LantisEscudo

Project: Editor 2 – Round 2: Shoryuken? Sure You Can!

LantisEscudoNovember 20, 2009AMV, Award Winner, Project Editor, Videos

Anime – Various
Song – BUS STOP feat. Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting
Completed October 2009
Premiered November 20, 2009
AnimeMusicVideos.org Link
YouTube Link

This was my Project: Editor 2 Round 2 video. The theme of the round was “Word Association,” and the word I was given was “Shoryuken.”

I originally thought of using the Street Fighter Anime, but I don’t own it, and figured it would be a bit of a cop-out, so I went to the original source: the games. Which led to the people that play the games, and my hunt for scenes of characters playing video games.

“Kung Fu Fighting” felt like a very appropriate song, and the BUS STOP version that was included in the original DDR was the perfect length.

Thanks to my friend Adam for being Player 2 in the screen captures, and to Kit for pointing out I screwed up the original capture of the Playstation footage. Also thanks to mirkosp, godix, Kit, G_Q, MeteorDragon, and ngsilver for making suggestions on where to find scenes that might work.

This received a “So Much Win” award from Code in the P:E thread, and also won Best Fun/Upbeat/Etc. at its con debut at AAC 09.

Project: Editor 2 – Round 1: Tribute

LantisEscudoNovember 9, 2009AMV, Project Editor, Videos

Anime – Gunbuster
Song – Kerry Muzzey – Anthem
Completed October 2009
Premiered October 8, 2009
AnimeMusicVideos.org link

My video for Project Editor 2 Round 1.

The theme for the round was “Tribute” though my video went more the “Trailer” route. I decided on Gunbuster and an overblown dramatic trailer-music style song for this one, and the text is cheesy as all heck, but overall, I had fun with it.

It finished seventh in the round, out of 17 videos.

Bright Journeys

LantisEscudoNovember 8, 2009AMV, Videos

Anime – Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou ~Quiet Country Cafe~
Song – Stockwell Brothers – Before I Go
Completed September 2009
Premiered October 3, 2009
AnimeMusicVideos.org Link
YouTube Link

The best part of my job is filming local bands in concert. I heard this song and immediately thought of making a “travelling” story video using it. I picked up the original artist’s performance of the song, and absolutely hated his vocals. So I went back to my tape, which had a direct line from the band’s sound board and used that version instead. I shortened the song by one verse and chorus, though.

For the video, it really ended up going in a different direction from how I first envisioned it. I originally thought of Alpha on her Vespa. Unfortunately, I forgot that most of her long trip in the second OVA series was done on foot. So slowly the video shifted into a light yuri romance between Alpha and Kotone. It’s a little slow, but it fits the folksy mood of both the song and the OVAs.

Convention History:
Kurokiiro 2009 – Finalist
Bakuretsucon 2009 – Finalist
Youmacon 2009 – Finalist
Another Anime Con 2009 – Entrant

Focal Perspective

LantisEscudoOctober 4, 2009AMV, Award Winner, Videos

Anime – Various
Song – Carl Sagan – Pale Blue Dot Chapter 1: You Are Here (excerpt) & Dana Cunningham – The Color of Light
Completed July 2009
Premiered September 18, 2009
AnimeMusicVideos.org Link
YouTube Link

I really can’t say much about the content for this one, since I’m not sure I have the words to say it right. Mr. Sagan will just have to speak for me.

On a technical level, my goal was to not use any series more than once, but time pressure (this was actually finished during the two-day FTP upload window) forced me to use a few twice (I think there’s four or five that are repeated).

I’m really proud of this one, and I’m glad that people have said they liked it. Thanks for watching.

Contest History:
Anime Weekend Atlanta 2009: Pro Contest – Finalist, Best Artistic Endeavor category
Kurokiiro 2009 – Finalist
Another Anime Con 2009 – Entrant
Bakuretsucon 2009 – Finalist
Youmacon 2009 – Winner, Best of Show

Ragnarok

LantisEscudoOctober 4, 2009AMV, Videos

Anime – Ah! My Goddess (TV & Movie)
Song – Immediate Music – Blasphemy
Completed April 2009
Premiered May 8, 2009
AnimeMusicVideos.org Link
YouTube Link

This one was created especially for Anime Central’s 2009 Theme contest of “Trailer.” I decided to go the “original trailer” route rather than a parody trailer, taking a romantic comedy series and turning it into an action/drama/epic movie for its “new” theatrical installment.

When the theme was announced, I had just finished a book on myths from many cultures, and that in turn led me to think of the events of Ragnarok paired Ah! My Goddess. The video took about three weeks from first inspiration to completion, which was a surprise to me, since I normally work much more slowly.

The subtitles were deliberately styled to look like Pioneer/Geneon DVD subtitles, to further the “real trailer” idea (P/G were the ones who released the real AMG movie in the US).

The voice of Kami-sama is actually my own, since I couldn’t find any closely corresponding lines spoken by the real Voice. It was run through a number of filters to get the resonant quality my real voice lacks as well as the needed “long-distance telephone” effect, and to disguise my atrocious accent.

Each of the text overlays was written in English first, then translated as best I could manage into Japanese (apologies to anyone who can actually read my clumsy translations) for the red kanji versions, and each is also one of the events leading up to Ragnarok in the original myths.

The release date (Sept. 9, 2009) was both too great an idea to pass up (a flipped 666) and a nod to the upcoming movie “9” which shares that release date.

Convention History:
Anime Central 2009 – Finalist
Anime Boston 2009 – Finalist

Petals of Glass

LantisEscudoOctober 4, 2009AMV, Videos

Anime – Tokyo Babylon
Song – Luca Turrili – Throne of Ice
Completed January 2009
Premiered January 30, 2009
AnimeMusicVideos.org Link
YouTube Link

The idea for this one was inspired by the call for entries to the Gothik II MEP. The list of suggested anime included Tokyo Babylon, which I’ve wanted to use for something for quite a while, so I went looking for an interesting song that might fit. I didn’t have time to make it for the MEP, but put this together about a month later.

The title was inspired by the scene of the shattered glass falling in front of Seishirou, which, for a second, looked like flower petals the first time I saw it.

Overall, a pretty simple video that I enjoyed making.

Contest Participation:
Ohayocon 2009 – Finalist
Tekkoshocon VII – Entrant

Fugue of Fists and Feet

LantisEscudoOctober 4, 2009AMV, Videos

Anime – Angelic Layer
Song – Naota Shibata PROJECT – Theme of Simon
Completed December 2008
Premiered January 30, 2009
AnimeMusicVideos.org Link
YouTube Link

Listening to the Castlevania: Dracula Battle soundtracks always makes me think of action videos, so I decided to try one out. The goal was to make the various fights in the series flow together into what seems like one long mostly-seamless fight.

I think it came out pretty well; there’s a few spots that feel off, but I like the transition points, especially the Mao/Blanche one.

Convention Participation:
Ohayocon 2009 – Finalist
I-Con 28 – Finalist
Tekkoshocon VII – Entrant

Another Anime Con 2008 EXTREME Iron Editor

LantisEscudoOctober 2, 2009AMV, Iron Chef, Videos

Anime – Various
Song – Yoko Kanno – Take Off
Completed October 2008
Premiered October 18, 2008
AnimeMusicVideos.org Link
YouTube Link

This contest was EXTREEEEEEEEEEME!!!

After arriving with our lists of ten songs each, they were whittled down to one song from our original lists and two from our opponent’s original list.

Only then were we shown our primary video source: Detroit Metal City.

Over the course of the editing, there were several challenges thrown in. The ones I remember, in semi-order:

5 minutes with “beer goggles” on (Vaseline-smeared lab goggles)
Roll a d12, your opponent must use at least that many lens flares during the video (11 for Lantis, 12 for Kiarrens)
DDR for one song (Tsugaru, victory by Kiarrens), added source: BECK episode 21 (maybe a bit later?)
Do a cheesy transition NOW
5 minutes with no headphones
Added source: Bleach Live-Action Rock Musical
FAILed challenge: Guitar Hero (GH3 on 360 doesn’t like Rock Band guitars, so this one didn’t come off)
Run an errand for dokool: Go get the trophy from the green room (Lantis got back first)

In the end, Kiarrens won a well-deserved crushing victory.