AAC AMV Reviews
I'll post con review and an Extreme Iron Editor breakdown later, but here's my impressions of the AMV contest entries.
ACTION
1
I Feel Your Presence
Claymore
Flyleaf - All Around Me
Dragon/Roy
This video felt more like a drama video than an action, but with so few action entries, it works well in the category. The chorus was more like an action video, but the verses went back to the drama style. Except for the very ugly stock effect in the last bridge, the editing was quite nice (though I'm guessing there were a lot of spoilers).
2 Winner: Best Action
Memories of Hate - Power for Revenge
.hack//G.U. Trilogy
Celldweller - The Last Firstborn
TwilightChrono
This one was interesting, though I'm not sure of the video quality. It really looked like it came from a fansub. I thought the pacing was a bit odd, though; the first segment was very fast edits, but when the song picked up, the editing felt like it slowed down. The other quibble I had was the segment with the text. All of it was the same font/color scheme, except for the last one, which was white block Arial on black, which seemed really out of place.
3
Najica Royale
Najica Blitz Tactics
Chris Connell - You Know My Name
GloryQuestor
I've seen this one several times before, so I really don't have anything new to say about it. It's very nicely timed and edited.
DRAMA
4
58,500 Heartbeats
ef ~A Tale of Memories~
Johannes Brahma - Waltz in A Flat, Op. 39/15
LantisEscudo
My video, no comments.
5
Blue Eyes
AIR
Amanda Rogers - A World Less Blue
Scoob
The opening transitions sequence (the mask -> dissolve) was very interesting, and looked gorgeous. The scene choice looked like it was mostly taking the story arcs in order, but it worked quite nicely. The ending was quite nice, too. The only real problem I had with it was how overdriven the audio seemed, which hadn't been a problem with videos before this, but it may have been a tech issue with the room.
6 Winner: Best In Show
Brand New Day
Death Note
Neil Patrick Harris - Brand New Day
Corpsegoddess
This video was pretty good, except for the extreme amounts of lipsync, which got very, very distracting. I don't really like Death Note, though, so I didn't particularly like it. But the DN fangirls and fanboys were apparently out in force, since three DN videos won awards.
7 Winner: Best Drama
Glaube
Death Note
Imogen Heap - Headlock
Meph
Another DN video winner. This one took a little while to come together with its sync, the first segment in particular seemed to have lipsync and not much else. The rest of the video was okay, and had an interesting finish, but the lipsync felt oddly placed the whole way through the video.
8
Indemnification
The Third
CSI Soundtrack - Grissom's Overture
ngsilver
I saw this vid in AWA Pro, and very much liked it there. It's very well synced, especially the combat scene, and I love the way it finishes. Well done, all around.
9
Intangible Dream
Haibane Renmei
Terra Naomi - Say It's Possible
Katie
Another one I saw in AWA Pro. I liked it, though it felt like there were too many fades to black (something I'm frequently guilty of, too). The crossfades during the solo, though were very nice.
10
Lacrima
True Tears, Original 3D Animation
The Cranberries - Will You Remember
Brightlight88
And yet another AWA Pro vid. This song/series really didn't seem to fit together, for some reason, possibly because the lyrics are so specifically descriptive. The 3D scene was awesome, though, and I absolutely loved the dark ending.
COMEDY
11
Cockpit Love
Last Exile
Infant Sorrow - Inside of You
Tsunami Jones
I honestly thought this video was miscategorized and that it should have been in Romance, until dokool pointed the joke out. It's a little too subtle, especially if you haven't seen the series. I think I actually nominated this one for Best Romance when I saw it in AWA Pro. It's a very nice video from that perspective, though.
12 Winner: Best Comedy
Falcon Pan
Fist of the North Star (Seasons 1&2)
illaaaaaa - Falcon (star) pan
FallChild42
This is serious amounts of WTF, and FC's weirdness has reached new heights. It was very, very well synced and edited, though.
13
Fruits Basket on Springer
Fruits Basket
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Jerry Springer
RavenSohma
This video felt like a total ripoff on dokidoki's Senshi on Springer. The video quality was very low, and the "Jerry Springer" bug was very, very annoying. Overall, I really didn't like this one.
14
Hideki's Bad Day
Chobits
Sean Morey - It's Gonna Be a Bad Day
GloryQuestor
This one felt off for some reason. The lipsync may have been a tiny bit off, but I'm not sure. The laughter in the audio really didn't help, though. It did get a huge reaction for the "his name is Steve" line, though, and that really made the video.
15
Old People Rule
Various
Slender - When Grandpa Comes
jubjub2
This one was okay, but very weird. But the karaoke lyrics killed it for me, just for the audience pandering.
16
Takeout
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Aaron Copland - Rodeo
DriftRoot
I really liked this one a lot. It's hard to tell a funny story, and this video pulled it off quite nicely. The last scene got a huge laugh, too.
17
Whatevah
Risky Safety
Liam Lynch - United States of Whateverf
Corpsegoddess
There really wasn't much to this one, except some "lipsync is cruise control for comedy." Very, very meh.
ROMANCE
18
Love Rush
Various
Metro Station - True to Me
Scoob
I was wondering why this was listed as "Various" source through the first part, until it shifted into the AYA footage. The masks on this one were very, very well done, except for one of a pair of hand in the Chobits section, where there was a noticeable edge. Other than being a bit heavy on the slide transition, this was really a nice video.
19
Love's In Your Eyes
Eureka Seven
Jonas Brothers - When You look Me in the Eyes
Dragon/Roy
This was very, very pretty and a lovely video. Watching her slow deterioration was very sad, but made for a good video. This was my vote in the category.
20
Path To Power
Final Fantasy IX
Alanis Morissett - Wunderkind
Shiva
I really couldn't tell who this was supposed to be a romance between. There seemed to be a number of different relationships going on. I think Drama would have been a better fit for it. Otherwise, it was an okay video, though the video quality was kind of low. But being a PSX title, there isn't a lot the editor could have done to clean it up.
21
Photos and Phone Calls
Loveless
Blue October - Calling You
Katie
I'm going to say "meh, yaoi." Not a fan, personally. But still, the editing was very nice, and it's better than any of the other Loveless videos I've seen, and the use of the manga scenes was very well-placed.
22
Saving Me
Death Note
Nickelback - Saving Me
RavenSohma
This was more yaoi, and wasn't nearly as good. The gaussian edge all the way through the video was horribly annoying, and the godawful pair of ugly, misspelled subtitles made me cringe. Not a good video by almost any measure.
23 Winner: Best Romance
Sayonara
Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien
Michelle Branch - Goodbye to You
Melissa Pardis
This was a very, very nice video. Simple and clean, though the timing could have been a bit tighter. The choruses, though, were absolutely gorgeous. The jumping back and forth between timeframes took a bit of getting used to, but it seemed to work nicely.
FUN, UPBEAT, ETC.
24
JAADV
Azumanga Daioh
Peter Gabriel - Steam
Buma
The opening of this one made me think that it would be like a parody opening, but afterwards seemed a bit aimless, and started feeling too long about halfway through. There were a couple of very nice moments, though, especially the Sinner/Saint transition and the arrows chasing Kimura. This one also overdid the slide transition, which is making me wonder if it's becoming a new meme for AMVs.
25
Live at Budokan
Various
Def Leppard - Rock of Ages
LantisEscudo
My video, no comments.
26 Winner: Judge's Choice
Long Live the Fighters
Gurren Lagann
Dune (1984) - Trailer Audio
Heero_Yuy84
Parody trailers tend to be hit or miss, and I wasn't sure if this would be good or bad through the first part, but it worked more and more the farther in it got. Very well done, and got a big cheer.
27
Misa no Kakeme
Death Note
The Eye - Trailer Audio
Ukulele Cyborg Prod.
Another parody trailer, and also well done. The lip sync felt a little off, though. An excellent horror trailer, and had a very interesting ending. Well done.
28
Obamanation
Hidamari Sketch
Rammstein - Freur Frei
Kionon
This one got a huge audience reaction, and my only comment of substance about the video itself is "WTF?"
29 Winner: Best Fun, Upbeat, Etc.
This is Death Note Halloween
Death Note
Marilyn Manson - The is Halloween
RavenSohma
The song fits the source, but the editing really wasn't there to support the pairing. The scene selection didn't really keep up, and the video just dragged. Fanboys/Fangirls carried it to victory, though. Meh.
30
When Pigs Fly
Porco Rosso
Koji Kondo - Legend of Zelda: Orchestra Piece #2
ngsilver
I saw this as an Iron Chef video, and I think at Anime Boston as well. I really don't have anything new to say about it.
Massive props to dokool and Bashar for putting together an excellent contest.
And also props to dokool for being such a Malevolent Overlord during EIE. I am so badly going to crash tonight.
ACTION
1
I Feel Your Presence
Claymore
Flyleaf - All Around Me
Dragon/Roy
This video felt more like a drama video than an action, but with so few action entries, it works well in the category. The chorus was more like an action video, but the verses went back to the drama style. Except for the very ugly stock effect in the last bridge, the editing was quite nice (though I'm guessing there were a lot of spoilers).
2 Winner: Best Action
Memories of Hate - Power for Revenge
.hack//G.U. Trilogy
Celldweller - The Last Firstborn
TwilightChrono
This one was interesting, though I'm not sure of the video quality. It really looked like it came from a fansub. I thought the pacing was a bit odd, though; the first segment was very fast edits, but when the song picked up, the editing felt like it slowed down. The other quibble I had was the segment with the text. All of it was the same font/color scheme, except for the last one, which was white block Arial on black, which seemed really out of place.
3
Najica Royale
Najica Blitz Tactics
Chris Connell - You Know My Name
GloryQuestor
I've seen this one several times before, so I really don't have anything new to say about it. It's very nicely timed and edited.
DRAMA
4
58,500 Heartbeats
ef ~A Tale of Memories~
Johannes Brahma - Waltz in A Flat, Op. 39/15
LantisEscudo
My video, no comments.
5
Blue Eyes
AIR
Amanda Rogers - A World Less Blue
Scoob
The opening transitions sequence (the mask -> dissolve) was very interesting, and looked gorgeous. The scene choice looked like it was mostly taking the story arcs in order, but it worked quite nicely. The ending was quite nice, too. The only real problem I had with it was how overdriven the audio seemed, which hadn't been a problem with videos before this, but it may have been a tech issue with the room.
6 Winner: Best In Show
Brand New Day
Death Note
Neil Patrick Harris - Brand New Day
Corpsegoddess
This video was pretty good, except for the extreme amounts of lipsync, which got very, very distracting. I don't really like Death Note, though, so I didn't particularly like it. But the DN fangirls and fanboys were apparently out in force, since three DN videos won awards.
7 Winner: Best Drama
Glaube
Death Note
Imogen Heap - Headlock
Meph
Another DN video winner. This one took a little while to come together with its sync, the first segment in particular seemed to have lipsync and not much else. The rest of the video was okay, and had an interesting finish, but the lipsync felt oddly placed the whole way through the video.
8
Indemnification
The Third
CSI Soundtrack - Grissom's Overture
ngsilver
I saw this vid in AWA Pro, and very much liked it there. It's very well synced, especially the combat scene, and I love the way it finishes. Well done, all around.
9
Intangible Dream
Haibane Renmei
Terra Naomi - Say It's Possible
Katie
Another one I saw in AWA Pro. I liked it, though it felt like there were too many fades to black (something I'm frequently guilty of, too). The crossfades during the solo, though were very nice.
10
Lacrima
True Tears, Original 3D Animation
The Cranberries - Will You Remember
Brightlight88
And yet another AWA Pro vid. This song/series really didn't seem to fit together, for some reason, possibly because the lyrics are so specifically descriptive. The 3D scene was awesome, though, and I absolutely loved the dark ending.
COMEDY
11
Cockpit Love
Last Exile
Infant Sorrow - Inside of You
Tsunami Jones
I honestly thought this video was miscategorized and that it should have been in Romance, until dokool pointed the joke out. It's a little too subtle, especially if you haven't seen the series. I think I actually nominated this one for Best Romance when I saw it in AWA Pro. It's a very nice video from that perspective, though.
12 Winner: Best Comedy
Falcon Pan
Fist of the North Star (Seasons 1&2)
illaaaaaa - Falcon (star) pan
FallChild42
This is serious amounts of WTF, and FC's weirdness has reached new heights. It was very, very well synced and edited, though.
13
Fruits Basket on Springer
Fruits Basket
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Jerry Springer
RavenSohma
This video felt like a total ripoff on dokidoki's Senshi on Springer. The video quality was very low, and the "Jerry Springer" bug was very, very annoying. Overall, I really didn't like this one.
14
Hideki's Bad Day
Chobits
Sean Morey - It's Gonna Be a Bad Day
GloryQuestor
This one felt off for some reason. The lipsync may have been a tiny bit off, but I'm not sure. The laughter in the audio really didn't help, though. It did get a huge reaction for the "his name is Steve" line, though, and that really made the video.
15
Old People Rule
Various
Slender - When Grandpa Comes
jubjub2
This one was okay, but very weird. But the karaoke lyrics killed it for me, just for the audience pandering.
16
Takeout
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Aaron Copland - Rodeo
DriftRoot
I really liked this one a lot. It's hard to tell a funny story, and this video pulled it off quite nicely. The last scene got a huge laugh, too.
17
Whatevah
Risky Safety
Liam Lynch - United States of Whateverf
Corpsegoddess
There really wasn't much to this one, except some "lipsync is cruise control for comedy." Very, very meh.
ROMANCE
18
Love Rush
Various
Metro Station - True to Me
Scoob
I was wondering why this was listed as "Various" source through the first part, until it shifted into the AYA footage. The masks on this one were very, very well done, except for one of a pair of hand in the Chobits section, where there was a noticeable edge. Other than being a bit heavy on the slide transition, this was really a nice video.
19
Love's In Your Eyes
Eureka Seven
Jonas Brothers - When You look Me in the Eyes
Dragon/Roy
This was very, very pretty and a lovely video. Watching her slow deterioration was very sad, but made for a good video. This was my vote in the category.
20
Path To Power
Final Fantasy IX
Alanis Morissett - Wunderkind
Shiva
I really couldn't tell who this was supposed to be a romance between. There seemed to be a number of different relationships going on. I think Drama would have been a better fit for it. Otherwise, it was an okay video, though the video quality was kind of low. But being a PSX title, there isn't a lot the editor could have done to clean it up.
21
Photos and Phone Calls
Loveless
Blue October - Calling You
Katie
I'm going to say "meh, yaoi." Not a fan, personally. But still, the editing was very nice, and it's better than any of the other Loveless videos I've seen, and the use of the manga scenes was very well-placed.
22
Saving Me
Death Note
Nickelback - Saving Me
RavenSohma
This was more yaoi, and wasn't nearly as good. The gaussian edge all the way through the video was horribly annoying, and the godawful pair of ugly, misspelled subtitles made me cringe. Not a good video by almost any measure.
23 Winner: Best Romance
Sayonara
Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien
Michelle Branch - Goodbye to You
Melissa Pardis
This was a very, very nice video. Simple and clean, though the timing could have been a bit tighter. The choruses, though, were absolutely gorgeous. The jumping back and forth between timeframes took a bit of getting used to, but it seemed to work nicely.
FUN, UPBEAT, ETC.
24
JAADV
Azumanga Daioh
Peter Gabriel - Steam
Buma
The opening of this one made me think that it would be like a parody opening, but afterwards seemed a bit aimless, and started feeling too long about halfway through. There were a couple of very nice moments, though, especially the Sinner/Saint transition and the arrows chasing Kimura. This one also overdid the slide transition, which is making me wonder if it's becoming a new meme for AMVs.
25
Live at Budokan
Various
Def Leppard - Rock of Ages
LantisEscudo
My video, no comments.
26 Winner: Judge's Choice
Long Live the Fighters
Gurren Lagann
Dune (1984) - Trailer Audio
Heero_Yuy84
Parody trailers tend to be hit or miss, and I wasn't sure if this would be good or bad through the first part, but it worked more and more the farther in it got. Very well done, and got a big cheer.
27
Misa no Kakeme
Death Note
The Eye - Trailer Audio
Ukulele Cyborg Prod.
Another parody trailer, and also well done. The lip sync felt a little off, though. An excellent horror trailer, and had a very interesting ending. Well done.
28
Obamanation
Hidamari Sketch
Rammstein - Freur Frei
Kionon
This one got a huge audience reaction, and my only comment of substance about the video itself is "WTF?"
29 Winner: Best Fun, Upbeat, Etc.
This is Death Note Halloween
Death Note
Marilyn Manson - The is Halloween
RavenSohma
The song fits the source, but the editing really wasn't there to support the pairing. The scene selection didn't really keep up, and the video just dragged. Fanboys/Fangirls carried it to victory, though. Meh.
30
When Pigs Fly
Porco Rosso
Koji Kondo - Legend of Zelda: Orchestra Piece #2
ngsilver
I saw this as an Iron Chef video, and I think at Anime Boston as well. I really don't have anything new to say about it.
Massive props to dokool and Bashar for putting together an excellent contest.
And also props to dokool for being such a Malevolent Overlord during EIE. I am so badly going to crash tonight.