What is it that specifies each amv-genre?

Serv0 · Post by **Serv0** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:29 pm

Genres are for losers.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:53 pm

Serv0 wrote:Genres are for losers.

Considering one of my major specializations at school is "genre studies", I lol'd

I'm with Todd on this one, only I'd naturally extend what he says from "music" to "art" generally.

I've asked myself several times what I should class my videos as, and honestly, I've never come up with a formal philosophy of AMV genre. From my studies of genres in text - what we call genres here is actually not really even genres. Really I think the "genres" here are basically just categories for 1) super search; 2) contests; and 3) convincing the page-browser to hit the download link by appealing to his/her expectations. Beyound that I think the genre situation is actually fairly complex and in the "real world", for example the conceptual spaces occupied by "serious", "drama", "romance" and "sentimental" are actually crossed by a number of video genres that can be all, some or none of the above at the same time.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the .org categorization though. Fortunately, the .org isn't for genre analysts, it's for making people find videos.

Fall_Child42 · Post by **Fall_Child42** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 10:38 pm

Otohiko wrote:
Serv0 wrote:Genres are for losers.
Considering one of my major specializations at school is "genre studies", I lol'd

I'm with Todd on this one, only I'd naturally extend what he says from "music" to "art" generally.

Actually that quote in a large font at the bottom supposedly came from you!

:O

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:09 am

Wrong. It came from Robert Fripp who took it from a music critic whose name I don't remember

downwithpants · Post by **downwithpants** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:25 am

genre is something we use to categorize amvs based on the intentions of the creator. because you can use any genre labels, they are kind of arbitrary. you can call one set of amvs "kickass blood and guts genre" and another set of amvs "stupid bishie fangirl genre" or you can call them "action videos" and "stupid bishie fangirl videos".

amvs are not at the point where separate genres have separate cultures like music is.

godix · Post by **godix** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:39 am

The only point to genre classifications are to let a viewer easily shove someone's work into a group and make generalizations about it. That way they can dismiss the entire video without ever once having to actually think about what they saw, or in extreme cases without even having to watch it at all. As such I humbly suggest there are only three genres. "Great", "Total Shit", and "Eh, it's alright I guess"

Kalium · Post by **Kalium** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:26 pm

Genre is a social construct. Work from there.

Savia · Post by **Savia** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:11 pm

Kalium wrote:Genre is a social construct. Work from there.

Having done so for some years now, I have to the conclusion that every activity undertaken by human beings is a social construct.

I categorise the AMVs on my hard drive by genre- I started at only Drama, Action, and Comedy and have expanded now to include MEPs, Dance, Trailer, and Romance. However with the exception of MEPs and Trailers (which are clearly defined), the categories are based entirely on how a video affects me and in particular, I will put a particular folder on shuffle dependent on how I am feeling and so I put videos that elicit similar feelings together. There are several videos that have oscillated between Action, Drama and Romance continually as my life and my experience have altered how I react to the video.

Ghet · Post by **Ghet** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:19 pm

Savia wrote:oscillated

hahaha... you said oscillated....

o=