Timing Projection Technique

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 12:25 am

Ok, I know alot of you have After Effects with the ability to set timepoints using a button and then stretch video using fancy algorithms, filters, whatnot.

The thing is, any given songs usually has tons and tons of layers and structure complexities. And it's not very good if your timing reference frame is, say, a percussive burst cut at first and then switches to a sweeping fade timed to flowing violins. Although you may hear something in the music your're not aware of (has happened to me) it ends up making the video look better on the second viewing.

My method for checking the timing projection, quite simply?
Watch the AMV with no sound.

It's amazing what you'll notice after this.

OmniStrata · Post by **OmniStrata** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 1:47 am

um, why are there two threads?

[me is un1337 not knowing After Effects like the back of his hand already

]

TaranT · Post by **TaranT** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 2:26 am

OmniStrata wrote:[me is un1337 not knowing After Effects like the back of his hand already ]

[Same here. Unless reading half a book counts.

We're barbarians.

]

ON topic: a definition of "timing projection" would help. And I'm not sure I get your point. I just watched my latest project with the speakers turned off. Looks pretty (!), but...what am I supposed to see ??

OmniStrata · Post by **OmniStrata** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 2:43 am

Yes we are barbarians...

"Anything less would be uncivilized..."

post-it · Post by **post-it** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 4:39 pm

TaranT wrote:but...what am I supposed to see ??

the Video should tell a story - like a story-board.
the Music should define that story in the Video.

its when you Audio is off that your AMV must make sence.
. ( this is what is keeping me from releasing my How not to make an AMV

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 6:25 pm

post-it wrote:
TaranT wrote:but...what am I supposed to see ??
the Video should tell a story - like a story-board.
the Music should define that story in the Video.

its when you Audio is off that your AMV must make sence.
. ( this is what is keeping me from releasing my How not to make an AMV

I'd certainly agree. Although many times the "plot" of an AMV is based in part on a son'g lyrics, it should be possible to tell just from the scene selection.

The timing projection is what the pattern of timing that people expect in the AMV. Although repeating sequences is a bad idea, the general concept is to keep the clip and transition (wipe, fade, etc) length continuous relative to whatever reference you're using.

Say your timing reference layer is a 3bps Uillean pipe in the background. You time your transitions to occur during the pause in betwwen the pipe sounds, etc. If you follow the music timing, there should be a pattern visible, even without the audio on. If you decide (in the middle) you want to time to a drum in the foreground, it's quite obvious.

I apologize for the double post. I blame Windows and IE. "Do you want to resend the information" sure! Sorry.

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 6:27 pm

P.S. MOD467,

Thanks, it was an accident.
But instead of locking the thread, why not merge the replies, use the sort function, and then delete the thread? PHPBB should be able to do that.

jonmartensen · Post by **jonmartensen** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 6:48 pm

Because there was only one reply, and it did not need to be added to this thread.

No, I'm not a MOD

(that should be obvious)

TaranT · Post by **TaranT** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 12:24 am

post-it wrote:the Video should tell a story - like a story-board.
the Music should define that story in the Video.

its when you Audio is off that your AMV must make sence.
. ( this is what is keeping me from releasing my How not to make an AMV

I still find it curious that people think story-telling is mandatory in an AMV. (Not trying to be critical here; it's just something I think is worth noticing.

) It seems to be a prejudice, and is probably due to the nature of the source material.

It's also peculiar to AMVs as far as I can tell. No one expects stories out of MTV videos although some of them have stories. I've watched all the Mind's Eye discs, as well as all the Moonshine Video DVDs. That's a lot of non-AMV videos, and I don't think more than a few actually tell a story. Some of the best have no plot at all.

Anyway, this is worth a whole topic by itself....

TaranT · Post by **TaranT** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 12:35 am

danielwang wrote:The timing projection is what the pattern of timing that people expect in the AMV. Although repeating sequences is a bad idea, the general concept is to keep the clip and transition (wipe, fade, etc) length continuous relative to whatever reference you're using....

OK, that's what I thought you meant. I call it "choreography", others call it "pacing", but it's the same thing. I'm not sure what turning the speakers off gets me. It won't show me that I'm hitting the wrong half-beat - as appears to be the case on my current project. And since I always try to change the timing projection over the course of the video....

If (!) I have a storyline going, then I agree that watching with no sound could help.