Studio Hybrid

August 2011 Contest Results

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:32:00 +0000

Just a quick update on the contests I entered after Anime Expo.

A Glorious Dawn won the Coordinator's Award at Otakon 2011.

No Rest for the Wicked won Best Action at Animethon 2011.

I learned about both of these from comments on YouTube a few hours before receiving email from the contests themselves.

Beta of new Studio Hybrid site now active

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:18:00 +0000

The old Studio Hybrid site has languished since 2008 without an update. There were a few attempts to build out a new site, but now I've decided to replace it with a Blogger site.

This site will handle posts about my Anime Music Videos and any contests I enter. Other updates; Cosplay,RPGs, Video Games and such will still be hosted on Hyperion Edge

Most of my AMVs have a post on the blog now, with links to YouTube if they are up there. I'll be finishing up some of the additional site over the next few months and bring over any data from the old site before long.

Take a look around the site and let me know what you think!

A Glorious Dawn - Carl Sagan AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:21:00 +0000

Anime: Captain Harlock, Char's Counter Attack, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, Gurren Legann, Harlock Saga, Interstella 555, Macross Plus, Millennium Actress, Outlaw Star, Planetes, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, Captain Tylor OAV, Wings of Honamase, Family Guy
Music: "A Glorious Dawn" by Carl Sagan/Symphony of Science
Date: 4/30/2011

Carl Sagan's cosmos first inspired me when I was young. When I saw the video Symphony of Science had made from their song made from Carl Sagan's dialog, I had a thought that it would make a good Anime Music Video.

No Rest for the Wicked - Cowboy Bebop AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:29:00 +0000

Anime: Cowboy Bebop
Song: "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant
Date: 04/30/2011

I first heard this song as the opening theme to Borderlands on the PS3. I had considered a Trigun video because of the similar environment to Borderlands, but quickly realized that Cowboy Bebop was much more suited to the music and lyrics.

Building Steam - Steamboy AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:40:00 +0000

Anime: Steamboy
Music: "Building Steam" by Abney Park
Date: 5/5/2010

A Steampunk inspired AMV.

You Know My Name - Code Geass AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:39:00 +0000

Anime: Code Geass
Music: "You Know My Name" by Chris Cornell
Date: 05/01/2009

New for 2009, this Anime Music video features video footage from Code Geass set to the song "You Know My Name" by Chris Cornell, also recognized as the theme song from Casino Royale. This is primarily a straight cut video, punctuated with (a few) smash zooms on dramatic beats. There wasnt any heavily manipulation of the video source. This version of the song was from iTunes, there are several different versions and this is the one I prefer.

The video was created using Final Cut Pro Studio on a MacBook Pro.

The video has been a finalist at Anime Expo, Fanime, AnimeNext & Anime Evolution.
It won "Best Action" at Otakon 2009.

Baccano Swing! - Baccano! AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:38:00 +0000

Anime: Baccano!
Song: "Swing Shift" by Jumpin' Jimes

This AMV combines the Anime Baccano! set in the prohibition era New York with the song "Swing Shift!" by the Jumpin' Jimes. The song has a Rockin' Swing sound that really suits Baccano!

Code Monkey AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:37:00 +0000

Anime: Legend of Black Heaven
Music: "Code Monkey " by Jonathan Coulton
Date: 04/30/2007

I first heard this song on the net@nite podcast. Jonathan Coulton is the musical artist and the song is released under the Creative Commons license. If you enjoy this video, please consider purchasing the song from either his website www.jonathancoulton.com, or iTunes.

The overlay graphic thought and word balloons were created using the Comic Life software. I took the balloons, imported them into Photoshop for cleanup then into FCP to add them to the video. I used a "popping" animation to make the graphics appear more active.

"Code Monkey Likes You"

Finalist: Anime Expo 2007
Judges Choice Best of Show: SAC Anime 2007
Judges Best Comedy Runner-Up: Anime Mid Atlantic 2007
Best Comedy Runner-Up: Animethon 14
Audience Best Comedy Runner-Up: Anime Mid Atlatntic 2007
Best Comedy/Parody: Anime Evolution 2007
Best Storytelling: Anime Weekend Atlanta 13
Best of Show: Dragoncon 2007
Best of Show: Bakuretsucon 2007
Best of Show: AnimeUSA 2007

Be My Friend - Final Fantasy 8 AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:36:00 +0000

Video: Final Fantasy VIII (FMV)
Audio: "Be My Friend" by Sia
Date: 05/01/2006

This video is a first for me in two areas; it is the my first attempt at a romance video as well as the first time I used Full Motion Video from a video game, rather than anime footage.

I was lucky in that a friend of mine gave me a copy of FF8 for the PC after seeing my Seifer cosplay. The FMV was pretty easy to rip from the game CDs and was in 640x480 format, rather than the PS1's 320x240. This gave me considerably better source to work with.

One of the main challenges of this video was that there wasn't a lot of sentimental romantic moments to work with. I used some layering and in a few places used action clips in order to move the video along.

I really debated about some of the special effects. In a few places they may have ended up being more distracting, but I also wanted them to be consistent.

In the end, I hope I conveyed a sense of romance/sentimentality in this video. I'm really curious if I was successful, please let me know what you think...

Before I'm Dead - Ghost in the Shell AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:36:00 +0000

This was a finalist in Anime Expo's 2006 contest in the Action category. Later it won best action at Anime Los Angeles 2007.

It uses footage from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and "Before I'm Dead" by Kidneythieves. Kidneythieves did the music for the second Deus Ex video game.

Bride of Berserk - Berserk AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:35:00 +0000

Anime: Berserk
Music: "Bring Me My Bride" from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Date: 05/01/2005

"Stand aside everyone, I take LARGE steps!"

The opening line from the song sets the tone for the video. This, my second comedy video, is a satirical look at Guts from Berserk. Not really a character profile, instead it features Guts singing the song “Bring Me My Bride” from the Broadway play, “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum”.

I used Lip Sync techniques I learned from Brad Demoss during our AMV Panel at Anime Expo. This technique focuses on editing the lips of the character while still allowing the action to continue properly in the background through the use of cropping and overlay. If you compare the Lip Sync in this video to the Lip Sync in Jinnai and the Bugrom Live, I think there is a noticeable improvement. While this video depends heavily on Lip Syncing, I tried to break that up through the use of reaction shots.

Staff Award: Anime Expo 2005
Best Lip Sync: Anime Weekend Atlanta 2005
Best Video & Judges Award: Anime Los Angeles 2006

Grand Theft Megadeus - Big O AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:34:00 +0000

Anime: Big O
Audio: "Horndog" by Overseer
Date: 07/11/2003

I originally created this video several years ago for the AWA 2003 Master's Contest. It has always been one of my favorites. I decided to apply some of the techniques I've picked up and tighten up the editing.

Despite the title, the video doesn't have much of a link to the video game series. Originally, I was going to use a gimmick of putting a weapon, health and wanted rating overlay in the upper right hand corner. After the video was completed, I realized that it didn't need that, although someday I might make a version with it just for fun.

Big O has its own style; I wanted to create an Action video that conveyed that same sort of style. The car sequence in the middle of the video was inspired by the Mitsubishi ad that uses the same song. The black to red paint change clip was originally going to feature a change in Smith's wanted rating, which was what originally inspired the video's title. Even after I ditched the overlay idea, I liked the title to much to change it.

Negated Identity Construct - Evangelion AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:33:00 +0000

Anime: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Music: "Meteorlogy" by Overseer

I had joked long ago that I would never make an AMV with footage from Evangelion. Primarily as a reaction to always seeing two or three Eva AMVs every year. The cliché phrase, "Never Say Never" came to mind when I first got the idea for this video.

Nearly every frame of this video has been manipulated using Photoshop. Today this sort of work is easily done in After Effects, but I didn't have the software at the time. Once processed, I assembled the frames back into a QuickTime movie. I edited the individual segments in their raw footage format, and then exported the edited tracks as sequences of individual frames. The frames were imported into Photoshop, where various filters were applied. The initial filter was a Neon Edges filter, designed to place the edges of the Eva footage in front of the zooming fractal background. Later I applied various Photoshop filters to shorter segments to give these scenes texture and create a sense of distorted reality.

I suppose inn a way the video is a surreal examination of what's going on in Asuka's psyche during her withdrawal after her defeat at the hands of Arael the 15th Angel.

The dialog Asuka lip syncs is Icelandic. I think it sounds close enough to German though. Although I expect my Icelandic and German friends would dispute that.

Judges Award: Ani-Magic 2004

Nadesico Lost in Space AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:31:00 +0000

Nadesico Lost in Space
Anime: Nadesico
Music: "Lost in Space Theme" by Apollo Four Fourty

This is one of the Infamous Three Lost in Space Videos that screened at AX 2001.

Finalist: Anime Expo 2001
Finalist: Anime Weekend Atlanta 2001 Pro Contest

Jinnai and the Bugrom LIVE! - El Hazard AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:31:00 +0000

Anime: El Hazard OAV
Audio: "Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot" by Caramba

Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot, a song by Caramba, as sung by Jinnai from the El Hazard OAVs. I originally created this video years ago and recently decided to redo it since I couldn't find a high quality copy of the first one.

This is the Life! - Lupin III AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:30:00 +0000

This is the life is one of my earliest Anime Music Videos. I created it about 10 years ago, using footage from three Lupin III movies; Castle of Cagliostro, Mystery of Mamo and Plot of the Fuma Clan. The music is by "Weird Al" Yankovic, his theme from Johnny Dangerously.

The opening was inspired by the old Laserdisc video game, "Cliff Hanger" that used the same footage as the video.

Unforgiven - Record of Lodoss War AMV

noreply@blogger.com (Nic) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:29:00 +0000

Anime: Record of Lodoss War OAV
Music: "Unforgiven" by Metallica

I originally entered it in the AX'98 Music Video contest and it was disqualified for being to long. I then entered it for AX 2000 when they extended the max time from 5 to 7 min.. It got a pretty solid reaction, but the video source quality worked against it in the contest.

This was the last video I made before getting a Macintosh G4, which always posed a number of technical problems. This is one of the videos I would like to remake on the Mac someday.

Honorable Mention: Otakon 1998
Finalist: Anime Expo 2000