How key is the music?

Moonlight Soldier · Post by **Moonlight Soldier** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 8:31 pm

I think music choice is quite key actually. It helps create the tone and mood of an amv and *if done well* build it to climax. So even if I don't happen to like the music but think it fits to what is going on with the amv I'll listen and appreciate it. I can't watch amvs on mute, it just doesn't work for me. I need to be blasting my headphones, it adds more drive that way....

Hmm how to explain further...yes well, for example, Otohiko's amv to that driving anime...sorry cant' think of the name, proved very effective. The KC music, which was something I normally don't listen to on a daily basis, was entirely instrumental and just fit sooo well with the action in the amv.
Whereas something like Rob's Shinji's Loneliness, is an amv where the song just fits the character to a T. (It's Shinji's song as far as I'm concerned). So the lyric correlation to the visuals is what makes that one. In either case, watching any of those amvs without the music would have made them FAR less enjoyable.

I think if you're going to rank an amv for a genre of music that you don't like, you need to consider the creator's intent and base it off that.

/two cents.

Karou_ken · Post by **Karou_ken** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 8:35 pm

music choice is the key thing music vids. Without the right song the vid will seem even worse then it should.

SarahtheBoring · Post by **SarahtheBoring** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 10:06 pm

I actually read your post, and I have to flatly disagree that "there are some genres that should never be used in AMVs." I think limiting people's choices like that only stifles creativity - you don't know, someday someone might make a piece with Appalachian zither music that totally blows you away. You just don't know until you see it.

And yes, I like music with power behind it, but I don't demand that every vid have it. Yeah, I'm biased; I have a history of making vids with music that people hate, and I've been called "boring" more times than I can count (dude, it's in the screenname; you were expecting adrenalin rushes?)

But although music with drive behind it is great, I don't think every video should strive for the same effect, in any way, be that musical intensity or the same emotional impact - I love variety, and a beautifully understated video can be an amazing thing. (See AD's "Storytelling." Not sexy music, to put it bluntly. But a beautiful effect all the same, and it doesn't club you over the head with it.)

As for the general question, I have to say that music is the most important factor for me. Like I've said before, my motto is basically "Pick a song you love and keep up with it." I will watch vids that probably aren't all that good, objectively, if they do a song I love enough justice to not have me climbing the walls; and there are many otherwise stellar vids that bore me after one or two listens because I just don't care for the music.

HOWEVER, that is all personal taste, and I wouldn't dream of saying "You should not make vids with XYZ genres because I say so" or call music "great" or "bad" because of my personal taste.

Lyrs · Post by **Lyrs** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 11:50 pm

We need more rap amvs.

TekkaRepliroid Zero · Post by **TekkaRepliroid Zero** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 2:04 am

SarahtheBoring wrote:I actually read your post, and I have to flatly disagree that "there are some genres that should never be used in AMVs." I think limiting people's choices like that only stifles creativity - you don't know, someday someone might make a piece with Appalachian zither music that totally blows you away. You just don't know until you see it.

I agree with you completely, when I said everybody thinks there are some genres that should never be used, I said that this is usually due to personal taste. The thing is that everybody has a different taste, so what they think won't be the same as others think, and (it is expected that) they know this, and so it doesn't end up being the same as saying that a creator should not use that genre if they want to and feel they can do a good job with it.
Any creator should be making the vid for them anyway. This doesn't change the fact that it seems that people agree that the music is the make or break element though. It can tie into argument of which should come first (in an AMV idea), music or anime.
My point was though, in that statement you object to, that everybody has a preference, and that people will not like an AMV if they don't like the music, regardless of the fact that it was well done and that they would even have to grade it as well done in an honest opinion even though they really don't like it (a la cause de la musique). Hence, for them, although not for others, the video should not have been made. When I used myself as an example, with the intensity reference, that was only applicable to my taste and what I think is needed for a vid that does it for me.
One thing that I will always acknowledge, however, is that there are exceptions that prove the rule.

Corran · Post by **Corran** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 3:36 am

The music is a huge factor in any video be it a music video or movie.

Example:

An alligator horror movie set to circus music. Afraid? Maybe if you're afraid of clowns but in this case you might actually just laugh your ass off.

Music sets the mood. The video itself just molds the music into a more tactile form that everyone can enjoy.

TekkaRepliroid Zero · Post by **TekkaRepliroid Zero** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 3:14 pm

Hey, I'm a clownophobe :cry:

:P

koronoru · Post by **koronoru** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 4:58 pm

The choice of music is important, but I don't believe in taboo genres. Telling me it's impossible to make a decent AMV to a particular genre is a pretty good way of encouraging me to make an AMV with that kind of music just to prove you wrong.

Actually, I'd take it a step further - I don't think there are even any songs that absolutely cannot be AMVed.

LordSesshoumaru · Post by **LordSesshoumaru** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 9:30 pm

Music is the key! I mean what's the point in making a music video if you don't have great music to back it up. I watched some AMVs and the only thing that crossed my mind was "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!" "That video doesn't match the tempo of the song, that song doesn't match the drama in the video".

Daio Kaji · Post by **Daio Kaji** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 1:51 pm

i think everyone feels the same in this topic, music is VERY key to the AMV making process, it DOES make or break the video, it doesn't matter what genre the music is in, what matters is if the music has impact, something to keep you watching with a bowl to catch ur drool in.

but let's not forget it called MUSIC VIDEO because the music is important, but the other element is the video, i liked the example someone posted that you can't watch a video on mute, lol, well you also can't watch a video and enjoy it with the monitor off.