AMV Review #20: MacPenguin's Woolongs for Nothing

[quadir]

The concept: free op the chosen amv, then video discussion in irc
Where: #amv-review irc.zirc.org (web client)
When: Every Monday, 20:30 EDT (8:30pm)
After: free-for-all video-related chat the rest of the week

This week's joke video: (see joke log to see how it happened)
(UuUuUuUuUuU) - 2007 - Chocolate AMV
Link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=caIBKOztlAo
Category: Parody
Original video: Tay Zonday - 2007 - Chocolate Rain
Original link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=EwTZ2xpQwpA
Anime: Mega Man
Song: Tay Zonday - Chocolate Rain

This week's actual video:
Chris Ushko (MacPenguin) - 2007 - Woolongs for Nothing
Category: Parody
Anime: Cowboy Bebop
Song: Dire Straits - Money For Nothing

Bonus Video:
(RubyHatchet) - 2003 - A Song For Everyone
(RubyHatchet) - 2004 - A Song For Everyone II
Category: Comedy
Anime: Fruits Basket
Song: Various

We want video suggestions, pm me or email quadir@animemusicvideos.org don't post em in the thread.

If you want to beta your video, or watch & comment on betas, lurk moar in #amv-review during the week.

Archive:
2007 July 019-23, 018-16, 017-09, 016-02
June 015-25, 014-18, 013-11, 012-04, May 011-28, 010-21, 009-14, 008-07
April 007-30, 006-23, 005-16, 004-09, 003-02, March 002-26, 001-19

[quadir]

IRC Participants: `Eclipse (Blake Stevens), G_Q (GloryQuestor - John Wendel), Minion, ngsilver (Nathan), Orwell, Otohiko, quadir (Olivier Beaton)

20:29 <Minion> quiet
20:30 <quadir> before the storm
20:31 <quadir> so this week we didn't have a lot of submissions
20:31 <quadir> but that is ok, because we got one that really stood out
20:32 <Eclipse> and that is?
20:32 <quadir> I'd say it's like getting 1rst place when you're the only one in the race, but I think that would be mean
20:32 <Otohiko> oho
20:32 <Minion> CHOCOLATE RAIN?
20:32 <quadir> so without further ado
20:32 <quadir> I present
20:32 <quadir> CHOCOLATE AMV
20:32 <Eclipse> oh noes =/
20:32 <Eclipse> this isn't waht i think it is, is it...
20:33 <Minion> SOME STAY DRY AND OTHERS GET CCCP, CHOCOLATE AMV
20:34 <Minion> WMV CRASHING THROUGH YOUR VEINS
20:35 <quadir> Video: (UuUuUuUuUuU) - 2007 - Chocolate AMV
20:35 <quadir> Category: Parody
20:35 <quadir> Original video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=EwTZ2xpQwpA
20:35 <quadir> Anime: Mega Man
20:35 <quadir> Song: Tay Zonday - Chocolate Rain
20:35 <orwell> Your kidding me. Hosatchel videos?
20:35 <orwell> I could find something at least on the org
20:35 <Minion> haha oh wow
20:35 <Otohiko> whaaat
20:36 <quadir> GO WRITE YOUR OPS IN DA COMMENTZ
20:36 <ngsilver> wth?
20:36 <Minion> i actually already watched this. i'm moar than willing to do it again though
20:36 <Eclipse> oh jeez
20:36 <Eclipse> a youtube vid =/
20:36 <Otohiko> is this for realz?
20:36 <Minion> yep
20:36 <Minion> gogogo
20:37 <Otohiko> i don't habeeb it
20:37 <Minion> HABEEB IT
20:37 <G_Q> Youtube? :o
20:37 <quadir> I know the vid needs a bit of work
20:37 <quadir> but still vids are all the rage these days
20:38 <Eclipse> =/
20:38 <quadir> so try to see the emotional impact of each carefully selected scene
20:38 <Eclipse> BOYCOTT
20:38 * G_Q checks to make sure this is quadir >_>
20:38 <Eclipse> is that the right link anyways? i just have the song in 8bit with a mega man menu spoof
20:39 <Eclipse> shit...i've seen this before >.>
20:41 <godix> Miss anything good?
20:41 <Minion> yep
20:42 <Minion> [img]http://cgi.*chan.org/gif/src/1185838232651.gif[/img]
20:42 <Minion> cool pic btw
20:43 <Minion> OH SHIT
20:43 <Minion> its gone already
20:44 <Minion> wanted to save that

IRC Participants: `Eclipse (Blake Stevens), G_Q (GloryQuestor - John Wendel), Minion, ngsilver (Nathan), Orwell, Otohiko, quadir (Olivier Beaton)

20:38 <quadir> Video: Chris Ushko (MacPenguin) - 2007 - [url=http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members ... 99Woolongs for Nothing[/url]
20:38 <quadir> Category: Parody
20:38 <quadir> Original video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U82WISdfT3A
20:38 <quadir> Anime: Cowboy Bebop
20:38 <quadir> Song: Dire Straits - Money For Nothing
20:38 <Minion> ah, seen it as well
20:38 <Otohiko> oh phew
20:39 <G_Q> Ha ha
20:39 <G_Q> :P
20:39 <Eclipse> lmfao
20:39 <Eclipse> very funny
20:39 <Otohiko> and I've seen this and won't mind doing an op of course
20:39 <G_Q> rofl
20:39 <Eclipse> ;p
20:40 <G_Q> I haven't ... surprisingly
20:40 <quadir> well, it wasn't announced
20:40 <quadir> and the creator is fairly unknown IIRC
20:40 <orwell> I vote for Giant Jack
20:40 <quadir> still sitting at only 470 hits
20:40 <orwell> or that other guy
20:41 <orwell> Incomplete I
20:41 <Minion> reviewing that parody vid
20:41 <Minion> im done btw
20:42 * G_Q just remembered he was uploading a video -_-;
20:42 <godix> woolong? Cool.
20:42 <G_Q> If I try to get it now, it'd take me all night.
20:42 <Otohiko> I think it would be fair though...
20:42 <G_Q> And I can't cancel the upload -_-;
20:42 <Minion> and just to get my obligatory "hope he doesn't preview" image out of the way...
20:42 <Otohiko> if people watched the original video to get the full point of this one though
20:43 <Otohiko> for those that haven't, http://youtube.com/watch?v=U82WISdfT3A
20:43 <Otohiko> reference, etc.
20:43 <quadir> Otohiko: it was in my post :)
20:43 <Otohiko> wait, I didn't see that, but okay
21:06 <Otohiko> where is the everyone?
21:09 <G_Q> Ugh. I have to download the video to submit an op. -_-;
21:12 <quadir> I wish the vid quality was higher in this amv... but at the same time it might actually remove the vcr feel and loose a lot of it's warmth
21:12 <godix> I wish the actual bebop footage was better. The custom graphics are fine in all their huge blocky glory.
21:13 <orwell> I didn't really get the VCR feel
21:13 <Otohiko> x2
21:13 <G_Q> Since we are talking an 80s style video parody, though, that it has a VCR look is actually an "enhancement" of sorts.
21:13 <ngsilver> i didn't like the jaggie edges on the custom stuff... the origional didn't have that
21:13 <Otohiko> x2 also
21:13 <orwell> it just looked like poor quality to me
21:13 <Otohiko> I think there's a few obvious visual things that could be easily improved
21:13 <quadir> yeah the jagged on the low poly models
21:13 <godix> True. Some antialiasing would have been nice. But since the entire point was to look like primitive 3d graphics it didn't bother me.
21:14 <quadir> he might of dialed it back a tiny bit too much
21:14 <Otohiko> well
21:14 <ngsilver> the only reason it bothers me really is because I know the origional video
21:14 <Otohiko> what I did find strange with the aliasing though is that the high-detail spike didn't have that
21:14 <godix> Well, from the video description "I cut a lot of corners so it wouldn't take long to make"
21:14 <Otohiko> so clearly it could've been avoided
21:14 <Otohiko> yea, I'm guessing rendering time might've been a factor
21:14 <Otohiko> which is too bad
21:15 <godix> I think our quality issues are mostly a 'didn't care to fix it' rather than a 'intentional retro feel'
21:15 <Otohiko> (and that reminded me to take down my 'effort' score a couple of points)
21:15 <Otohiko> I agree
21:15 <G_Q> btw, a bit unrelated, but interesting:
21:15 <G_Q> The editor's real name in the credits stood out to me, and I wondered why for a second.
21:15 <Otohiko> then again, I'm sure the effort here wasn't exactly poor
21:16 <quadir> G_Q: oh?
21:16 <G_Q> Then I noticed the name was "Chris Ushko", and I went "sounds a bit like Chris Bobko (Zephyrstar)"
21:16 <godix> Yeah. When I op it the scores actually are going to pretty low in a lot of categories. video quality was a problem. Audio had noticable problems. Effect is fairly low for the simple things he could have fixed although not that low since he did do custom 3d effects.
21:16 <G_Q> Both of whom seem to be 3D effects gurus.
21:16 <G_Q> Hmm...
21:16 <G_Q> Lost brothers in the AMV world?
21:17 <Minion> had technical issues at the start. once it got into fullswing it was good times. *goes back to doing stuff*
21:17 <quadir> haha
21:17 <G_Q> (As I said, unrelated but interesting ;) )
21:17 <godix> ZS has a duplicate account?
21:17 <quadir> I really liked how he used the high rez Spike to represent the LA stuff, and the low ones for the mainframe characters
21:17 <ngsilver> yes, the editor actually got the 'lyp synch' down quite well, yet with that much detail paid to how the video looked, the editor skipped on other things...
21:17 <quadir> and then threw them all in together which was just an awesome scene with all of them in the living room and the dog spinning on his hat
21:18 <Otohiko> yea, it's cool how he went beyond just parroting the original video
21:18 <Otohiko> and made some nice original scenes there
21:18 <godix> Despite my low opinion of anything technical about this video besides the 3d, I really like this video. Honestly, it's probably the most entertaining video I've seen come out for quite some time.
21:19 <Otohiko> agreed, also one of the more original
21:19 <quadir> it's not a 1:1 match but he matches where it matters, and does the same kind of scenes for most of it
21:19 <godix> Certainly the only one in a long time that had me pestering people to go download and watch it the moment I saw it.
21:19 <ngsilver> quite true
21:19 <quadir> and the tribute to the cat ceiling fan O_O
21:19 <ngsilver> I will be pimping this video to my friends... so I guess that counts for something
21:20 <G_Q> quadir: I noticed that, also. That was funny.
21:20 <G_Q> Also, Ein in the sombrero playing the drums.
21:20 <godix> And I give it bonus points for not being a 1:1 match. Exact matches can be kinda fun but also rather limiting and, if you know the original, predicatable as all hell. He did a good job of capturing the feel of the original without copying it exactly. Which I think is harder to do actually.
21:20 <quadir> G_Q: and continuety as in the next low poly scene he drops from the ceiling and he catches him
21:20 <Otohiko> godix: yea, I was getting at that as well
21:21 <G_Q> It should have been Ed tossing Ein, though.
21:21 <Otohiko> also, the high-detail spike model was really nice
21:21 <Otohiko> actually it may be one of the nicest original-3D-AMV-models I've seen yet
21:21 <quadir> meh he brings Ed in at the right time anyways
21:21 * G_Q agrees with Oto.
21:21 <Otohiko> looked unusually natural
21:21 <ngsilver> I think it might have helped if perhaps there was neon glow arround the HQ spike, but that's just me
21:21 <G_Q> That was very slick, I though.
21:21 <quadir> "hawaian noises"
21:21 <godix> Nice use of Faye as well I thought.
21:21 <G_Q> *thought
21:21 <quadir> ngsilver: meh a bit too matching maybe
21:22 <ngsilver> perhaps
21:22 <godix> And super leg spike at 2:50 actually made me laugh.
21:23 <quadir> I actually didn't notice spike riding ein around 2m mark until the 2nd viewing
21:24 <G_Q> I also liked how he kept the 3D models all series-perfect.
21:24 <Otohiko> oh yea, same
21:24 <G_Q> Jet with the right metal arm.
21:24 <godix> I'm just curious about something, how many here knew the original video without having to look it up on youtube?
21:24 <Otohiko> I did
21:24 <Otohiko> very much so
21:24 <G_Q> Things like that are so easy to miss, but he hit them all.
21:24 <ngsilver> I did
21:24 <Otohiko> it was one of my favorites from long ago
21:24 <Otohiko> that's why I totally lol'd at when I saw it
21:25 <Otohiko> and probably liked it as much as I did
21:25 <orwell> Never saw/heard of it before
21:25 <ngsilver> though looking it up helped me refresh my memory
21:25 <G_Q> I heard of it, but never really did pick it up at the time -_-;
21:25 <orwell> though days after watching the video I heard the song on the radio
21:25 <quadir> I had to look it up, but once I saw it I recognized it right away
21:25 <Otohiko> used to listen to dire straits a lot at one time, too
21:25 <orwell> and yet has yet to pass any this way
21:25 <orwell> I'll just have to make jungle bunny amvs
21:26 <quadir> cool, so final thoughts peeps?
21:26 <godix> Ok. I remember when this video was new on MTV from when I was a kid and I'm older enough than most other AMVers that I wondered how many would catch what he's doing off the bat.
21:26 <Otohiko> great stuff with a lot of rough edges that were easily fixable
21:26 <Otohiko> otherwise on the creative front... very much a breath of fresh air, so to say
21:26 <Otohiko> my only regret is that a lot of AMV viewers won't get the joke/reference
21:26 <godix> More effort could have been spent. Which is sad because the stuff that takes a lot of effort like his models were fine, it was the fairly trivial things that needed work.
21:27 <G_Q> I agree with godix's points.
21:27 <quadir> he had a concept, I'm sure he spent lots of time on it and what seems easy to us was the end of a very long road for him. gotta make things manageable. great video, good execution, I forgive it's flaws for the pure gold it delivers
21:27 <ngsilver> a fun video I have a hard time to not loop. needed a little extra work to make it really great, but in the end quite enjoyable.
21:27 <orwell> Enjoyable but why skimp on the small stuff that would have made such a improvement
21:27 <godix> But as I said, this is easily one of the more entertaining AMVs I've seen for a long while. I honestly can't think of anything else that came out in 2007 that has this beat.
21:27 <Otohiko> (will probably do a lot better on youtube than the .org, too, don't you think)
21:27 <orwell> I have a deadline I see
21:28 <G_Q> It does very well as a video, but could use a remake and an up in graphics to really make it stand out.
21:28 <G_Q> As it is, though, it brought back a lot of memories.
21:28 <G_Q> I liked it throughout.
21:29 <G_Q> (And I did also get to see this when it was new on MTV also)
21:29 <godix> Otohiko: He did absolutely zero pimping. There wasn't even an annoucement thread. If it wasn't for users liking it and pimping it themselves this would have suffered an eternity of '50 hits, 2 downloads' like most non-pimped videos from unknown creators do.
21:29 <godix> So yeah, he'll do a lot better on the tube than the org.
21:30 <quadir> at least we'll give him his announcement thread in the gen forums
21:30 <Otohiko> ...where I suspect many of the rough edges won't even be visible
21:30 <godix> Although he did send it to a con AFAIK. That's how I indirectly found it.
21:30 <Otohiko> ah
21:30 <quadir> I had multiple people recommend it to me from different circles
21:30 <quadir> so it's definitely getting the word of mouth treatment
21:31 <godix> I know I mentioned it in the forums. I also pimped it in IRC. I assume the person who told me about it told others as well.

[BasharOfTheAges]

AAH! Ninja Modding!

[ZephyrStar]

Just wanted to add that I was very impressed with this video...good smooth animation, I laughed quite a bit too. Great stuff. (could have used sexier encoding, but meh)

[Willen]

Just wanted to add that I was very impressed with this video...good smooth animation, I laughed quite a bit too. Great stuff. (could have used sexier encoding, but meh)

x2

But audio glitches and uncompressed audio makes me sad.

[CrackTheSky]

The most original video I've seen in a long time (besides maybe Conet).

[MacPenguin]

And after months of being absent from here, word-of-mouth about my own video gets back to me. So I guess I better post a reply!

Well, first of all, I'm glad a lot of people enjoyed this. I didn't think it'd go over big considering the obscure subject matter. In reality, this was just something I whipped together in a couple weeks to impress a girl, so I was more concerned about making a fun video than a quality one. Guess I'll have to take your comments more into account next time I get any ideas.

I'm afraid don't actually have plans on remaking this any time soon since it was hard enough finding time (and disk space) to make it in the first place and I've got a dozen other things on my slate right now that need to get finished first. If I ever did have time, I could look into the anti-aliasing and encoding issues (those were mostly playblasts and I was lazy,) but I'm afraid I'm a lost cause on sound quality since I don't have very good hearing and I can't hear those skips like everyone else does.

Hmmm... not sure what else to say, but if anyone has any questions, I'll check in here often and try to get them answered.

Thanks again for taking the time to review my video!

[quadir]

Glad you appreciate the feedback.

AMV review again tonight at 20:30 EDT

[dokidoki]

There is a new version uploaded with A/V fixes by SSGWNBTD and myself. It's an MP4 which is now less than half the size of the previous file.

[Otohiko]

There is a new version uploaded with A/V fixes by SSGWNBTD and myself. It's an MP4 which is now less than half the size of the previous file.

Major

Not perfect, but a big improvement. Video definitely goes into keeper status and one of the year's favorites!