Low source footage

[CaTaClYsM]

how do you make an AMV, when you have very little source footage? (something like read or die, or the anime cut scenes from a video game.)

[AbsoluteDestiny]

use short songs

[Kai Stromler]

If you can find an AMV by Eric of Otaku Vengeance, setting Pokemon to Mindless Self Indulgence's song "Bitches", your question will be answered. Close inspection of this vid reveals that there are not a lot of unique clips used here, but the reuse of source never comes off as annoying or lame.

They key is that you have to pay real close attention to know when you should loop a clip or repeat it later in the video. "Bitches" is not only a short song, but a short, *repetitive*, song; over the repeated lyrical sections Eric uses the same sequence each time, but in between the repeated sections are long strings of non-repeated clips.

The beats in "Bitches" are heavy and pronounced, and it is here that Eric lets looping cover his ground for him. The same short framesequence is used for each of the beats in a quick instrumental succession thereof on several occasions, but none of the looped clips are repeated at a different point in the video over the same sort of beat-pattern.

The combined effect is akin to 'scratching' and sampling on the video track, an overall feel that works with the heavily electro rap-rock of the musical track. Total playtime is about 2:45, but the unique clips used probably total not much more than 1:30.

To be sure, looping and source reuse isn't a good habit to get into if you can avoid it. However, doing it properly is a skill everyone ought to try and pick up.

luck,

--K

[The Wired Knight]

use short songs

That's about it. I was working on a Harlock AMV when I reailzed Harlock doesn't quite move enough to do a four minute AMV so I had to cut the song short by two minutes. You can take a long song but you better find a way to cut it short fluidly.