Lost Video Island

Hobbes · Council Member Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 11211

Come on! Tell us! Even if you haven't made a music video before. What do you like in a music video that really makes you say: "wow! that was amazing!"

Astarte · Joined: 03 Feb 2005 Posts: 64

If seen my share of videos as a judge on a BtVS/AtS-awardpage, so I am hard to impress, but the videos I keep coming back to have one thing in common, they tell a story in an unexpected way and surprise me. These are the videos, that made me warm and fuzzy, the ones that are plot driven, character driven and explore a new or underrated side to a ‘well-known’ character and add the question, how did the vidder do that to that equation and I think ahhmazing.

I can develop a soft spot for a video set to a song I love, but if it’s an amazing video, I don’t really care about the song. I still care about the aspect ration, but that my pet peeve, who I cherish and can’t get rid off it…

Cliodna · Advanced Vidder Joined: 03 Feb 2005 Posts: 197

I've discovered that some of my favorite videos are ones that have energetic music and clips that match. When someone can take a song that you might not expect and suddenly just make it work so well for the genre, it adds a little pizzaz that might not otherwise have been there.

And I'm also impressed when vidders find interesting ways to transition between clips. When someone relies heavily on fading, it can get tedious. But part of my love my stem from the fact that I just discovered Windows Movie Maker transitions!

LAURA4LAD · Expert Vidder Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 1561

Cli i think you'll either LOVE or HATE my new video that i've been working on forever and am only a minute into it LOL. It rocks

-laura

Hobbes · Council Member Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 11211

*drooling*

I know I will. A fast-paced one that Laura LIKES = awesome

ZoraJ1121 · Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 4

I actually don't like when vids use too many transitions. It distracts me from the video and I think it looks very amateurish. Look closely at what you see on TV-- they don't use a lot of fancy transitions between every shot. I think you need to have a reason for using a transition-- something else should cue the transition, not just because you want to put one in there.

Charmax · Advanced Vidder Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 227

I like transitions when they are done well. They can be a useful way of getting from a day shot to a night shot without it being a jolt to the eye. Long cross fades can build atmosphere in a slow song but some of the wacky WMM transitions can look comedic when used badly. Personally I can't remember the last time I used an iris transition.

Hobbes · Council Member Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 11211

never thought about those night to day shots.... I should work on those better...

Astarte · Joined: 03 Feb 2005 Posts: 64

I am very fond of the use of transitions in my videos to go from one scene to another, especially cross and additive dissolve, everything else really depends on the song. Sometimes a fancy transition can work really great to a certain beat or to dive really into another aspect you wanna show in your video, it gives the viewer a visual break. Also you can go crazy and are excused, if you wanna do a funny vid. But like Charmax said, sometimes it just looks ridiculous and less is more pleasing for the eye, to not disturb the flow of the images.

One thing I pay attention to is that the scenes fade into each other very smoothly, for example you have a shot of two people and fade into a face close up that appears in the space between these two people, works every time in my book. Currently I work on a vid almost without any transitions, a new thing for me, but the song is really great for fast cuts, so yeah, it really depends on the song in the end and the way the scenes fade into each other.

LOST_Fanatic · Novice Vidder Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 95

I actually like videos that go with the emotion of the song.

LAURA4LAD · Expert Vidder Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 1561

LOST_Fanatic wrote:

I actually like videos that go with the emotion of the song.

a given

phoenix39 · Novice Vidder Joined: 04 Mar 2005 Posts: 479

I'll use "Skaterboy" as an example. That was one of the best videos I've ever seen. The scenes changed on the beats.

When the lyric was, 'there is more than meets the eye,' Claire's eye opened.

'She turns on TV, guess who she sees. Skaterboy rocking up MTV,' and it shows DriveSHAFT.

'She calls up her friends...'
It shows Locke on the phone. I, personally, would have used a clip of Claire on the phoen with the psychic in RbA, but I liked how they used Locke as one of her friends.

That is the big I look for when watching a video. I'm not very good at it yet, cuz I just started making vids. Well, Rome wasn't built in a day.

The music HAS to be good! That's a given.

MoreLight · Advanced Vidder Joined: 19 Feb 2005 Posts: 439

I look for vids made to music I enjoy.

I give a lot of personal points to vids that "tell a story." Apart from the episode story that the clips were taken from.

I like being surprised by clip choices and by the fast paced vids that I know are a lot of work involving 10 or 20 clips but only last 10 seconds yet don't hit you over the head boasting about it.

The ones that make me say wow are the ones that are unique. Simple and clean - by Hobbes with the voiceover at the beginning made me say "wow!"

Hobbes · Council Member Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 11211

Quote:

Simple and clean - by Hobbes with the voiceover at the beginning made me say "wow!"

^^

SuperKC · Expert Vidder Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 3667

Quote:

way of getting from a day shot to a night shot without it being a jolt to the eye.

Yeah, I've found the only times I've been using transitions so far is to get from day to night shots or from something that's completely separate from the next part of the video. And then only fade-to-black. I'm so non-skilled when it comes to those yet.