DriftRoot wrote:I have to say, I really, really liked this video. I was expecting beat synch and got something better than that - MOOD synch in an action video? Sign me up.
The more AMVs I watch, the more I find it takes to keep my attention, and I don't mean in a splashy, fancy, extravagent way. I didn't get bored with this video, even though it was pretty straightforward and moderately paced. I think I can attribute this to the fact that I didn't feel like I was watching a random action video or a plot-intensive, oh jeez, here-come-the-black-fades drama video (a.k.a. same-old, same-old). It was some interesting thing in between that I could just sit back and enjoy because it wasn't trying to beat me over the head with one or the other. It was like "Ok, here's the deal, and then this and then this, and now isn't that nice?" And I was like "Yes, that's very nice! Thanks for asking!"
What I do think could have been improved was the song choice, which may sound weird, but let me explain: except for the rhythm and the mood it conveyed, it felt like kind of a stretch: wolves, animals, jungle, violence, blood...ok...but this AMV (at least to me) felt like it was being limited by the song, not set free. Also, the half and half video? Not a good idea...with a little fixing up, the first "part" could have been made to better support the last (or vice versa, I found the first part more interesting thant the last) - although I didn't think it fundamentally bombed - the transition didn't bring me to a screeching halt or anything.

Glad you liked it. I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to post at all. (Is it dead on the forums or what? Where are threads still on page 2 that haven't been posted in in over a week.)
I'm also glad that you appreciated the vid for the right reasons, namely how it fits the mood of the song. I also tried to pick some scenes that aren't in every other WR vid out there, too. You also seemed to have properly picked up on the pace and tone. I make my vids to be watched in a relaxed position, like an action movie, not all tensed up like you're playing a twitch video game.
The song was nice in that I could have action in the instrumental sections, and then lyric sync in between with a nice variation of scenes, from action to dramatic.
Maybe I should revise the statement about the two halves of the vid, because I only meant that they
tended to have those qualities, not that there was a clear break in style. What I mainly meant was that the last half of the vid was the reason I went ahead and checked the Character Profile box. (That, and also to communicate that the vid
did have a story, which would not have been appropriate, from what I understand, if I had only checked the Action box.)
The song also has a major gear shift, which begins with the meadow scenes with Darcia and Himone.
The story of Darcia is pretty dark when you think about it, and I felt that the song, specifically the portion dealing with the memories and death of his beloved, really went well together.
All I was looking for in the Death of Jagara section was to not suck. This section was the hardest music I have ever had to try and interpret, so if it came off as even average, then I'm happy.
The final battle is in about every Wolf's Rain vid, I suppose, but I tried to use some emotional, sad scenes, and to show Darcia's final descent into madness and then death. Darcia
was a bad guy, but he didn't start out that way, and if you'd lost a babe like that, who knows what you might do to try and get her back.
This is an action vid that has some scenes of sadness and loss like you would normally only find in a dramatic vid, and I'm sure some people won't like it for that, but I try to make vids that mature adults will like and identify with, not kids.
Here are some of my favorite scenes that may go unnoticed:
-The scene with Cher's guy and the serpent girl. If you put the lyrics together with it, it gives a whole new meaning to that scene.
-The "party" scene, where Jagara looks right into the camera and raises her glass in toast to the lines "Welcome to the jungle". I just love that scene.
-The scene with Cher and Darcia. The menace in his eyes and the fear in hers are like a scene from a classic movie. You don't normally see scenes like that in AMVs.
Btw, the first person to score the vid was an asshole who gave it a 1 for some unknown reason, so anything you do to try and compensate for that would be appreciated.