Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Announcement & discussion of Anime Music Video contests
User avatar
Dext3r
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 3:40 am
Org Profile

Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Post by Dext3r » Sat Nov 14, 2020 2:48 am

Has it really been 20 years already? I cannot believe how quickly time passes when you're stuck at home and have nothing to do but watch BioticAMVs' amazing videos over and over again. But those of us who entered Pro are going to have at least a few videos to review to stave off that addicting hobby at least until c0ck 2 shows up again in our recommended videos. Anywho, to those new, this is the obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews! Here we give our opinions of the pro videos and have a little fun in the days leading up to the announcement of the winners.

The rules are simple:

1. Do not out someone/yourself if you know who made the video (Some of us want to stay in the dark on who made what)
2. Write a review for each video.
3. It can be serious or satire, it doesn't matter.
4. Don't take the reviews seriously, the person who reviewed the video is probably trolling (except for me because I take everything seriously)

Also, The PRO contest requires that videos have to premiere at their contest first before another con or being released online. A lot of people spend time making sure that all the videos haven't been released to other cons or on the internet first. Reporting videos like that does not belong here. That kind of outing is not what this thread is about. If you find one, just e-mail Mr. Pilkington with the video info and where you found it online. It'll get handled by them. The point of these reviews is to share our thoughts, let others see what people said about their video. (good or bad, and believe me I've wanted to cry because of some reviewers :P ) Try and be creative with your reviews to win the coveted "self-proclaimed winner of the thread" award. But most of all, have fun with your review.

User avatar
Rider4Z
The Machine
Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2003 3:55 am
Status: Larger than life.
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Post by Rider4Z » Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:04 am

Let the pouring of salt begin.

TheLazyDaze
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 5:19 am
Org Profile

Re: Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Post by TheLazyDaze » Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:56 pm

Awa Pro 2020 Reviews: Did it make Daze cry edition (Cause apparently y’all are trying to kill me)


Spoiler :
A Christmas Carol

Cry: You made me watch a Christmas video in November….What do you think glares

I gotta say I thought that the ending was really good (especially the money bits and the grave stone zoom), and I liked how it was starting but the speed ups and middle didn’t hit quite as much as I would’ve liked. But man if I didn’t “OOOOOOH FUCK” when the song shifted to a more rock version while it showed the ghosts! So really...you won by making me partake in Christmas before Thanksgiving XD HOWEVER THAT BEING SAID I really loved that it kept with the story of the Christmas carol and wasn’t just “THIS IS SNOW AND PRESENTS!!” (not that I dislike those amvs but this made for a nice change).

A Servants Fate

Cry: IF YOU CRY THEN THERE WILL BE TEARS

YUUUUUUUUSSS!!!! The cuts felt a little rough sometimes but DAMN IF I DIDN’T THINK THIS WAS COOL!!! Just my kind of jam. LOVED it when the weapons hitting each other would sync up with the music! Loved the action in it and the overall style of how it was edited!

Awaken

Cry: Shit. That was good.

That was hella moving. I’m not over how PERFECT the syncing was for…..everything. The emotions were high. The action was high. The song choice and the movie was an awesome combination. I just...wow….I had my mouth open by the end of it and my hand clenching my chest. That was phenomenal. Just wow. Damn. I need to rewatch the movie now….and this video….geez.

Bad Guy

Cry: Thank fucking finally not!

Now this is what I call a feel good pumping action video! My major complaint is that the pov seemed to suddenly shift part way. But even though I haven’t seen this movie I felt like I could still follow along with what was happening and felt invested in the chase! Well done! (but also I needed a nice fun reprieve from crying city so thank yoooooou~)

Bad Piece

Cry: XD YES OMG OUT OF FUCKING DELIGHT

I…..I wasn’t….I wasn’t ready...I…..wow….I literally clapped….I can’t...I can’t breathe…..wow….you even used the fake crew…..omg…..ok…..yah….beautiful. The ending….I….can’t…..XD I need to absorb this….or maybe expel it….I’m genuinely not sure which. If this doesn’t get an occult following or something I’ll be so sad….to (bad) pieces.

Battlefield

Cry: I cry cause nightcore

I don’t even know with this one LOL. I’ll get the big things out of the way: I’m a bit sad that the video quality seemed to be a bit low, the sync was off in places, but the real atrocity of it all is that….you used a nightcore remix of the song sobs. My thought process while watching this was “OH! A Gmv!!….Destiny 2? LMAO…..OOOOOH MEET ME ON THE BATTLEFIELD…..wtf……”. AND YET EVEN WITH THAT HORROR YOU STILL SOMEHOW MADE ME FEEL (anger). It was fun to see such an unexpected source though and watching a battle take place with this song was definitely satisfying! It got my adrenaline going too so that’s a win?

BIG WIN

Cry: There can be no tears if your face was replaced by smiles. There are no eyes. Only smiles and laughter now.

OMG THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS. BIG WIN IN MY HEART!! (I’m still laughing from this several minutes after watching it I’ll have you know). Damn that was fun.

Bitter Lamentations

Cry: Just let me sit here in my misery. Damn.

“Mmmm love me some Gmvs” was my first thought going in. “I hate country” was my second…..my last thought was that I low-key hated you for doing this to me. I’ve never played this game, and I don’t really know much about it but this video pulled me in, sucked up my heart, and threw me out. It started off incredibly heartwarming….like sure there was rough times they had but for the most part there was fun and love and happiness….which made the ending hurt so much worse….and to rub salt into the wound you showed echoes of the past happiness while showing how much she changed cause of the hurt and trauma she experienced. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. T^T


Boy vs. Brain

Cry: I was gonna say that I was too distracted by the high quality to cry….but then I did cry.

Fuck. Damn. Shit. Wow. I….I’ve never seen Steven Universe but wow….that made me feel...the scene selection...the sync...the theme….just...wow….all of it was so spot on and incredibly moving. I went into it thinking “Oooh, the thumbnail is a fun pink!” and I left it grasping my chest while saying “fuck”. I don’t think I remember how to breathe, but then again who needs air when this exists?

Can Anybody Hear Me

Cry: He just wanted to make a real friend ok T^T

I wasn’t expecting to see a simple plan mv in 2020 and I wasn’t expecting a sonic mv in pro (though really I should’ve) but I really wasn’t expecting a simple plan sonic mv. Either way though it sucked me in pretty quickly (gotta go fast and all that). I thought it had a nice mix of action and emotional pull. The times you chose to show sonic “powering up” of sorts and how it synced with the music was stellar and I found myself looking forward to it each time it popped up! The sonic movie surprised me and this mv surprised me too! Good work :)

Dance

Cry: Do goosebumps and feet tapping count as tears?

That beginning is such a mood. I adored this. I absolutely loved that you didn’t go the usual route of anime j-pop dancing for this but had more of a focus on ballroom dancing. I had so much fun watching this and wondering “What’s going to come next?” and “How on earth did you find so many not commonly used dancing scenes?”. It was refreshing to say the least. I wanna dance now.

Dissociate

Cry: I have no more emotions left for tears now

This broke me. I thought this was a really powerful and intense amv. I really appreciated the warning at the beginning and thought it was incorporated well without ruining the amv. But damn….the image at the end and the length of it was…...perfect. I just can’t. I felt this amv down to my core and I hate it while loving it at the same time. I had to just sit in silence for an hour after watching it to process things…….just wow.

Do you know what’s going on

Cry: too soon

Omg, this needs to be broadcasted to the whole world…..maybe then people will actually pay attention. This was such a clever way to work with this source though….and very befitting. I’m definitely impressed!! Way to be sassy and unique! It told a story while also sending out a message for sure!

Dysphoria

Cry: No but fuck if it didn’t give me chills and make me giddy

Damn, I’m not over how creative this is and how much work must’ve taken to get all that writing done like that. This is one of those amvs were you sit back and think “Damn, I wish I could be the one to say I made that”. I absolutely love that there’s a hidden message that can be found in this. Excellent way to not only make a trippy amv but to also have it mean something too!!! Bravo!! But still...the part where the girl is in the bed is UUGGGHHHNNN. I can’t...I just love all of it. There isn’t a single wasted scene and everything works together to make the next scene better.

Esoterra

Cry:….maybe…… >.> I might’ve….

IT WAS REALLY PRETTY, OK?! I WAS MOVED, OK?! This amv was like a nice pretty hug that wraps you up and makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger and then sad when you realize you aren’t LOL. But seriously, if portals to other dimensions existed it would be this amv.

F Society

Cry: Oh gosh….the cement/dirt bit….crying and nauseous yo. Yikes. Not emotionally ready for that bit.

This video was jarring but in the good kind of way. Definitely felt the “f society” vibes coming from this one. I thought that the cuts and style of how you edited it was pretty creative and worked well with the feelings and atmosphere you seemed to be trying to get across. Well done with a cool take! (Even if I am forever scarred by the cement scene or whatever it was).

Fever Dream

Cry: Does “OOOOOOH”ing count?

YES! LOVE IT!! I thought this was a lot of fun and creative and beautiful! There are a couple instances where I’m not sure if something was out of sync or not but it pulled me in regardless! I just love. I thought that the music and visuals matched up nicely, and it warmed my heart. Also….that ending though LMAO. It was trippy and wonderful and I definitely rewatched it a bunch. It made me feel very inspired!

Four-Footed Family

Cry: Too cute to compute!!! quickly mops up the tear puddle I’M NOT CRYING! YOU’RE CRYING!

Omg, that was too wholesome! I loved that it was instrumental…..and I wanted to pet that cat so bad that I reached over and pet my own cat. You got a single snort out of me too (Were they vacuuming the cat??). If someone wanted to know why I love cats so much I would show them this.

friend.exe

Cry: Why need tears when you can have fears?

LOVED the second half of this especially!! I’ll admit I was a bit lost in the beginning but I think that added to the pull of the second half. Not to mention that I feel like that was kind of the point. But holy moly this was atmospheric and dark! Big fan of that! The visuals matched with the feeling of the song really well too!

Going Home

Cry: Man…..I don’t know who cried more….me or the characters in this amv….

Shit I wish I saved this one for last to watch instead of second to last….that would’ve been a perfect ending. I have no words….that’s a lie. I have too many words, I just don’t know how to say them. Fuck. I have never seen this show before but this amv made me feel like I had. Every aspect oozed feeling out of it. Some fun, some happy, sad, bittersweet, loving, anger, defeat, confidence, struggling, accomplishment. It had all of it without feeling crammed in or like they were competing with one another. This was just….it was a lonely hug that left me empty and full at the same time. Damn.

Heartdance

Cry: I feel water on my cheek but I’m not admitting to anything

Whelp. Yep. Suitable name…...My heart...is definitely dancing (on a puddle of sadness and bittersweet tears...did I say tears? I plead the 5th). Shiiiit. That moved me. Loved the scene selection and the emotions captured pulled me in. Gosh, I need to go watch all the movies now…..excuse me…...

Hellsing Eternal

Cry: The wonderful sync did me in (don’t judge me)

HOLY FUCK!!! If I didn’t know any better I would’ve thought that was the actual trailer!!! Those explosion syncs were just FIRE (heh get it?) But also the scene selection helped a TON with keeping up the dramatic energy! Excellent work!

Hurricane

Cry: Omg

First off: FUCK YAH AN MMV!!!! (sort of)
Second off: I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE NAME OF THIS SINCE FOREVER SO THANK YOU!!!!! omg
I...I’m at a loss for words…..this was so beautiful and sad and wow. Gosh, especially the part where her hand started to change and you showed the parallel between that and the monster’s hand and the sugar soaking the tea up like how the hand was being absorbed…...damn that was….that was lovely and just...I can’t. I absolutely love how seamlessly the manga and animation are used interchangeably without subtracting from the emotions at all too. There was a part in the middle when I thought it was ending and I thought “Oh no, don’t end yet. You can’t end yet.” AND BOY WAS I HAPPY THAT IT DIDN’T END THERE. It was just….too beautiful and moving for words.

I’m (Not) Myself

Cry: There was dead pet fish :(

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Perfect Blue amv that didn’t look “smart” but this one took the cake. I was gonna list the parts that made me feel “Oh shit, yes! This is good editing!” but there were too many…..but the smile as she was running down the stairwell and the photo shoot bit where she smiles at the end were some favorites. Also loved the call back flickers to her dancing throughout the amv! I’m pretty sure I had a permanently distressed face while watching it though cause my spouse came over to make sure I was ok and to take a peak at what I was watching LOL

Infinite Youth

Cry: crying intensifies

SLEEPING AT LAST!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!! Damn you for making something so cute and moving. Fuck. The audio quality felt a little tinny to me, but I was so captivated by the story and emotions of the amv that I didn’t even notice half the time. I was swept away with this one and unconsciously started cheering for Charlie Brown (The part with the kite made me fall apart I swear). I also like how you incorporated the different perspectives of Snoopy and Charlie! My mouth was left hanging open at the end of it (throughout all of it, let’s be real).

Iron Bond

Cry: I thought it was gonna be a dog amv cause of the thumbnail and I was so glad it wasn’t.

Gosh, the part where Al was staring at the mirror and then when he sacrificed himself during the “kept me alive” hurt me deeply. It had a nice dash of fun mixed in with the dramatic moments...and although the action bits seemed to be a little random at times, the more emotionally intense parts really hit me.

Iron Resolve

Cry: Zuko’s character growth is overwhelmingly good. It’s impossible not to.

Zuko is best boi (right after Iroh that is). Mmmm, love me some good voice overlays! Very excellent character profile! And I thought that the color corrections added were a nice touch. The part where you had his unscarred face fade into the scarred one really stood out to me. Fucking loved that.

Language

Cry: If you count the wet goops coming out of my nose while I snorted in laughter tears then….fuck yah

Me while watching this: “omg…….omg…….omg…...omg…...omg…...omg…..omg…..omg….omg….” Wow. It was an experience that’s for sure. There were some occasions when the sync felt a little off but for the most part it was so spot on that I got a giddy shiver. Also the explosions at the end were CHOICE! I love this. I love that you thought of this. I love that I watched this.

Legends Never Die

Cry: If smiles were tears then I’d have an ocean

GOSH THIS WAS SUCH A MOOD. This spoke to my soul. It was a lot of fun while also being really chill and I didn’t know how much I needed this amv until I saw it. Thank you for giving me an emotional restart <3

Million Miles Away

Cry: I can’t decide if these are happy, sad, or bittersweet tears

My only complaint is that sometimes the scenes seemed to skip across while panning in a jagged way. However, looking past that was a very heartfelt, cute, and a bit sad amv. The atmosphere was spot on for the lonely and longing feelings the characters seemed to have for each other. It didn’t just show them being lonely it made me feel the loneliness. So excellent work there!!

MöbiusTrip

Cry: My brain did...and I might’ve cried when the planet did…..>.>

The subtle sync in this blows my mind as does the psychedelic nature of it. But also the overall lyric sync was a lot of fun. I couldn’t help but start rooting for the character as he went on his strange adventure! But yah, some parts that I absolutely loved were when the horse whipped its tail around, the bit with the giant mushroom, and the water droplet falling on the rose. I ended up watching this twice, and I loved it even more the second time around :)

My Crew

Cry: Fuck you

I can’t. This was beautiful. You had no right. The bit where it shows the butt took me out a bit but it’s ok cause I needed the laugh to help me feel again after this destroyed me. Very sentimental!!! I was angry that it made me feel. I didn’t consent to these emotions.

one trick pony

Cry: yes….BUT FROM LAUGHTER!!

About half of the jokes went over my head but the ones that I got sent me roaring! So much sass. Love it. I needed this after ALL THE OTHER AMVS HURT ME AND MY HEART!!!

Painful

Cry: Out of confusion XD

That was painful to watch…..heh. But in all seriousness, I thought that was a really unique take on an amv….like stop motion but not quite. The fly bit at the end got me laughing though XD
Edit: Sooooooooo, I watched a corrupt version the first time......and uh....it wasn't a slideshow LMAO....SO THE REAL REVIEW BEGINS HERE!!! I thought that it had a lot of fun internal sync. The momentum never dropped and kept my attention the entire way through and I appreciated the variety of action scenes instead of the "use the same fight scene for the whole amv" that I've been seeing a lot of lately. Very well edited action amv! I still love the fly part at the end though lol

Rallyy

Cry: No cause I was too busy being enraptured

Maaaaaaaaan, that sync though!!! It was perfect! Especially the gun parts! I also loved the split scene look you had going on in the beginning! My only complaint was because the lip sync was so spot on it felt a bit odd when you had some scenes at the end of them talking when there wasn’t a voice over. But overall I thought this was great, and I was really impressed.

The Great Gatsby

Cry: I finally smiled T^T We’re talking hands under chin smiled

This combination was perfection. The lip sync was spot on except for maybe 1 or 2 places and the choices of voice to character was FIRE!!!! I love Baccano and I felt that this captured the over all atmosphere very nicely. Also the bit towards the end when Firo backhanded the guy…..that sync was beautiful (insert heart eyes here LOL). Great job!

This is Trash

Cry: This is Trash

This is Trash

Too Many Editors

Cry: Too many tears

TOHRU!!!!! Loved this shout out for editors!!! Great picks for the editors with a…..dash of fun (heh). It brought a smile to my face with how spot on it all was :) I’m still not over the nosebleed and sniffle part though LMAO. This was such a fun idea!

totally a legit video

Cry: XD

I have no words. (This is totally a legit review, right?)
Edit: I had a dream about it so you've won this time.....

Two For Tragedy

Cry: Fuck. Good thing I can type without looking cause I ain’t seeing past these tears anytime soon

I SHIP THEM. I DON’T CARE. I’VE NEVER SEEN THIS SHOW. I’VE NEVER HAD AN INTEREST IN IT BEFORE. BUT FUCK ME I DO NOW. THEY HAVE WON MY HEART AND MADE ME CRY. I just…..I need to process this. I feel like I’ve won something and lost something from this amv. How dare you get me invested and then rip my heart out like that??? YOU HAD NO RIGHT!!!! SOB (BUT ALSO NIGHTWISH!!!!!!!)

Unbound

Cry: It was so beautiful that I fainted….literally (for reals) No joke.

That beginning was hook line and sinker with the fish being my heart. I loved the chaos of battle portrayed in this as well as the emotional repercussions of war being shown in-between it all. The ocean scenes and the syncing of weapons hitting each other...the use of the scenery….just all of it was amazing. I’ve never seen Vinland before but damn I’m more inclined to now!

Une Prière

Cry: Yes! And snorted too…..

Oh man, I might be a little biased since Fruits Basket is my favorite anime…..but I loved this combination!! I thought it had a nice mix of humor and feels which honestly is fruits basket in a nutshell. I lost it when Shigure and Ayame showed up for their “solo’s”, and I absolutely loved what you did when a bunch of people were singing at once. I thought that having all the zodiacs up in boxes was a creative take on it! There were a couple instances of lip flap but it’s ok cause it’s not like I could see them beyond my tears much anyways LOL. BUT ALSO I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO FIND AN OLD AMV I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR ALL YEAR CAUSE OF THIS SO THANK YOU!!!! <3

Utena Vu

Cry: No tears here only foot bops

I snorted so hard once the music started XD I don’t know what it is about these kinds of amvs that make me love them, but I do. It was an almost 5 min long amv about a car race and I wasn’t bored for even a moment. I thought that you did a good job with keeping an almost experimental atmosphere about it that I loved. Honestly the song gave me whiplash that warmed my heart…..or maybe you could say it gave me…..deja vu….heh (sorry). My only complaint is that the ending felt a bit sudden and I literally said out loud “Aw, it ended just like that?”. But otherwise it was a bop of an amv ;)

Watch the Sky

Cry: YOUR JOKE AMV ABOUT BIRDS MADE ME CRY I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY (don’t ask if it was cause I was moved or thought it was funny….cause it was both)

Omg, I loved that more than I should. It was weird and cute and cool and unique and catchy and fun and addictive and chill and funny…….how the actual fuck. Why the actual fuck. What the actual fuck. Ok but also I loved what you did as an effect to make all the sources have the same look!!! It was really really pretty!! Gosh, what a video.

What We Mean When We Say We'd Give Up Everything

Cry: I was happy and then I was sad

This was a ton of fun to watch! It had a lighthearted feel to it while still having its fair share of tension. The flow was wonderful, the sync was so satisfying, and the scene selection couldn’t have been better in my opinion! I might’ve watched this last but it certainly isn’t least!

Yes I know I’m a Wolf

Cry: My heart cried since my eyes were too focused on the amv

Man, the ending especially stood out to me in this one. Loved what you did with the hands and then how it faded away. The whole thing was super emotionally driven, and I love how you matched the energy of the song with the anime. It emotionally meshed amazingly the whole way through. I got so wrapped up in it that it took me a while to realize it was over and then I started it over again LOL. There was a subtle intensity about it that I really appreciated! Loved it!!

Your Hand in Mine

Cry: THE SONG TOLD ME NOT TO WEEP AND I’M TRYING MAN. I’M TRYING.

My goodness that was so precious!!! It was really festive in a way and heartfelt! And I am absolutely in LOVE with how you transitioned between the scenes!! Gosh, it was so fucking seamless….also all the subtle internal sync in it was just mmmmm chef’s kiss. I want to cry so bad…..but I can’t…..gotta hold it in for the song…..It did something to me and I don’t know how I feel about being so happy and sad and satisfied at the same time. It was just so wonderful <3


Excuse me while I go mend my broken heart after y’all destroyed it...
Last edited by TheLazyDaze on Thu Nov 19, 2020 12:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
BleachShippu5678
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2016 3:06 am
Status: Hi
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Post by BleachShippu5678 » Sun Nov 15, 2020 8:22 pm

So here's my reviews! They're really short and to the point because I'm bad at explaining myself. This year's entries were really good and I'm happy I could be involved!
Spoiler :
AWA Pro 2020 Reviews:
Regular Videos:

A Christmas Eve Carol: Felt a bit odd to watch a Christmas video in November, but it’s not bad. I think it’s a good idea that was executed well.
A Servant’s Fate: You really need to have those hard zooms stop a little softer. It makes the flow choppy and takes you out of the moment for a second. Other wise a really good video. 1:50 to 2:22 was especially good
Awaken: This is a good video. I liked the buildup.
Bad Guy: Not really my type of song, but a good video nonetheless. It flows well and works for what it is.
Bad Piece: You won this competition by a lot. Amazing video.
Battlefield: I really don’t know what to feel about this one. The nightcore, looped clips, and trailer credits really took me out of it.
BIG WIN: This video is a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it
Bitter Lamentations: Was not expecting a country song, but I enjoyed the video a lot.
Boy Vs. Brain: I loved the lyric sync and flow of this video. It’s really nice
Can Anybody Hear Me: The most emotional video I’ve ever seen. A true 10/10
Dance: This video is really simple but it’s fun and nice. I think it’s what we need right now in 2020.
Do You Know What’s Going On?: I tend to forget that TWD exists. It’s a really well put together video. I really like the idea of it.
Dysphoria: Did you mean “Existential dread the video”? This was really damn good. And it got to me in the best way.
Esoterra: This video is great. It flows well and really brings everything to life
F Society: This video feels too familiar thanks to 2020 lmao. Good job though. Really well done
Fever Dream: Excellent flow and use of source material. I loved this video.
Four-Footed Family: This was just nice and feel good. I absolutely adored it.
Friend.exe: This is the first serial Experiments Lain video I’ve seen, and it’s really good. Good job with this.
Going Home: I feel like I should probably watch Steven Universe now. I really enjoyed this video. The flow was nice and it just feels nice to watch.
Heartdance: I really loved this one. It’s beautiful and I was smiling the whole time.
Hellsing Eternal: I didn’t expect this to fit that well with the trailer. Good job
Hurricane: This is really nice. I need to read this cause it looks really good.
Infinite Youth: Oh this just made me so happy. This is just really feel good and I loved it a lot.
Iron Bond: I feel like you could improve on the flow, but I really like the idea. I think it’s really clever and has a whole lot of potential.
Iron Resolve: This video is really good and I loved what you did with the colors. I think you did Zuko justice in this.
Language: This was gorgeous. I absolutely loved this.
Legends Never Die: I haven’t a clue what’s going on here, but I’ll act like I do.
Million Miles Away: I feel like the video quality could be better, but it’s a nice video.
Mobius Trip: I feel like I’m having an acid trip, but I’m pretty sure that was the idea. So uh… Good job?
My Crew: Solid video. It was nice to watch and I like the idea.
One Trick Pony: The idea of this really made me laugh. And the collage of everyone asking about deadline made me lose it. Good shit
Painful: This video is just a fun time
Rally: Really good trailer
The Great Gatsby: This was really great. Makes me wanna go watch Baccano
This is Trash: And so am I
Too many editors: I’m just glad I was invited to the party
Totally a Legit Video: 10/10 Song choice
Unbound: An absolutely fantastic video
Une Priere: I don’t really know enough about Fruits Basket to really understand it, but it’s a really nice video.
Utena Vu: Oh this is a VIBE right here
Watch The Sky: All I really have to say is that this was pretty
What We Mean When We Say We’d Give Up Everything: This is really nice. The flow is great and the visuals compliment it an insane amount.
Yes, I Know I’m A Wolf: Could stand to be shorter, but it’s a really good idea that’s executed really well
Your Hand In Mine: This was super fun and feel good and I loved the look of it.

Mature Videos:

Dissociate: The FX used are really good and this was really well done. Amazing job.
I’m (Not) Myself: This was well put together and a joy to watch. Good job
Two For Tragedy: Really well done, and I love the focus you put on Griffith. Though I do think it can be shorter and still just as impactful.

User avatar
MinetChan
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:42 pm
Location: USA
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Post by MinetChan » Mon Nov 16, 2020 5:50 pm

Here are my reviews!

I decided to be silly and use kaomojis (Japanese emoticons) to depict each of the videos and my impressions of them. Some of these kaomojis depict my feelings watching the videos and others simply reflect the video and it's concept/mood. If any of you would like further clarification on what your kaomoji means, feel free to DM me!

Lastly, thank you all for your hard work. I had such a blast watching these entries! <3
Spoiler :

For those of you having a hard time reading the spreadsheet, here they are written out!

Spoiler :
A Christmas Eve Carol ( ゚∀゚)っ由

A Servant's Fate ╰༼.◕ヮ◕.༽つ¤=[]—— —–[]=¤ԅ༼ ・ 〜 ・ ༽╯

Awaken ✧*。٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و✧*。

Bad Guy ̿ ̿ ̿ ̿ ̿ ̿̿’̿\̵͇̿̿\З=( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)=Ε/̵͇̿̿/’̿̿ ̿ ̿ ̿ ̿ ̿ ̿ ̿

Bad Piece ༼ ༎ຶ ෴ ༎ຶ༽

Battlefield ( ´-ω・)︻┻┳══━一

BIG WIN (ᗒᗜᗕ)

Bitter Lamentations ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚

Boy vs. Brain (。•́︿•̀。)

Can Anybody Hear Me? ੯”ړ ও=͟͟͞͞=͟͟͞͞=͟͟͞͞=͟͟͞͞=͟͟͞͞=͟͟͞͞

Dance ♪┏(・o・)┛♪

Dissociate ( ⚆ _ ⚆ )

Do You Know What's Going On? ‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿ヽ(゜□゜ )ノ︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿

Dysphoria (:3 っ)3≡・◦∴*+◦º.+*.•。[][▓▓]

Esoterra(✿ ͡◕ ᴗ◕)つ━━✫・*。

F Society Σ (  Д )ﻌﻌﻌﻌ⊙ ⊙

Fever Dream \(≧▽≦)/

Four-Footed Family ˓˓ก₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎ค˒˒

friend.exe Σ(・o・;)

Going Home (⁄ ⁄^⁄ᗨ⁄^⁄ ⁄)

Heartdance ♡(*´・ω・)(・ω・`*)♡

Hellsing Eternal Ψ(`▽´)Ψ

Hurricane Σ>―(〃°ω°〃)♡→

I'm (Not) Myself ┗( ●-﹏ `。)づ

Infinite Youth (っ≧ω≦)っ

Iron Bond (⋆◗̑◡◗̑)⸝♡⸜(◖̑◡◖̑⋆)

Iron Resolve ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

Language ─=≡Σ(([ ⊐•̀⌂•́]⊐

Legends Never Die (´・ω・`)?

Million Miles Away (*´ω`*)

MöbiusTrip (╭ರ_•́)

My Crew 。゚( ゚இ‸இ゚+)゚。

one trick pony ლ(¯ロ¯"ლ)

Painful (o ̄∇ ̄)=◯)`ν゜)・

Rallyy ┌(▀Ĺ̯ ▀-͠ )┐

The Great Gatsby (ᵒ̤̑ ₀̑ ᵒ̤̑)

This is Trash (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

Too Many Editors ヾ(゚∀゚○)ツ三ヾ(●゚∀゚)ノ ヾ(゚∀゚○)ツ三ヾ(●゚∀゚)ノ ヾ(゚∀゚○)ツ三ヾ(●゚∀゚)ノ ヾ(゚∀゚○)ツ三ヾ(●゚∀゚)ノ ヾ(゚∀゚○)ツ三ヾ(●゚∀゚)ノ

totally a legit video ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Two For Tragedy ಥ益ಥ

Unbound ( ✧Д✧)

Une Prière ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚

Utena Vu ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Watch the Sky ⸜₍๑•⌔•๑ ₎⸝

What We Mean When We Say We'd Give Up Everything w(°o°)w

Yes I Know I'm a Wolf ૮(༎ິཅ༎ິ)ა

Your Hand In Mine (˵ᵕ̴᷄ ᗜ ᵕ̴᷅˵)
Image

User avatar
Dext3r
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 3:40 am
Org Profile

Re: Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Post by Dext3r » Tue Nov 17, 2020 3:19 am

Hello all, this is my first attempt at doing this, if my review of yours is short it just means that I didn't connect with it as well as some of the other videos, nothing against your video specifically. This is a mix of timestamp criticism, stream of consciousness thoughts and a few moments where I lost my shit.

Happy face with a knife means I liked it a lot.

Without further ado...
Spoiler :
A Christmas Eve Carol: Like the mood of this one in the beginning. Nice different old-school source. Timing of the hand movement at 1:06 feels off. Cut at 1:18 feels off. The jump cut at 1:48 feels weird - maybe try a cross dissolve instead. I like sense of dread this video gives. Definitely not a video you see every day. Timing on the lightning strike on the grave feels off. Maybe the name needs to come earlier on in the cut there because that feels late. Nice attempt overall.

A Servant's Fate: Reminds me of Demon's Souls. Some of these cuts at the beginning feel off. This is a nice transition technique but it's used a lot throughout the video. I would cut it down a bit to make those cuts more impactful. Around 0:40 in the cuts get slower and that feels off to me. The cut at 0:47 feels off. Same with the zoom out cuts at 0:50. I vibe with this song. I like the way the pacing changes at 1:50 - the video gets better here. I've never seen Fate so I can't connect with this video as much as some people but it works well for action videos.

Awaken: Don't think I've seen a Wonder Woman video before. Nice change from all the Marvel stuff. Cutting is pretty good throughout this one - not much to complain about there. I like the mood of this song. It feels like the pace should pick up more at 2:22 than it does. It's probably a creative choice to stay at this speed of cuts but I personally would've gone for more intensity in the editing. Nice final shot.

Bad Guy:
Image
BLACK SUPERMAN! Great cutting here. I like the speed ups in the footage to match the song. I haven't seen this movie yet but this video gets me psyched to finally catch up on this series. I'm literally rocking in my chair to the beat of this right now. This feels like it could be shorter though, a bit too long for what I'm getting out of it. Cuts at 2:49 feel like they get too slow. speed of the moving the wire cut is faster than the slow mo cuts and that feels wrong. These are small nitpicks though. This is by far one of my favorite videos so far.

Bad Piece: Is this a parody of Sad Piece? Yup. Yup it definitely is. Oh god what am I listening to. What the fuck is that face? This is not a drama this is a comedy have to re-categorize. WHY IS THAT DOG EATING THAT WOMAN'S FACE? I am uncomfortable right now. Stop looking at me. WHAT IS HAPPENING? I have no technical critique for this video. I'm so lost. What the fuck was that? I'm moving onto the next video.

Battlefield: Quality here is sketchy. Use of the bungie logo is meh. I haven't played Destiny FYI. Not a fan of the cuts using the text from the trailer either. 3:04 jump cuts feel wrong. This feels like a beginner's effort. Cut at 3:10 feels off. Not a huge fan of this one overall.

BIG WIN: 60fps vid? This is a very clean source. Lots of lip sync. Lip sync timing seems hit or miss. A lot of work went into this. I could never make a video with this much tech. Great timing throughout generally. Definitely an anti-trump video. Curious if this was originally a song or if someone remixed a podcast or something. Hopefully he doesn't stay president somehow.

Bitter Lamentations: Hey it's a Last of Us video! I just finished the 2nd game two days before the videos came out so I can watch this. This video spoils the 2nd game though so that limits who I would advise should watch this. I'm glad this video exists. I don't have as much tech criticism for this video but I might be biased. I need to talk to whoever made this, I was gonna make a video to Death Stranding and I couldn't find a source without a watermark. Did they capture this on their own? Need to know. TLOU1 is old so footage of that around makes sense but TLOU2 is new so who knows. I would not recommend anyone watch this who wants to play these games and hasn't already. That being said it's well made. I like it.

Boy vs. Brain: I have a general distaste for this art style but this song makes it play better for me. The vibe in the first half of the video of existential dread works for me too. I'm not as big of a fan of the 2nd half of the video though. Good effort here but doesn't strike me in the same way some of the other videos do.

Can Anybody hear me: Not the song choice I expected. Harsh single frame cut at 0:49. Random lip flap throughout that seems out of place. There's a lot of it. Seems like the video could be faster paced at certain points. Pacing gets a little better around 2:10. Timing of the cut around 2:14 feels off. The vibe of the video starting around 2:30 works better for me. But man that lip flap really kills it for me.

Dance: Lmao what the fuck is this. Nice intro. Can already tell this is a tech nominee. I like that jump cut zoom out effect. Unique, haven't seen that before. A bit of aspect ratio differentiation here, I would've matched the ratios for continuity (but that's personal choice I guess). Pacing here is really well done. Definitely imagine this took a while to gather all these sources - good effort here. pacing on this scene at 4:00 feels faster than it should be (like the footage is too fast or something). I like this one a lot, though it kinda drags as it goes on. For a video with this type of concept I would cut it in half. especially for a song this repetitive it seems like that'd be pretty easy. Nice ending.

Do you know what's going on:
Image
Now this is an interesting choice. Didn't expect all these old VHS style effects. Nice bit with the date there at the start to line up with the shutdown. This is clearly about the virus, which is interesting. woah that transition at 0:42? Nice. Masking could be a little better throughout, it's clear that the footage isn't part of the original material there. Interestingly I don't see a single zombie yet. Lol these baseball bat hits. I dig it. This has a really solid thoroughline - easy to follow. Cuts get a little too fast during the climax - that could've been tightened up a bit. I like the dread near the end though. Cool idea overall.

Dysphoria: This reminds me of Control. Cool text effects. I feel like I'm being hypnotized. This is unsettling. Aspects of it feel wrong in a way that works. Big play for tech here. I'd have no idea how to pace a video like this but this person knows exactly what they're doing. Good length too - I'm a fan.

Esoterra:
Image
Another trippy video! Two in a row, don't see that often. Looks like this is the Ghibli edition. Again, another big play at tech here. There's a lot going on here. This feels like this took a really long time. I am in awe. Ok this definitely isn't just Ghibli but it mostly seems to be Princess Mononoke. That felt like one of the best videos I've seen so far.

F Society: RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE! Very fast paced video here. Nice effects around the 45 second mark. I'm into this vibe. It's not quite so literal but it definitely parallels aspects of the Black Lives Matter riots from earlier this year (the death at the beginning, the guy getting a knee pushed into his neck later on). Interesting with the mix of real life footage here and stuff from the original source. This last chunk is pretty intense. Nice final shot. It can be hard to follow at times, you really gotta pay attention to keep up with this one. A lot of lyrical matches throughout that I noticed though, especially the 2nd time around.

Fever Dream: Interesting art style here. Very colorful - definitely stands out. This is well made, not a lot to critique here. Ends suddenly though (like a dream?)

Four-Footed Family:
Image
This video is SAD. If my dog wasn't asleep in the other room with my fiance I'd be showing this to her right now. Nice and short, didn't drag at all. Tigrin don't watch this video right now. This is a very emotional kitty. Mad kitty. Happy kitty. Confused kitty. Playful kitty. Thirsty kitty. Birthday kitty. Sleepy kitty. Ok I'd better stop.

friend.exe:
Image
LAIN!!! BILLIE EILISH!!!! You've already won me over. I vibe with this. Nice unsettling bit at 0:54. This is a perfect source/song match. This is one of my favorite videos by far. The last shot throws me off a bit though - not sure if that's the original shot or what's happening there but the face/hair feels weird for some reason.

Going Home: Not a fan of this one as much as the other Steven Universe vid. Pulls some feels and it's well edited. This just isn't my style of video though. I think people that have seen Steven Universe would like this a lot more, though it is a generalized enough theme that anyone could conceivably enjoy it. Just not what I go for. Good job.

Heartdance: Nice mood here. Never seen these movies but I can connect with this. Getting goosebumps. Not seeing a lot to critique here. Well made and works.

Hellsing Eternal: DOOM LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lol this werewolf thing at 0:25. This is great. Perfect synching here. 1:20 feels like it should have faster cuts. Love it though. I was gonna make a video like this, fuck you lol. So good.

Hurricane:
Image
Love the style of this. Nice variation between manga and animation. Is this anime? Doesn't look like it at all but those look like manga panels. Great storytelling here. Love the mood of this - very melancholy. One of my favorite videos.

Infinite Youth: Sad video is sad. Never saw this but the animation looks great. I wasn't into the Steven Universe one that had a similar song but this one vibes with me more. Probably because it leans more towards sadness and nostalgia and I live off that shit. Feelings of disappointment creeping in while watching this. Lots of fades and cross dissolves here, maybe don't try to do that so much - let regular cuts stand as is and the fades and dissolves can be more effective in shorter doses. Nice final shot.

Iron Bond: I can't tell is this going to be a dog video? lol. Nice internal sync at 0:16. Ok not a dog video lol. But there's a sheep! I think this is a more beginner effort, but it's not bad! Melancholic in the right ways. Cutting throughout could be a bit tighter, but it works. Good job.

Iron Resolve: I like the tone of this one. Having just finished Avatar I'm in a prime state to be viewing this - it fits Zuko for sure. The dialogue/song blend could use some work, it's a bit difficult to understand the voices. Some of the cuts feel a bit harsh (0:40-1:02 in particular) and the clip at 0:34 is that repeated frames when he's moving forward? Throws me off. Some of the dialogue that's integrated feels a bit fast paced for the song it's placed against. Maybe either choose shorter segments or time the placement better. But good effort, there's a clear story being told here and the mood is strong with this one.

Language: Lol well there've been a lot of Marvel videos over the years but not with this kind of attitude. I'm a fan of this one more for the focus it has. The 80's techno and unapologetic nature makes it work. Wtf lol that explosion montage at 1:35 is perfect. Nice incorporation of real commercials too (if I'm realizing that correctly). There's even a Stan Lee cameo. Rider did you make this?

Legends Never Die: Lmao what is this. I'd say nice lip sync but it's the same phrase every time! XD

Million Miles Away: Art style is throwing me off here. Faces seem disproportinate to the bodies, but it's different at least. Quality issues throughout this. Seems like some heavy visual stutter (ans occasional audio stutter). For the video itself it's alright. Beginner effort?

MöbiusTrip: This is uh...ok this is horrifying! There's a definite mood to this video. This is trippy. Am I on drugs right now? Why is the moon smiling? This isn't majora's mask. oh god did that puppy just get slaughtered. This is very gory. WHY IS THE PLANET DYING??? Weird cuts at 3:20. There's too many eyes. Why is there a fish in that man's head? I am confused.

My Crew: At first I thought this was c0ck 3. But it's not. Seems like we get this song every year now. How is One Piece still going? And why is everyone always crying? Sorry doesn't do it for me.

one trick pony: Hey it's that song from the vine vid last year. Lol this is great. Without pro this video would never exist. Oh man they really went there. Lot of in-jokes here. Nice final bit lol.

Painful: High octane action here. Putting this on full blast. THAT'S RIGHT YOU PUNCH THAT MOTHERFUCKER IN THE FACE BALD MAN! DO IT AGAIN! DODGE ALL THE BULLETS! OK HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh wait now we're Mr. Miyagi. He got the fly...or did he?

Rallyy: Oh we're going full noir here. Like the old school feel here. Stands out from the crowd. I didn't even realize this was a trailer - you forget about the way those have changed over the years. Nice lip synching. Almost feel like this could work in black and white. Interesting split screening near the end. NICE POSTER. Zoom in afterwards feels a little odd but the piece as a whole works.

The Great Gatsby: Traditional trailer here. 0:08 harsh jump cut. Nice lip sync. Is this the original trailer or a mix of the film and the trailer? Seems to have a slower pace than I expected. Nice source match. My mind kind of wanders as it went on, I feel like there's gotta be a better trailer out there for this you could've used (that being said I do not recall the trailer or the film so I could be off there). Something faster paced. But with what you had this was pretty good.

This is Trash: Now Editor, look. I know that you have convinced yourself that your work is meaningless and you deserve nothing, but let's look closer. The girl standing over the pile of sorrow before her has a look of deep contemplation that can only be seen as the pain and suffering she's had to feel watching these AMVs in 2020. I mean look at her! SHE ONLY HAS ONE EYELASH LEFT PER EYE! And the trash she stands with is clearly a metaphor for the decline of western civilization at the hands of fascism. Not only that the lip sync is perfect and LISTEN TO THAT LINE DELIVERY! I think we're all discounting the value of brevity in the packed landscape of our current culture and this wastes absolutely NONE OF YOUR TIME! She says what we're all thinking at every given moment of every day we wake up, and I for one applaud her sincerity in giving us the true message that we need to hear in today's world which is truly, undeniably: "This is Trash". Bravo compadre.

Too Many Editors: And here we are. Another video that would never exist without the community that made this contest what it is. I applaud the editor for finding such a high quality clip of my namesake and the perfect moment as well. He truly must be an avid watcher of America's favorite serial killer drama. There's so many people in this video! I don't know everyone well enough to know how accurate everyone's portrayal is in this epic but I can say that he is at least getting the matching avatars for my studio's representation (including Twiggly Figgly && SasukeChanX). I personally expected our benefactor Jingoro to be at the end but I'm sure the editor has their reasons. And it also shows an acute understanding of the community to depict some of the interpersonal relationships (such as Keiichiface && Troubleclef). Wow there's a lot of people in this video. I would not have had the patience to put this together, that is a lot of different sources. I don't even recognize half of these people. Hey look another live action representative, I'm not the only one. Hey where's L33tmeatwad?

totally a legit video: is it though? Sure you got lip sync and high octane action but I'm not so sure I agree with your diagnosis that this video is totally legit. Profanity isn't gonna win you any points and while yes brevity is a valued property here at Dexter's review session, an abrupt stop is not. No friends I'm afraid this here is a quality example of a sh!tpost and no I didn't just make myself a hypocrite look at that exclamation point you monsters.

Unbound:
Image
Beautiful atmosphere right from the start. This is some Game of Thrones shit right here. Look at that heartbreaking death. Look at that map traversal. THIS IS DRAMA Oh my god is that woman on fire? WHAT IS THAT OWL EATING??? Hey look an apple is that a christian metaphor? Scary demon face. oh god that spear just went through that man's head. THAT CHILD IS KILLING PEOPLE I THOUGHT THIS WAS A FAMILY EVENT! This is a lot of dismemberment, I'm surprised this isn't in mature. Cool sword overlay at the end, is that from the source? Great job. A+, top video here.

Une Priere: Interesting source combination. I'm usually against Disney songs (look at the hypocrite here who edited to a Disney song last year), but I haven't seen this one that often so I'm intrigued. You don't see that much Hunchback of Notre Dame these days. This is a good character profile video. Cool splitscreen at 1:36 with the borders. the zoom out and overlay make it chef's kiss (I am assuming this not from the source).

Utena Vu: That was an abrupt start. Well ok this is an interesting beginning...I like the TV overlay. Lip flap at 0:50. This feels like I'm just watching the source. There's not a lot of cuts here. Why does that car have no one in it and why are the seats pink? Wow is this seriously five minutes long? I'm sorry man, you gotta try harder than this. Next time try to make more cuts. Also cut down the song, it's repetitive. The ending is again abrupt.

Watch the Sky: Ok this song is different. The audio cuts out at 0:21, not sure if that is the source or a mistake. I can't recall the last time I saw a video literally about BIRDS. Is it a metaphor? Does she want to be free like the birds? Is she trapped in a cage? We did see a cage in the beginning. Not sure if there's effects work going on here but there's some interesting texturing to the footage. Interesting effect at 1:49. This is definitely a mood video. More birds. oh - real birds now. Final shot was a bird. CAW!

What We Mean When We Say We'd Give Up Everything: Another Utena vid here we go. Interesting effects with the painting and the lights. Hey Utena Vu editor take a look at this - here's what you should be aiming for. Tight editing here. Unclear how much of this is the source or the editor doing effects with some of these shots but looks great either way. This might be the first Utena video I'm actually into. This is the first time I've felt intrigued to watch Utena. Good job editor I never thought I'd say that (I am not a fan of this art style, but the video is changing my mind here).

Yes I know I'm a Wolf:
Image
Nice creep mood here. Never seen Beastars but it's got an interesting look. I'm being drawn into this. Protect the bunny woman wolf man, you know you love her. Fight for her. That's right, bare those teeth. Wait is he a vegetarian? Oh shit just got dark. Look at those eyes. THOSE EYES! Eyes are everywhere. Oh fuck what is happening. Why is the wolf attacking the bunny. Oh god this is not where I thought this was going. BAD WOLF! Is that wolf in drag? Oh god that's a lot of blood. Wait now he's hugging the bunny girl again? Maybe this is a Jekkyl and Hyde thing. Oh yup now he's standing over the bunny. No Wolf control yourself WE BELIEVE IN YOU! Oh his arm faded away. Very sad. Don't cry wolf. Great video, love it.

Your Hand in Mine: Looks like a straight up Miyazaki vid here - all Howl's Moving Castle this time. Pretty straightforward here, feel like this fits in Upbeat. Not bad, didn't grab me necessarily but this is a fine effort. Good job editor, was relatively easy to follow.

Mature videos:
Spoiler :
Dissociate:
Spoiler :
60fps video? Sad video here. Oh uh - are we really going for rape here? Uh...ok that's a real fan - is this a real person having sex? That's a belt...ok this is uncomfortable. That's a scary image at the end. I didn't like that. That's gonna be a no from me man. You could argue that the first part of the video is sexualizing it and the latter part is showing it for the disgusting act it is. It has artistic value in that respect. But ugh.
I'm (Not) Myself: Nice mood. I'm into this. Nice bit at 1:00, that section works well, dark in the right ways. The doppleganger here looks like a ghost. Love that shot at 1:55 in the tub. I like the first half of this more than the second half but it works as a whole. Looks like she kills the doppleganger, but then she survives so there's more creep factor. Overall pretty good, I'm a fan.

Two for Tragedy: Weird aspect ratio here. Double boxing, this could have been set up better. This video is very tasteful. This is actually pretty good storytelling here. And another argument for the romance category. What are those creepy ass things on the ground ok this video is going places. This feels longer than necessary, just realized this is 6 minutes long. Need to cut out maybe two minutes here. Is that Batman? Oh there goes the arm! OH THERE GOES THE EYE! Well ok then I guess that's it. Nice attempt, too long, cut it down.
Last edited by Dext3r on Sun Dec 06, 2020 6:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
SQ
Doesn't have a title
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2002 8:11 pm
Status: youtube.com/SQ
Location: Upstate NY
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Post by SQ » Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:41 pm

PRO VIDEO REVIEWS - REVERSE ALPHABETICAL ORDER

These are mostly first impressions / live reviews.


It started in reverse alphabetical order but once it reaches "Dysphoria" it gets ordered kind of weirdly. I'm not sure why; that's just how the VLC playlist went so I didn't bother changing it. Sorry in advance.
Spoiler :
Yes I know I'm a Wolf
Well I'm biased because I also wanted to do this vid. And my idea had somewhat different concept.
So that disclaimer aside, I think this is overall a great vid, but the desire to match the lyrics literally in many parts held it back. Because of that I think it relies on having already seen Beastars, leaving people who haven't seen it behind. The last verse really shows how powerful a message the whole video could've been. There you don't care too much for what the lyrics are actually saying and instead you focus on the full message you wanted to convey. So it has an extremely powerful, emotional ending.
Not to say the rest of it isn't powerful, just that I felt it could've been more powerful if they lyrics weren't taken quite so literally.
As an aside: I really liked all the parallells you showed between the conflicting scenes, e.g. holding haru when he was hunting her vs in bed with her.


Painful
This was fun. lol at that fly.
My favorite part was 1:21 - 1:29

Totally a legit video
lol
Hope you finish this someday

The Great Gatsby
I haven't seen the anime, but this was a nice trailer. Seemed consistent, good casting. Thumbs up.

Unbound
Some of the sync felt a bit rushed, like maybe this needed another pass. Especially the ending. But aside from that, I greatly enjoyed this and it's one of my faves for reasons I can't quite bring words to. Feels a lot like a video from last year's Pro, so I wonder if this is made by who I think :)
Disclaimer: I haven't seen the anime.

Million Miles Away
Is this the original resolution? I haven't seen this anime but I know how old it is. Otherwise, this was cute? I mean, sad, obviously, but cute. I liked its simplicity.

Utena Vu
I like the idea but I think it could've benefitted from more cuts and tighter sync.

Your Hand in Mine
Strong feelings of magic, life, whimsy. This is like the feel good version of "Unbound." I liked it a lot in a way I can't really explain.

Watch The Sky
wut lol
I like your texture/overlay

One Trick Pony
Do you ever not submit one of these to pro? lmao
OH
OMG
WHAT A TWIST
I LOVE IT LOL

The only thing I can say is maybe deinterlace the interlaced stuff but idk maybe you kept it that way on purpose?? Who can tell anymore
:100:

What We Mean When We Say We'd Give Everything
Oh I love this. I will put it right next to Revolutionized as my new fave utena vid(s).
I love the distortion/blur vfx used for transitions and just in general.
Love that car wash sync

This is Trash
This is trash lol

Legends Never Die
delightfully awkward

Rallyy
Oooo, ok this is creative.
There's a weird line in the mask for the lip sync at 1:00 scene at the payphone.

My Crew
It doesn't count if it's not a cockroach-type creature
Oh but it looks like luffy counted in order
I really hope this is a parody or else I'm gonna feel like a real shithead later
I'm still going to post this because I'm committed

I haven't seen One Piece so I'm really not emotionally invested at all but it was a well-edited video regardless if it's parody or not

Une Priere except imagine an accent where it belongs in the title
I'm confused by this video so I think I'll just comment that I'm probably not the intended audience at all
I've seen the first/old anime but I'm still not quite sure what's going on here. Sorry :(

MobiusTrip except imagine the umulat where it belongs
well this is trippy as hell
Is this a coming of age character profile??
I hope you edit Infinity Train at some point

Too Many Editors
I'm just happy I and some other lesser known editors were included lmao

Iron Resolve
YES ATLA
OH NO You used the original DVD/Bluray D:
If you can get your hands on the new bluray, the one they released recently, there's no more of that weird mirror/doubling issue.
I love your use of color.
The subtle audio add was A+
Oh when you get to them actually talking, maybe lower the volume of the music a bit, because I find the dialogue a bit hard to follow.
oh the second set of dialogue about the honor part is much better
overall I love this video, thank you

Language
1. lol. 2. fuck yeah to that internal sync

Iron Bond
I really appreciate that you spent a lot more time on developing Al. Not many people do in vids like this.
I think you have a stray frame at 2:35
I had some doubts in the beginning of this vid but by the 2nd half you got me. This is such a great brother vid and I especially love the focus on Al.
Thank you

A Christmas Eve Carol
Some parts look interlaced, bnut with how old this is who knows how it was originally pressed, so congrats on getting it to look as good as you did.
I'm not really a christmas person at all, but it's an interesting video.

Infinite Youth
Another vid where I am very much not the intended audience, but it's really well edited.

Hellsing Eternal
Now I know what everyone was talking about with gun sync.
This is an amazing trailer. Love it.

Hurricane
I saw this before and I got a little lost in it. Ultimately I think it's beautiful. And he can't touch her but he really wants to. This has some raw emotional narrative, and I like it a lot. I just get a little confused because she does touch him and nothing seems to happen? Or was he wearing gloves at those points? I can't tell.
I had to rewatch this. She holds his hand at 2:11 and then gets hugged near the end. The hug seems like fantasy but 2:11 seems like it actually happened to me? So that really broke my entire immersion there, because you did an amazing job showing how the spirit is cursed or can't touch her or whatever. Then in the second half when you show her touching him (in a dream?) and she gets corrupted, it lost the emotional significance because of the shot at 2:11 -- to me.
Other than that I greatly loved this video. It is brilliant otherwise, great storytelling besides that one thing. I'd consider it a father/daughter story. Very sad but ultimately beautiful and emotionally strong.

Going Home
Live laugh love the amv
(I mean that in a good way)

Heartdance
Normally I don't really "get" romance AMVs but this is one of the few that I really connected with and it was done really well and uh idk thank you

friend.exe
Creative sync, made this fuyn to watch despite having seen a lot of good AMVs to this already.
Visually interesting and really good use of Lain
Frankly I'm just happy to see an AMV using this anime again but the fact that it's super well done is also nice
Thank you for making this

Four-Footed Family
I'm just a lonely asshole who doesn't appreciate videos like this
It's cute though

Fever Dream
This is interesting
I'm pretty sure this is a metaphor or has a deeper meaning and I'm just too dumb to understand it
But I liked this video, if that means anything lol

F Society
This is well done. Wish I had the full context (I haven't seen this show).

Do You Know What's Going On?
I wouldn't have connected this to covid probably if someone else hadn't mentioned it first.
Unfortunately I have some bias because I watched the trailer for songbird like literally a week ago:
https://trailers.apple.com/trailers/ind ... /songbird/
But anyway
Your vid is super well edited, and on point, and thank you for using "In the House, In a Heartbeat".
Can't imagine how much effort it took to go through the TWD series and pick out all that dialogue to make a good, coherent story.
You also have the perfect amount of repetition for dramatic effect
My only complaint is I wish the white flashes weren't 100% full white.

Dysphoria
slow start but waaaaaat
There is so much going on I don't know where to look but something tells me that is the point
that ego death typography is my fave wow

Bitter Lamentations
Ooo good to see a country song in a vid.
another father/daughter vid? :)
Wow, ok.
Father/child stories have a special place in my heart. This made me feel things. I'm a little confused why there was so much killing in this vid, but iirc that's because TLOU is about zombies. I haven't played either game but this was a sad vid, oof, thanks for making it. ;_;

Can Anybody Hear Me
Well this is an unexpected pairing
I think you have a stray frame at 0:48 before he looks at the map
that was cute. I liked it.

Dance
lol AMV DVDs this brings me back already
oooooo
Needed a fun vid in between all these emotional ones


Esoterra
There's a lot going on here but I really like how the wolf and girl seem to match up a lot in the narrative.
After all the Demon Slayer vids last pro, I actually went and watched Demon Slayer. And I'm glad I did because now I can appreciate how much work you put into those scenes, wow.
Makes me wonder how many layers/different the other shots from other anime are.
Were those the moon fish from avatar???
lol yeah it always does come back to evangelion in vids like this, doesn't it lol
Nice video

Boy vs Brain
I have never seen Steven Universe and it never really appealed to me but I 100% FEEL THIS VIDEO
This feels like its profiling mental illness?
Definitely had a lot of relatable feels with this vid as someone with clinical depression

BIG WIN
good, I needed a pick up after the last vid lol
lol that election map, nice
love that street light sync

Bad Piece
lmao

Bad Guy
love that gun overlay thing sync
all the overlays during that surgery scene were also great
oh its the part of the video with the xplosion sync
yes plz
definitely an amazing action video, thanks

Battlefield
Video quality on this isn't the best, also not feeling the chipmunk voice but otherwise this looks great so far.
I thought the titles and bungie splash took away from the flow a bit but otherwise this was a neat video.
I think the video cuts out a little early though? Maybe a fade to black would've looked a bit better there.

Awaken
This was nicely done.

A Servant's Fate
I appreciate this well done external sync
MATURE VIDEOS
Spoiler :
I'm (Not) Myself
More well done external sync.
love the glitch effects/overlays
This is a really well done character profile and I'm glad I've seen Perfect Blue so I can fully appreciate it.

Two For Tragedy
A little long for my taste, but still well done.

Dissociate
Oh I thought this was called disassociate, whoops.
I liked the artistic-ness of the beginning. Not very twixtor-looking even though it was used for this.
I liked the overlays in the shadows.
The audio with the ceiling fan is definitely what made it more horrific to me tbh. It's what you don't see that scares people the most.
idk the last tv screen of what I assume is the aftermath is on screen long enough to really hammer home what this is about.

I mean "Good video" probably isn't the best word choice, but, this was really well done.
StandardQuip
Discord: @standardquip
BentoVid (previously AMV Sashimi) Discord Server

User avatar
ngsilver
The Old School Otaku
Joined: Sat Jun 28, 2003 1:22 pm
Status: She/Her
Location: Detroit area
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Post by ngsilver » Thu Nov 19, 2020 12:26 am

Pro reviews, animated GIF edition (cuz' nothing else would be quite as on-brand for me)
Spoiler :
A Christmas Eve Carol
Spoiler :
Image
A Servants Fate
Spoiler :
Image
Awaken
Spoiler :
Image
Bad Guy
Spoiler :
Image
Bad Piece
Spoiler :
Image
Battlefield
Spoiler :
Image
Big Win
Spoiler :
Image
Bitter Lamentations
Spoiler :
Image
Boy vs. Brain
Spoiler :
Image
Can Anybody Hear Me
Spoiler :
Image
Dance
Spoiler :
Image
Dissociate
Spoiler :
Image
Do you know what's going on
Spoiler :
Image
Dysphoria
Spoiler :
Image
Esoterra
Spoiler :
Image
F Society
Spoiler :
Image
Fever Dream
Spoiler :
Image
Four Footed Family
Spoiler :
Image
Friend.exe
Spoiler :
Image
Going home
Spoiler :
Image
Heartdance
Spoiler :
Image
Hellsing Eternal
Spoiler :
Image
Hurricane
Spoiler :
Image
I'm Not Myself
Spoiler :
Image
Infinite Youth
Spoiler :
Image
Iron Bond
Spoiler :
Image
Iron Resolve
Spoiler :
Image
Language
Spoiler :
Image
Legends Never Die
Spoiler :
Image
Million Miles Away
Spoiler :
Image
MobiusTrip
Spoiler :
Image
My Crew
Spoiler :
Image
One Trick Pony
Spoiler :
Image
Painful
Spoiler :
Image
Rally
Spoiler :
Image
The Great Gatsby
Spoiler :
Image
This is Trash
Spoiler :
Image
Too Many Editors
Spoiler :
Image
Totally a legit video
Spoiler :
Image
Two for tragedy
Spoiler :
Image
Unbound
Spoiler :
Image
Une Priere
Spoiler :
Image
Utena Vu
Spoiler :
Image
Watch the Sky
Spoiler :
Image
What We Mean when we say we'd give up everything
Spoiler :
Image
Yes I Know I'm a Wolf
Spoiler :
Image
Your Hand in Mine
Spoiler :
Image
Overall
Spoiler :
Image
ImageImageImageImage

User avatar
renacava
Joined: Thu Jun 11, 2020 5:58 am
Status: Aspiring toward the absolute
Org Profile

Re: Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Post by renacava » Sat Nov 21, 2020 4:41 pm

Just to put things into context, I'm a very effect heavy editor and I'm also completely new to the AMV community.
Preface:
Spoiler :
I made a radar graph for each of the edits since I felt it was a better way to review and grade them.
Here are the explanations for each of the points in the graphs:
flow - I'm not even going to try to define this.
active sync - I define sync as the combination of internal and external since especially with fx heavy videos they can blur together.
tonal sync - To me, tonal sync is how well the overall feeling of the edit matches the overall feeling of the song and visuals at any and all given
times.
initial impact - How different, moved, excited, sad, happy, confused, angry, etc, I felt directly after watching your video.
quality - This is a mix of polish, for videos with little/no fx, and general quality of any effects used, for fx heavy videos.
originality - Completely subjective to me, how original and unique of a concept, idea or overall feeling this video portrays.
personal enjoyment - Did I like the video

0 = None/Not Applicable
1 = This specific aspect of the video caught my attention in a bad way, it subtracted from the video, disrupts it, "low"
2 = This aspect of the video didn't catch my attention, it didn't add or subtract from the video, "medium"
3 = This aspect of the video caught my attention in a good way, it added to the video, improved it, "high"

The scale of 0-3 is not an objective, comparable rating of how good or bad any given point is!
It is a relative grading specific to your video that can't and shouldn't be compared to other ratings.
It's all about what stood out and didn't stand out for your video.

Independent Replays = How much I rewatched the edit on my own, just for fun.
Reviews:
Spoiler :
A Christmas Eve Carol
Spoiler :

specific biases
Haven't seen the movie

independent replays
Low

commentary
I couldn't take the art style seriously at first but you fixed that by the end of the second minute. Same with the lip flaps, I was distracted
by them at first but I actually feel like they contributed in a good way, the message would be different if the characters weren't seen to
be conversing.
The ending was a bit confusing to me, I haven't seen the movie. Movie?
02:32ish was great
it could have ended on the tombstone scene. the leftover time after that just felt out of place.
some bits felt a bit off timing wise, for sync.

Image
A Servan't Fate
Spoiler :

specific biases
Never seen Fate, but I do know the general premise

independent replays
Low

commentary
I was wondering if the sudden zooms were intentional or not. Someone brought up that they actually like it, it's refreshing compared to
the more gentle zooms more common these days.
the buildup was a bit long, I felt. I don't know if you've already trimmed the audio some, but if there were an appropriate spot to do so
during the buildup to make it shorter, I think it would have helped the pacing of the video.
2:21, the impact in the song happened before the impact of the sword, and there was significant movement on screen that felt like it
should have synced to something but wasnt. Cutting to black sooner there would have been better, I feel.
a nice action video. even if it was long, the buildup really contributed a lot towards the actual release of combat.

Image
Awaken
Spoiler :

specific biases
I didn't enjoy the Wonder Woman movie, felt the writing and production quality were sub par.

independent replays
Low

commentary
tonally synced well.
relatively straightforward storytelling, but some intermingling of different scenes during the same section of the song felt out of place.
had some cool sync moments but at the same time some noticeably lacking moments in terms of sync.
the ending could have been cut just a few frames earlier, to better match the ending of the song. the idea that she put her arms together
in an impact would still be there and communicated, if a few frames were left out.

Image
Bad Guy
Spoiler :

specific biases
Haven't seen the movie

independent replays
Low

commentary
suffers a bit from over saturation of action, making the tonally slower parts of the song not match the footage, and it all sorta blends
together into one big fight scene without any breathing room.
none long enough that it felt intentional, at least.
except 2:09, that did feel like an intentional rest, but it went into heavy action before the build up finished. when the buildup did finish,
it had some nice matching footage, but it could have been better if you'd laid off the action just a bit longer first.

Image
Bad Piece
Spoiler :

specific biases
I love South Park
I can't take One Piece very seriously, which adds to the edit

independent replays
Medium

commentary
the shoddy editing really adds to the comedy. the characters look janky, the song is janky, and the editing is janky. In this way it's really
congruent!
I don't know if this is a reference to something from a previous year, but I really enjoyed it either way.

Image

Battlefield
Spoiler :

specific biases
I have a thing against Destiny.

independent replays
Low

commentary
I don't know where or how you got the footage, but the quality really detracted from the video, I really couldn't tell what was going on in
a lot of scenes. It distracted me the whole time.
I'm sure you know it's not good to repeat footage without it being very intentional.
reminds me a lot of when I first started GMVs, I know how hard it is to get a good length of trailer footage.
keep editing. I'm guessing, I could be wrong, that you're new to editing GMVs. Keep at it. I'd really like to see how much you improve in
your next edit.

Image

BIG WIN
Spoiler :

specific biases
I don't like political things
I do like monogatari things

independent replays
Low

commentary
I think the lip sync was good. the transitions and flow matched the overall tone of the video.

Image

Bitter Lamentations
Spoiler :

specific biases
Like most people, I despise country music.
I haven't played TLOU1 or 2, but I know the plots of both.

independent replays
Low

commentary
This commentary may contain spoilers:
sad. very sad. makes me worry about the people close to me.
the tone and mood of the edit comes across well, even though the traditional markers for edits are missing like intense syncing. This is
fine though, good even, this video's purpose wasn't to be a tightly edited video, it was to evoke specific feelings, and it did
that.

Image

Boy vs Brain
Spoiler :

specific biases
Tried to watch SU but just couldn't get past the first episode. (Does the show get better, further in?)

independent replays
Low

commentary
I can't relate to SU, but the feelings the song and visuals communicate feel a lot more universal and common than just what happens to
Steven. His name is Steven right?
This gives off a very different feel from Going Home, and I feel Going Home describes the base feelings of SU too, so this is a good
showing of what I believe is the other half of SU, the more serious side.

Image


Can Anybody Hear Me
Spoiler :

specific biases
I just can't take Sonic seriously. I tried, I really did, but I just can't do it.

independent replays
Low

commentary
the scene selection has some weird gaps in it. I know it's an IRL but the lip flaps still get to me, along with inter scene colour/lighting
changes being pretty drastic.
it'd hit harder if I were a fan of Sonic, definitely.
most of my gripes with the video could be fixed, it's not flawed on a fundamental level, except for my bias towards Sonic itself. I think
with some more time and/or beta testing, this video would have been a lot better.

Image

Dance
Spoiler :

specific biases
N/A

independent replays
High

commentary
makes me wanna dance~
lots of scenes I've never seen, avoiding commonly used more pop style dance footage to give a new feeling to the old idea of a dance
video.
the aspect ratio change at the end of the intro is a bit irksome.
really like the persona part, the gliding really matches the sounds of the song there, as does the following spanish dancing.
the sped up, at least I think it's sped up since I haven't actually seen the source material, footage towards the end of the video just really
reduces the perceived quality and polish of the video.

Image


Do You Know What's Going On
Spoiler :

specific biases
I've seen/enjoyed most of The Walking Dead
I know and like to use the VHS effect you're using
I've listened to and liked this song for a long time

independent replays
Low

commentary
hits hard. some scenes are a bit strangely timed, the pauses and lack thereof between dialogue doesn't feel quite natural.
sound effects were mixed in well though.
the scenes shown to be on a camera's preview screen just don't look right.
very creative work, creating a new tertiary meaning as a product of the source footage and audio mixed with your editing. None of the
source material expressed the idea you wanted to, purely through your editing have you created this new meaning. Very cool.

Image

Dysphoria
Spoiler :

specific biases
I'm a fan of a lot of the source footages
I think I know the author

independent replays
High

commentary
very spooky. also very unique. it's almost like a condensed, much more intense, faster version of Satoshi Kon's style.
with a bit of Inception.
the jarring effect is pronounced, it's doing what it set out to do. also the typography is good.
1:25 is really cool, you somehow managed to really find some visuals that fit that weird sound perfectly.
the idea being executed in an amv is original, in that I've never seen one that does this, though the impact of the idea expressed isn't as
strong as it would be a few years ago for me since I've been exploring what I think is the theme of this video a lot in the past
few years.

Image

Esoterra
Spoiler :

specific biases
I know the author
I like spiritual kinda videos

independent replays
High

commentary
really can't see any obvious flaws, it's 3am so I'm not going to overanalyze this.
the masking at 1:32ish is a bit strange though. the outline thickness.
really nice overlays, I like the subject matter
though some moments could have... less movement, so the moments meant to by synced are more easily recognised, higher contrast
between amount of motion in synced and non synced moments.
really love 0:59
2 for originality since it does feel like the usual concept of nature/spirit/life cycle, common in psychedelic category.
soft 2.
it just doesn't feel right giving everything a 3, and the one thing that doesn't stand out as much as the others is the actual concept for the
video, the theme.
like just to clear this up, a 3 in sync or quality or flow doesn't mean it's objectively the same amount of sync/quality/flow as another vid
with a 3 in that category. a 3 just means it stood out in a good way, a 1 that it stood out in a bad way, a 2 that it didn't stand
out. It does not measure scale.
I should really put that in the general preface come to think of it.

Image

F Society
Spoiler :

specific biases
I don't like politics or political videos.
Haven't seen Mr. Robot

independent replays
Low

commentary
has some cool moments.
sync can be inconsistent.

Image

Fever Dream
Spoiler :

specific biases
I like this kinda anime style

independent replays
Medium

commentary
feels like a weird mix of tkmiz and made in abyss.
the editing itself doesn't really stand out, compared to the source footage.

Image

Four Footed Family
Spoiler :

specific biases
I can't quite relate to the footage, personally

independent replays
Low

commentary
wholesome, simple, does what it sets out to do (judging by others' reactions).

Image

Friend.exe
Spoiler :

specific biases
Big fan of lain

independent replays
High

commentary
really well done. really really well done. might just be because I'm biased, but this had... a really comfy feeling, and the music matched
the visuals so well it seems like an independent animation/song made specifically for this video with each other in mind.
the lain at the start though, is that you scaling her or from the footage? she's kinda floating and not scaling right.
probably my favourite edit here.
the actual video quality is very crisp and well defined, though I use quality more as an effects and polish category. as far as i can tell you
didn't really use many effects, so it doesn't stand out, and the polish doesn't necessarily stand out either, which is what a 3 is.
something standing out, you actively notice it, how good the effects are or how polished the video is. consider it a soft 2.

Image

Going Home
Spoiler :

specific biases
Tried to watch SU but just couldn't get past the first episode. (Does it get better?)

independent replays
Low

commentary
this really doesn't land with me, I just can't relate. It does make me want to retry SU though.
great sync.

Image

Heartdance
Spoiler :

specific biases
Haven't seen HTTYD, I'm in a relationship.

independent replays
Low

commentary
hohoh boy. very effective at what it sets out to do. I was going to put in "perceived purpose" and "efficacy at purpose" in the charts, but
some were just too difficult to define purposes for.
this though, this made me stop reviewing and go spend time with my boyfriend. Almost made me watch HTTYD.
I can't really think of any flaws. Too busy getting the urge to go hug.
damn it I wanna start a family now. look what you've done.
GAH

Image

Hellsing Eternal
Spoiler :

specific biases
I like the newer DOOM OST's

independent replays
Medium

commentary
it's a well done trailer. the audio fits completely, really well integrated, theme too.

Image

Hurricane
Spoiler :

specific biases
I love stories like these.

independent replays
Low

commentary
very sharp, tonal, clean.
some of the transforms feel a bit stiff, compared to the constant smoother motion of panels and some zooms.
a bit long for a mostly monotone video.

Image
Infinite Youth
Spoiler :

specific biases
Never seen/read Peanuts.

independent replays
Low

commentary
reminds me a lot of The Creationist.
very wholesome, dramatic, flows well. makes me nostalgic for some reason.

Image

Iron Bond
Spoiler :

specific biases
Haven't seen FMA.

independent replays
Low

commentary
there's some scenes that just really don't match the pacing and tone of the song and the rest of the edit.

Image

Iron Resolve
Spoiler :

specific biases
ATLA is one of my favourite shows. I like Woodkid.

independent replays
Low

commentary
the inconsistencies between usage of cc is jarring. maybe it is consistent, I just can't figure out the pattern.
also the leavecolour at times could be cleaned up. an effect done badly or confusingly can be worse than no effect at all. think of it as
cooking a meal, rather have no chicken than slightly off chicken.
lyrics are really well matched.

Image

Language
Spoiler :

specific biases
Fan of the song and marvel movies

independent replays
Medium

commentary
the nudity at times is a bit spicy, would have preferred it to be in mature just because i watched this in a semi public place
good song and theme match.

Image

Legends Never Die
Spoiler :

specific biases
N/A

independent replays
Low

commentary
fun

Image

Million Miles Away
Spoiler :

specific biases
I like music and art like this.

independent replays
Medium

commentary
fills it's niche well. does what it sets out to do.

Image

MobiusTrip
Spoiler :

specific biases
Psychedelics changed my life. Seen the first ep of Midnight Gospel.

independent replays
High

commentary
you really get it. I don't like that "psychedelic" is a category largely defined and populated by people who don't know what psychedelics
are like.
this is an actual psychedelic video. I'd love to talk to you about whatever.

Image

My Crew
Spoiler :

specific biases
I've seen one episode of One Piece. I can't take the art seriously.

independent replays
Low

commentary
I bet this hits OP fans in the heart, but as someone whose never seen it, it just does nothing for me.

Image

One Trick Pony
Spoiler :

specific biases
I'm completely new to The Vat, PRO and the entire amv editing community
I love this song.

independent replays
Medium

commentary
I had no idea what was going on, didn't even realise it was a reference video first viewing, but still ended up laughing.

Image

Painful
Spoiler :

specific biases
I love OPM and this genre of music

independent replays
Low

commentary
really good matchup between the video and audio, this song feels like it was made for OPM.

Image

Rallyy
Spoiler :

specific biases
I like older anime, early 1900's America and detective shows

independent replays
Low

commentary
really makes me want to watch Gunsmith Cats.
that phone mouth mask was just too noticeable.
the sound effects near the end are just a bit... too different while being too similar.
I mean they're much more crisp compared to earlier and I really felt like I heard them from some game before, taking out the immersion.
The letter zoom in was also too pixelated, took me out of it.
these are all just polish issues though that can be fixed, overall this edit has a solid base with well matching video and audio.
I also really like the uh, main girl's expression when she asks "who else knew where he was?". it is just a perfect match to the voice acting.

Image

The Great Gatsby
Spoiler :

specific biases
I love Baccano

independent replays
Low

commentary
great matchup.
I feel like you were a bit strapped for footage since it had to be so specific, though you could have removed some lip flaps with some
masks.

Image

This is trash
Spoiler :

specific biases
N/A

independent replays
No

commentary
I was going to write a long over analyzed essay here but Vars beat me to it

Image

Too Many Editors
Spoiler :

specific biases
I'm completely new to The Vat, PRO and the entire amv editing community

independent replays
Low

commentary
it's a wholesome video

Image

totally a legit video
Spoiler :

specific biases
I like Eraserhead

independent replays
Medium

commentary
Beyond the intro its just an action video. but I like action videos. I want more. Please make a full length action video.

Image
Unbound
Spoiler :

specific biases
I love Vinland Saga

independent replays
Medium

commentary
you used a lot of scenes from the OPs, except you continued them on where they ended. It shows you weren't lazy about getting clips, I
appreciate that.

Image

Une Priere
Spoiler :

specific biases
I don't know any of these characters or their relationships

independent replays
Low

commentary
the cuts are a bit fast at times while the song is slower, it gets very noticeable later on.
I've never seen an amv with this sort of... song? ballot? its nice.

Image

Utena Vu
Spoiler :

specific biases
N/A

independent replays
Low

commentary
really really like the opening, but the later scenes are just too similar for too long and I lose interest.

Image

Watch The Sky
Spoiler :

specific biases
I can't stop seeing the kazoo kid in my head when I watch this

independent replays
Low

commentary
There wasn't.. much of an impact. It was a nice video but ultimately I didn't feel different from before I watched it.
The mixing of disney, anime and irl took me out of the experience a bit.

Image

What We Mean When We Say We'd Give Up Everything
Spoiler :

specific biases
N/A

independent replays
High

commentary
the amount of sync is enough where you notice the moments where it doesn't noticeably sync. you're in that weird spot there.
really enjoy the opening

Image

Yes I Know I'm A Wolf
Spoiler :

specific biases
Haven't seen Beastars
I'm into these kinda relationships

independent replays
Low

commentary
there's just too many inconsistencies between scenes to get me into it.
inter scene continuity really detracts from the experience, mostly differences in colour and lighting

Image

Your Hand In Mine
Spoiler :

specific biases
I love Howl's Moving Castle

independent replays
High

commentary
absolutely love some of the floaty scenes, especially the floaty feeling ones.

Image
Mature Reviews:
Spoiler :
I'm (Not) Myself
Spoiler :

specific biases
I like Perfect Blue and this genre of music.

independent replays
High

commentary
really can't find anything noteworthy wrong with the video. it's good. I really like the bassy dance/violence parts.
one of my favourites.
though I mean, if there's anywhere to go from here, it'd be towards creating a product instead of a sum in a video. Instead of an anime
with theme X, song also about theme X, thus an edit that greatly intensifies the original concepts and meanings of the source
materials, you could make a product. source anime has theme X, song theme Y, combining the into an edit produces theme Z, a
new unique theme, concept, experience, a product and not a sum of the source materials.

Image

Dissociate
Spoiler :

specific biases
I know the author
I love Ancient Magus Bride
I'm familiar with twixtor and spotting artifacts for 2D motion interpolation

independent replays
Medium

commentary
there's some stutter at times and noticeable twixtor artifacting near center screen, also some banding where you use shine.
the actual purpose of the video... I mean, the video is effective. It definitely does what it sets out to do, and it definitely makes me
uncomfortable, want to "dissociate."
the warning seemed ineffective for a lot of people, try to look into communications studies to learn how to make it more effective.

Image


Two For Tragedy
Spoiler :

specific biases
I can't help but see Guts as my one ex

independent replays
Low

commentary
You did well in recapping a lot of story in a relatively short time

Image


User avatar
MiraKayla
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 3:04 pm
Location: Somewhere in Georgia
Org Profile

Re: Obligatory, annual, elitist AWA 2020 Pro reviews!

Post by MiraKayla » Sat Nov 21, 2020 6:41 pm

Hi! I think I should start this with some notes to keep in mind. Even though I’ve been making AMVs for a (relatively) long time, I know nothing about the technical parts of editing, and I don’t have much of an eye for it either. I’m unfamiliar with the vast majority of the sources and parodies here, so any jokes were lost on me. I’ve also never reviewed videos before this, so if anyone has some critiques on my critiques, please PM me (I want to learn how to word my thoughts constructively). Writing reviews was a lot harder than I thought it would be because I don’t usually think about the reasons why I like/dislike the videos I watch.
Spoiler :
A Christmas Eve Carol
- I’m happy to see a holiday themed entry, which thankfully reminds me that 2020 is almost over. This video felt thematically unsure of itself. The audio is dramatic, but some of the visuals are a bit lackluster (2:04 for example. It’s Tiny Tim walking down some stairs to some booming drums?) Also, the sped up video looked a little awkward to me. I liked the finale of the video (from 2:51 onwards), but I don’t understand why Scrooge’s eerie tombstone was shown at the end, since we saw his redemption right before. Maybe cut the song so that the scenes are more impactful?

A Servant’s Fate
- Your style is very clean and works well with action sequences. This is the second Fate video I’ve ever seen, and I’m inching a little closer to wanting to check out the series.

Awaken
- I loved this video. Focusing on Diana’s growth and awakening as Wonder Woman was the right way to go with this song.

Bad Guy
- I loved the beginning, but the latter half dragged a bit.

Bad Piece
- I know nothing about One Piece, so I didn’t understand what was happening with this one...

Battlefield
- The repeated clips distracted me. The video and the audio were disconnected to me. I also thought the random text was confusing. As someone unfamiliar with this game, they have no significance to me and they stood out in a bad way. I understand what you wanted to do with “Battlefield” and an action game, but this didn’t work for me.

BIG WIN
- I didn’t really understand this one... Is it a meme about the election? :?

Bitter Lamentations
- This one nearly made me cry. I know nothing about The Last of Us, but I got to know the relationship between the girl and her father. Keeping the guitar motif throughout was a good choice. From 3:45 to the end, though... you kind of lost me. I get that the game is violent, but it disrupts the emotional arc I was feeling. Overall, I still liked it.

Boy vs Brain
- I don’t know who you are, but who gave you the right?! Oh my goodness, this was so good. I almost feel like finishing the series now. This is one of my favorites.

Can Anybody Hear Me
- It was fine. I’m not a big fan of the song or source, and it was hard for me to form an emotional connection with what was going on. I liked the juxtaposition with the baseball games, though, to show Sonic’s need for a friend. (The action sequences near the end kind of pulled me away from that theme.)

Dance
- It was fine. It dragged on for a little too long, but that could be because I don’t like dance videos.

Dissociate
- I’m sorry, I didn’t watch this one because of the subject material.

Do you know what’s going on?
- I’ve never seen the Walking Dead, but this video is one that I’m definitely going to share with my friends when you make it public. It is so good. The election day timestamp nearly made me scream. All the voiceovers were perfect. I could tell that this required a lot of planning. The parallels with this year were spot on. This is one of my favorites.

Dysphoria
- I thought it was sufficiently disorienting. I liked the text throughout as well.

Esoterra
- I didn’t really like this one. Most of the scenes and cross-fades felt overwhelming. I liked the masking transitions. Those are a lot harder to do, I know, but they worked better for me.

F Society
- Dang. Wow, that was intense. I love it. I couldn’t get into the show, but this was a palatable bite for me :lol:

Fever Dream
- This was pretty good. I loved your dedication to syncing with the drums.

Four Footed Family
- This was really sweet and cute. The length was good.

Friend.exe
- Woah. This was deliciously creepy. I loved it. :up: This is also the only video that made me put the source on my watch list, so great job. Definitely a favorite.

Going Home
- After I watched it a couple of times, I noticed how you carefully synced touches, and I thought that was a good thing to focus on throughout the video. Overall, I liked it.

Heartdance
- This was cute. I liked how you highlighted the parallels as they aged.

Hellsing Eternal
- It’s hard to go wrong with a trailer. This was a fun romp. Good job.

Hurricane
- Overall, I liked it. By the end, though, I forgot that the beginning had manga pages (I might have a short attention span, idk). I’m not sure about the purpose of the sequence around 4:13, snice it doesn’t seem to have an effect on the girl’s relationship with her crow father.

I’m (Not) Myself
- Good sync throughout. I’m moderately familiar with the source, since the film traumatized my little sister when she was 12. I think you did a good job showing the conflict between the two personas, and I liked the bloody climax (I think it meshed well with the song.) I liked the static/distorted TV effects that you used to highlight her fracturing reality. This is one of my favorites.

Infinite Youth
- This was great. The song and video make a great pair. I had a smile on my face the entire video. Watching Charlie Brown and Snoopy work hard to gain their respective crushes’ love was illustrated here in an endearing way.

Iron Bond
- I don’t like the song very much, but it served the purpose of the video enough. This one felt a little generic to me. Maybe I’ve watched too many FMA videos.

Iron Resolve
- I liked the moodiness of it, but the limited colors thing seemed kind of random. Also, for some reason, the voiceovers startled me (because they start in the second half of the video). They were also kind of hard to hear? (Maybe that’s just me, lol.) I’m a sucker for Avatar videos, but there are dozens of Zuko videos out there not much different from this.

Language
- Clever title! I really liked this one. It was fun and action-packed. There were so many glorious syncs to the beat (1:02-1:10 in particular). The ending was the cherry on top. Definitely one of my favorites from this group.

Legends Never Die
- I don’t understand the title, but otherwise, it was a fine video.

Million Miles Away
- This is cute... hmm, that’s all I can say.

MobiusTrip
- During the first half, I thought the song was made for the visuals. I liked the subtle halo-transitions. However, it started to feel repetitive around 2:30 and it was harder to maintain my interest...

My Crew
- I’m getting tired of hearing this song in videos, to be honest. You did a good job overall. You managed the emotional parts with the action parts well, and I felt like the video maintained a consistent tone throughout.

One trick pony
- I don’t understand many of the references and in-jokes, but this was hilarious.

Painful
- OMG I loved this. The attention to flow and sync was excellent. I loved how the song and video maintained a high energy throughout. My favorite part was the sync with the four fists at 0:18. I can’t stop rewatching this. This is one of my favorites, but... this video felt too similar to the opening of the first season.

Rallyy
- This feels unfinished, for some reason. I liked the opening. It was strong and grabbed my attention. Near the middle, there was too much focus on static people talking, which doesn’t look very interesting. Also, the ending part might benefit from “actor” names, to make it look more like a trailer. I liked the poster at the end, though.

The Great Gatsby
- This was okay... it was difficult for me to tell what was happening most of the time. I’m not familiar with the anime, but the Gatsby character doesn’t look the part.

This is Trash
- Uh... that’s it?

Too Many Editors
- It brought a smile to my face to see the names of all those editors. Also, nice touch with the “to be continued” at the end, since this list was by no means exhaustive. I know it’s the joke, but it’s sooo long.

Totally a legit video
- Why is it so short? (I think I liked it?)

Two for Tragedy
- I didn’t realize this video was nearly six minutes long? (Good job keeping me interested the entire time.) I don’t know the source, but I think you showed an emotional story in a way that got me invested in it. The ending looked a little weird to me, though. Did the white-haired guy betray the dark-haired guy? (A lot of stuff was going on and I got confused, heh.)

Unbound
- I liked this one. I couldn’t really get into the video until the second half, but I loved the contrasts between childhood innocence and war’s brutality. The overlays were nice and subtle, working well with the music. The ending felt a little abrupt, though.

Un Priere
- Fruits Basket! I love the manga. I’m so happy to see the reboot make an appearance here. Beautiful song choice. I thought some of the zooms/pans were too quick (1:27-1:30 as an example.) 1:56-2:10 had a lot of cuts, which felt jarring since the song is so slow. Don’t be afraid to linger on scenes more. (I really like 2:16-2:30 because the images are allowed to linger and leave an impact.) The lyric match at 2:31 looks a bit awkward... and it doesn’t make sense to people unfamiliar with Fruits Basket.

Utena Vu
- I don’t understand the concept behind this one. The combinations of the audio and visuals was not interesting to me. This song demands high intensity scenes, but all of the scenes linger on screen for too long. I think more cuts would have helped connect the visuals to the music for me. I also don’t understand the intro sequence with the car rusting. (I had to look up the source after this because I was so confused :oops: )

Watch the Sky
- I didn’t really like the mood of the video (I can’t put my finger on why), and the song annoyed me. I liked the sequence at the end, and I loved the colors. This was a beautiful video, but I couldn't get into it...

What We Mean When We Say We’d Give Up Everything
- This... this was stunning. I loved the use of picture-in-picture throughout. It was beautiful, though bordering on sensual, lol. The song fit perfectly with the art style of the source. Definitely one of my favorites.

Yes I Know I’m a Wolf
- I thought this video was fine. The beginning dragged on for a bit, and the video felt forced to recap the entire season. For example, the scene in the theater doesn’t have anything to do with Legoshi and Haru’s relationship, which the rest of the video focuses on. I feel like focusing on their relationship alone would make the video more impactful. (I have a lot of issues with Beastars’ story pacing, so those complaints unfortunately came to mind when watching this.)

Your Hand in Mine
- I love Howl’s Moving Castle! And I love the Oh Hellos 😊. This was a cute video. I loved the way you cut to the beat (like from 1:15-1:30). This video was very energetic and sweet. Good job.

Locked

Return to “AMV Contests”