Favorite AMV Editing Techniques

Org Profile · Post by **Vlad G Pohnert** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 4:35 pm

ErMaC wrote:
Digital effects may be a way of "pushing the envelope" of what can be achieved in an AMV (like Vlad's Transcending Love or Tainted Donuts before it) but if you just want to make a video that's powerful or you like, you don't need them, per se. I know there's been people lately talking about a lack of innovation or the stagnation of AMVs. Frankly I think that while people may be going over some of the same basic concepts again, that doesn't mean they aren't any good.

Yes, I agree that special effects don't make the video. When I come up with a concept in my mind and want it to look a certain way, I use special effects to help achieve the look come of like in movies. The best kind of special effects are the one's you don't notice ro distract for what you want to convey. The spcial effects I used in "Memories Dance" was there to convey thoughs I have of looking at photographs of Miyazaki's work. They only way to convey this was with the use of special effects, but only as a vechicle to conveny that idead, not to impress people or make or tell the story.

In Transcending Love, I wanted to tell a whole new story with three diferent elements which can only be acheaved through technical means. I wanted to make it so convincing that people who never saw the characters involved would wonder from what anime the video was from. Thus "special effects" were only used to create it visually around the story and the emotions I wished to convey...

In summary, I feel there is nothing wrong with using or not using special effects as long as it does not destract form what the intent of the video....

Vlad

The Wired Knight · Post by **The Wired Knight** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 5:08 pm

The Wired Knight · Post by **The Wired Knight** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 5:10 pm

silver_moon · Post by **silver_moon** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 5:30 pm

I tend to use lots of effects in my videos, especially in my later ones after I got Premiere. I personally find that they are very, very fun to make and put into your videos. I try to only do it when I think it will add to the video, and not to if I think they would be unnecessary for what I'm trying to do.

Something I didn't realize before I started getting into Premiere's effects was that effects are hard to do, at least they're hard to make look like you want them too. You cannot just throw effects together. If you do, it will probably make the video look un-professional and like you didn't try very hard. It takes me hours to perfect them until I like how they look.

But effects always come after matching scenes to lyrics for me. Scene choice is much more important, so what I usually do is match the scenes as best to the music as I can before adding any effects. I like to use effects at the parts where I want the video to stand out and I use the effects for accenting those parts. I don't know if it's the same for other people, but to me any section in a video that has effects will stand out more in my mind, unless the whole video uses effects, and then they won't be as powerful when you use them.

My new best friend in editing is the speed tool. If you use it right, it can really help in changing a scene so that it matches the music's mood and beat way better. Making it look natural is hard, but it always pays off for me.

For the video I'm currently making, I'm trying to put effects at a minimum and action and lyric syncing at the max. But I'm still using some strobe lights and overlays at the parts I want to stand out. I don't know if I'll ever do a video that's completely effects-free again, because I have so much fun doing them, but hopefully I will improve my instincts on when and where it's good to put them and when it's not.

alternatefutures · Post by **alternatefutures** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 7:24 pm

Well, I had a lot of fun creating the CG3D footage for my "Light of Day" video and am going to improve upon the concept for a later vid to make it less of a gimick and integrate it better.

I think the idea of the stagnation of AMV creative applies more to those who use digital effects than those who don't. Strobes, overlays, white flashes, etc... have all been done to death and then resurected and done to death again and been cremated and had their remains pissed on. I mean, sure, that drum roll needs something, but can't we do something different? And just because there's a beat going through the video does not mean you need to insert a cut on every one. I'm not saying don't do these outright, but I've seen so many creators who get stuck on them as if that's all there is. But every once in awhile someone comes along who plays with Premiere's filters and does something great ::cough::AD::cough::

jbone · Post by **jbone** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 7:39 pm

Editing skill is the backbone of every video. If you know how to use effects to enhance the already-good editing, then effects can make a great video even better; however, no matter how good you may be at using effects, if you lack editing skill your video will suck.

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 11:11 pm

The Wired Knight wrote:

I had too many of those...

Kusoyaro · Post by **Kusoyaro** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 10:37 am

The Wired Knight wrote:

That looks delicious right about now.

Anyway, I've never been a big effects guy, and I probably never will. I didn't one experimental effects overkill video just to see what things looked like, and nowdays I use effects very sparingly.

To be honest, I really don't have a "technique." Unless I'm doing something technical like lip-synching, I just lay down footage and edit it together in a way that just feels right per the music.

OmniStrata · Post by **OmniStrata** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 10:45 am

To back up AD and ErMaC, I agree with them. I've seen some awesome amvs that use zero fx. The Rogue Studios/Dimension video old school vids come to mind. I love like ALL of their works.

It's best to be good at making both fx-less vids and fx mind breakers simultaneously. This way, people will see for certain how good your editing skill really is and not the fact that you can create awesome hard-to-copy fx... Or rather "trademark" fx.

I've gotten into the habit of "fx nomenclature" which oddly enough, sounds more "epic" than amv titles.

I don't know why that is but perhaps I should enter poetry...

not...

The Wired Knight · Post by **The Wired Knight** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 5:07 pm

Might as well asnwer the question for real. I don't like fancy effects personaly. Sometimes my videos even lack fades or other transitions simply because I don't think the video needs it. Not everything needs it and some only need a few while others may require it, just don't overdo it otherwise it is just destracting.