Author Topic: AMV CHATTERBOX! (i.e, Say /almost/ anything we want to about AMVs & stuff!!!) (Read 45996 times)

Prinz Eugen · « **on:** December 12, 2008, 07:40:27 pm »

Hey!

Great job to the board folks in creating this new ALL-AMV space!
Zillions of thanks!

Anyways, I thought I'd start THIS thread for random quips & one-liners about anything AMV-ness: what you're working on, tell us a nice one you just saw, ideas to try.

WHATEVER. News from *me* next!

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #1 on:** December 12, 2008, 07:48:19 pm »

OK - last Wednesday I *just* finished torrenting a MONGO file from somewhere in Russian lands, with OVER ~~9000~~ 512 AMVs in it! Most are 2yrs old or NEWER!

Anyways, my sweetie and I are culling them for the AMV Pre-Show and SHOW 2009...
Some real NICE ones in here... also some KLONKERS.

Most of the ones we are keeping around for a second look are 2min:45sec to 3min:40sec duration.

In about 90min we have eliminated more than 150 entries....

Some of the 4min pieces we are playing at 1.5x, and they work fine. Tempts me to manually re-encode them at 45fps...

Also we have a new 1920p flatscreen downstairs in the 'cave,' so we are seing quality (and pixel-crud) at a more discriminating level...

LtCommanderRichie · « **Reply #2 on:** December 29, 2008, 05:06:19 pm »

Five days of torrenting 17.68GB worth of anime was so freaking worth it. Getting Vegas Pro 8 is even better... Learning to use it is a feat unto itself that I hope to master long before the AMV contest deadline.

I'm thinking something terribly funny, or a fake trailer. Perhaps both.

EveofAbyss · « **Reply #3 on:** December 29, 2008, 05:14:41 pm »

I guess I need to look into Vegas then. I still have not began to understand the high quality end of AMV creation. I've got tons of videos I'd like to make better, but I don't think I can without starting over from scratch.

Hmm, I still want to make something with Fullmetal Alchemist, Claymore, Ninja Nonsense, Crisis Core. I have some catching up to do.

TohmaSeguchi · « **Reply #4 on:** February 03, 2009, 05:11:04 pm »

o.0 Dead thread, I'll have to revive it then ^^;;

What're everyone's ideas for this year's AMV contest? I'm thinking doing a trailer, along with another AMV if I have the time. I have a lot of catching up to do though..*thinks her AMV skills are horrid*

I recently got Sony Vegas Studio 9, the platinum pack. It doesn't look overly complicated, and there's a handy crop tool that makes it useful. I'm still trying to figure out where the track matte tool is and where I go to make the frames-per-second option to make 'em faster....(like 60fps! XD)

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #5 on:** February 03, 2009, 08:15:27 pm »

About 60fps: Google up "Nostromo" he has some tips on 60fps and I think he mentions a plugin for Adobe premiere....

Other than that, I have two realatively active projects in the cooker, one is a personal AMV-Hell type of thing that is so far about 2min long but I want to get it out to slightly past 4min - also adding some political satire for the current administration - and the other is a cut-down drama of the "Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald" using Last Exile...

Then there's the K-2009 OP to do and I am *clueless" so far as to what to throw together for *that* ...

... and I have an EVIL idea for th 2009 AMV Iron Chef contest ...

thundercatlord · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2009, 05:48:37 pm »

What are you talking about EVIL??!! The Iron Chef Contest was evil enough to me...I'd never heard of any of the anime I got

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #7 on:** February 08, 2009, 02:33:45 pm »

Quote from: thundercatlord on February 06, 2009, 05:48:37 pm

The Iron Chef Contest was evil enough to me...I'd never heard of any of the anime I got

Thanks for the comment. Depending on how things go, I may be able to get each contestant more disks in each hand-out pack. More disks = more chances on the roulette wheel that there'll be something you know, or even know well.

Typically, for video sources each pack contains:
- some VOBs ripped from a commercial DVD
- some fansubs, and
- some raw footage usually from Japanese TV broadcasts

One thing I *did* look in to while arranging each pack was to try to select mixes from among several different genres in each pack, so that you wouldn't have one pack that was all dark gothic horror and another that was all space mecha battles and another that was all school-uniform romances. Instead, I listed about seven major categories and tried to throw three or four genres into each pack.

Then there's the 'surprise ingredient' or definition of a specific structure of the format.

Last year's constraint was that within each set of disks there were two particular ones, and each contestant had to use some minimum quantity of each of those two disks, but were free to use all of the material supplied in the pack in any entertaining manner he wished.

LtCommanderRichie · « **Reply #8 on:** May 23, 2009, 12:38:48 am »

The slow but sure overhaul of my AMV for the contest is coming along nicely. I don't much like what I've just recently done, but everything else is pretty awesome. I'll prolly go back and smack it around, then delete what I've just done and leave the pretty awesome bits and continue in hopes of actually making it into the contest this year.

My only problem is that when I save it, it saves in way that leaves afterimages that totally mess up my masking. I can't seem to find a way around this, either, while still saving in .avi format.

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #9 on:** July 05, 2009, 12:14:03 pm »

Hey gang - in this centuries-old Silk Road trading city on the bank of the mighty Volga River...

... people make AMVs there too!

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2009, 01:11:36 pm »

People make AMVs HERE too!

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #11 on:** July 16, 2009, 03:13:21 pm »

MOROCCO HAS CHECKED IN!

Blackstar · « **Reply #12 on:** July 16, 2009, 07:28:33 pm »

T_T I downloaded more AMVS today I am at 91 AMVs now

rollthestampede · « **Reply #13 on:** July 17, 2009, 03:51:49 pm »

get some of mine

http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_myprofile.php?user_id=229257

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #14 on:** July 18, 2009, 07:07:46 am »

Got 'em all downloaded (this took till 3:30AM...)
and got the last of the CONFIRM e-mails out.

I will visit the (physical mail) PO box ONE LAST TIME, sometime close to noon, in case USPS messed up.

See you all at the LIVE BLOGGING thread to be firing up in about 5 hours from now!!

somanyturtles · « **Reply #15 on:** July 19, 2009, 10:10:57 pm »

Quote from: thundercatlord on February 06, 2009, 05:48:37 pm

What are you talking about EVIL??!! The Iron Chef Contest was evil enough to me...I'd never heard of any of the anime I got

*Beep*

thundercatlord · « **Reply #16 on:** July 19, 2009, 10:12:49 pm »

Quote from: somanyturtles on July 19, 2009, 10:10:57 pm

Quote from: thundercatlord on February 06, 2009, 05:48:37 pm
What are you talking about EVIL??!! The Iron Chef Contest was evil enough to me...I'd never heard of any of the anime I got

*Beep*

the gimmick worked did it not?

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #17 on:** July 26, 2009, 03:44:33 am »

Got category intro #3 done, four more to go.
Recovering from nasty surgery on Friday. Uggh.
The physicians did a great job, Now coping w/ post-op pain,
and my throat's a little torn up from intubation.

somanyturtles · « **Reply #18 on:** July 29, 2009, 12:22:11 am »

Guy, you really need to "hire" an assistant.

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #19 on:** August 02, 2009, 09:54:39 pm »

SIX done, ONE to go!

They're about 17 - 20sec long each, with a title and a kind of mini-AMV in the center to demo the category.

In no particular order:

Random Amusement: I'm re-using the one I did last year because it *still* cracks me up - Hello Kitty as the Eye of Sauron, with music taken form the 'Conan' movie OP theme.

Trailers: A long horseride pan from Millenium Actress set to the Good, Bad & the Ugly theme (E. Morricone.)

Genki: this is the one I haven't done yet.

Japanese Music: The girl-band from 'K-on' set to ep 37 Zettai Karen Children ED at 75% speed. Crunchier scratchier percussion and DEEP BASS for Mio. Composited with the classic IJN naval ensign in some parts of the background.

Action & Effects: A slice from one of my older AMVs, Honor of the Stars. The last battle of the Basroil set to the Terminator theme.

Retro: a spoof parody OP of an episode of the German WW2-era propaganda weekly called 'Die Wochenshau.' (We did the same thing in theatres at the time; here it was called Movietone News.) Title block reads 'Die Anime Wochinschau.' Music is from a panzerlied set to tank battle scenes from Valkyria Chronicles (TV.) Nothing Nazi in it though, no symbols, and strict editing of the lyrics for zero political, racist, anti-semetic, or anti-gay content. Video is 90% color desaturated, film graininess added in AfterEffects.
A similar project to the clip I did for one of the AMV Hell projects: ~~Victory~~ Anime at Sea.

Tension: A slice from my 2005 Drama winner at Anime Vegas, Projekt Oktober.

That was my weekend...

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #20 on:** August 03, 2009, 11:08:10 pm »

I think I got enought stuff sampled for the 'Genki' intro.

D'OH: In going over the directories I noticed that in two cases I counted a submission TWICE. This is because for each of these AMVs I got a 30fps and a 60fps version. So the final tally is actually 32 AMVs for this year. I will test run the 30 vs 60 fps versions right before the contest to see how they play on the system we get. I hope we can run the higher framerates just because ....

<sparkly!>

But in any case I reviewed the show and it is going to ROCK.
Maybe not the crowning moment of COMEDY we had last year,** but the selections in Retro, Genki, Action/Effects, and Trailers will simply blow you out of the hotel on to the opposite curbside of the street...

** Does anyone remember 'Deeeeeep Huuuurrrting' from MST3K?

Well, for Random Amusement, rather than Comedy, consider yourselves WARNED....

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #21 on:** August 05, 2009, 12:46:47 pm »

Anime is K-On and Seto no Hanayome,
Music is Lacuna, "Celebrate the Summer"

Now to start sampling 10-sec clips of each AMV in the final playlist,
and compile review videos. These are about 90sec to 150sec long.
Again, I make seven of these - one for each category.

One of the bigger decisions is choosing background music snippets.

When those are done, it'll be back to working the contest OP.
Then my last action item will be burning music and video disks
for the Iron Chef packs. (6 - 8 of these.)

I have two possible ideas for the 'secret ingredient...'

And last, on the OUTSIDE CHANCE that I have enough time ...
there could be a re-run of one of the "Sounds Easy but Actually HARDEST"
QUIZ EVENTS ever held at Kumoricon... (anyone remember it?)

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #22 on:** August 15, 2009, 05:31:43 pm »

About half-way through making the review clips.
Printed and ordered the AMV admission ticket / ballots.

This time rather than putting ballots on chairs as set-up, your admission ticket IS your ballot.

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #23 on:** August 17, 2009, 01:15:28 am »

Got 6 out of 7 review clips done.

Zzzzz! (thud.)

somanyturtles · « **Reply #24 on:** August 17, 2009, 10:47:38 pm »

Will you be doing perfered seating for people who entered an AMV to the contest?

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #25 on:** August 18, 2009, 06:27:48 am »

YES.

Tickets will be available at the Info Desk for regular admission,
I HATE LINES. (This is *not* AX.)
So I will be telling security to let people in as soon as possible anyways.

I also printed around 150 in a BRIGHT color for 'VIP Seating' and we will block out a rectangle of front and center sets for AMV editors, convention GoHs and their friends.

I will hand over about half of the VIP tickets to Programming at the next con staff meeting, but also have a bunch with me. Editors can pick these up at the Iron Chef check-in (Saturday Morning.)

I am also thinking of doing a Friday night Hang-out with Munchies meeting like we did last year. For those who showed up it was fun to get a chance to meet other editors, talk about our next projects. ( Mine: A game trailer - Blazing Angels to Strike Witches.)

I will let people know in THIS THREAD and a few other places on the forum where and when the pre-convention AMV Editors Hang Out will be.

somanyturtles · « **Reply #26 on:** August 18, 2009, 02:22:10 pm »

Sweetness.

Mitsukai Mizu Amaya · « **Reply #27 on:** August 18, 2009, 04:12:37 pm »

Last year I loved the premeet... though I was the only underage person who showed up and my mom insisted on coming. XD Hopefully I'll be by myself this year. ^^

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #28 on:** August 22, 2009, 05:16:34 am »

SO:

Category intros and review clips done.
Ballots should be ready at the printer ~~tomorrow~~ later in the morning.
Pre-Show is 1/2 hr,
5 min announcement + Contest OP
Show is 1 3/4 hr with all the intro & review clips included.
5 min to collect ballots
65 min AMV Show.

LOTS of trailers in the show, including a few spoofy parody works.

NOW I go to bed.

Then back to work on the contest OP.

See you at the meeting TODAY.

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #29 on:** August 30, 2009, 10:20:54 pm »

YEeeaaahhh !

Uncompressed output is COMPLETE.
Now compressing and checking timings.

A couple of strange glitches but I' pound on it again tomorrow night.

Then time to collect and burn the Iron Chef battle packs ...

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #30 on:** September 19, 2009, 12:56:27 pm »

OK, so my sweetie finds our there's a charity raffle at her work.
AND SHE WON - a 42" 720p monitor. And she sez I get to uze it
to make AMVs!

MichaelEvans · « **Reply #31 on:** September 19, 2009, 02:38:23 pm »

Awesome; works great for showing off anime too.

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #32 on:** September 21, 2009, 12:23:59 pm »

Almost finished my Blazing Angels / Strike Witches Trailer!

murder_of_raven · « **Reply #33 on:** September 23, 2009, 10:27:29 am »

Hey there, the 2009 Contest hasn't been added to animemusicvideos.org yet and I was sort of hoping to add the tag to my video... I would set it up myself but it looks like if I do it'll consider me the "administrator" which of course I am not.

And yay! You should make sure to link us when its finished, or at least play it at next year's convention.

superjaz · « **Reply #34 on:** September 23, 2009, 11:22:20 am »

wow nice

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #35 on:** September 23, 2009, 01:28:32 pm »

Quote from: murder_of_raven on September 23, 2009, 10:27:29 am

Hey there, the 2009 Contest hasn't been added to animemusicvideos.org yet ...

Actually, I created the following thread & posted the results within a day of the completion of the contest:
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=96330

( Grr... had to PAY to RENT a stupid hotel console, with its USB ports DISABLED so I had to type it all in BY HAND at $0.49/min... )

soundninja12 · « **Reply #36 on:** September 23, 2009, 04:45:44 pm »

Woot!

Quote from: Prinz Eugen on September 23, 2009, 01:28:32 pm

( Grr... had to PAY to RENT a stupid hotel console, with its USB ports DISABLED so I had to type it all in BY HAND at $0.49/min... )

That must have been irritating...

murder_of_raven · « **Reply #37 on:** September 23, 2009, 05:39:34 pm »

Quote from: Prinz Eugen on September 23, 2009, 01:28:32 pm

Actually, I created the following thread & posted the results within a day of the completion of the contest:
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=96330

Erm, yes I saw but it still hasn't been added to the database (here: http://www.animemusicvideos.org/help/calendar/), allowing the contest to appear in the AMV descriptions themselves. If you don't want to have to deal with it may I have permission to register us?

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #38 on:** September 23, 2009, 08:42:42 pm »

Quote from: murder_of_raven on September 23, 2009, 05:39:34 pm

Erm, yes I saw but it still hasn't been added to the database (here: http://www.animemusicvideos.org/help/calendar/)

Now THAT's curious - I did all that in mid-January or so... Database must have had a hiccup...

Please feel free to register your AMVs and I will confirm them!

Gomen nasai, ne! ^.^

murder_of_raven · « **Reply #39 on:** September 24, 2009, 03:43:05 pm »

Quote from: Prinz Eugen on September 23, 2009, 08:42:42 pm

Now THAT's curious - I did all that in mid-January or so... Database must have had a hiccup...

Please feel free to register your AMVs and I will confirm them!

Huh, additional weirdness: Kumoricon is the only contest on the "Step 5: Contests/Conventions" that does not have a application check box. :\

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #40 on:** September 24, 2009, 09:44:45 pm »

Quote from: murder_of_raven

Huh, additional weirdness...

OK that's it, I give up ...

Could you consider writing (or PM) to Phade on the www.animemusicvideo.org forum boards and see if his database gurus can figure out what's going on?

Update: I wrote to admin@animemusicvideos.org and described the situation.

2nd Update: Their site admin wrote me back & said they fixed the situation.
Go ahead and try again.

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #41 on:** October 06, 2009, 12:14:46 am »

Quote from: murder_of_raven

And yay! You should make sure to link us when its finished, or at least play it at next year's convention.

Enjoy:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z0JEKOW0

Just a bit of SILLINESS!

And I am thinking of using the Kumoricon / Ubisoft cover as the prelude to the 2010 contest OP...

murder_of_raven · « **Reply #42 on:** October 06, 2009, 05:01:13 pm »

Quote from: Prinz Eugen on October 06, 2009, 12:14:46 am

Just a bit of SILLINESS!

Yay again! I submitted for approval my video and I watched yours. I'm not sure if it was my computer (I think it was) but occasionally the lip-syncing was a little off. Otherwise I loved the idea and all the titles and bumpers were just priceless. (Am I right to assume that the X for "Not real anime" stopping on Transformers was a deliberate jab at TCL? XD)

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #43 on:** October 07, 2009, 11:17:38 am »

Quote from: murder_of_raven

... a deliberate jab at TCL? XD)

Mahahaha - Never any 'deliberate jabs' at specific people here!
BUT let's just say we all have our OPINIONS about anime, and get to have fun with it now and again... !
I had originally started with a 5th character to 'X' on: Samurai Jack. But he looked like a white blob and he went away too fast. I also added SFX there because the original trailer was silent, and it felt kinda dead.

PS: I cannot find the 'confirm' zone on www.a-m-v.org for the 2009 Contest, and I cannot see your video (or anyone else's who wants participation confirmed. The database is still messed up, and I cannot do anything more about it. Regrets...

murder_of_raven · « **Reply #44 on:** October 20, 2009, 01:22:01 pm »

...any news on the 2010 contest rules?

AllyKat · « **Reply #45 on:** October 20, 2009, 01:54:27 pm »

Hey guys... I don't know if this is a good place to ask questions to you amazing
AMV artists but I am trying to figure out a good starter program for someone
who has a lot of great ideas for AMV's.. but also wants the tools to do some of
the perfectionist stuff? Is there a good semi-easy to train on movie-editor out
there that you prefer? I don't think I am really willing to pay 600 bucks for a
software I'll only use for AMV's but... is there something economical I could buy
that might be more my speed?

~Allykat

murder_of_raven · « **Reply #46 on:** October 20, 2009, 02:37:44 pm »

Quote from: AllyKat on October 20, 2009, 01:54:27 pm

Hey guys... I don't know if this is a good place to ask questions to you amazing
AMV artists but I am trying to figure out a good starter program for someone
who has a lot of great ideas for AMV's.. but also wants the tools to do some of
the perfectionist stuff? Is there a good semi-easy to train on movie-editor out
there that you prefer? I don't think I am really willing to pay 600 bucks for a
software I'll only use for AMV's but... is there something economical I could buy
that might be more my speed?

Video editing software is notoriously expensive and hard to learn how to use (as a side note it literally requires an at least mid-line computer, if you don't have one save up until you can buy one). I would say 99% of "not-really-bad" AMVs are made with either Sony Vegas or some version of Adobe Premiere. I personally have only ever used Premiere but when I hear them compared the consensus seems to be that Vegas is a little easier to use but you can do a lot more with Premiere. I would recommend looking around on the animemusicvideo.org boards and deciding which sounds best for you. I would also recommend /against/ investing in a "training program" as the skills you learn in any video editor seem to only carry over into other versions of the same program (even then there is surprisingly little carry over between things like Premiere CS3 and CS4) and it would be extremely frustrating to later have to relearn the basics. As for the actual obtaining of the program, I totally know your difficulties. Most people, including myself, who do not have the money to buy a copy themselves instead find a someone they can borrow a copy from or a method of otherwise acquiring it for free. Touching on the second of those options, that isn't just a euphemism for "pirate", I know that many colleges offer some sort of "video editing" class available as an elective, which either comes with a program as part of the cost of the class, or offer it at the very reduced college price. Although that is of course mostly applicable to college students, I imagine it might actually be cost-effective for some young adults as well, as you could theoretically just take that class at a community college.

I hope that was helpful, if you have more questions feel free to ask them here or PM me directly; I know from first-hand experience how difficult it can be to break into the AMV crowd but I seem to be doing reasonably well for myself. "Somanyturtles" also is in a similar position and, based on the little I've interacted with him, seems to be a really cool guy, you might want to try PMing him as well. Best of luck!

thundercatlord · « **Reply #47 on:** October 30, 2009, 02:10:33 am »

Quote from: Prinz Eugen on October 07, 2009, 11:17:38 am

Quote from: murder_of_raven
... a deliberate jab at TCL? XD)
Mahahaha - Never any 'deliberate jabs' at specific people here!
BUT let's just say we all have our OPINIONS about anime, and get to have fun with it now and again... !
I had originally started with a 5th character to 'X' on: Samurai Jack. But he looked like a white blob and he went away too fast. I also added SFX there because the original trailer was silent, and it felt kinda dead.

Ha....Ha.... that was sooo a jab at me. *glares at Guy and shakes fist*

I really liked the vid though

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #48 on:** November 08, 2009, 12:47:02 pm »

Quote from: thundercatlord

Ha....Ha.... that was sooo a jab at me. *glares at Guy and shakes fist*

Actually I was teasing overblown Transformer-mania in general...

Prinz Eugen · « **Reply #49 on:** November 29, 2009, 02:02:51 pm »

I ran AMVs for Orycon - 9:30pm ~ 5:40am.

.yyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaahhhhhhhhhhh.........!

News:

Author Topic: AMV CHATTERBOX! (i.e, Say /almost/ anything we want to about AMVs & stuff!!!) (Read 45996 times)