Instrumental Anime Project

[Otohiko]

Just looked at pen-pen's - I like the idea, and I won't judge you on sync since you say there is none. The footage is very good.

Mood-wise, the general source choice is pretty good, but I'd like to see if you can capitalize on some contrasts more as the music goes on. It's just that, there's some places where it's fairly dark and bleak, and places where it's really colorful and vivid - see if you can use those contrasts to a better effect.

Just a suggestion.

Will see if I get around to more; I'm looking at the songs right now. So far, there's a lot of good stuff, but most of it is sort of out of my sphere right now as far as editing. Classical doesn't really give me that urge to go out and edit it.

Out of the stuff that does go in better, Hendrix is the obvious one, but the bmg tracks sound right up my alley too. Though I don't think I have any workable footage for that at the moment, either...

[Otohiko]

And, wow, DWP - that was excellent!

The sync was just right, and I'm impressed with the precision of the cuts. The moods I shouldn't even comment on, since, really, this is as good as it gets for soloing classical instruments. And it really picks up towards the end (mood wise, the editing is really consistent throughout, which is a plus).

Great start here then. I'll try to write an op, but I need to see it more, and I'm likely to be a bit short on time in the next couple of days. But this definitely gets my recommendation!

[Otohiko]

Alright, coupla things:

-I just uploaded the 'final render' version of 'The Wasteland' there. It's still just XviD, but the few extra megs helped out the quality a bit if you ask me. The effects are smoother, but not really better or anything.

-Checking out third stone: hmm... yep, overlays or filters, or some other quirks are definitely neccesary. Throughout the vid, even if mood- or sometimes movement-wise it works out, I can't help but see large swaths of largely untouched footage going through. Even if it's pretty fun to sit there and see how the music DOES work with this, I don't think it'll end up being interesting enough without the said 'quirks'.... So, my prescription (as always, it seems...) is more editing.

[downwithpants]

thanks guys. im a bit busy (by which i mean screwed) with homework for now, but i'll try to look at your videos later this week.

[rose4emily]

Well, then, there's at least some consensus on what I should do to the "Thrid Stone" video. I also am interested in knowing if anyone thinks it might be a good idea to put in subs to restore Naota's "nothing interesting happens here" speech and Hendrix's "...but your people I do not understand - so to you I shall put an end..." lyrics. The last half of the first two minutes is just there as filler until I think of something better, but I'd like to keep the first part and use it for that intro bit.

I also think I should do something about the scene where Haruko and Naota are both on her speeding Vespa, where it zooms out to show the cliff. That cut seems to kill a bit of the buildup on that part of the song.

I just moved "The Wasteland" and "Tomoe in the Moonlight" to the Finished folder in the Outbox, and set global read permissions on both of those, if anyone is interested.

Otohiko - since you have an interest in the Hendrix stuff, I'll put up the rest of the album so you can check it out.

I think for final distribution it'd make sense to break this thing up into sections for Local download, but to also offer a full-length version through Direct download. I tested using my machine to provide Direct downloads of some of my other videos, and it seems to be working pretty smoothly, so that might be the best way to avoid trying to make a 100MB 60min video.

[Otohiko]

Well, then, there's at least some consensus on what I should do to the "Thrid Stone" video. I also am interested in knowing if anyone thinks it might be a good idea to put in subs to restore Naota's "nothing interesting happens here" speech and Hendrix's "...but your people I do not understand - so to you I shall put an end..." lyrics. The last half of the first two minutes is just there as filler until I think of something better, but I'd like to keep the first part and use it for that intro bit.

I don't know if it's possible, but you could try to mess around with the actual audio and try and cut down the length a bit - and get rid of the parts which either drag on or don't translate too well visually.

As for the subs - I wouldn't suggest subs - I'd try something like titles or another sort of cool-looking, more centred text. Subs, 1) just don't look as good 2) might throw off some people and make them think this is an editing error rather than an added effect. So I'd try something fancier-looking.

Otohiko - since you have an interest in the Hendrix stuff, I'll put up the rest of the album so you can check it out.

Thanks. One thing that definitely caught my attention, too, is zeppelin's Kashmir. The eastern vibes and the pumping rhythm do have a certain ring to it... and I think they'd work well with Spriggan, which I have handy right here. I'll think more, and actually try to go for it, but my concern right now is, if I do try it, not to turn it into just another macho Spriggan action video...

A lot of the classical stuff (for instance, Wagner, Beethoven and some of Bach's pieces in the list) I would really like to see done, but I don't think I'm the man for that job...

I think for final distribution it'd make sense to break this thing up into sections for Local download, but to also offer a full-length version through Direct download. I tested using my machine to provide Direct downloads of some of my other videos, and it seems to be working pretty smoothly, so that might be the best way to avoid trying to make a 100MB 60min video.

That sounds like a plan. I'd definitely split this up for local, both for maximising quality concerns, and also for maybe even convinience - I mean, people might just be interested more in certain tracks, and less so in others... might as well try and accommodate them a bit.

thanks guys. im a bit busy (by which i mean screwed) with homework for now, but i'll try to look at your videos later this week.

*sigh* you and me both pal, you and me both

Despite my supposed editing comeback, I haven't touched premiere for a week already, and won't get the chance until the weekend at the earliest...

[pen-pen2002]

Well I've finished laying out the first section and I think I've done a decent job of building tension but I really need some feedback to see if I'm going in the right direction. Tell me if you think it's coming along well or if I need a new concept. All I know is that I've done an Excellent job of conserving my precious footage.

Seeing Caldwell's video was a bit of a letdown. Here I thought I had an anime that practically no one had seen, and a pretty unique song as well. Wrong on both counts (stupidly I didn't look it up I just assumed because the person I borrowed the DVD from told me to be extra careful since he had trouble finding it.) The song is incredibly well used for a instrumental piece, the anime has been used a fair amount and everyone's going to see my video and say "Hmmm that was a lot like Phantom... Only worse." Because I will be using pretty much all the same scenes (It's a VERY short movie.) Bummer.

Rose4Emily - I also think that more editing would be helpful. It's a paradox of sorts. The longer a video is, the harder it is to keep a high level of editing and micromanagement. Unfortunately, the longer a video is, the more important such things become. I'm not saying you have to go overboard with effects but it would be helpful if there were a few more, overlays would also be helpful. Make sure you have some good syncing so the viewer doesn't feel lost. If you are going to have long scenes make sure you have good internal synch, don't just plop in on the timeline cut it up into a bunch of different sections at key points then mess with the speed of each (within reason) until the action matches the music. Don't mean to sound preachy here, that's just my advice.

Downwithpants - I can't really rave about your video enough. It was just amazing. Usually I can be real picky about little things in a video but yours was incredibly polished. I'll give it a full review if you would like as soon as I figure out what I'm doing with my end of the project. Great job!

I think they'd work well with Spriggan, which I have handy right here. I'll think more, and actually try to go for it, but my concern right now is, if I do try it, not to turn it into just another macho Spriggan action video...

Spriggan? Macho? I don't know what your talking about *puts on muscle suit*

[Otohiko]

Hehe, don't worry, just finish the video and see how it stands - I won't be holding it in comparison with anything. I'm more interested in the video itself.

Spriggan? Macho? I don't know what your talking about *puts on muscle suit*

Still, it is kinda like that music. An aggressive bit of action, but with a good deal of eastern overtones. I'd need to see the movie again though just to figure out whether I can squeeze anything but non-stop action out of it.

[rose4emily]

Pen-Pen: I just moved your latest WIP to the Outbox, set permissions to read, and labeled it "v1.0", with the preview being "v0.0". I wouldn't worry about the Caldwell thing too much. Your video definately has some strong points already (esp. the scene with the flashing control panel) and, no matter how "well-used" the Requiem theme is for an instrumental piece, it's definately not been beaten to death yet. On a related note, my Anime Club president thought it'd be funny to show nine or so "In the End" videos on our April 1st meeting - three to DBZ, one that was too badly encoded to recognize, a couple to game footage, and three to geometric screen-savers. I would have much rather seen nine "Requiem" videos.

Otohiko: "Macho action video" might actually be a real surprise in an instrumental collection. I'm not sure why, but most of the world thinks that "heavy" is synonymous with angry white kids belting out unintelligable lyrics over indistinct guitar riffs. Go on and dispell the myth. Also - if you like the "eastern" flair, you might want to take a listen to the Bach pieces performed by Lara St.John. She normally does straight classical interperetations, but the ones I put up were from her album "Re: Bach", which had a strong Indian and electronica influence. Not trying to dump everything on you, though...

DownWithPants: Once again, very nice work. I wasn't able to see the piano keys before (buggy WMV codec, the first 30 seconds or so of most WMV files won't play on my computer unless I re-encode them), but now that I tried the re-encode I can see how good they look and what a great introduction they make. The rest of the video remains looking almost as good as it did in it's original format (though you might want to send me a super-high bitrate version when it comes time for final submission - it'd be a shame to introduce any unnecessary noise to such a great presentation).

My Video:

Otohiko: Definately yes with text in different parts of the screen - first in the corner, say, then cascading toward the center with each line or something like that. Oddly enough, that's exactly what I was thinking, I just didn't know what name to give it and, knowing that "subtitles" and "captions" were the only two terms I could think of for on-screen text (other than "OSD", but that's different), I said subs. I'm not sure if I could get away with cutting much of the audio or not - I'll have to take a look at that (it is a bit long for an AMV, but I think the real issue is my crappy initial editing and not that the song is dull - at least not for those who can stand all the screaching violins (and what would the song have left without those?)). I do have quite a bit more experience with editing audio than editing video, I just can't decide off the top of my head which parts I would remove.

Pen-Pen: Definately yes with more editing. I don't have the ability to speed-up or slow-down video, but I can trim and splice to my hearts content and plan to do so. Essentially what I have so far is a "framework" of sorts, where I tried to hit the high spots and major transitions and which I can fill-in and tweak first to viewability and then to enjoyability. I have definately settled on using some overlay scenes for the initial two minutes and the part about 7min in with the rain and the bridge, editing out the distance shot of the road on the "out of control Vespa" scene, revisiting Haruko's chainsaw-action guitar in the segment where she's just standing there after knocking Naota to the ground, and doing a lot of timing work on the final section with Mamimi's circle and the giant fighting robots. Then I'll see where to go from there.

If anyone knows of a video editor that works on Linux and that doesn't cost a lot of money (or, better yet, doesn't cost any) that can edit the speed of a clip, I'd be happy to hear of it. I'm afraid I can't use Windows anymore (hardware error keeps it from installing, and I don't want to mess with my BIOS), and the editor I'm using, Cinelerra, has some amazing features in some departments but practically nothing in others (and is incredably clumsy to use compared to some of the commercial stuff).

[Otohiko]

Linux/slowing down footage: I'm no expert at Linux, nor have I ever even seen it...

But I assume it would probably work with the standard set of filtering programs? How about VirtualDub or something along those lines? I'm fairly sure that can slow down footage properly.

Frankly though, I really don't like how Premiere slows down footage either, even if it does do it...

One way to try to get around this though is to use stills occasionally. I actually used a lot more stop frames in 'Wasteland' that what it might look like, for instance

I'm trying to learn using stills more in the 'effects' direction lately, but so far no time for that

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Audio cuts - generally the low-action parts which don't go too much with the mood is where I would go. I'll try to listen and look at the WIP again and see if that's feasible. Frankly, I always keep running into this kind of issue, and I really hate cutting tracks, even if they repeat. So I guess this is best left up to you.

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Spriggan video - I'm seriously considering it, yea. I'll see the movie in the next couple of days, but what I remember of it does seem to go with the track. I'm actually fairly certain that it'll work. The track has just the right variety between more eastern-flavored, and more power-driven, which is good considering that Spriggan has only a few points where the scenery comes in like that. I'm thinking of calling it 'Ararat', just to shift the geography a bit but retain the eastern flavor

Yea, the said Bach pieces do have that skew, though I think those would be a bit light for Spriggan. A piece that's even closer (out of the ones that are uploaded) to what I have in mind is Trey Gunn's 'Brief Encounter', but it has the same problem of being too intricate and lacking the 'punch' (while capitalizing on the eastern flavor a bit too much). On the other hand, mood-wise it reminds me a lot of Cowboy Bebop the Movie with all those market scenes.... I'm also thinking about that one, though I'd have to get the movie off one of my friends to do it. So maybe that's a tip to someone more Bebop-wise

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Some music additions:

I'm thinking of sending over some more stuff from my side of the fence, though perhaps at the risk of overdoing my picks a bit I have my ProjeKcts CD handy with me today, and I think we could use a bit more of the electronic stuff in there.

(as a sidenote to rose4emily - although they're from technically different groups, if I do send them - just group them under the title of 'projeKcts' for convinience. The 5 groups do share a style.)

I think instrumental/avant-garde rock and classical are represented in there pretty nicely now, as is classical, as is the more general acoustic guitar/violin/cello music. I think the two areas where I'd suggest some additions are 1) electronic-driven music 2) jazz and related styles 3) electric guitar soloist-type music (aka. shred). I think those should balance things out more or less.

I have a few other things I might want to add to the list, but I don't know how much you want to expand it. Oh, and if anyone has anything by the following:

1) John McLaughlin
2) Niccolo Paganini
3) Bela Bartok
4) Modest Mussorgski

it'd also be nice to have something by them on the list. If anything, I'll look for these myself eventually.