[UTF]

I've noticed a trend in the types of clips that have been appearing in the AMV Hell/Minis series. I thought I might explain what makes a good clip in my own opinion, as well as explain how the humor works in the various types of clips.


Types of Humor


1: Comparison

This is when you choose an audio clip and show the parallels between a similar anime situation, These don't often come off as funny, but just clever in the observations. However, most of the time, the joke is dependent on people at least having some knowledge of the anime being used. If most people have not seen the series, it won't be funny to them. Sometimes this can be salvaged if the visuals are at least funny on their own. In some cases, turning the idea into a full AMV would be more appropriate.

e.g. AMV Hell 3

Metropolis / Superman Theme


2: Contrast

When a audio clip is paired with a very dissimilar anime/visuals. The humor from this is directly proportional to how heavy the contrast is. An example would be a little girl lip syncing to death-metal music, or a song lyric that completely contrasts to what's being shown. This can be funny if done right. However, there is no real punchline, it's just a funny sight to see.

e.g. AMV Hell 3

Golden Boy / "Damn Computer" - Daria


3:Lip Sync

When an anime which isn't particularly related to the audio clip is lip synced to the audio clip. This type can be funny, but it's all dependent on audio clip. If the audio clip contains a joke, it's funny. If it's just a line from something with no particular joke within it, it's not funny.

e.g. AMV Minis 9

Various / Family Guy - Love Songs


I've noticed that types 1 and 3 seem to be the most prevalent in clips these days. I think more people should try for the type 2 clips because you don't often need prior knowledge of the series to find them funny.
This is all just my opinion, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, I just wish try to help things improve, and offer advice.

[abyssion1337]

I have to disagree with 2, that doesn't inherently create humor, actually in fairness I disagree that 1, inherently creates humor. Also your example for 2 fits just as much if not more for 1. I don't think you have any serious problems other than trying to oversimplify humor

[UTF]

I have to disagree with 2, that doesn't inherently create humor, actually in fairness I disagree that 1, inherently creates humor. Also your example for 2 fits just as much if not more for 1. I don't think you have any serious problems other than trying to oversimplify humor

Contrast in the sense that it was a man's voice coming out of a woman's mouth. It wouldn't have been nearly as funny if the audio clip was being said by a woman. Also, didn't say 2 was inherently funny, I said it could be funny if done right.

[Backmask]

I just wish people would stop making videos with Family Guy sound clips. Family Guy isn't even funny anymore.

[Leef]

"Family guy isnt even funny!" Eric Cartman

[Malev]

Watch out! Long post here:


Actually, UTF, the 3 types you've mentioned accounts for nearly every AMV Hell/Mini clips -- or rather, every AMV. To sound arty, each AMV is to juxtapose audio and visual to create something new, via drawing parallels and/or constrating the mediums. Very little is done non-sequiterly, or on a meta-/outside-the-box prospect, though I am not sure how well those would fare with the standard AMV crowd (the equivalent of a Ren? Magritte-esque AMV : "Ceci n'est pas anim?"; or say Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain", lest an example appears in an upcoming 0...).

Unfortunately, it's hard to elaborate deeply into humor theory since most is subjective -- a subject made more difficult in the realm of AMVs and further still distilled into Hell/Mini form. The best is to study via example or suggestion. cheztuffy made a strong critique on this in this post: http://amvhell.com/showpost.php?p=137523&postcount=1 in which he states that a funny song/dialogue does not inherently make a funny AMV.

An example of this (in my eyes) is Humnut's Kodomo no Jikan /Venture Brothers AMV in Mini 5. The original humorous context of the audio -- Dean Venture not wanting to kill "Hitler", a dog he befriended that may be a reincarnation of THE Adolf Hitler, for the good of everyone else -- is lost being lip synced to a little girl and just left at that. What made the line funny on Venture Brothers does not carry over to the AMV, wherein the joke itself is that... it's coming out of a girl's mouth? Saying "Hitler" is funny? In essence, the audio could have been set to most other anime and still have the same effect of the joke in the AMV's context. But if that certain anime was Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa.... NOW we have context for the audio clip. Now we have a parallel with the anime and the whiney voiceover.


On the subject of comparison AMVs:

Here's a hard fact, and UTF mentioned it: unless it's a super-poular anime/song, it's likely not everyone has seen the anime in question of your AMV nor the audio accompanying it. Most esoteric AMVs will fly over their heads, leaving them going "huh?" (see AMV Hell 2's MAPS / Maps clip).

This isn't to say to stick to the "safe" anime and audio, but know that the AMV has to at least stand on its own in terms of humor on some level. I personally didn't know who Kaku from One Piece was prior to AMV Hell 4, but the "Hip To Be Square" AMV works by working on the construct that he's cubic in shape. If all else, have a simple to understand punchline or element to the AMV, or a humorous visual. The School Days stabbing AMV from /0 would have disinterested audiences had it not had the guest appearance of Ceiling Cat. Never watched Moyashimon like me? No matter. Just watch Keizo Itsuki do AWESOME SCIENCE! set to Bill Nye: The Science Guy.

Personally, I did 2 AMVs for AMV Hell 5 that center around video game/VG-related music. In practice, I chose to have universal video game tropes and imagery to facillitate a link to those that might be unfamiliar with the audio, so they can more visibly understand without so much getting in the way of the "joke". (The easy punchline at the end of one doesn't hurt either.)


On the subject of contrast AMVs:

This one a tough subject to give tips on, since most of the best contrasts are highly specific in scope. It might deal with having the right anime with the right(wrong?) song and the right moment to work. One of the best and funniest examples happened in 1996 with Lorraine Savage's AMV "My Euthanasia", which had Spike Jones' "You Always Hurt the Ones You Love" set to crazy anime deaths, and it's one of the best one-minute AMVs ever.

Unfortunately, it's very hard to strike a gold vein of contrast intentionally. At best, it's important to know what not to do. Big Big Truck Productions' "Failed Attempts At Video Editing" does have an example of a weak concept of a contrast near the end of the video. An unsolid premise for clashing audio and video can lead to a tepid AMV. Luckily, a simple but effective one can work. The "Poetry in Motion" AMV from Hell 4 is an example of a simple absurd ideal: an old lady attempting to act sexy and graceful, set with a song about serene gracefulness and beauty.


On the subject of lip-sync AMVs:

See above about Hitler. Sadly, the simple act of having an anime character's lips sync up with speech -- a trick so difficult to pull off in the days of 2 VCRs and a CD Player/Cassette that the mere sight of it was wonderous on it's own -- has now grown trite and easy that it's lost many an appeal. And this isn't just for Hell/Minis, but AMVs in general. Want a good example of a lip-sync AMV making a good joke? See the Gumby/Cowboy Bebop clip from AMV Hell 3. Here's a pun created from widely different types of shows that is original from the source materials.


Other tidbits:


-BE ORIGINAL!! The hatred of the Family Guy AMVs isn't so much that you're using Family Guy, but more that you're parroting/regurgitating the same joke that has been made. Likewise, creating an AMV sorely on an internet meme only stands to stale the meme. (example: one of the rejected AMVs for Hell 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN10Mw40kIo) Also, it may not be wise to tackle a similarly done AMV for Hell/Mini unless you can do a totally different spin on it. See the 2 different Azumanga "Penguin-tipping-over-bucket" AMVs and the different "What is Love?" AMVs as good examples compared to having 2 similar "Maneater" AMVs and "FALCON PUNCH" AMVs. I myself am guilty of this, as one of my rejected AMV Hell 5 AMVs was another "Kaworu being held by EVA-01 for too long" jokes from AMV Hell 2. The point is that many of the best humor and -- in turn-- best AMV Hell/Mini vids come from not expecting it. The instant we see an obvious joke coming, it isn't as funny.


-Know when your AMV is too long. This was touched upon on the AMV Hell 5 thread on AMV.org and is a constant critique, but keep with the old protip K.I.S.S. ("Keep It Simple, Stupid"). With the "Maneater" AMVs, the Hell 4 is only a few seconds long and is consice compared to the new longer Mini 10 one. Sometimes, all you need is 3 seconds, not 5, not 10, not 15. See the Eva/All the Small Things AMV and the Pokemon/Shoryuken AMV. A too-long AMV IMO? The Intersellar5555/Blue (Da Ba Dee) AMV. This is all about the melody of comedic timing, knowing when and how long the joke needs. It should not be stretched past the point or it'd grow thin. Remember, the 30 second mark is the LIMIT, not the standard. Don't ride it like you'd drive on the freeway, nearly matching it like I know some of you do.

Note that I say this with 6 AMVs submitted and approved for Hell 5 around the 30 second mark, so there's no need to point out the hypocrisy. I also understand I might not exactly be a star comedian what with making the "Chocolate Rain / Barefoot Gen" AMV from Hell /0.


I await the flames and the bricks thrown in my direction...

[UTF]

Watch out! Long post here:

WORDS

I await the flames and the bricks thrown in my direction...

I actually can't think of a single thing I disagree with. I think you hit the nail right on the head.

The opinion might be unpopular with some people, but I think these are all good rules of thumb.

[Generalvash]

Watch out! Long post here:


WORDS

I await the flames and the bricks thrown in my direction...

I'll have to agree, you've said all that needs to be said. By the way, how many accepted submissions do you have Malev? I've got about 5 for AMVH5 myself (and am really glad about it considering that this is the first time that I've participated in an AMV Hell project).

[Malev]

I'll have to agree, you've said all that needs to be said. By the way, how many accepted submissions do you have Malev? I've got about 5 for AMVH5 myself (and am really glad about it considering that this is the first time that I've participated in an AMV Hell project).

16, though some have been created a month after AMV Hell 4 in preparation, in a sense. Your call whether I followed any of my own advice, but then again, hindsight's 20/20...

Speaking of repeating AMVs, do we have a count of how many AMVs that use the Kaorin x Sakaki/Kimura-sensei Dancing Couples segment of Azumanga Daioh? It's one of the most used footage of AMV Hell if not THE most used (maybe beaten out by Elfen Lied's cop-'spoley scene). Even one of my Hell 5 submissions uses it.