Passing on the torch?

[mirkosp]

2002-2006 - I tend to think of this as the dwchang & friends era. # of contests have exploded. amv org has now become the defacto watering hole for AMV fans and creators. Certain large groups of editor friends begin to leave a sizeable footprint on the org. Some mistakenly view this as celebrity status when in fact these people's videos just tend to get a lot of press and views because they have a large number of friends which hang out on the org and actually discuss (something which the previous era hardly ever did). # of known female AMV creators expands greatly. # of editors in general has grown greatly. It is now impossible for someone to dominate the scene.

SCREW YOU!

I'm famous

some people like me.

I have friends.

SHUT UP

;_;

DON'T WORRY TODD I'LL ALWAYS BE YOUR one and only FAN!!!

[Nya-chan Production]

It is now impossible for someone to dominate the scene.

Two words.

koopiskeva. Nostromo.

[outlawed]

It is now impossible for someone to dominate the scene.

Two words.
koopiskeva. Nostromo.

Neither dominate the scene. The environment prevents this. Too many creators exist let alone viewers to be familiar with these two. While a good portion of editors on this site know of koop and nostromo it's not 100% and even then you have to factor that this site no longer has the sway in terms of % of the scene that it used to. There are other websites, streaming portals, blogs, whatnot, and more conventions than existed before.

I think most people already acknowledge it is now impossible for someone to send new videos to a lot of the major conventions and get an award at each (note videos plural...while yes a single video like skittles could win the majority of the con circuit you won't find koop has the ability/time to do a unique video like that for 5-6 cons in the same year). The environment prevents this because the quality bar has been raised. Before the handful of skilled editor were basically competing against the same people at the major cons hence the same people usually ended up winning stuff or when they didn't we got the drama e-mail threads (which I do miss)

[Koopiskeva]

(note videos plural...while yes a single video like skittles could win the majority of the con circuit you won't find koop has enough money/time for sexual favors to bribe people with).

Fix't.

Also, though I do agree that the AMV scene cannot be dominated, it's not because of any bar that's been raised, but rather because the AMV scene have become such a larger revolving door with new/old editors coming and leaving all the time. And with large pockets of the community being separated, there's never going to be a unanimously dominant person or even group of persons. Let's not forget the ever expanding tastes and genres that have grown within the community.

So really, I don't believe there's any "torch" at all to be passed. We have our fun in this community and we can keep it going if we choose to. The only torch I can see being passed is if you take someone under your wing and give them a bit of AMV history (well, your version of AMV history), and techniques you've learned along the way.

[SQ]

It is now impossible for someone to dominate the scene.

Two words.

koopiskeva. Nostromo.

You know, everyone I have ever talked to that is a fan of AMVs but is not on the .org has never heard of these people OR their videos (Even Euphoria is unheard of. I was like. Wat.).
With the exception of skittles, but half the time time they don't know the AMV is even called skittles. They just think it's that "really cool colorful AMV with haruhi and stuff."

I sort of agree with koop in that it's impossible to dominate the scene not because the bar has been raised, but because there are simply way too many people editing stuff at different places.
The only way you might be able to get some leeway is if the video turns into a cult phenomenon.

In many ways, getting/making a famous AMV is like getting famous on Youtube.
It's just not gonna happen unless it gets featured on a TV show and/or somehow becomes viral.
And at that point, it's just concept that matters. Quality/skill doesn't play much of a part.

[outlawed]

I sort of agree with koop in that it's impossible to dominate the scene not because the bar has been raised, but because there are simply way too many people editing stuff at different places.
The only way you might be able to get some leeway is if the video turns into a cult phenomenon.

<snip>
Quality/skill doesn't play much of a part.

Quality/skill would factor into competitions. The bar being raise is only one factor of MANY why someone can't dominate. The amount of creators and the pool of viewers is another. I was never saying to exclude others.

But the quality bar is a hurdle that WILL prevent someone from doing stuff like people used to do. By quality I mean the level of competition. Look at ACen. We have ended up cutting winning videos from other competitions. Something like that would be completely UNHEARD of in the late 90s early 00s. Now think about one person doing like someone used to do who was a top editor circa 98-01. Submit to multiple conventions with different videos and win most or all of them. That is simply not possible anymore.

[SQ]

I was talking about dominating the the field of AMVs from an average viewer's perspective.
I can't speak for any sort of con activity, being as I haven't been to one since 2006. And in 2006 I accidentally missed half of the awards ceremony at AWA.

I have seen some of the videos from 2007 - 2008, and although I have not seen any "newer" videos than that from anyone, I know that the bar has been raised, judging by what I've seen from 07 and 08. And that theoretical bar is part of the reason I quit making AMVs. I felt too intimidated to bother. What was the point of making a video if it was going to be outshown by someone who had a better program or more time on their hands? (I'd like to note that my opinion has sense changed on the matter, but this is what I thought at the time)

But, on the other hand, the only place I've really seen the bar being held up there were action videos. That whole genre has amounted to eye candy from the beginning, but the eye candy just keeps getting more and more advanced. I still haven't seen a really awesome AMV with story that managed to make good use of effects without looking out of place, though.
But back in 07 - 08, AMVs with actual story were fading out anyway. Everyone (or most people) wanted to just make action videos, or make AMVs to experiment with their new compositing techniques, to bring to conventions. Sure real story AMVs were being made, but the amount of them actually showing up in cons seemed to be falling by a large margin.