AMVs = Fun+Craziness+epic time consumer!

OK, first AnimeNEXT-themed post (Already!? Yeah, I know... >_<) As do just about all anime conventions, AnimeNEXT has an AMV (anime music video) contest (as well as a non-competition screening). So naturally I MUST submit something to the contest! I’m still on the high of doing so well on my movie trailer (see below post) – even if only one person voted (Thanx Remy since I’m sure it was you! LOVES!) and one person commented. ANYWAY, the high off of that, plus still feeling pretty good about my Helsing AMV “Bloodsucker Alucard” that I edited in time for last year’s Halloween (I think…). I also felt like I did well for my two Game Destroyers (webcomic, see below post) promotional videos: the teaser, and the music video. I’m on an editing high right now and I think I could pull off a really kick ass winning video. But what to do!?
Well, Mina had previously expressed wanting to learn how to make an AMV (or something of the sort), plus she can actually get footage – as opposed to my method of downloading a crapload of AMVs off of AnimeMusicVideos.org, slicing the AMVs apart, and then re-assembling them as my own work… ANYWAY, Mina can get the footage, and the music, and she wanted to learn how to make an AMV, and she introduced me to AnimeNEXT in the first place, AND SOOOOO I decided to have her help. We’re gonna collaborate on an AMV to submit. If Remy or Celia want to join in on the efforts they can, but it’s mostly us two girls (me and Mina).
I’m super excited about this effort – maybe obsessively so *blush*
It’s a good thing we work together, because any chance I get I harass her about something new about this AMV that doesn’t even need to be STARTED until April… First, it was wondering on the musical choice. We decided on upbeat because it’s more fun that way, and it would appeal to the male viewership a lot easier. Next, Mina commented that she loved “Bloodsucker Alucard”, and that it was a shame I couldn’t submit it to the contest because of the watermark logos and opening credits I have in the video (stupid contest rules!). She said she loved that the video not only had a song that fit really well with the feel of the anime, but that it was a song she was unfamiliar with. She informed me that one of the main reasons she watches AMVs is to get introduced to new songs. Based off of that, and both of our love of the song I used in the end credits of “Bloodsucker Alucard”, we decided on staying with the vampire theme and use the song “Deception” by the Cruxshadows. We then talked about WHICH vampires to use and decided on D from Vampire Hunter D. It doesn’t hurt that Mina has both of the Vampire Hunter D movies.
OK, so we have a song and an anime to use, we’re on a great start. Now I needed to research my competition. I went back to AMV.org and downloaded all of the videos that claimed to have submitted to the 2009 AnimeNEXT AMV screenings. There were 27 hits, and only 5 I couldn’t download for one reason or another. Most weren’t uploaded as .wmvs, and so I had to convert them. Thank you NCH Prism Converter (see below post)! Problem being, that apparently what I had downloaded was a free trial, so now I had to decide on whether or not to buy the program. Eh, it was on sale (until the 15th – that’s today, folks) for like $30, and I already used it an insane amount of times, so *shrug* why not. Purchased! Wait! I get an additional 10% off if I purchased something else within the next 4 hours!? Well, might as well get the full version of the FlashLynx download program (see below post). That was only $14 with the added discount. Sweet. Purchased! Then I debated to do the hat trick and just purchase the Debut Video Capture software (see below post), but I decided to wait until I actually put my latest paycheck into the bank…
AAAAANYWAY (I segway a lot, don’t I?), I downloaded and converted all of those AMVs, and then went through AnimeNEXT’s list of competitors/winners. I have a winner and/or runner up for every category at least. That’s when I started getting nervous. Most of them were REALLY good. At least two of the emotional ones made me tear up. Thank god Mina and I decided to NOT do sentimental >_< $800 on a copy of Adobe Premiere, so I’m stuck editing with friggen Windows Movie Maker! Yeah, I can do some mean edits with that crappy program, so just imagine how good I'd be with a professional one, but still… It will be tough to be any sort of competition with friggen WMM! Worst part about the program is that you can only move 7 frames at a time! I can’t cut something down frame-by-frame, and that hurts a lot of stuff – especially dubbing. It’s also hard in WMM to re-edit the timing of the video (like I MAJORLY had to do for “Bloodsucker Alucard”). It’s definitely gonna be a hard-ass battle to get up to par with these videos! Strange thing though, the ones I thought were AMAZING didn’t even place in the competitions, and most of the winners I was like “eh” when I watched… so who knows how the audience is gonna feel that day. *shrug* Great, 8 months of stressing about this damn AMV! >_<>

WHAAAA!? I'm going to a Con!? No ways!

My friend Mina is fairly big on anime, and therefore anime conventions. I have been quite envious of her because I have wanted to go to a Con for a long time. And while she manages to not only go, but also makes really good costumes to cosplay in, I, on the other hand, must stay home and wait for the time in which I have money.
In college, one of my professors had each of us write up a "hundred things to do before I die" list (now known as a "bucket list" - things to do before you "kick the bucket"). Mina found the list and offered to help me cross some of the things off. First was going to the amusement park Knoebels in Pennsylvania. One of our mutual friends was getting married, and since the whole lot of us are far from the "strip club" type, we had the bachelorette party at the park. Very fun indeed. Anyway, Mina noticed that another one of the items on my list was to go to a con. And so it was her sole mission for the past 6 months or so to find us one. And she succeeded.
There is a con in the PA/NJ/NY tri-state area. It rotates the state that houses it or something, but whatever – not important. The important thing is that it’s called AnimeNEXT and if we register before the end of the year we can go the entire weekend for just $35! Best part is that we can all commute to and from the con, so no added dough needed for hotel rooms. We could even BRING food and save a little more cash! I could pull off $35! Mina for the win!
I even have Remy agreeing to come with. He’s asking some of his Otaku friends if they’d like to join, and I have Celia and Peter deciding on my end. If we get a large enough crowd we may get even MORE knocked off with a group discount. Plus that means more people to split gas, so we each pay less! Win again! TOTAL WINAGE!
ANYWAY, the only problem is that the convention isn’t until JUNE of next year! They don't even have any information up about the 2010 con except for the location and weekend! I have to wait 8 months (roughly) for this convention! GAAAH! I can’t wait that long!!!! I’m totally obsessing over it already! Eight months of obsessing!? At least this blog will fill up quickly. >_<