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So anime music videos (the downloading and watching thereof) are one of my more favorite hobbies. The really good ones do a splendid job of pointing out cool things you hadn't noticed about the series, the bad ones are at least a chance to watch the art (which is, honestly, my more favorite part of anime). And they all take you out of narrative and into deeper, primary-process thinking (the level of subconsciousness, emotions and dreams), which is one of my more favorite places to spend time.
But I cannot help noticing that there seems to be an unwritten law that every series commonly vidded has at least one shot which must be in every single vid. Usually because they're really cool, powerful images. Which is fine, but after you've seen them in five thousand amvs, they start to lose something.
Such that I would pay money to see good videos which did not contain the following shots:
That very sakura-ful shot of Muraki raping Hisoka
Heero pushing the self-destruct button
Utena pulling a sword out of Anthy
Van (sp?) spiralling down out of the sky toward Hitomi on wings (omg, wings!)
the kid from FLCL's forehead exploding
Eva 01 punching at Gendo through the glass
Naruto "kissing" Sasuke (I love slash as much as the next rabid fanatic, but no they aren't, they tripped. Deal with it.)
Vash reflected in his own sunglasses
Tomoe's scarf slipping out of Kenshin's hand
Spike falling out the window (special dispensation for the vid to The World's Shortest Song)
Nina splattered against the wall (Ow. Also? Ew.)
Sephiroth! In! FLAMES!
Chihaya with HAIR! (oh, and also wings)
Hideki pulling Chi's skirt down (or, by the magic of sophisticated video-editing, up) as she lands on top of him
Belldandy appearing to protagonist boy in a wave of light
The Naked Credits Shot of Tamahome and Miaka
Gojyo collapsing in Hakkai's arms
Shuichi and Eiri-san falling gently toward the bed... (Huh. I was planning to make this a whole series of people falling gently to the bed, but now I can't think of any. That can't be the only really popular show with clearly implied sex scenes, can it?)
Totoro rising up into the sky on a spinning top (oh, who am I kidding, you can show me that one as often as you like and I'll still get all awed-sniffly)
But I cannot help noticing that there seems to be an unwritten law that every series commonly vidded has at least one shot which must be in every single vid. Usually because they're really cool, powerful images. Which is fine, but after you've seen them in five thousand amvs, they start to lose something.
Such that I would pay money to see good videos which did not contain the following shots:
That very sakura-ful shot of Muraki raping Hisoka
Heero pushing the self-destruct button
Utena pulling a sword out of Anthy
Van (sp?) spiralling down out of the sky toward Hitomi on wings (omg, wings!)
the kid from FLCL's forehead exploding
Eva 01 punching at Gendo through the glass
Naruto "kissing" Sasuke (I love slash as much as the next rabid fanatic, but no they aren't, they tripped. Deal with it.)
Vash reflected in his own sunglasses
Tomoe's scarf slipping out of Kenshin's hand
Spike falling out the window (special dispensation for the vid to The World's Shortest Song)
Nina splattered against the wall (Ow. Also? Ew.)
Sephiroth! In! FLAMES!
Chihaya with HAIR! (oh, and also wings)
Hideki pulling Chi's skirt down (or, by the magic of sophisticated video-editing, up) as she lands on top of him
Belldandy appearing to protagonist boy in a wave of light
The Naked Credits Shot of Tamahome and Miaka
Gojyo collapsing in Hakkai's arms
Shuichi and Eiri-san falling gently toward the bed... (Huh. I was planning to make this a whole series of people falling gently to the bed, but now I can't think of any. That can't be the only really popular show with clearly implied sex scenes, can it?)
Totoro rising up into the sky on a spinning top (oh, who am I kidding, you can show me that one as often as you like and I'll still get all awed-sniffly)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-25 03:27 pm (UTC)(Although, honestly, while I don't know most of the rest of these, that one isn't just a cool and powerful image, it's actively iconic and incredibly significant to the fundamental themes of the series, so I'm not sure how you could make a video about either Utena or Anthy that doesn't use it...)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-25 04:26 pm (UTC)that spent its entire time _talking around_ that particular cut would
actually be really interesting. You could do all sorts of things with clattering
swords, Anthy holding the sword, without actually getting to that moment ---
sort of building up to it in reverse. On the other hand, maybe you might
do better with talking around the concept of the duels themselves.
I also think more should be done in AMVs with sound --- integrating the
music and sounds of the original series in an evocative way --- which
would require the creator to be both DJ and VJ.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-25 05:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-25 06:44 pm (UTC)I personally think that resolving dramatic tension is overrated. I mean,
yes, you have to resolve some of it, but I think a short piece like that
where the audience already _knows_ the answer to the question you're
asking is better when it makes you go dig out your DVDs of the series
and skip around looking for the right image to sate yourself. In general
I think it's more worthwhile to leave people with a question than an
answer; saying that having an AMV where you don't show the pivotal scene
is perhaps a bit much but I think it's headed in the right direction.
"This attitude may explain why I am not widely read"
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-26 07:01 am (UTC)I am so VERY glad my girlfriend doesn't see things that way.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-25 03:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-25 04:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-26 01:19 pm (UTC)But I wonder what other song would work for that... "Time After Time" actually has too much context, and "Another One Bites the Dust" is wrong, and has been done...
But... worth thinking on.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-25 04:10 pm (UTC)Might I add: the rose falling on the puddle, from Cowboy Bebop
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-26 01:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-25 04:47 pm (UTC)b) "Heero pushing the self-destruct button." THAT'S ALL HEERO DOES. If you want to make an AMV with him in it, that's all you'll get that stick-in-the-mud supersoldier to do for you. Got a mission for him? It could be buying me some fucking Reese's Puffs from the store down the street, and he'd STILL manage to have to self-detonate in order to do it. Can't even buy some cereal for his fellow pilot without blowing up half the damn town. ~.~;;
Err...was I ranting?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-26 01:24 pm (UTC)b) Yes, yes, you were ranting. But that's why you're our favorite pilot.
(Heh. Reese's Puffs.)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-25 04:51 pm (UTC)Ye Great Glowing Purple Pentagram also sounds like it should be a euphemism for something.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-26 01:24 pm (UTC)I love teh AMVs buuut....
Date: 2006-08-25 08:32 pm (UTC)If you ever find such a video, make sure to post a link please?
Re: I love teh AMVs buuut....
Date: 2006-08-26 01:40 pm (UTC)(Also, I have no real excuse, but I just have to pimp StaceS' Positivity, (http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_videoinfo.php?v=82440) to Alanis Morissette's "One Hand In My Pocket." Which also doesn't have the rape scene, and does neat and original and uplifiting things with the footage, and has a couple of neat Tsusoka moments, though it focuses more on all the characters in general than on them).
Also, your icon is YAY.
Re: I love teh AMVs buuut....
Date: 2006-08-29 12:44 am (UTC)And yes, if there's one thing I enjoy, it's mocking Raito. Thus, that DN icon is probably my most favorite ever. :D