AMV Eras

Brad · Post by **Brad** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:06 pm

I think something to really take note of is that in the current era (or basically, the past 2-3 years up to now), the quantity of videos has become so outrageous that it's much harder to quantify any sort of big sweeping movement. Whereas back in the day when the rate of new videos was far lower, it was much easier to quantify when things started changing or when a new video would change everything.

That being said, I think it's going to be really hard to identify anything as an "era" anymore, just because it's all so widespread.

That be my $0.02 anyway.

Kalium · Post by **Kalium** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:36 pm

Actually, I think we're seeing a fracturing into distinct 'high' and 'low' cultures. The former tends to be found among the regulars around here. The latter on hosatchel and random LBZ/LikiNaruto videos.

Well, it already existed, but it's becoming far clearer now.

godix · Post by **godix** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 3:30 am

Infinity Squared wrote:Honestly though, look at the situation of AMVs now... can you honestly say that there's been a huge leap in something new in the past 3 years or so?

Actually, yes. It's just not mainstream and I kinda doubt it will ever be. But over the last couple years I've noticed more uhhh experimental type videos being done and garnering more attention than they used to. D!gital Me, She Was, Mass Murderer, Conet, and stuff like that. I'm a big fan of originality and often bitch that AMVs don't show much but there are the occasional ones that try something new. They just don't all become fads.

AtomX wrote:I think something to really take note of is that in the current era (or basically, the past 2-3 years up to now), the quantity of videos has become so outrageous that it's much harder to quantify any sort of big sweeping movement. Whereas back in the day when the rate of new videos was far lower, it was much easier to quantify when things started changing or when a new video would change everything.

I gotta disagree. The last two or three years we've actually been dropping a lot. According to super search here's how many videos were released each year:
2003 - 16427
2004 - 29821
2005 - 37945
2006 - 30006
2007 - 15552
2008 - 2669, at this rate we'll end the year somewhere around 10k or perhaps a bit higher since the con rushes haven't started yet.

Darius GQ · Post by **Darius GQ** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 3:47 am

2001:
E-ko - Tainted Donuts
An epic music video in terms of montage and alternative plot. Particularly so for year 2001.

2004:
Scorpions Ultd. - WOTB
Unbelieveable work had shown an entirely new level of clipmaking with alternative plot. One may notice appearance of lots and lots of followers in the coming years.

Brad · Post by **Brad** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 4:03 am

godix wrote:
AtomX wrote:I think something to really take note of is that in the current era (or basically, the past 2-3 years up to now), the quantity of videos has become so outrageous that it's much harder to quantify any sort of big sweeping movement. Whereas back in the day when the rate of new videos was far lower, it was much easier to quantify when things started changing or when a new video would change everything.
I gotta disagree. The last two or three years we've actually been dropping a lot. According to super search here's how many videos were released each year:
2003 - 16427
2004 - 29821
2005 - 37945
2006 - 30006
2007 - 15552
2008 - 2669, at this rate we'll end the year somewhere around 10k or perhaps a bit higher since the con rushes haven't started yet.

Wow. Color me surprised. I don't know why but it just FEELS like we have far more videos coming out on a regular basis now. Maybe my gauge is reaching back to 2004 and I'm simply comparing it to the original days of the Org and prior. Before the Org my primary conduit into AMVs was the AMV Mailing List which got me watching specific creators through their personal web sites. I didn't start going to cons until quite a bit later so I wasn't really in tune with that community so it's hard for me to think about it in that sense... But even still, I stand by my point of from here on out, I really don't see any new "eras" arising.

I suppose you could pronounce 2006-Present as your You-Tube era, as much as we hate to acknowledge it. But there's no denying that it has become an enormous presence when it comes to AMVs (and web based video in general). Whether or not thats a good thing or a bad thing is certainly up for debate. And the fact that the number of the videos per year on the Org has been dropping and the You-Tube AMV catalog is growing, it only lends validity to that point.

godix · Post by **godix** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 4:41 am

I'm not sure the tube is a trend in the same way as the other trends mentioned. It's a distribution method not an actual difference in style or content of the videos. In years past the ramonesfans of the world came to the org. Now they go to the tube. Either way they're still making the same kind of videos they always were.

Personally I think it's a good thing. I have yet to see a good video on the tube that was not also on the org. I've seen many really bad videos on the tube that weren't on the org. So good riddance, I now have to sift through far less pure crap to get to the gems than I used to.

Also something else, I didn't quote all years. 2002 and earlier never broke the 10k mark. So what we're really seeing is a smallish fandom start, a huge spike, and now a return back to the levels it used to be. Which makes sense if you consider that anime became the popular in thing around then and now is slowly fading from the mainstream.

I don't think this means the 'eras' are over though. Things always change. Someday we'll look back and go 'remember when Naruto action vids used to be overdone?' kinda like how some of us now look back and go 'remember when everyone was sick of dancing vash and weird al?'. The declining # of vids doesn't mean the styles won't change. Hell, 2001 saw the start of several different, now common, styles and there were only 3857 videos released that year.

mexicanjunior · Post by **mexicanjunior** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:43 am

Do I get credit for ushering in the hentai era?

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:54 am

wtf were we all doing in 2007?

mexicanjunior · Post by **mexicanjunior** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:01 am

Castor Troy wrote:wtf were we all doing in 2007?

Not much...

Fall_Child42 · Post by **Fall_Child42** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:11 am

Fall_Child42 wrote:Someone please detail for this noob the history of Awesomecore videos. Is Awesomecore a recent trend? or have there been examples of awesomecore since the beginning?

I seriously want to know.
and since i really haven't been around for very long, Mabey some of you old people could give me examples...

I suppose Sail Away would qualify though.

VID ID #1 Bitches

Awesomecore Started the org!