Keep Getting Stranger

[vivafruit]

Stranger has been on my music playlists for years now, and I've never stopped loving the song. The message really resonates with me, and it's just extremely catchy and cool sounding. I knew it'd be a great fit for anime, since anime is filled with "strange" characters and transformations. This one took me a few months to finish - I had to take a break and come back. I'm glad I came back though! I'm rather fond of the final product, and hope everyone here enjoys this as well.

[Megamom]

The song is incredible. I liked the AMV, but I feel that there are moments in the music that you can use to change the dynamics of the edition (for example the bridge from 2:40 to 3:15) although, it is just a tip, in general I really enjoyed it

[Katranat]

I've watched this a few times now. Gotta say I'm now addicted to this song, it keeps popping up in my head throughout the day.

You really seem to have a talent for capturing some kind of magic with your videos. For once also, this one hooked me right from the start, or near enough! A video like this is often just random scenes to music, but somehow this is so much more than that. The only way I can think to describe it is you've put them together with many layers. There's a lot of care gone on so that each scene has a multi purpose.

Also, I find it interesting that in your YouTube description for this video, you mention your other recent video Clementine. From watching both they are obviously completely different videos, but thematically they seem to be quite similar (change/transformation).

[vivafruit]

The song is incredible. I liked the AMV, but I feel that there are moments in the music that you can use to change the dynamics of the edition (for example the bridge from 2:40 to 3:15) although, it is just a tip, in general I really enjoyed it

Hmm yeah I think I should have tried to mix up the video somehow during the bridge. Some sort of color filter or something would have been great. This is where I have to admit that my special effects game is sort of weak right now. Part of this is the editor I'm using, but part of it is also that I just need more experience. I'll be working on this in my next video. Glad you liked it anyway!

I've watched this a few times now. Gotta say I'm now addicted to this song, it keeps popping up in my head throughout the day.

You really seem to have a talent for capturing some kind of magic with your videos. For once also, this one hooked me right from the start, or near enough! A video like this is often just random scenes to music, but somehow this is so much more than that. The only way I can think to describe it is you've put them together with many layers. There's a lot of care gone on so that each scene has a multi purpose.

Also, I find it interesting that in your YouTube description for this video, you mention your other recent video Clementine. From watching both they are obviously completely different videos, but thematically they seem to be quite similar (change/transformation).

TY TY, you're too kind. I do spend a lot of time on clip selection. I really enjoy when a clip:
- Looks great on its own
- Syncs musically via "internal sync" as CrackTheSky puts it rather than just being cut to the beat
- Syncs lyrically
- Syncs with the overall "theme" of the video

Most videos usually settle for just 1-2 of these at a time, but I'm greedy and usually try to get all 4. The downside of this approach is that since I'm constantly syncing lyrics, I have to pick songs that have very simple, straightforward lyrics that a first time listener can understand. So my song selection is limited. You're right that both videos have strong "transformation" themes. I hadn't thought about that before. Anime just has so many amazing transformation scenes, and they work great as visual metaphors. So it's almost like a cheat code.

[CrackTheSky]

Sorry man, I didn't really care for this. A big part of it was the song, to be honest (I really, really don't like it, lol). I also wasn't really feeling the effect you did at e.g. 1:03 and other places...it didn't feel like it was well-integrated into the video as a whole, it seemed like you just kind of tacked it on. And, while I understand why you used FLCL as one of the anime, the fact that it's a different aspect ratio really makes it stick out like a sore thumb...mixing 4:3 and 16:9 footage like that without letterboxing the former or cropping the latter just never looks good imo.

That said, the editing was pretty good, and there are moments here and there that I do like despite my hangups; conceptually it's interesting as well, and I think you succeeded in exploring your theme. Continuing to look forward to whatever comes next!

[vivafruit]

Sorry man, I didn't really care for this. A big part of it was the song, to be honest (I really, really don't like it, lol). I also wasn't really feeling the effect you did at e.g. 1:03 and other places...it didn't feel like it was well-integrated into the video as a whole, it seemed like you just kind of tacked it on. And, while I understand why you used FLCL as one of the anime, the fact that it's a different aspect ratio really makes it stick out like a sore thumb...mixing 4:3 and 16:9 footage like that without letterboxing the former or cropping the latter just never looks good imo.

That said, the editing was pretty good, and there are moments here and there that I do like despite my hangups; conceptually it's interesting as well, and I think you succeeded in exploring your theme. Continuing to look forward to whatever comes next!

Ha, no worries. I've definitely been there, where I just can't stand the song and it doesn't really matter what the poor editor did. Duly noted on the awkward effects and mixing 4:3 and 16:9 - I've gotten away with it in my other stuff but I think it was particularly bad here since humans are a dominant part of it, and you can tell their proportions are all messed up. I might try letterboxing next time. Thanks for the comment.

[Megamom]

A big part of it was the song, to be honest (I really, really don't like it, lol).

[seasons]

One of these days I'm just going to rent a plane to fly a banner around that says FLCL IS NOT 16:9.

Other than that, this had much of the same appeal as "Divine Moments of Anime" in that I just found it so weirdly re-watchable in a way I rarely do even when it comes to AMVs that I admire much more on a technical level than this.

So many of these sources don't really have a lot in common and there's a bit of dissonance in the moment where one clip ends and another begins, but somehow the consistency of that kind of kind of establishes its own flow and sense of logic as this plays out.

I'm really into this.

[vivafruit]

Amazing, glad you liked it!

One of these days I'm just going to rent a plane to fly a banner around that says FLCL IS NOT 16:9.

LOL. Here's a shitty photoshop.