how long is too long

dokool · Post by **dokool** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 4:41 am

x_rex30 wrote:I listen to music that tends to get things right even more so than your average 4 minute song, and there around 7-8 minutes long. Specifically in a lot of trance you would hear since it focuses a lot on build up and trance is usually the type of gender that gets more described as upbeat music than other types of music. That's kinda funny since trance music has some of the most lengthy songs.

But trance, and other electronica, is made with a different purpose in mind (namely the club setting, where people are dancing and stuff like build-ups are designed to affect the energy of the crowd), while normal music videos (both real and AMVs) are designed for recreation - you don't dance to music videos, you sit down and watch them. When an electronica (trance/techno/______/whatever) song does have a music video that gets airplay, it's usually a radio edit, because nobody watching MTV is going to sit through an 8-minute techno video (then again, nobody watching MTV is going to see any music videos anyway, but I digress).

x_rex30 · Post by **x_rex30** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:06 am

That's a very narrow way of looking at things. I know hundreds of people who love trance and love to listen to trance when there just chillin at home or listening to it in there car. Aside from it's main purpose(as you so call it), it's a highly popular form of music, and it's not confined to the dance scene, and there's over 30 genres of trance that kinda blows away that generalization. Some trance is mellow, some is psychedelic, and some is very angelic and/or emotional. Hell certain trance even helps me fall asleep. It's not all dance music as you so claim it to be.

[Mike of the Desert] · Post by **[Mike of the Desert]** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:23 am

Mostly all the times, a 6+ minutes long video can be boring, if it is not really really original all the way, maybe the only way to create a fun video that go for more than 6 minutes is do a smart comedy one (The lord of the Yen, for example). Shackled is another example of an action-based charachter profile that absolutely is not boring during all his 6 minutes lenght. Anyway, this question have really personal answers, since everyone has his opinion about this =)

dokool · Post by **dokool** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:30 am

x_rex30 wrote:That's a very narrow way of looking at things. I know hundreds of people who love trance and love to listen to trance when there just chillin at home or listening to it in there car. Aside from it's main purpose(as you so call it), it's a highly popular form of music, and it's not confined to the dance scene, and there's over 30 genres of trance that kinda blows away that generalization. Some trance is mellow, some is psychedelic, and some is very angelic and/or emotional. Hell certain trance even helps me fall asleep. It's not all dance music as you so claim it to be.

That's the second time you've accused me of being closed-minded or having a narrow way of looking at things when that's far from what I'm doing. I did not say that Trance (and all other electronica) exists solely to be played in clubs, I said that it's made with the intent that it be played in clubs. This is why electronica still gets released on <i>vinyl</i>, because the hip-hop and electronica club scenes are the last bastion of turntable purists left.

I mean, I'm sourcing Ishkur on this, as in reading the descriptions for most of the Trance subgenres it's clear that they're made for the clubs. I for one listen to EBM/Darksynth/Futurepop/Electro-Industrial - in the club, in the car, at home, whatever. However, only one of those three places has people realizing the full potential of the music (i.e. dancing to it as the artist originally intended), and that's the point I'm trying to make.

bum · Post by **bum** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:43 am

x_rex30 wrote:Aside from it's main purpose(as you so call it), it's a highly popular form of music, and it's not confined to the dance scene, and there's over 30 genres of trance that kinda blows away that generalization. .

Technicaly their's about 40something different forms of electronica, 5 or 6 of which are styles of trance. The DJ List is a good source of info, and also points you to the knowlege that Tiesto is the greatest their is.

AquaSky · Post by **AquaSky** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 7:03 am

I'll agree with dokool on this one; very few single-editor videos over six minutes have managed to hold my attention. And of those, I can think of only one that could not have told its story in a lesser amount of time by trimming the audio and removing the filler clips. I've seen a healthy amount of videos wear out their welcome at conventions because they just dragged on instead of ending in a timely manner. So yes, while it is certainly possible to make a video of that length by oneself, the question is, is it necessary ? Music videos can become tedious to watch after a certain stretch of time, and I can guarantee you most folks here can think of at least one video they know that they seldom rewatch because of its length. Unless you're looking for that type of reaction, you'd benefit from trimming your audio and tightening your concept.

bum · Post by **bum** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 7:10 am

In the end, it all depends on how good you are and how much planing you make. If you cant pull of an amazing 4 minute video then theirs no chance you'l be able to do a good video thats twise that length. Thats kinda why I like my vids to hang around 3-4 minutes. It makes planing easier and editing less frustrating. Also, if the music drags on in certian places, give it a little chop.

FoxJones · Post by **FoxJones** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 8:44 am

Mwahaha.. My upcoming 8 minute epic is going to be doomed even before I start making clips for the damn thing

Farlo · Post by **Farlo** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 8:56 am

its all in how well the video is put together...

take a video such as sewwa's dirge for november, which clocks in at 8:10, or Wonka's die for me which is 8:35, they are both very well edited and the time goes by easily without a loss of focus. its all in the presentation for me.

cortinator · Post by **cortinator** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:32 am

lol i kind of feel bad for all the trouble ive started

thanks for the help im going to put my vid up somtime this week like i said my vid is going to be 10-12 min long but for my next proj it will prob be 5-7 min long

thanks again for the help