This is how you do a fan video*

General discussion of Anime Music Videos
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Brad
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This is how you do a fan video*

Post by Brad » Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:52 pm

* = If you want to get recognized in the industry.

http://vimeo.com/5904993

Those of you who follow Motionographer and other such sites will have already seen this. I saw it a few weeks ago but just found it again and figured I'd bring it to the rest of you.

Now granted, this is not an AMV, or anything similar. However, it was done purely as a fan video, apart from the official music video, made by one guy in his spare time for no pay. So it coincides with our hobby to that extent.

It makes me think of a discussion I've had with several editors. Over the past 2+ years, I've been feeling less and less motivated to do an AMV. A portion of this feeling certainly has to do with my own laziness, but I think a much bigger portion of it has to do with being in school and working towards building my career in motion graphics and visual effects. Now, when it comes to building pieces for my portfolio/reel, I don't think I will ever do or include anything AMV-related. I know this opens up a whole other can of worms in terms of how you look at the hobby, but in the industry, your design concepts and creativity matter way more than how well you can use the software. Thusly, I'm only going to include centerpieces that I've either made myself or shot myself (I won't eliminate the use of stock imagery in certain situations, but the majority of the time, I'm making it all myself). Maybe if I was looking to get a job as simply an editor, an AMV would be a legitimate showcase of my skill, but in the industry I want to be a part of, originality and creativity is key. Because I have this goal, I just haven't been able to muster up the motivation to work on an AMV when I know I could be using that creative time/energy to be making something for my reel.

So what makes the video I linked so impressive? It utilizes fantastic design principles and execution along with really wonderful and expressive motion. And all for a fan video. He liked the song, had an idea for his own interpretation of a music video, and ran with it. Similar to what we do here. Except in this case, it's something that he CAN put in a reel and end up in front of the eyes of industry leaders. I'd be surprised if this guy wasn't getting hit up for job opportunities or at least freelance work given all the buzz the video's been getting.

Now don't get me wrong. The subject line isn't meant to be taken as "you guys need to stop using anime and only do original design work." Not at all. However, I do know that some of you out there want to transition from your hobby to a career. Maybe some of you really enjoy working in AE and want to work in the motion graphics industry. These are the people I'm really talking to here. Trust me when I say that if that's what your REAL goal is, try taking a stab at some original animation and design. In other words, make cool shit.

As for the rest of you, keep doing what you're doing and don't mind me and just enjoy your hobby.
Last edited by Brad on Wed Sep 02, 2009 9:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: This is how you do a fan video*

Post by blabbler » Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:55 pm

what if you want to transition from motion graphics into amvs?
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Re: This is how you do a fan video*

Post by Brad » Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:57 pm

blabbler wrote:what if you want to transition from motion graphics into amvs?
That's not possible.
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Re: This is how you do a fan video*

Post by mirkosp » Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:59 pm

That was amazing to say the least.
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Re: This is how you do a fan video*

Post by Koopiskeva » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:16 pm

That was cool, kinda reminded me of Little Big Planet. :up:
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Re: This is how you do a fan video*

Post by Castor Troy » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:23 pm

Excellent stuff Brad.

I was thinking of making a post about transitioning from an amv editor to a professional editor, but I realized that the method may not work for everyone. Maybe I should make that post someday.
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Re: This is how you do a fan video*

Post by Vivaldi » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:43 pm

That was awesome. :up: Combine skill with a masochistic work ethic and you'll come out on top every time.

As cool as it is to see that, it seems the biggest problem for an amver trying to get involved professionally would be moving from a hobby that's completely derivative, to something that only partially derivative. No matter how awesome the motion design in an amv is, the creator has the comfort of knowing at least the focus of the scene is already made. Making the leap to original content is very daunting, since producing original content is an entirely unrelated skill set to those inherent in this hobby.


Do you have a reel online?
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Re: This is how you do a fan video*

Post by Brad » Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:06 pm

Not yet. Expect it by next February.
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Re: This is how you do a fan video*

Post by blabbler » Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:45 pm

another way to look at it is that the most polished work is invariably done by teams. if you have top notch illustrators, animators, 3d artists, etc. the final result is liable to look better. for this reason most vfx reels you see will be mainly shots worked on in collaboration with others, with a note at the bottom saying what element the owner of the reel was responsible for.
with this in mind, the only thing stopping you from using manga/anime art as a basis for your showreel projects is obtaining permission to use those elements legitimately.

so why not find a talented artist to produce some original anime-styled elements for you, and make an amv that you can use on your showreel?
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Re: This is how you do a fan video*

Post by mexicanjunior » Tue Sep 01, 2009 5:23 pm

Cool vid, it was like walking through a 2-D puppet museum...

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