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This is starting to look coherent.
2011-12-11 20:43:30
The Kingdom of L.F.S.
Pre-edit: 3 hours
Edit: 74 hours
Post-Production/Special Effects: 73 hours
Just two hours away from spending as much time on special effects as I did on basic editing. That does not make me happy, but I do feel that the work I've put into the effects has been worthwhile.
Also...I think I've managed to do something quite unusual, potentially unique in the history of AMVing with this video. It's not a very big deal, (particularly compared to something else I've managed to pull off), but still, there is a chance it's never been done before. If it has been, I would wager it represents a tiny, tiny fraction of similar videos in existence. There's no way to verify this other than to have someone reference another AMV, of course, but that would actually be great - I would love to see it! I doubt most people will even think about it or find it that interesting, but from an AMV perspective, it definitely made me go "Hmmm." Gives this video a unique twist...albeit a rather subtle one compared to all the rest of the twisting.
Heh, that's like a perfect description of all my AMVs: "Things that make you go hmmm." LOL -
Stupid kids and their stupid glowing eyes!
2011-12-10 21:07:58
The Kingdom of L.F.S.
Pre-edit: 3 hours
Edit: 75 hours
Post-Production/Special Effects: 69 hours
The Good: Now that I have conquered several enormously time-consuming special effects scenes, I feel comfortable dabbling with some other, non-necessary effects which, as usual, are questionably worth the effort, but still give me warm fuzzies.
The Bad: This AMV is proving that effects in my videos which look difficult really are not, and effects which look really basic gave me tons of trouble. I wasted three hours this morning on a throwaway, short, tiny effect which was really nothing more than some extra color added to the scene. First I tried doing in in AE...no luck. Then I did it in Photoshop, but discovered it didn't work once animated and spent an hour trying to fix the bad spots, only succeeding in making the whole thing look worse than it ever did. Now I'm back to trying an AE/Photoshop combo, but it's too waaayy late to call this an efficient workflow.
The Ugly: This video reminds me of playing Madlibs. If I don't fill in all the lines with stuff that at least looks like I put some thought into it, the gaping blanks on the page will prove I dropped the ball.
Ok, that is definitely one of the most bizarre analogies I have ever come up with. -
Yikes, long post. Sorry, I'm getting anxious about this AMV.
2011-12-05 21:29:20
The Kingdom of L.F.S.
Pre-edit: 3 hours
Edit: 75 hours
Post-Production/Special Effects: 66 hours
"I am sure tomorrow or next week I will not be so thrilled with what I've made, but at the moment I am savoring my greatest six frames of AMV work EVAR (on several levels) If people don't choke on their soda and spew it all over the screen when they watch this, then may the AMV Gods have mercy on their souls because there is no way in hell they could have seen THIS coming."
Yah, not so thrilled, but still very pleased. Lowered levels of enthusiasm mostly arrived in the wake of the reality setting in: I don't think most people will choke on their soda, their souls are very safe...but they still won't see it coming. Maybe they will, though, I don't know. My rational is as follows:
1. I suspect that these six frames can pass for authentic, original footage if someone isn't paying overly close attention or is unfamiliar with (or even vaguely forgetful of) the source. Either of one of these, or a combination thereof, is enough to eliminate a gag reflex and save someone's soul.
2. What happens is really no surprise at all. To me, it seems to blatantly obvious that OF COURSE this is what would happen if someone were handed this scene and asked: "Ok, what's missing?" Auto response would likely be:"[Blank] should [blank], but that's impossible because you can't DO that." No, it's not impossible, which leads me to #3...
3. Most people have no idea to what lengths I'll go to mess with a quarter second worth of video...but I like to imagine there's a handful that do (if you're reading this, I mean YOU). Consequently, the former will assume that what they saw is simply impossible to fake and therefore must be real. No choking, no eternal damnation of souls. Later, they might wonder, but in the moment...nope, it's a non-event. The latter — people who are well aware of my penchant for outrageous, time-consuming, wait-a-second-what-was-THAT? quarter-second effects — might immediately see it for what it is and move on without a fuss. More souls saved.
And then there's the terrible, terrible truth: The scene has got to be funny, that is it's sole purpose, no amount of effects work can change this fact. I have set up the scene, there is room for the laugh that should follow, it is well-paced and works pretty nicely with the audio, so in theory it SHOULD be amusing...but "should" is never a sure-thing.
Ugh. Stupid comedy videos...why I ever latched onto them...*grumble*
I've also recalled my terrifying inability to create non-squished MPEG2 files. I still think it's something I'm doing wrong right from the get-go, since no one else can seem to make non-squished files out of my video, either. But...what?? WHAT IS IT? HOW is it even possible that my videos can look just fine in every format EXCEPT MPEG2?
I should take my blood pressure right now. :) Journals are good for venting, though, so I'm probably fine. *stretches* Ahhh, feels like old times in journal-land. -
!!!
2011-12-04 15:40:23
The Kingdom of L.F.S.
Pre-edit: 3 hours
Edit: 75 hours
Post-Production/Special Effects: 64 hours
LONG LIVE THE LIQUIFY TOOL! Holy [bad word] [bad word] this little effect just put the [bad word] icing on the half-baked cake!
I am sure tomorrow or next week I will not be so thrilled with what I've made, but at the moment I am savoring my greatest six frames of AMV work EVAR (on several levels). If people don't choke on their soda and spew it all over the screen when they watch this, then may the AMV Gods have mercy on their souls because there is no way in hell they could have seen THIS coming. 'cept I just sort of forewarned some folks...still...
Go me! :D *high fives self* -
This is just sheer drudgery, now.
2011-12-03 19:18:05
The Kingdom of L.F.S.
Pre-edit: 3 hours
Edit: 75 hours
Post-Production/Special Effects: 60 hours
I'm not getting frantic and fatalistic towards the end of this project like I usually do. Things are getting to the point where I really should start to question whether the effects I'm slaving over are worth the effort, though. Mostly I say yes, because there are some huge problems with the AMV that must be fixed - no way around it - and me being me, I dislike the thought of fixing them with half-assed Band-aids. There's already enough ass halves in here as it is, at least let me get some satisfaction out of creating a handful of quality effects that look exactly as good as they should, considering.
Considering what?
Considering that I do not specialize in special effects and do not want to make them the takeaway from this video. The effects are not the point, they are just there to fill in the holes and make this make as much sense as I possible can.
You know what they're going to say: The effects started off great, but then kind of fizzled out..."
And I will say what I always say: Yes, I KNOW - they're supposed to do that! It may not be the most glorious of results, but it is deliberate. If I can't pull it off, well...I never claimed to be wonderfully skilled at this stuff and here's further proof, I guess. I just do the best I can, that's all you can really ask of someone.
Yeesh, my subconscious is so critical. :|
What's really going through my mind, however, is when this video should go public. I'd love to wait until it (maybe, hopefully...please AMV Gods, gimme a break!!!) makes it into the finals of some AMV competitions this spring. This is a rather time-sensitive video, however, being a trailer parody of an upcoming movie, and I don't want to miss that opportunity. Once the movie comes out...hrm, not sure where this will stand. I don't pay much attention to AMV trailer-type videos and have no idea if there's any particular modus operandi with them.
JOURNAL: DriftRoot (Lauren C.)
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