how long is too long

[BasharOfTheAges]

I would just like to express my frustration that people don't have the brain power or tolerance to sit through something that isn't immediatly satisfying. Its sad and pathetic.

Yea! Damn about 80% of the U.S. population! ::shakes fist::

On a serious note, if you have the skill to do quality work for 12 minutes, go for it. Personally, I get stuck on 3:30 editing (pertanent clipping takes so damn long!) and i'll stop watching a video after a minute if i absolutely hate it. I'd say if it pased the 1 minute mark i'd at least finish watching it and probably add it it my list of vids to Op (more time = more details to discuss. or at least more 'good points' to scrounge up).

[Tono_Fyr]

However, I think I know why you say that though. Rock songs can usually tell a story within a short time frame. There are only so many words that can be used to tell the story.

Listen to Blind Guardian's "And Then There Was Silence", which tells the story of Troy, and THEN tell me that. I actually feel it should've been longer (and the damn thing is 14 minutes as it stands) because it doesn't go much into the Oddessy, and stays mostly on the events of Troy in the Illiad. From an editing standpoint, the song itself has enough changes in its pace to make it quite effective as a long video. I have ideas with it, though I'm not trying it until I get the CD that has it, and that could be several months. Still in the "in-between" on my last project.

As far as the "epic" style of AMV ediitng. Only if you're good. My favorite long video is probably Reflections of a Goddess by Norskotaku, the song changes a lot, allowing for multiple styles of ediiting throughout.

I, for one, do want to TRY a long song at some point or another in my carreer (I have several that are about 7 and 8 minutes, though I don't consider those that long, but that's because I'm weird).

Plus, it seems to me that most of the long songs that I have are metal. So, you techno people can bite me (nothing against techno, I'm just saying that it's not the ONLY genre that has that kind of length).

As for the newbie... I wouldn't suggest a long song as your first video. I can more or less garuntee that you'll screw it up.

[Flint the Dwarf]

However, I think I know why you say that though. Rock songs can usually tell a story within a short time frame. There are only so many words that can be used to tell the story.

Listen to Blind Guardian's "And Then There Was Silence", which tells the story of Troy, and THEN tell me that. I actually feel it should've been longer (and the damn thing is 14 minutes as it stands) because it doesn't go much into the Oddessy, and stays mostly on the events of Troy in the Illiad.

Or Symphony X's "The Odyssey," which obviously tells the story of Homer's Odyssey. It clocks in right around 24 minutes. I've actually had ideas for it as a MEP, but I doubt I could get the right footage (or find willing editors). Then again, I also think 24 minutes is just a little long for an AMV, even if it is a MEP.

[Otohiko]

I would just like to express my frustration that people don't have the brain power or tolerance to sit through something that isn't immediatly satisfying. Its sad and pathetic.

Nail, meet hammer!

This is, unfortunately, territory where entertainment and art part ways. And it's not at all an 'un-serious' note to say that roughly 90% of the population are (quite intentionally) brought up to live in a society which encourages short attention spans.

This is part of the reason I prefer something that I don't like immideately and might even frustrate me at first, over instant-gratification type of AMV's. Sure, the latter will be good, out-of-the-box fun, but the more complex and possibly even longer AMV will have more replay value for me in the long run.

So I don't think there's such a thing as too long or too 'artsy', as long as you're prepared to alienate 90+% of the populace. I'm generally all to eager to do that to start with, so I'd have no trouble making AMV's any length now, provided they're justified by a good concept and my willingness to work on them.

[mexicanjunior]

If you have talent, you can make any length of video work.

Take me for example.

I totally disagree...