do any other kind of Fanart?
I did when I was 10.


First Name: Will
Age: 18
Location: Texas

[Kevmaster]

1) What got you started in making AMVs? How did you hear about them?

I randomly found amv's when I was searching for random dragonball z clips on lycos.de (similiar to google, but is able to find audio and video files). That was my first contact with them, I started them myself...simply because it seemed cool.

2) Why do you think you enjoy making them?

I can be creative and edit what I personally want to see.

3) Do you use any particular Animes frequently in the AMVs you make?

No. There are some animes I enjoy editing with most, but I change the sources I edit with rather often. In the beginning I frequently used dragonball though (duh).

4) What kind of music?

Any. I have a very wide taste in case of music. I'm not one to reject any music just because its from a certain genre. My latest release actually featured a black metal song.

5) What themes do you like to base your AMVs on?

Action, Despair, Depressing, Gothic...hell I dunno, whatever suits the song.

6) Are there any “inside jokes” (or even stories) that only AMV makers would understand?

Oh yes, most definitely. Though these aren't necessarily jokes that involve any editor, most are still clueless.

7) Do you use any certain word(s) to describe yourself as a person who creates AMVs?

Editor?

8) Do you write Fanfiction or do any other kind of Fanart?

No. I prefer having my sources and animes the way the author intended.

OPTIONAL (I totally understand if you are not comfortable providing the following information, it would be helpful if it is something you are OK with telling me but the first eight questions are the most crucial part of the project)!
First Name:
Age:
Location: Germany