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Things are getting shaky.
2011-11-06 18:37:56
The Kingdom of L.F.S.
Pre-edit: 3 hours
Edit: 75 hours
Post-Production/Special Effects: 22 hours
My project files are becoming more and more unstable. After Effects is throwing out all kinds of mysterious errors and crashing. Premiere is not bothering with errors and just crashing. Not sure whether it's my project files, my support files, the drives I'm working off of or my computer in general. Granted, I am having more luck right now than I would have with my old PC, but things are getting to the point where I'm expecting a total meltdown any second. -
Post-Vegas (the city, not the software)
2011-11-05 18:45:58
The Kingdom of L.F.S.
Pre-edit: 3 hours
Edit: 75 hours
Post-Production/Special Effects: 17 hours
The Good: I didn't lose any money in Vegas. I didn't try to win any, either, but that's just not very exciting to report. In AMV news, I fixed one instance of lip flap today, tampered haphazardly and without any sort of impressive results with another and have successfully created a pair of dentures!
The Bad: The dentures proved to be quite a task. I just finished animating the top set, and got all excited with how nice it looks, then realized I now have to animate the bottom set. If it comes out looking bad, I will not be making the bottom all b/c the top can handle it alone. What really threw a wrench into the process was that I had done a quick and dirty rough sketch which took me all of 2 minutes several weeks ago, but when I went to do it "for real," could I get it to look as good? Noooo. -_- So I wound up using my original rough stuff, which I fear isn't going to be high-quality enough at the end of the day. Can't really tell right now, though.
The Ugly: Plastic surgery is not looking so good. Definitely not an AE project, it would be 100% frame-by-frame, heavy-duty Photoshop work. Since I may not have time for that, I'm unfortunately moving on and saving that challenge for later. If I can do it, I expect it will pay off big time, if I can't do it, there's...well...no payoff whatsoever, which would be a bad move for my video. -
AMV Hell 3: Six Years Later
2011-10-24 19:38:51
I had AMV Hell 3 on this weekend while doing some chores. Hadn't watched it for a couple of years, but I got just as much enjoyment out of it as I ever have. I know the sequence of videos, how they're paced, where the punch lines are and what's worth paying extra close attention to.
I got a few different things out of the viewing this time, though.
1. AMV Hell 3 was made when anime was a heck of a lot more "innocent" than it is now. There is fanservice and violence, yes, but it's all pretty cartoony and sanitized. I distinctly remember showing AMVH3 to some folks early on and squirming a bit as they watched some of the more provocative/violent stuff - at the time, it was pretty much proof positive that anime was saturated with adult themes. Nowadays, AMV Hell 3 is like watching grainy video of women from the 1940's in full-piece bathing suits cavorting on the beach. It's just so...mild. If this were made today, with - say - the Grenadier opening clip replaced by HS of the Dead - it would probably not be something fit for anyone under the age of 15.
2. There's bad AR in there and some rather ugly footage. It never really distracted me before, but it does now. Still, 2005 was a simpler time...
3. If one does a Quick Search (or Super Search/Title) on AMV Hell 3, you get just about everything BUT. That just seems very wrong.
4. I still don't mind the watermarks - it's a great way to figure out who made what.
5. There is something very endearing about seeing footage from the early episodes of Bleach and Naruto in AMVH3...neither had worn out their welcome, yet.
6. There are a number of non-funny clips which are the highlights of the whole thing for me. Seems like lots of folks have AMV Hell pegged for comedy and nothing else.
7. Perhaps someone has already made one, but someday it would be interesting to have a commentary track or liner notes or something for AMVH3. There is a fair amount of stuff in AMVH3 which is not going to register on the average viewer's radar, nevermind the newer AMV editor's. Perhaps this is the history buff in me talking, but it AMVH3 really is quite the little time capsule of anime and AMVing.
k, I'm done. Have to fly to Las Vegas for work, soon. uughhhhh.... trade show in Vegas... It was suggested today that I shouldn't spend all my time hanging around our booth looking good, that I should instead engage visitors and sell them transmission parts! Since I wasn't planning on doing either thing, now I'm really worried about what's in store for me out there.
Yes, that's right: I work in the sexy field of aftermarket automotive parts! Woo! -
Second time AMVs have invaded my sleep.
2011-10-18 21:29:05
Last time I dreamt of surfer Godix (yeeaahh, still haven't figured that one out), this time I was getting an award. Sounds good, right? Not so much.
In my dream, I was standing around with a bunch of other people and there were some awards being handed out akin to middle school sports trophies for most improved player...the kind that lots of people on the same team get so no one feels inadequate. Everyone was all happy and clapping for each other, because they were like "Yay! I'm/he/she is being recognized as being an improved editor! Go us!! We soooo deserve this!" and then I walked up to receive mine and everyone just went totally silent. Then I hear someone say, "Yeah, she hasn't even MADE an AMV since 2008, why the heck is she getting THAT?"
At first I couldn't figure out what the heck this was coming from, but then I remembered having watched Pwolf's YouTube video on his latest AMV.org APP iteration and being awed by the long list of Ileia's videos he was using as part of the demo. Ooohhh, THAT'S where this came from. Apparently my subconscious has some issues with my not being a very prolific AMV editor. :|
At least I have made mostly (totally?) weird videos, though. I feel that should count for something. How many normal videos does it take to equal a weird one? I don't know, I haven't made very many of either!! XD -
I'm getting too old for anime conventions. I also think anime fans have a serious mental imbalance whereby they don't understand body language cues used in crowded places. Seriously. KEEP WALKING OR GET OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE HALLWAY!
2011-10-16 15:06:56
Yeah yeah, I know all that history about how cons have changed over the years thanks to the influx of a younger, more obnoxious crowd. I can vaguely remember back to when they weren't overrun with shrieking teenage cosplayers. This weekend I was smacked in the face with my apparently old and stuffy ways when I went to Another Anime Con in N.H., not only because I was probably twice the age of a good 30-40% of the attendees (ooohhh that hurts, saying that), but because I kept thinking: "If I was their age, I would be doing what they're doing and having an absolute blast. But I'm not, and so I'm not."
Very depressing.
Not so depressing was the Extreme Iron Editor contest, which this year featured zero bodily harm to the judges (me being back again for a second round of punishment) and less harm to the contestants (most of whom also were back again for far more punishment). Kudos to Bashar for putting on the show pretty much solo and with nary a crippling technical glitch in sight! It was a lot of fun!
Some excellent trailers were played at Iron Editor, which was kind of like a bucket of ice water being thrown over my head. Trailers don't usually compete with much outside of their own little trailer circle and perhaps fun/upbeat/other entries. I had it in my head that mine would go above and beyond this limitation and be remembered first as a good video, secondly as a trailer, but given what it takes to do that...I don't think it can. *mutter* I wish I was more inspired/skilled at AMVing. But, don't we all? (That is a theoretical, off-the-cuff, non-serious question, THANK YOU!)
Speaking of my video, I got some preliminary feedback on my video. No one trashed it, which was heartening (although I'm the suspicious/paranoid type and worry that people are just being nice...sorry, sorry, I shouldn't doubt...), and everyone has had some excellent suggestions thus far. Big worries over the lip sync are now setting in, since I really do have to try and fix almost all of it and this may not even be possible.
[deletes rant]
Erm, oh yes - I'm also thinking about changing the title of the video, or at least the part where the "title" shows up on screen. It just seems very confusing, in retrospect. But what to change it to? It needs to be witty and funny and yet somehow still relevant...using "Knights of Badassdom" seems like such a convenient cop-out.
JOURNAL: DriftRoot (Lauren C.)
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