How Should I Improve?

greydaze3 · Post by **greydaze3** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 3:53 pm

Hello.

I made an AMV back in 2005, and I'm thinking of jumping in again. The reviews were mixed, some good and some bad, but not too horrible for a first AMV, i think. For refference, it's http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members ... hp?v=97007 .

Now that I have a nice computer, I think I'd like to try my hand at it again. But I made a lot of rookie mistakes, I'm sure, and would like to do a better job. I enjoyed making my first once and I want to have fun with this one. Please, help me out with that kind of mistakes I should avoid in this next AMV which I made in the first. I'd really appreciate it.

~Tiffany

aesling · Post by **aesling** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 4:38 pm

Well, it's always a good policy to pay attention to the feedback people gave you on your first video. Notice what mistakes they said you made, and try to avoid making them the next time. Also notice what they said they liked, it tells you what you're doing right. Other than that what relaly helps is practice, practice, practice.

Zarxrax · Post by **Zarxrax** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:04 pm

Well, you also need to be careful with what you listen to, since just because someone gives you some feedback, it doesn't mean they aren't an idiot or a worse editor than you. Some feedback may be bad to listen to, so you need to learn to judge it for yourself.

greydaze3 · Post by **greydaze3** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:05 pm

Thanks for the replies, you guys. And I've looked at the feedback I've gotten, but although some of it was very informative (One mentioned a whirlpool effect being over the top), some of it made no sense (Like someone saying the song and the anime didn't go together). Also, I didn't get a LOT of feedback aside from the usual "I liked/didn't like the song/anime/effect/etc."

I truly hope to improve myself in this round, so I appreciate any comments, criticisms and opinions I can get. The more brutally honest, the better. It was my first try, so I know it wasn't the best out there, even if I think it was alright for a first AMV.

Please, anyone who has extra time on their hands, I would appreciate any help you can give to me.

Jayn_Newell · Post by **Jayn_Newell** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:16 pm

Try the opinion exchange forum. You'll get more feedback, and likely better feedback, if you look in there. And examining other vids and figuring out what worked and what didn't will help you improve as well.

Krisqo · Post by **Krisqo** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:17 pm

What they mean by "Song and Anime Don't Go Together" is simply... the audio didn't mix with the video. When you make an AMV... you not only need to make the video look pretty... you need the pretty video to mesh with the audio. For example... DBZ will likely not work to Britney Spears...although you can make a BS DBZ video (Acronym pun intended). If the song does not help capture the mood you are setting for the video itself, be it romance, action, or comedy, the video will look funny.

And any of the I don't like the, blah... blah... blah... comments... ignore.

greydaze3 · Post by **greydaze3** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:43 pm

kris: Well... Have you watched the AMV? I had other people compliment me on choosing that song for the anime I used. So, it's a little confusing. I put a lot of thought into which anime and song combo to use, so,... I'm not sure what to think.

About posting in the opinions forum: I thought that was for NEW anime music videos. So sorry if I posted in the wrong forum.

Thanks for the input, guys. I'll go post this in the opinions forum and see how that goes.

greydaze3 · Post by **greydaze3** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:46 pm

Actually, it says in the opinion forum not to beg for opinions. Hmmm...

BasharOfTheAges · Post by **BasharOfTheAges** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 9:12 pm

greydaze3 wrote:Actually, it says in the opinion forum not to beg for opinions. Hmmm...

That's why people offer op exchanges.

Taruto! · Post by **Taruto!** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 9:31 pm

I'm tired.. it's nearly 2:30am.. sorry if I rant or make very little sense..

On the other side of the spectrum.. if you don't get the feedback you feel you need, I've found that I've improved simply through a LOT of experimenting. I made a few crummy videos, then a couple of better ones, and now I really feel like I know how to make a "good" amv. Or at least, the "I think this is presentable, er, kinda" kind of "good"..

I didn't recieve much feedback on my early videos, apart from general comments on quality and choice. Trying the same techniques just gave me the same results - boring "videos" that were basically a mix of clips put to music I liked at the time. Tweaking things gave me better results, and actually listening to the music that I was using properly helped a lot too. Really easy mistakes to make.
"Simple" things like planning a little more thoroughly and refining an idea can improve a video massively - sometimes it'll make you scrap them, sometimes it'll make you completely revamp a video. Time consuming, perhaps, but better than getting half way and saying "oh sod it this isn't working" when you've spent hours ripping and cleaning your footage.
Also using books that accompany whatever series you're using is also something I've found helpful (might just be me though, but it's great for helping pinpoint footage to use and which episode it is etc) if you've got access to them. Saves a lot of time searching too.

It's good to have some feedback on what's hot and what's not in your video but ultimately, you have the most influence on what's going to be put right. You can consider what others say and make whatever changes they suggest, but doing that won't be enough to make a good video unless you think it through.

I haven't had time to even check out your video.. I've only just seen this topic and it's late here and I've got to get up early tomorrow. But I'll definately check it out when I get the time and give you more specific feedback.

Hmm.. yeah I think that's me done. Off to bed I go then..