Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

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SQ
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by SQ » Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:27 pm

My comments/reviews, continued from the previous post.
Spoiler :
origin
Spoiler :
This vid is very strong and a great tribute to Rocket.

I would have liked to see more clarity in the timeline of events, though. It gets especially jumbled in the latter half where groot dies but then hugs rocket later, where they kill the mask guy (presumably by taking his mask off) at 1:38 - 1:42 but then gets killed again by Rocket later at 3:15.

Groot is a twig for most of the video, showing how groot dies later is a good call back, but I don't think there was enough setup of groot growing up again to clear him hugging rocket later. If you want to show Rocket's abuser getting his comeuppance, I'd like to see it saved for later and/or let Rocket have that moment instead of Gamorra.

There's some lyric sync in here that is clever but also made me squint. 0:34 "back in my bag" being one of the most notable that gives me pause as kind of off-putting in a serious vid. It may not stand out as much if there were some visual context, but it cuts away to totally unrelated things instead. Meanwhile, lyric sync like "understand" with touching rocket's head works out well.

I wouldn't change much about this vid if I had edited it. I might add in some more establishing shots to ground viewers in certain settings and only changed a few scenes or their order (as above). So definitely don't get detracted by my opinions here -- it's still a strong video as-is, and I wouldn't really call the things I pointed out "problems" that need to be "fixed" either, if that makes sense.
real ais realize real lies
Spoiler :
I really like this mixed media approach and I think you accomplished exactly what you are going for.
I love the added blinking in the MMV parts - this really adds motion and visual flair.
I dig the transition at 0:24 and a ton of thought was put into the strobing horror part. 👌♥️

I only have technical notes below.

0:24 the transition. In some of the bigger (I assume zoomed in) "stars" the edges are very jagged and sharp. Consider antialias, a very low blur, or a very small feather?

0:29 it feels like the last panel starts to come in too late.

0:31 the mask of the pregnant woman here is also similarly jagged; consider allowing more of the outline through (especially on the upper part of the outstretched arm), using a small outer glow of black with 0 distance, or one of the other suggestions given above for the stars.

0:42 the hair is also jagged here and the movement is easy to overlook, but I think with a little work could look better than it currently does. If you're using After Effects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiEjz_-8wfk

1:14 something looks up with the hand but could also just be the animation style of how they do the lineart.

1:34 not sure if the blonde's head has a stray frame or if that's how the source animated the shaking. Back of head does not move while front does, until he starts to look up

1:42 there might be too much feather on the hand here, but I will admit that with the animation style's use of line art, it's hard to tell. However, at 1:43 the last frames of the mask is not aligned correctly. (see attachment)

2:13 hands mask seems like it should be expanded a few pixels; also consider color correction so it matches more closely to the colors in the next scene.

2:17 It feels like either the people in front of the tv or the close up of the girl holding the rabbit is too late/early.

2:12 - 2:15, 2:17, 2:19 - 2:23 you can still see the tops of the hardcoded subtitles

I would've liked to see the tv turn off here at 2:58 to match that sound instead of where it currently does at 2:29
romance is dead
Spoiler :
Good romance with funny premise. Good storytelling and character growth for the 3 mains.

My only note is personal preference regarding direction of motion.
0:59 "Romeo" is close to "Juliet"'s face and looks away toward the 3rd guy. But the scene right after it is Romeo's head down looking up. Somewhat jarring but not enough to rework unless you wanted to.
run away
Spoiler :
Love the concept. It's nice to see such a unique vid on Edgerunners.

My main complaint is the transitions. Most of the transitions are jarring to me, and in my opinion a cut would've been fine there. About 2/3 through the vid there is a switch to this white flash-like transition, while the music does not seem to justify the change or the technique.

The blurs themselves could also be tightened. Some feel like they last for too long or come late, while other times they come early or are too short. In addition to tightening the sync of the blurs, consider also toning down the strength of the blur itself, and/or taking out the motion transition that (I think) is happening underneath.

1:33 - 1:42 Consider toning down the zooms to just 1 or 2% above original size. The current speed is very fast.
It's also odd to only zoom these and none of the other comparatively still scenes, so they stand out even more in context.

Other than that, I would have liked to see some kind of exterior space shuttle scene at 3:06 before seeing Lucy on the inside to help establish that time passed after David's death.

Regardless, this is a good vid, but would benefit from another editing pass to tighten the sync, in my opinion.
save to win
Spoiler :
Love the song cover and the smoke & fire transitions.
Also a big fan of the lens distortion getting progressively more distorted.

I would've liked to see more of the textures like at 0:14 and 0:23.

only 2 notes:
1:58's blue flame transition feels like the outer glow has too wide a spread in comparison to all the other transitions - but this is extremely nitpicky on my behalf lol.

The mask of the guy kicking at 1:15 also really stands out - though I can't place exactly why. Too blurred in the beginning? Not blurred enough later? Different color? idk. It's weird. This is not really a complaint though.
shenani-hams
Spoiler :
Cute/funny vid.
I would've liked to see more internal sync and less black flashes.

0:50 there is are some black frames and letterboxing for a few frames before it goes to the actual scene. Unintentional?
spring awakening
Spoiler :
I really like the sync in this, especially the liquid ripples (under chair, coffee), railroad lights, and lip sync. ♥️

0:09, 0:33 consider lessening the blur amount, and/or slowing down how fast it unblurs? The other blurs look great.
2:28 this unblurs quickly at the last second. Consider easing the keyframes?
2:07 The zoom veers to the left at that last moment. Consider repositioning the scene while zooming so the hands stay centered?
superman to no boken S01 OP clean
Spoiler :
Cute! Could be a real opening
takes two to twine
Spoiler :
I think this accomplished exactly what it set out to do. I also think this might be the best quality I've seen for Lain.

I am assuming you upscaled this. For the most part, it's an amazing job, but some scenes (most obvious being 2:33 - 2:35 and 2:49) need different settings. Consider doing these scenes separately and then cutting them back in.

I really like your sync in this overall, but I would've liked to see 0:07 - 0:11 go into the void faster, with more frequency, or at least with some more apparent visual cues. What is currently there feels like too little, in my opinion. I think even speeding up the powerlines a little earlier may help.

3:33 the mask is cool but it looks out of place since it's the only (obvious?) one in the video.
the bot episode of sports
Spoiler :
This vid does a great job of maintaining visual diversity of what I would have assumed to be a boring medium (sorry battle bots enjoyers).
You spend a minute on establishing the characters, location, and stakes, and the other 2 minutes on the battles, but you're careful to pick matches that have all different strategies and styles so none of the shots look too similar.
This turned a video I sincerely thought was going to be too long before I started into the video ending before I realized it'd been 3 minutes. 👌♥️

The only note I have is minor - I would've liked to see some more dynamism (zooms or something?) during the build up from 2:33 - 2:37. Though what is there now definitely isn't bad by any means.
the capacity to change
Spoiler :
There is a lot of potential here, but right now it's trapped behind some technical misfortunes.

I have to re-iterate 100% of what Zarxrax said. Commit to one size, and crop the rest. In addition, The princess Tutu footage squeezed into widescreen is the wrong aspect ratio, which squishes all the shots and make them noticeably awkward looking.

I think that currently there is too much motion, but if you commit to one aspect ratio, the constant wobble will probably be less noticeable and work out better. Currently, the wobble + black bars stress my eyes.
However, making the wobble less noticeable overall couldn't hurt; you have enough natural movement in your video that the wobble doesn't really add anything anyway.

It is very clear you knew what you wanted to do with this video, and you have great sync. I just wish it came in a slightly easier to view package.
the noise
Spoiler :
I think this is a great concept and boy do I relate.
The progression of the clips don't really make sense, though. You change sources in no apparent pattern or rhythm so it lacks flow.
The individual clips sync to the song, but changing of the clips doesn't seem to sync to anything in particular, and this is especially damaging when you change sources frequently.
the storyteller's burden
Spoiler :
It took two watches before I realized the grey haired person wasn't their teacher.
I'm not sure that's on the editor, because it appears the anime depicts the dead person as if they were there physically. Perhaps some translucency would've helped there (for the anime, not the amv).

The amv jumps between past and present so often, it was really difficult for me to keep the characters straight, and it only really started to come together on the 2nd or 3rd viewing. I take it one of the brothers/friends/partners died early and the other one is struggling with that? I do not understand how the daughter(?) works into it all, though. I thought she died as well but I assume that's a grown up version of her in the end of the vid.
There's so much blood during that scene that it seems extremely important (is it a murder?), but in the amv it just kind of... happens. Meanwhile the death scene of the rakuga is just him falling with his wife(?), So maybe it's suicide? I don't know.

The first 20 seconds is so stylistically different from the rest and I do not understand why. The sync is also quite loose here imo.
The rest of the vid's sync makes sense and flows well.
I would've liked to see some of the end product of what they were rehearsing, but since Rakugo is... what it is... maybe that would have slowed down the vid too much.

I wish I could see what others see in this. Unfortunately I just don't understand what's going on well enough.

That being said, there's some amazing lyric sync, so once I got a basis of what going on, the lyrics really helped a lot. So I think this is a great song choice.
this is freedom
Spoiler :
I would've liked to see tighter sync, and/or some kind of story/message. Why is this freedom? What is freeing about it?
this video is sponsored by jimmy johns
Spoiler :
I appreciate all the dedication that went into this. Unfortunately the humor just doesn't land for me.
My only actual note though is the scene at 0:16 with the close up of the person walking through the window. It's an awkward cutaway that cuts away too quickly.
time;moves;on
Spoiler :

I really like this vid!
Big fan of your mask transitions! So seamless I never would've noticed if I hadn't edited with a lot of the same scenes before.

2:15 - 2:19 works but it's not held to the same high standard as it seems like the rest of your vid is. Did you run out of time? I would have liked to see something other than fades/overlays here.

Other than that, all I got is 0:27 when Okabe closes his fist. That cut seems just a tad late.
tri sceal
Spoiler :
Very nice cartoon saloon homage
velvet visage
Spoiler :
This is one of my favorite vids this year. I really hope this is a sleeper hit during voting.
You made really good use of what seems like limited footage. A few scenes were reused but in creative ways so it's not obvious.

My only suggestion (if you want to play around with it) is the 0:48 - 0:58ish section. I think this section would benefit from less slowdown in the motion. Idk if the motion is innate or if you made it, but especially at 0:51, 0:56, and 0:58 where the zooms really slow down, the footage almost seems still due to the motion in context.
So I would attempt to smooth it out here so it doesn't slow down as much. I think that would fit the flow of the song in this particular section. But that is just my opinion and I love the vid as-is too.

Love all the sync you did
wake up nightmare
Spoiler :
I really like your scene selection and sync. This video is very pleasing to look at for me. It feels weird to put this vid in the "vibe" category but that's where I think it goes for me.

I just wish I knew what was going on, story-wise. 😅
walking with monsters
Spoiler :
2:10
Is this scene (of the person) here intentionally or left on accident? It's not colored like the rest and doesn't appear to sync to anything

3:01
What a great war vid about the confusion if you're doing the right thing or not. Perfect pairing and great storytelling imo.
I really like the overlays at 1:33 - 1:37 and 2:04 - 2:12.

More critical comments below:

0:36 - 0:38 overlay looks a bit weird - I think I can see what you were syncing to, but idk.
Especially the blending mode(?) in the beginning during them running. The sudden way it turns green is a tad offputting.
0:42 why the white flash/bloom?

2:10 I mentioned in a separate markup comment

0:55 - 1:02
I really like the first part of this with the twins(?) while Godzilla is rising. However, I think this would have performed better with a mask to help the twins stand out.
Meanwhile at 0:57 where Godzilla's head can be seen, I think the vid would have benefitted if we only concentrated on Godzilla and did not have the overlay of the mechs inside of him. Alternatively, if you want to focus on both mechs and Godzilla, 0:58 would be a good time to start fading out Godzilla so you are able to see the mechs. Even as another alternative, I do like the Godzilla head + mech head at 1:01, but after this I think Godzilla is really on screen for far too long as an overlay.
The blending mode also makes the magma in Godzilla extra bright which attracts my eye to his details, kind of drowning out any importance the video underneath had.

Overall, I like the idea of this segment, but I think it could be improved if reworked just a little bit.

Feel free to DM me (standardquip on Discord) if you want to talk more about overlays. 👍♥️


witch slayers
Spoiler :
This is good for what it is, lip sync is great aside for a few rare loose points, the most obvious being 0:42.
You did a great job adding all the peripheral effects to denote crowd activity; that really helps a lot in what would've been a pretty static vid otherwise.
I dig the witch hat lol (although the mask on that could also be improved).

Maybe dry humor just isn't for me, but personally I didn't find this vid that funny.

I would cut the audio, personally. I know Monty Python (and this skit in particular) is popular, but I highly doubt cutting out some lines would negatively impact this.
I personally started tuning out after 1 minute.

That being said, I really don't know what you could change, because the scenes you have now are perfect how they are.
This might be a video that caters directly to fans of both Monty Python and Demon Slayers. I am not one of those people, and that's okay!

Hope this vid finds the audience that appreciates it!
you will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve
Spoiler :
I would be interested in seeing a side by side comparison of this video and the unaltered footage, and what cuts or sync decisions were made (if any).

Are the first 5 seconds the rest of the vid just sped up super faster?

This vid reminds me of either microscopic organisms doing stuff or possibly some type fo commentary on consumerism?

There's also that experience where your ears are super clogged and/or you have tinnitus and you may or may not be having a mental breakdown due to being on the totally wrong types of medications for your mental health, so you crawl up into a ball and you close your eyes super tight and you try to just MAKE EVERYTHING STOP DOING THINGS and that whole experience is also very much like this video. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.
Thank you for reading and/or making cool videos!
StandardQuip
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by vivafruit » Tue Sep 26, 2023 9:49 am

I have had a hell of a time trying to finish a full review set, and tried and failed in both the last Rice and Accolades. But this time I finally did it! The secret was trying to turn off the "judging" part of my brain. I was having a miserable time trying to watch all 80+ videos with a nitpicking mindset, and finally decided I would just try to vibe and write down what I got out of each video. It was a demanding but wild ride and I hope to do it again. Hopefully these are fun to read.

Fireworks emojis 🎆 indicate personal favorites.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/124i ... zx9sIOBfc/

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Dext3r
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Re: Obligatory, annual AWA 2023 Accy reviews!

Post by Dext3r » Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:24 pm

Hey everyone! These are the reviews I put up on markup a while ago. I compiled them here like Vars did for easy viewing. When I was going through this review process sometimes I would sum up my thoughts after the fact and sometimes I would write it as stream of consciousness. In some cases videos would evoke a specific emotion from me and the statement I wrote was based on that.

In addition to the reviews I have also assigned every video a unique gif from Succession!. These vary from being based on the title, based on the material, based on the song lyrics or simply a reaffirmation of my thoughts on the video as a whole. If any of the gifs are unclear feel free to reach out to me and I can clarify the intent.

Overall I had a great time throughout the Accolades process this year and can't wait to see everyone at the convention!
Spoiler :
2KNB <3 <3 <3
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  • So this video is fucking hype. Literally nodding my head in beat the entire time and I usually find sports AMVs dreadful. Ending is a bit abrupt.
A boyfriend with good skills
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  • So I think this is supposed to be like an AMV trailer parody but…live action? Which is a strange choice because you can’t really lip-sync anything so it’s just a bunch of background chatter that, yes while you can line up scenes that match the trailer lines it ends up feeling really disconnected. Scenes like the bit at 0:51 feel like they have no attempt to match the song, there should be more cuts throughout this.
A Heroes Tough Journey
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  • Should be Hero’s. Lip flap is a bit shoddy here - I can tell there’s some attempts at lip synching here but it looks like luck - should have done the frame matching technique. Cuts don’t feel as impactful as they should - this feels like it should have more action where it’s just people’s faces or people walking. This feels like a drama video stuck with an action song. Cutting feels inconsequential - hard to see the throughline for this video. Speed up your edit a bit. Ending doesn’t match the tone of the rest of the video.
Affairs of the Heart
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  • Engaging storytelling here. I don’t have a lot of issues with the editing. Nudity feels a little unnecessary but this is compelling.
Albert Wesker vs Puggy Hawking
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  • Fun parody of a parody here. Lip synching isn’t perfect but matches pretty well. Backgrounds could be a little more varied behind the pug but at least it’s in keeping with the style of Pilk’s video. Costume isn’t exactly a dead ringer for Hawking but appreciate the effort. Titles are slick but could have been centered better. Cute pug.
All a Little Lost
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  • Lots of feels throughout this. I’m not blown away but I don’t have much to critique here. Good job.
Attack of the Minimaxers
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  • Mostly good lip synching throughout this. It’s not particularly funny but I appreciate the attempt. Still a fun watch.
Average Oppenheimer Enjoyer
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  • Slick style here. Not sure what’s happening at 1:28, feels like some slowdown or some other issue with that bit of building footage. Beyond that not sure if it’s the source or some tech but some interesting filters and/or color modifications throughout this. Great timing with the cuts you’ve definitely got the rhythm down.
BECAUSE WE CARE
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  • Appropriately retro sounding song for this source material. Feels like someone that grew up with this going down memory lane. Effects feel a little shaky, but add some variety to this. This goes on pretty long for what it is though - feels like it could be cut down a minute or two. Starts to feel like a lot of the same after a while.
Bleeding Colors
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  • Emotional. It’s been a long time since I played this game so it’s a little hard to follow the story but as a tale of loss in general it works. Audio levels need some work in this - way too quiet. Lip flap is pretty prevalent throughout this. This is also pretty long and takes a while to pickup - feels like the lead up to when the song gets intense could be cut down considerably. I’d also drop the title at the end.
Blonde Fragility
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  • Ok lol, good timing here with this pairing. Feels like a mild attempt at lip sync, but could really be refined. There’s also just random lip flap in other places. Feels like the story gets lost a bit in the middle for the fight. Ends kind of abrupt.
Bocchi the Rock! - Shooting Star
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  • Chill vibes with some interesting tech (assuming that’s not the source). I like it - doesn’t blow me away but I’d put this on for fun. Again not sure if it’s tech but I like the Yamcha moment.
Bonfire
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  • This is a nice video though I struggle to latch onto the overall story - obviously a character profile though it seems to be more about the overall vibe/themes in the song than something more specific. Could just be my lack of my familiarity with the source material, still good overall.
Cain and Abel
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  • Having not played FFVI, I struggle to latch onto the story here, though I gather it’s about two brothers…loss and the relationship between them. The song doesn’t help your case drifting in and out of English, so it becomes more of a vibes video at times (which isn’t bad necessarily). I will say as a GMV we’ve progressed to the point where it feels like an animated film rather than a game especially with the lack of aliasing in this source so you have that going for you.
Champion - Anime Mix
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  • Feels like an intermediate editor trying to prove themselves here, which works with the theme of a champion. You have some source discrepancies between the watermarks and the shifting aspect ratios, but I’m also struggling to see an overall theme here other than “cool action shots.” That can work up until a point but there’s a lack of heart in this that holds it back for me. Still, the quality of the actual editing isn’t bad, maybe just try to come up with something a little more cohesive next time.
Classic Actress <3 <3 <3
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  • This is a standout, one of the best in the contest I’ve seen so far. Great character profile and great storytelling as well. Love the vibe and easy to follow along with. Nothing to complain about so far. Great job!
Creative’s Block
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  • How much tech went into this??? Feels like a response to, or that it's in conversation with, a previous pro winner. Random lip flap detracts but everything else works.
Dance in Memoriam
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  • Curious if this editor is trying to process their grief or simply attempting to create a hopeful outlook on dark subject matters. Not personally my favorite video but it works and I’m sure there are others who would get a lot out of it.
Darkness
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  • The music in this game was so good. This ain’t it cuz.
Dead Reckoning <3 <3 <3
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  • Extremely captivating source material. Really had me in the first half - it lulls in the middle with an overuse of cross dissolves and then the direction the song takes didn’t quite work for me. I don’t think the extended fade to black at the end is necessary, would have been stronger to just cut straight to black.
Deathrattle
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  • Feels like the sublime acceptance of impending doom. I don’t wanna get old. Not all timing of these cuts works for me.
Diary of a Whiny Sith
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  • Random lip flap. Lyric match is good but given the song is already a parody of these films it’s a little lazy. For what it’s worth it does feel like this could be the official music video for this song.
Dinner is Swerved
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  • Good lyric sync here. Pacing of clips here doesn’t feel as fast as it could be for a long with this much momentum (it does at times but only in short bursts). Cute video, a little funny here and there though not laugh out loud funny for me.
Distressed <3 <3 <3
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  • I’m liking this vibe. Cool piano drop integrations. Sound mix has some bits that feel a bit warped but maybe this is intentional. Feels like a lot of tech here. Great candidate for artistic endeavor and vibes. Lacks focus but it may not need it because the flow is so great. Feels like it pulls what it needs to from each source to accomplish its goal. Really good.
DO YOU WANT TO FUCK A GOOSE OR NOT
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  • Expert lip sync here. Obviously a bunch of intermittent tech work as well. Unfortunately for me the video itself doesn’t really land as all that funny. But for anyone that it does, it’s well executed.
Facing the Canon <3 <3 <3
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  • Great action video with drama elements. Incredibly well matched source/audio sync here. Good climax build-up. Made me tear up. And I don’t even like this song!
Feral Little Creatures Laughing <3 <3 <3
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  • Holy shit the effects here. I like your style. This took a lot of time. This is fucking insane. I can’t take my eyes away from it. You’ve got my attention.
Fighting Myself
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  • Did you run out of time? I liked what was happening here but it obviously is unfinished. Do more.
Figure Skating Pun
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  • Cute romance video. Consolidate your aspect ratios. Not sure if the ice skating moments are tech but they were cool. Ends suddenly.
Final Boss: The Ballad of Buu
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  • The pacing of the song kills this video. It is appropriately metal for the source, but this is very linear. Almost feels like I’m just watching the show even though I know you’re cutting around. Pretty long for what it is. This would work better if it was shorter.
Fucking Vampires
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  • Not knowing the Twilight canon makes this a little difficult to follow but I can see this is a complicated love story with heartbreak and more blood than I personally expected. One of the stronger romance entries.
Guiding Light
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  • Nature. Death. Darkness approaches. The wolves are coming. The plague is approaching. The baby watches. The children grow. The graves are rising!!!! That child is a demon. We return to the earth now. Deer.
Heart and Soul
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  • Where did the color go? Boobs. Are we really doing this? That’s a chainsaw. Oh god it’s in his head. WHATT HAPPENED TO THE DOG???Is that a dinosaur?What kinda noodle was that? Oh no there goes his arm. SO MUCH BLOOD. She’s biting his finger. More boobs. The End.
Hero Hopes
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  • Lot of random lip flap. Unclear if attempting lip sync or not. This isn’t bad but wow is there a lot of lip flap. Cutting also feels like it should be quicker, too many long shots.
Hypotrochoids and Epitrochoids
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  • Is this just a bunch of people drawing circles?????
I am the Fire
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  • Is this boy a bird? Oh yup that’s a phoenix alright. Wow this would’ve been good for the opening video. Is that Bahamut? Fire go boom. Are they Saiyans? Am I the fire? Hey look gameplay!
I beat the boss
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  • You certainly did
In Memory
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  • I feel sad. Is she gonna shoot that girl? Oh look shoes! Did they just inject something in her head? This is a nightmare. What is that creature? Why are there so many holes? Aww she’s sad.
Just Move Your Robot
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  • Perfect lip sync. Perfectly executed. Perfect length.
K-186f
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  • GIANT FUCKING ROBOTSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOOK AT THEM GO!!!!!!!!!!!!HOLY SHIT IS THAT A GUNDAM?????????????? IT BLEW THEM ALL UP!!!!!!!!!
Laika
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  • I appreciate that if you’re going to use a Japanese song that you included subtitles. Momentum could be faster to match the pace of the song better. Some unnecessary lip flap that could be trimmed. Random cut to black when she’s lying on the floor in the snow? Is her name Laika?
Let the Games Begin
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  • Is that…a giant bird man? Oh this is horrifying. IS HE DROOLING ACID????? Is dog a person???? ARE THERE EYES ON HIS HAIR??????? BIRD MAN FLY!!!!!!!
Let you Down
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  • This was an interesting idea! Cool style, would like to see more.
Little Feet
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  • KILL IT WITH FIRE!!! THERE’S TOO MANY OF THEM!!! RETREAT! RETREAT!!!
Macwolf
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  • Trailer like intro is helpful for context. Now it seems like we’re in a sitcom style TV show opening. Very retro. Rad.
Mad to the Max
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  • Did you stretch this footage from a different aspect ratio? Looks off. Dialogue could be louder at the end. Other than that cool old/new source comparison!
Marionettes, Eyes & Poltergeists <3 <3 <3
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  • This one is great! I love the way you build throughout this, there’s a lot of variety and it’s continually surprising as it goes. A few of the sources took me out of it if nothing else just because the art styles were so different but it doesn’t break the video for me. Very cool idea, definitely one of my favorites of the contest.
Matthew Patrick Davis
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  • Well this is different lol. Did you seriously use a song sung by the person this video is about??? Definitely a pretty unique character profile. I don’t really understand where this came from but I guess you must’ve really liked Barbarian XD
Mentos the Frog Slayer
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  • This has been done before lol but always gets a chuckle.
Missing You
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  • Sad video about heartbreak and moving on. Does a good job of portraying how to channel pain into your art. Good candidate for Sentimental.
Mockingbird’s Hymn
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  • WAS THIS CHILD ABANDONED??? At least she can channel her pain into technology like the rest of us. Oh she sings too. Going to assume this is the source and not tech. Feels like some of the footage is faster than other portions - sped up footage? Is this a Beauty and the Beast analogue? Oh no. She lost her wings. She is a defender of the peace.
Muppet Sailor Song
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  • PIRATES! REALLY Good job at attempted lip sync match. Kind of loses me in the middle but this is a fun silly video.
Naloxone
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  • Well these effects are certainly an interesting choice…definitely disturbing. I like the artistic vision here, intentionally off-putting and almost upsetting to watch. Good job.
Never-Ending Dream
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  • Cool hand-drawn animation style. Definitely stands out from the pack. Never would have guessed this was from a video game (is it a visual novel?). Gives me chills (is this about self-harm?).
Nimoner- I Barely Know Her!
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  • Is that a dancing shark? Seems to be a story about transfiguration if I’m interpreting this correctly. Father daughter story? Sorry just trying to pull this altogether. Cool visuals!
Nuclear Mob
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  • Compelling source here. Feels like we got to the climax pretty quickly but it doesn’t wear out its welcome! Definitely appreciated.
On Legacy
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  • I’m into this mood. Haven’t played ghost of Tsushima but this makes me want to try it. Would definitely put this on in the background or add to a panel I was moderating.
Origin
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  • Effective cover for this song. Have issues with this material because it feels emotionally manipulative for the sake of it, but that’s not the editor’s fault. Covers the beats you’d expect a video like this to.
Real Ais Realize Real Lies <3 <3 <3
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  • WOW! Love the blend here, I can’t begin to understand how MMV creators do what they do but then on top of it the way it meshes the MMV/AMV style together really works and the disturbing section in the middle also grabs my attention. Definitely a favorite.
Romance is Dead
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  • Romance Horror! Feels like this has a good balance of relationship build up and action. Story is relatively easy to follow. Cute video.
Run Away
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  • More Cyberpunk! Some random lip flap here. Feels like an overuse of unnecessary transitions - sometimes you can just cut you don’t always need something fancy. I can see the heart you’re putting into this though. Just strip those out and it’d be a lot cleaner. Ominous ending.
SAVE TO WIN
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  • Feels like a lot of noticeable color modifications throughout this. Some other kind of blur or flickering effects in here as well that make this hard to watch. Honestly hurts my eyes to look at. Repetitive nature of the lyrics also makes it hard to identify what kind of story you’re telling here.
Shenani-hams
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  • Funny cute video. I chuckled multiple times. Quality is a bit rough on a larger screen, but that’s not the fault of the editor.
Spring Awakening
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  • Cute romance video. Good flow throughout, not much to complain about here.
Superman to no Boken S01 OP Clean
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  • Lot of random lip flap in this. So I gather this is supposed to be as if this Superman show was an anime and had an anime style opening? Not bad but could use some titles to emphasize the “Opening” nature of it and also some karaoke style subtitles like fansubbers used to do.
Takes Two To Twine
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  • Good lain video is good. Lots of interesting tech added throughout here gives this footage more variety and adds extra style. I like it!
The Bot Episode of Sports
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  • Lmao wtf. Definitely a unique concept. Gets a little repetitive after a while though. Could cut the song down a bit to avoid burnout. But very creative!
The Capacity to Change
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  • Hey this sounds like Only Murders in the Building. Feels like there’s a footage stutter at 0:26, not sure if intentional. The variation in footage seems to include transitions between a lot of different aspect ratios, would be better if these were all conformed into one. You use a lot of transitions, might be cleaner to have some more hard cuts throughout. Lots of cross dissolves. You also speed up your footage a lot, which can work in short doses but is extremely noticeable as much as it happens here. There’s too many cross dissolves. My eyes are hurting. It feels like you tried really hard here with the momentum but this is a sticking point for me sorry. Ends suddenly.
The Noise
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  • Lots of good momentum here but it feels a little unfocused. Is it just about sound in general? I’m starting to get it more as the video goes on now. Interesting concept.
The Storyteller’s Burden
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  • So for all the hype build-up this video had it’s…fine? Works as a platonic friendship video, but doesn’t blow me away exactly. Was expecting more.
This is Freedom
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  • Cool style. I’m into the color changes, but why so short? Would like to see more.
This Video is Sponsored by Jimmy Johns
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  • Really good lip sync. Not very funny. Good clip match at times though.
Time;Moves;On
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  • Song keeps making me think of Adele. Not quite sure what to make of this - feels like a lot of mixed genres (horror, thriller, romance). It’s compelling but it also loses me every once in a while (note: Never seen Steins Gate). Not bad, good effort. Maybe a little more gory than it needs to be.
Tri Scéal
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  • A sense of adventure! Logos at the end are unnecessary - better to have a stronger final shot/set of shots. Not familiar with this source but that was an interesting watch. Good job.
Velvet Visage <3 <3 <3
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  • I’m into this! I usually don’t go for gmv footage, and especially not of the Honkai variety but this really worked for me. Great Spoopy candidate.
Wake Up, Nightmare
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  • Very different vibe than I expected based on the title. Feels well made though I struggle to connect to the story being told. Will need to sit on this one a bit.
Walking with Monsters
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  • We don’t get a lot of Godzilla videos! Some random lip flap here. There’s striking imagery here for sure. If there was ever an argument for the draction category this might be it.
Witch Slayers <3 <3 <3
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  • Great lip sync - mostly at least. The laughs rely on the audio but they’re effective. Not sure if there’s tech here with some of the character positions or if that’s just the style of the source. I feel like this isn’t gonna win any awards but I love it all the same.
You will eat less than you desire and more than you…
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  • Honestly I kind of like it! It’s like if the ink blot test was a music video. Definitely abstract and it’s fun to try and pick out the shapes. Good Spoopy candidate here.

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