AMV Editing Ethics

8bit_samurai · Post by **8bit_samurai** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 3:44 am

godix wrote:
8bit_samurai wrote:I doubt that would happen to me though, considering the first thing I when get an idea is super search it to see if it was already done before and if there are any results that seems relevant to my idea I scrap the idea and think of a new one.
Tell me, was the irony of saying this while your sig promotes a MEP that's nothing but ripping off a 4chan meme intentional or just a rather comedic mistake?

I was talking about if I saw a bad amv I'd wouldn't care enough to remake/remaster it or whatever. That and I check if the song/anime idea I get was already taken or not for my own personal ideas. I just got where your tryna say, it was a comedic mistake. I have no clue what originates in 4chan so I had no idea the Buttsecks MEP was ripping it off. I just so happen to get an idea for it and it so happens to qualify for it.

Willen · Post by **Willen** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:58 am

Hrm, well. There is a particular AMV that I watched and although it has its problems, I enjoyed it. The thing is, as I watched it I started thinking, "You know, I'd really like it if the video concept was focused on X instead of X+Y, but use the same anime/song combo." I've thought about the video quite a bit, but seeing as my editing pace is more tortoise than hare, its something that won't be seeing the light of day any time soon. So structurally, the video I have in mind will be quite different, conceptually more focused, and hopefully better in the visual quality department. But I'll still have the same song, same anime, same characters, similar situations (and probably scenes), and most likely similar editing. So if I do this "remake", I won't have the excuse of not having seen the original before making my version, since I was actually inspired by it.

I have to suppose many of the Linkin Ball Z videos here have the same origins. And many of the Naruto/Inuyasha/etc. videos to the same group of popular songs fall into this category of videos.

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:16 am

If it's an original idea and you're just doing it because you know you can do it better, then I think it falls under the "do not steal other video creator's ideas" rule on the org. If I remember right, the way Phade defined that rule was: If an experienced editor spots a vid and goes, "oh, yeah, I can do that much better than that noob, mwahaha~" and takes what was good and original about the noob video for his own profit, it's mean and cheap and against the rule.

If the better editor makes a disclaimer admitting that he's stealing a bad editor's idea because the idea deserves to be used by a good editor, then maybe it's okay. Maybe. If you don't mind taking chips from toddlers because, hey, they can't taste food anyway, so it's going to waste in their bellies, then, yeah, maybe it's okay.

Seems a little low to me. I'd be pissed if someone redid one of my original concepts just because my editing sucks compared to theirs and they can pimp the song/anime combo better than I did. Then again, original concepts are pretty rare around here, so I expect people would be a little protective of the few they manage to get on their own. Not wanting the big kids on the playground to take them just because they can and it's easier than thinking of something original on their own.

/the whole "seen it, liked it, want to improve it while admitting it's not mine" thing is a completely different subject. That's remaking without stealing credit for the original idea. And if you came up with the same idea before realizing it had been done before, there's nothing at all to worry about because obviously the idea isn't original or you both wouldn't have come up with the exact same idea. You and him, and probably a handful of other people to boot. No problem there.

Willen · Post by **Willen** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:34 am

Arigatomina wrote:If it's an original idea and you're just doing it because you know you can do it better, then I think it falls under the "do not steal other video creator's ideas" rule on the org. If I remember right, the way Phade defined that rule was: If an experienced editor spots a vid and goes, "oh, yeah, I can do that much better than that noob, mwahaha~" and takes what was good and original about the noob video for his own profit, it's mean and cheap and against the rule.

Heh, if I was to do my remake in the very near future, since I have only finished 2 videos, would I be an "experienced editor" stealing an idea from a "noob editor"? Or a "noob editor" stealing from another "noob editor"?

Arigatomina wrote:If the better editor makes a disclaimer admitting that he's stealing a bad editor's idea because the idea deserves to be used by a good editor, then maybe it's okay. Maybe. If you don't mind taking chips from toddlers because, hey, they can't taste food anyway, so it's going to waste in their bellies, then, yeah, maybe it's okay.

I know for a fact that toddlers can taste food. Either that or my 18 month old niece isn't a toddler.

And she actually takes chips away from me...

Arigatomina wrote:Seems a little low to me. I'd be pissed if someone redid one of my original concepts just because my editing sucks compared to theirs and they can pimp the song/anime combo better than I did. Then again, original concepts are pretty rare around here, so I expect people would be a little protective of the few they manage to get on their own. Not wanting the big kids on the playground to take them just because they can and it's easier than thinking of something original on their own.

If one of my videos was bad enough editing-wise to warrant a remake (and good enough idea-wise), I'd only be pissed if they did really crappy job of it. Of course, I'd like them to credit me for the original concept...

Arigatomina wrote:/the whole "seen it, liked it, want to improve it while admitting it's not mine" thing is a completely different subject. That's remaking without stealing credit for the original idea. And if you came up with the same idea before realizing it had been done before, there's nothing at all to worry about because obviously the idea isn't original or you both wouldn't have come up with the exact same idea. You and him, and probably a handful of other people to boot. No problem there.

Just to be clear about my previous post, if I do actually get to the remake I will contact the original creator about it (if possible) and give credit for the idea/inspiration. If I left the impression I wasn't going to mention the source of the original concept, I apologize.

Re-mastering a video, on the other hand, should only be done IMO when either the original creator has totally exited the AMV scene and/or he/she has given their blessing, since it will be an exact duplicate (or near exact) of an existing work except for better video and audio quality, AND the AMV is worthy of a re-master. Strangely though, I prefer the older version(s) of the aformentioned remastered video(s) to the newer, cleaner one(s). I guess it's the old fanboy in me with the warm fuzzy feelings for old fuzzy videos.

anneke · Post by **anneke** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:06 am

If you see an idea you must do/steal, is it so hard to e-mail the creator and ask them how they would feel about you doing so? I had someone try and do the same 'idea' I did, and they failed miserably. (Shrugs).

If your making the same idea only because it's a good idea and you can do it better...well wait till the other person's video is out of contest circulation. If you can truely do better, then it should do well regardless of people saw the other person's video first.

-Anneke

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:35 am

Willen wrote:Just to be clear about my previous post, if I do actually get to the remake I will contact the original creator about it (if possible) and give credit for the idea/inspiration.

Yeah, that's what I meant by "seen it, liked it, want to improve it while admitting it's not mine". That's not claiming the original idea as your own.

And I'd really hope no one would try remastering a video made by a still-active editor. For all they know, that editor might plan to remaster it himself. The original creator should get first dibbs on remastering his own video. o.O

Krisqo · Post by **Krisqo** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:58 pm

Wow. This is some deep stuff.

Okay. First, the editor of this video hasn't been on the org in almost two years and has not released a video in about three.

Second, the video concept in itself is used many times but with different songs.

Third, I don't intend to copy the video in any way. I can't the video was your basic random amv with very poor analoge captures and whatnot. I want to use the song and build on the story. I came up with the concept myself and was looking for a song and this one just hit me. If someone can suggest a better song I'll gladly change it.

Here are some linkeys

The original Video (use the indirect)
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members ... hp?v=18623

What I made as a beta:

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 43522C8B83

I did not intend to end up using this concept. I was searching for some inspiration since I could not find a good song to use. I planned on making some video to this track at some point. If worse comes to worse, I'll let this sit for a few years when everything is forgotten and release it then.

Anyway, thanks for the comments. It's one of those rules that has some gray areas that I wanted explained further before continuing.

Beowulf · Post by **Beowulf** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:38 pm

All the masters steal EVERYTHING they can and do so gracefully.

Take someone else's ball and run with it a little further, making it your own.

Beowulf · Post by **Beowulf** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:39 pm

DJ_Izumi wrote:I don't think there's really anything wrong with looking at an AMV, thinking 'I could do better', and going in and doing better. So long as it actually IS better and not some rip off.

ROFL, coming from someone who doesnt have a single original thought and is relegated to making fake trailers for bad movies using cartoons.

Scintilla · Post by **Scintilla** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:56 pm

Beowulf wrote:
DJ_Izumi wrote:I don't think there's really anything wrong with looking at an AMV, thinking 'I could do better', and going in and doing better. So long as it actually IS better and not some rip off.
ROFL, coming from someone who doesnt have a single original thought and is relegated to making fake trailers for bad movies using cartoons.

http://www.animemusicvideos.org/phpBB/v ... 826#911826