AMV's Degrading?

[rx78 0]

Based on watching the past 7 or 8 AMV contest I found that within the past couple of years AMV's are becoming less interesting and creative. I remember sitting at last years screening and thinking that some creators had to of used almost entire scenes rather then cutting to create parallels in story. You can add all the special effects and filters you want but does it make the AMV good? I just wanted to compare videos from 5 years ago to the ones being shown today. I feel like more people are getting their hands on software thats easier to use and return you get less quality work.

I am simply making an observation in which hopefully someone might agree.

Doki Doki Productions still impresses me.

[syntaxerror37 0]

I would have to agree with you at least a little bit.

I think the increased ease of use for editing software combined with the fact anime easily imported to a computer has lowered the entry bar for making an AMV. But I wonder if part of the reason we're not as impressed as we used to be by AMVs is because we're too jaded Perhaps we've grown a little do overstimulated over the years and what is really a good AMV doesn't hit us like it used too.

Last year I remember the biggest disappointment to me was the Action category. That was the part I used to sit through Romance and Drama for. I say

[vegeta70 0]

Based on watching the past 7 or 8 AMV contest I found that within the past couple of years AMV's are becoming less interesting and creative. I remember sitting at last years screening and thinking that some creators had to of used almost entire scenes rather then cutting to create parallels in story. You can add all the special effects and filters you want but does it make the AMV good? I just wanted to compare videos from 5 years ago to the ones being shown today. I feel like more people are getting their hands on software thats easier to use and return you get less quality work.

I am simply making an observation in which hopefully someone might agree.

Doki Doki Productions still impresses me.

Well, I just know that in the past we have had some truly inspired AMVs in competition. Granted, I didn't attend the AMV screening for at least one year, being an overworked staffer. But last year I made the time to go, and I was like, huh? Wait a minute, where are all the good AMVs? Last year's crop was decidedly lackluster, so much so that I couldn't vote for any of them. I sincerely hope that things improve this year.

[Neardawg 7]

I don't feel that there's less good videos as much as there is more bad videos. Nowadays anybody with Windows Movie Maker and an internet connection to download low quality video makes an AMV. The good editors are still around and using the technology available to improve the quality of the final product. Doki Doki is a great example, I loved There Is Life Outside Your Apartment from 2006.

[Champagon 0]

i don't watch many AMV's but i tend to stick with the fast paced ones and YES i have noticed entire scenes being used along with music. I don't know if its laziness or creativeness maybe they are trying something new?

[toujourspret 0]

I agree that there are several million more crappy videos out than there used to be, making the best of the best harder to find, but we can't always expect every one to be the next "Tainted Doughnuts", can we? And I agree--Doki Doki is [usually!] reason enough to go if they're on the lineup!

[dokidoki 0]

Doki Doki Productions still impresses me.

[v2buster 0]

Although I think some of it is due to the rise of other internet video sites (and it's more difficult to track AMVs uploaded there), it indicates a drop in interest, at least on A-M-V.org itself.

[ZenSSStarry 0]

Although I think some of it is due to the rise of other internet video sites (and it's more difficult to track AMVs uploaded there), it indicates a drop in interest, at least on A-M-V.org itself.

Youtube is free while AMV.org(the last time I checked) wanted you to register and bugged you for donations. I wonder which site people would rather go to (Not to say that AMV.org doesn't have a fantastic community, but come on).

[Cyanna 5]

I don't watch a lot of AMVs but if I'm looking for something in particular, I'd still go to the Org. It has a better search feature and YouTube makes everything look like a bad WMM export.

In a way...YouTube may actually be part of the quality problem. I can't say "OMG AMVs these days suck!" because I HAVE seen good ones come out every year. But I do have to agree there seem to be a lot more bad ones. I think maybe AMVs have taken a turn towards instant gratification. Here's my footage. Here's my audio. Here are my effects. Give me a few hours and BAM! Here's my AMV! Wanna see it? It can be on YouTube in 5 minutes.

I think the creativity is still out there. I also think there has been an influx of "young" editors coming onto the scene that really are trying to get better...but it's a learning process. There are even "bad" AMVs that I would say were creative in their own right because I can remember them for what they tried to show and not because they were "bad". Really what made it "bad" was that it was underdeveloped or not cleaned up or maybe had some flow issues. But all that improves with practice.

People are going to edit what they want to edit and submit what they want to submit. There's no huge conspiracy going on where the editors decide to be great one year and suck the next.

[rx78 0]

I remember an AMV about 4 years ago that used Top Gun footage and Macross Plus footage. This video was one of few that i can remember that kind of redefined the genre. This type of editing has been done before but not in such a clever way; with popular video sources. I just wonder why more people weren't influenced by it. But then again who knows how many people it reached besides Otakon attendees.

In the case of Doki Doki you know what to expect, kind of like watching your favorite episode of Looney Tunes

I agree with you Cyanna in that with we should expect to see a higher standard soon, in theory. Doki Doki even said that there has been less videos made which can mean that it has become simply an fad of fandom (to create).

Edited July 18, 2008 by rx78

[Skyebox 0]

In a way...YouTube may actually be part of the quality problem. I can't say "OMG AMVs these days suck!" because I HAVE seen good ones come out every year. But I do have to agree there seem to be a lot more bad ones. I think maybe AMVs have taken a turn towards instant gratification. Here's my footage. Here's my audio. Here are my effects. Give me a few hours and BAM! Here's my AMV! Wanna see it? It can be on YouTube in 5 minutes.

I think the creativity is still out there. I also think there has been an influx of "young" editors coming onto the scene that really are trying to get better...but it's a learning process. There are even "bad" AMVs that I would say were creative in their own right because I can remember them for what they tried to show and not because they were "bad". Really what made it "bad" was that it was underdeveloped or not cleaned up or maybe had some flow issues. But all that improves with practice.

Continuing this thought, I think a lot of it has to do with *why* people want to make AMVs. Hackercz touched on this in a previous thread - I think that some new editors decide that it sounds fun and cool to make an AMV. So they make one. But making something that people remember for years to come takes a LOT of time, effort, and creativity, and it can be an EXTREMELY frustrating process. If you make AMVs just for the sake of making them, you're not going to last long.

The AMVs I personally enjoy the most are the ones that have a story to tell - and regardless of how "good" it was overall, you felt like the creator was really trying to say something. And you don't need a lot of flashy effects to do that.

[Otakumadness 0]

I agree with most to the majority of stuff being said, such as with Youtube I'll search an amv and 9 out of 10 times I'll find one that blow monkey goobers and wonder why this person even attempted to make it. Then there are the ones where you can see the creators/directors/editors growth in making thier videos and it just keeps getting better and better.

I haven't checked out the A-M-V.org site, in fact I had never heard of it till now but I'll check it out. As far as amv content I also like the ones that try to tell story that maybe the director/editor/creator wanted to tell you. But then again you always need some amv hell just to spice it up.

When it comes to making amv's yeah you gptta love it ya just can't be "I wanna make one" and <rasberries> there it is. Ya actually gotta put some thought process into it.

[AVY 0]

I agree with the earlier poster who said that it's not so much a decline in good amvs as it is an increase in lower quality ones. I always go to AMV.org if I want to look for amvs, never youtube. I feel youtube just isn't a good choice for amvs which rely so heavily on sound and videos on youtube tend to have a slight sound delay that can really throw off timing.

I still go to the AMV contest and there's generally always at least a few amvs in it that I really enjoy.

[.Schala. 0]

Well, anime has increased in popularity over the years, so it would make sense that many more people are making AMV's as well. Not everyone is going to start out awesome. I've only made 2 so far, and I didn't make it to the finals both times I submitted mine (including this year). But I had fun making them and I feel satisfied with the finished work, so that's what matters in the end. I make my AMV's for myself really, not to please the audience. I put my own personal emotions and feeling into it, so maybe that has something to do with it? *shrug*

Not all AMV's are made to be "contest worthy" material anyway. Some are just made for fun or the creator is just goofing around or trying things out. Of course, with sites like Youtube, it provides easier access to these videos.

[Champagon 0]

Well, anime has increased in popularity over the years, so it would make sense that many more people are making AMV's as well. Not everyone is going to start out awesome. I've only made 2 so far, and I didn't make it to the finals both times I submitted mine (including this year). But I had fun making them and I feel satisfied with the finished work, so that's what matters in the end. I make my AMV's for myself really, not to please the audience. I put my own personal emotions and feeling into it, so maybe that has something to do with it? *shrug*

Not all AMV's are made to be "contest worthy" material anyway. Some are just made for fun or the creator is just goofing around or trying things out. Of course, with sites like Youtube, it provides easier access to these videos.

[rx78 0]

I agree with the last post but you have to remember I am talking about contest worthy AMVs that are being shown in the actual contest. I think the overflow room is perferct for the purpose of what Schala is talking about.

[behindirisheyes 0]

yeah i definitly have to agree with the stance of the growing number of crappy ones but more so i have to comment on, at the risk of sounding like an elitist which im definitly not trying to sound like, the fact that everyone with windows movie maker is making and amv for Naruto or inuyasha or some of the other more mainstream anime now dont get me wrong i enjoy me some naruto and inuyasha but theres only so much of the same thing you can take

[Champagon 0]

yeah i definitly have to agree with the stance of the growing number of crappy ones but more so i have to comment on, at the risk of sounding like an elitist which im definitly not trying to sound like, the fact that everyone with windows movie maker is making and amv for Naruto or inuyasha or some of the other more mainstream anime now dont get me wrong i enjoy me some naruto and inuyasha but theres only so much of the same thing you can take

[behindirisheyes 0]

understandably i actually made my first AMV on window movie maker but i also bought a copy of adobe premier for school but im not downing the people who use windows movie maker the core of that was supposed to be about how the net is flooded with mainstream anime stuff and liek i said im a fan of alot of mainstream anime i just like varity

[wurpess 0]

Yeah, I made my first *counts* 4 vids on WMM. (An FMA vid, a Hello Kitty vid, an InuYasha vid, and an FMP vid) Its good for learning, but unfortunately, you get too many people thinking that's the only way to make vids. . .or just not into it enough to look further. (That whole instant gratification thing.)

Kinda wondering what this years contest will be like if my crappy-ass vid made it. :S (Of course, then again, there's some people I would consider "masters" who DIDN'T make it, plus there's DokiDoki *^ _ ^*, so who knows. >.>)

[Champagon 0]

well ya repatative vids get well....repatative but "mainstream" anime is the initial spark that starts the flame of the love of anime for Otaku. Ya we all get tired of mainstream anime and mainstream anime AMV's but everyones gotta start somewhere. ya know??

[behindirisheyes 0]

i dont know maybe i just started befor the days of "mainstream" anime the first i saw was ghost in the shell then vampire hunter D the first one so i guess i was kinda before the whole mainstream days

[.Schala. 0]

i dont know maybe i just started befor the days of "mainstream" anime the first i saw was ghost in the shell then vampire hunter D the first one so i guess i was kinda before the whole mainstream days

[IDTDNDND45 0]

I agree with the OP's statement. I really don't like AMVs all that much anymore. Even when there were AMV 4-6 years ago, they would either sync with the music or portray something creative and unique, not just a Naruto fight to Linkin Park music. I normally avoid AMVs now, but I do love MADs. The way they sync something totally random (like Lucky Star with Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei) or still like Kajetokun's videos (Over 9000 and Jumping onto White Base) take a bit more work and creativity in making them.

[Adv1sor 0]

Last year, this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPCGbT9fhIE made the cut.

This year, I worked hard on one that I thought could actually have a shot at winning, and it didn't even make the cut!

I'm looking forward to the AMV contest even more this year than last even though I'm not in it this year.

Maybe we'll see something worthy of atthecon.com 's ten greatest list?

Don't give up on AMVs until you see this year's show.