Let me in on a secret...How do you make a romance vid?

[dwchang]

Heh, I've got you beat. I just finished a romance vid yesterday (it's for Anime Evolution), and it starts with a 4 sec fade into a 13 second clip. The longest scene is 12 sec including 3 sec crossfades at both ends. No cuts at all in this one.

>_>

Vids like this are D.O.A. as far as popularity ratings and contests go, simply because the average viewer's attention span is about as long as a bomb blast in a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. Newbs think it's easy to just drop two scenes over each other, and they don't see the hours it takes to just set the start and end points. Not to mention controlling the speed change of any moving elements, as well as controlling the viewers eye. Crossfades are one of the most difficult things to get right (and I've seen good vids damaged or ruined by bad dissolves). But when it's done right, a long fade is a thing of beauty.

And I have also spent time tweaking fades frame by frame. It's important.

I (sadly) agree with you there that such videos generally won't be popular and I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't curious to see how my latest slow romance video will be received. My guess is fairly lightly.

I mean sure I've made a romance video that is remotely popular, but the song is quite a bit more dynamic then this one (is that even possible?! ).

At the same time, I won't lie, I was quite happy to see that I made a romance video that people seem to appreciate. I guess this may come across as arrogant (and I apologize for that), but I think it goes to show a romance video CAN appeal to people beyond just romance fans. Not necessarily mine even. I named quite a few others earlier that are pretty popular, so it is possible...just difficult.

Also to newer folks, don't let this be a motivation or anything. Please don't take me saying that as such. I mean sure it's nice, but ultimately that's not what it's about. Hopefully you won't focus on me evem talking about that >_> (then why did you mention it? shaddup. Wait I'm talking to myself).

As for speed changes, I do the same thing to make a scene just long enough (usually for a long dissolve). This is another thing I take hours to tweak and as you said, it can go a long way. And yes, I will debate something like 95% vs. 90%. I'm that big of a obsessive compulsive ;_;

As long as we're talking about techniques for romance vids, did anyone mention slow pans across scenery, faces, etc? Or slow zooms and pullbacks? Standard stuff, but good ways to compensate for the monotony (relatively speaking) of long scenes.

Ooh! Another "trick," that I also use. Motion settings in an editing program can go a long way in "covering up" lack of motion in a scene. Again, read my video description for details, but more than once I use a VERY slow zoom out (start at maybe 90% -> 100%) on a still or a scene with very little motion. It adds just enough motion, but doesn't ruin the mood.

Sadly, it's difficult to sync on just a still since people will yawn and this little amount of motion can make it "bearable" and in some cases, enhance.

Maybe I shouldn't be admitting all the hacks and tricks I use . See? I can't make music videos, I just trick you to think I'm actually editing

[Bakadeshi [AuN Studios]]

As long as we're talking about techniques for romance vids, did anyone mention slow pans across scenery, faces, etc? Or slow zooms and pullbacks? Standard stuff, but good ways to compensate for the monotony (relatively speaking) of long scenes.

Ooh! Another "trick," that I also use. Motion settings in an editing program can go a long way in "covering up" lack of motion in a scene. Again, read my video description for details, but more than once I use a VERY slow zoom out (start at maybe 90% -> 100%) on a still or a scene with very little motion. It adds just enough motion, but doesn't ruin the mood.

Sadly, it's difficult to sync on just a still since people will yawn and this little amount of motion can make it "bearable" and in some cases, enhance.

Maybe I shouldn't be admitting all the hacks and tricks I use . See? I can't make music videos, I just trick you to think I'm actually editing

I totally agree here. another trick I abused the hell out of in "Run away with me" not sure how well it worked, But I used alot of static scenes here and did that slow zoom to make it "seem" more dramatic in a sense.

Interestingly (about the popluarity note) I used alot of the techniques being mentioned here in this thread, and its not a very popular video. Only 250ish hits and star of 3.60. yet the reviews say its great. I guess people either love it or hate it.

[pen-pen2002]

Now although I agree with you here, I also argue that what video doesn't need good scene selection? It's not really specific to just romance videos imo.

Action videos. If you have a clip showing for multiple seconds it better be a damn good clip, no matter what kind of video. But in a lot of action videos there is not much of a theme and clips might last only a few frames so the general rule seems to be: gory spray=A-OK.

I totally agree here. another trick I abused the hell out of in "Run away with me" not sure how well it worked, But I used alot of static scenes here and did that slow zoom to make it "seem" more dramatic in a sense.

You also see this a ton in documentaries, especially the ones with older subjects. Wouldn't it be funny if someone made an AMV from a documentary clip that was just frames made to look like old photos and lipsynched talking heads for the people being interviewed?

[Bakadeshi [AuN Studios]]

Now although I agree with you here, I also argue that what video doesn't need good scene selection? It's not really specific to just romance videos imo.

Action videos. If you have a clip showing for multiple seconds it better be a damn good clip, no matter what kind of video. But in a lot of action videos there is not much of a theme and clips might last only a few frames so the general rule seems to be: gory spray=A-OK.

This may be true, However, Action videos who do all that, and still manage to tell a solid story will always shine over the ones that don't. It has that extra level of dedication, effort, and tallent shining through, and makes it more interesting on a replay level, IMO.

[mexicanjunior]

Can anyone explain it to me? Or better yet, can anyone point me to GOOD romance videos where I could take pointers?

I'm no romance AMV expert but I have noticed...

Pretty song + lots of lyric synch = romance gold

[Bote]

/pimp

http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members ... hp?v=41486

/end pimp

[trythil]

After my second jumbo failure on making a romantic AMV, I want to know.

A lot of "romance" AMVs I see generally just have random shots of two characters snuggling against each other. I just -know- there's more to it than this; there has to be some other element that one needs to establish a romantic element.

Actually, there isn't. Just about everyone out there thinks that snuggling or sex is romance. The small fraction of people who think otherwise aren't worth catering to if you want to be a mega success.

[AMV_4000]

i got dumpped... but other then that... i dont really have a set state of mind, i just say, awww how sad.. lets throw it together! and then i make a vid... i really dont see much to it..

and knives... im not saying anything about your so called "romance" videos

[madbunny]

Actually, there isn't. Just about everyone out there thinks that snuggling or sex is romance. The small fraction of people who think otherwise aren't worth catering to if you want to be a mega success.

Actually, I'm inclined to disagree with that. I think that if you make a romance vid, then you're making a niche vid, that isn't as popular on the whole as general action.
My thoughts are that romance is all about emotion, and implied feelings. Thus you can have someone looking at a locket, or watching a pig in a plane and have it work well if done right.

Looking at the top list filtered for romance I noticed a distinct lack of blantant er.. kissyface.

1 Kusoyaro (Hsien Lee) Sappy Self-Indulgence
2 StaticSanity (Denis Grenader) ~Restored Pieces~
3 AniMix AniMix Project - part 1
4 MeriC (Meri Cantoni) Deceptive Passions
5 Lostboy (Lee Thompson) Video Girl Ai: The Fall
6 himemiya (Alice Li) Deluge
7 MeriC (Meri Cantoni) Liberation of Memories Past
8 dwchang (Daniel Chang) Glory of Love
9 SnhKnives (Lee Webster) Something Better
10 Kwasek (Brett Buchan) A Thousand Miles

[Voices_Of_Ryan]

You fall inlove.