do I just not "get" PMVs

[paradoxical 1,735]

A lot of PMVs seem (to me) just getting the ponies to lip-sync and that's it.

 

I won't put up examples, so as not to hurt the feelings of the artists who may have put a lot of extra thought into their work and I just didn't see it.

 

Am I missing something or is that all.  (not that it isn't an impressive feat, just that I don't find it a fulfilling video)

[further not that some aren't more fulfilling {to me} for their homage {beat it} or commentary {we didn't start the fire}]

[GGG 176]

nope, there is nothing beyond that.

 

sometimes they dont even make them lip synch.

[Stuffy Hooves 143]

well for me "I am Octavia" was a good PMV.. with dialogue along with the pmv itself.. smooth animation too.. 

[Discordian 6,015]

PMV is just an MLP-specific version of an AMV, yes? It's more or less just a fanmade montage with music that the creator thinks is fitting. Lipsyncing would only be a choice by the creator but there should be PMVs out there that play out more like music videos too.

[Simon 4,557]

There are certainly some PMV's that are better than others.  In some instances it's just about finding random clips to make it look like they're singing, others it has nothing to do with lip syncing and it's more about finding images and clips that match what's being said.  There are also some which have original animation in them.  And some combine a few or all of these things having lip syncing, images and scenes that match the theme of the music, and some original animation or effects work.

 

Not everybody will like PMV's but certainly there are many that go far beyond simply putting random images or clips to music.

[AnonBrony 1,468]

Some are simple like that while others are fantastic made with great visuals and graphics and animation. There are plenty great ones out there you just gotta find em. EQD usuay posts the good ones on tier site. 

[Samurai Equine 51,898]

Can you even call them PMVs if they use original fan-made animation instead of borrowing clips from the show? Because those are the only PMVs I like.

[paradoxical 1,735]

well for me "I am Octavia" was a good PMV.. with dialogue along with the pmv itself.. smooth animation too.. 

 

Sure that was great also.

 

Some are simple like that while others are fantastic made with great visuals and graphics and animation. There are plenty great ones out there you just gotta find em. EQD usuay posts the good ones on tier site. 

 

I haven't been impressed with the EQD ones.  Perhaps because I keep hitting the [well] lip synch ones.

 

Just for an example (because the lip synch was so amazing at times it was like they animated it for the video itself) boys chase girls.  Great lip synch, but there wasn't a single clip of a boy for 10 seconds, so I felt the theme was sacrificed for the synching.  So I stopped watching.

 

[i'd have done a simple ways set of clips for that one.  It's perfect with Rarity chasing after Tenderhoof who chases after AJ.  A few clips of the gem heart for "a beating heart" and various shrugs for the "I've got two hands."  It coulda been hilarious if somebody did that with the right timing.  {which excludes me}  But the theme fits.  It ads a parody level to the video which wasn't there before.]

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

Can you even call them PMVs if they use original fan-made animation instead of borrowing clips from the show? Because those are the only PMVs I like.

 

I'm the same way. I just thought the whole AMV/PMV thing was silly. I guess in some cases it's supposed to be more of a montage of great moments that go with the song as well, but even if it's well lip-synced, it just doesn't interest me.

 

I guess PMVs just appeal to a certain type of people and I ain't that type of people. Ones that are animations are better because they're like a custom music video that can fit the song.

[Samurai Equine 51,898]

I'm the same way. I just thought the whole AMV/PMV thing was silly. I guess in some cases it's supposed to be more of a montage of great moments that go with the song as well, but even if it's well lip-synced, it just doesn't interest me.

 

I guess PMVs just appeal to a certain type of people and I ain't that type of people. Ones that are animations are better because they're like a custom music video that can fit the song.

 

To be fair, I'm not completely against AMVs or PMVs. When I was younger, I was WAY into it, but I burned out on it super fast. These days, I only like clip show AMVs/PMVs if the song really connects with the source material. For example, I like the anime Trigun, and a wild west or cowboy song might actually fit. Some random bubblegum pop song would not. You can't just pick a random song and hope it goes with it.

[Blue Moon 6,341]

Well, some of them actually have visuals and effects created by the maker, and others are fully animated, so not all of them are just lip-sync. But all they are in the end are little montages with ponies. I could see how someone could not be interested in that.

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

To be fair, I'm not completely against AMVs or PMVs. When I was younger, I was WAY into it, but I burned out on it super fast. These days, I only like clip show AMVs/PMVs if the song really connects with the source material. For example, I like the anime Trigun, and a wild west or cowboy song might actually fit. Some random bubblegum pop song would not. You can't just pick a random song and hope it goes with it.

 

Yeah, I actually see what you mean.

 

And I should modify what I said, because there is one PMV that I like that is just a song over clips from the show...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RSkUm-x-js

[Discordian 6,015]

I'm the same way. I just thought the whole AMV/PMV thing was silly. I guess in some cases it's supposed to be more of a montage of great moments that go with the song as well, but even if it's well lip-synced, it just doesn't interest me.

 

I guess PMVs just appeal to a certain type of people and I ain't that type of people. Ones that are animations are better because they're like a custom music video that can fit the song.

 

 

To be fair, I'm not completely against AMVs or PMVs. When I was younger, I was WAY into it, but I burned out on it super fast. These days, I only like clip show AMVs/PMVs if the song really connects with the source material. For example, I like the anime Trigun, and a wild west or cowboy song might actually fit. Some random bubblegum pop song would not. You can't just pick a random song and hope it goes with it.

As someone who loves AMVs even I have a hard time enjoying a lot of them. There are so many out there that are total shit.

 

This is slightly off-topic but if you want some good ones you gotta dig. A good place to start are the Youtube channels "BestAMVSofalltime" and all of their alts. They tend to upload some really good ones of various music types and different anime. They try to pick out the best of the best in AMVs.

[Oblivion 20,267]

Yep, pony music videos obviously are just music videos that deal with ponies using a catchy brony or non brony song. Personally I am not a huge fan of them mostly because all they are is just a series of different scenes edited to be somewhat in sync with a particular type of music.

 

To be honest I wold much rather watch custom animated content rather than something with music slapped over it.

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

Different AMV/PMV creators can have different goals and approaches. The emphasis can be on showcasing certain clips with music merely added for effect, the music can be the main focus with a few clips that somehow add to or are relevant to either the feeling or lyrics, and some can be used to tell a story. With the ones that tell a story, it may be one of the sub-plots or story arcs separated from the rest of the show with a song that is somehow relevant, or they may be parodies and take clips out of context. As for lip-syncing, that seems to be more of a personal choice, an can be used to make the clips and music work a bit more naturally together.

[Jaref 344]

I think there's definitely variety with PMV's if you know where to look for it. Motion graphics, typographies, custom animations, you got traditional PMV's, the heavily lip-synced ones, PMV's that try to tell a story. Not to mention the variety of music. And just like music, you may not like all of it (or any of it for that matter) that's totally fine

 

I do love making PMV's though so I'm totally biased, but yeah, there's is absolutely more than just the heavily lip-synced ones out there  

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

To me, the best PMVs are ones that can take a song and match it up the feeling or atmosphere of whatever they're wanting to capture in the show. To me, it's not about lip-syncing. The important this is timing; at least to me.

 

If you can get the scenes times well enough to the music, then you have a winner for me.

 

Yeah, there are a LOT of PMVs that are rather sub-par and some that are down-right awful, but there are a few that stand out in my eyes.

[Argumedies 1,748]

 

When I made my one for Luna, I tried to find a song that fit her personally and found that Pop Evils song Monster you made worked really well

 

One of these days I want to remake this video now that I have clips without watermarks

[caramba2654 602]

I hate those PMVs that put show clips with a background music. They are really plain and more often than not always use the same scenes over and over again. :/

 

On the other hand, I really like motion graphics PMVs. They are visually much more attractive, and are really unique.

 

 

This is a really good PMV. It combines animation, vectoring/green screening, and motion graphics. The first-person view of Rainbow Dash was just awesome. ^^

 

 

This one is another really good PMV. I just wish Gunca would make more PMVs... He really puts the motion in motion graphics.

[Argumedies 1,748]

I hate those PMVs that put show clips with a background music. They are really plain and more often than not always use the same scenes over and over again. :/

 

On the other hand, I really like motion graphics PMVs. They are visually much more attractive, and are really unique.

 

 

This is a really good PMV. It combines animation, vectoring/green screening, and motion graphics. The first-person view of Rainbow Dash was just awesome. ^^

 

 

This one is another really good PMV. I just wish Gunca would make more PMVs... He really puts the motion in motion graphics.

While i agree that there are many videos out there that look like theyve been slapped togeather by a one handed blind man having a seizure not everyone has the ability to use CS6 and its kin.

 

If it looks like someone's put effort into the work, it shows. I've seen a lot of high production originals that can still blow chunks of YT bullish..

Edited August 18, 2014 by Argumedies

[Mlpfan185 1,763]

Something was here. Something was here. Something was here. Something was here. 

Edited October 10, 2018 by NONAME

[Stellafera 3,836]

A lot of PMVs seem (to me) just getting the ponies to lip-sync and that's it.

 

I won't put up examples, so as not to hurt the feelings of the artists who may have put a lot of extra thought into their work and I just didn't see it.

 

Am I missing something or is that all.  (not that it isn't an impressive feat, just that I don't find it a fulfilling video)

[further not that some aren't more fulfilling {to me} for their homage {beat it} or commentary {we didn't start the fire}]

 

A TOPIC ABOUT PMVs? As it happens, I am the Super Duper PMV Pony (sorry Jaref, seniority wins)! 

 

Basically, a PMV is a creative editing work. I'm very much the editorial type. I'm not brilliant at creating things, but if you give me a pile of other things people have made, I can make it something really cool. So when you see PMVs, it's like the job of an editor in movies and TV series. They work with the bits and pieces of video and sound to tell a rich, cohesive story.

 

Here's a simple PMV based heavily around storytelling;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en5f0iR9tZ4

I think I might be ObsessiveBookworm's publicist by this point.

 

PMVs are the fanfiction of video editing, too, in that you get to tell your own story and play around with the canon pieces.

 

You've got the characters of Discord and Twilight here; now tell a story about her gaining her Alicorn powers from him but losing everything else. 

 

Or, you have this song, interpret it and give it life with your story. Either way works.

 

What kind of thought goes into a PMV? Well, I'll toot my own horn a bit because I can only really describe my own thought process.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69-gmhl7u58

"APPLEJACK APPLEJACK SHINY APPLEJACK" - Me

 

Lemmee see, I wrote down my planning for this somewhere...

 

Lyrics 1: Parallels between adult and filly AJ; showing her sense of being lost and alone continuing throughout her life. Dark and dreamlike.

Chorus 1: Setting up the star symbolism and how much she is gratified by the family she still has. This part shows Applejack's inner child. Very glowy and dreamy again, but lighter. The shooting stars make their first appearance.

 

Lyrics 2: More about being lost and alone. Also shows AJ as sort of dependent, leading up to the next part. Dark and dreamlike.

 

Chorus 2: Moving forward to grown-up Applejack and what she's done to make her parents proud. Focuses on Applejack's independence, drive, and physical prowess; everything that she takes pride in. Nearer to the end, it starts to show some of the flaws in Applejack's way of thinking... Different style from the rest; black and white gives it a cinematic sort of air. Unlike the other choruses, no stars.

 

Lights 1: Showcases the dark side of Applejack. It repeats the refrain of "Lights" while showing moments where Applejack has lost sight of what's important. Halfway through, it returns to filly Applejack, which was something the previous two sections had a conspicuous lack of. Dark and dreamlike.

 

Chorus 3: Resolves both filly and adult Applejack's storylines. Filly Applejack is shown back home by the Sonic Rainboom, and adult Applejack remembers what she truly values and who she wants to be. The shooting stars return. Vivid and colorful, as is the following section.

 

Lights 2: Basically functions as the opposite of the first "Lights" section, featuring moments where Applejack has gotten back on track.

 

Psychotropic Pink is another one of mine that's very storytelling-y. It starts off very bright, very sugary (too sugary, like syrupy soda), but you can see the effects start to "glitch" and fade in and out as Pinkie Pie's "HAPPY ALL THE TIME" attitude starts to crack and break and she tries to patch it up. Definitely wasn't just following the lyrics there.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5LZb8nEQFk

 

I don't necessarily make all my videos for a story, though, and neither do other PMVers. Sometimes, it's just fun to play with effects. PMVs are, by nature, crossovers, and who doesn't like crossing over their favorite things? We like to enjoy ourselves too. But that's how I see the process, at least.

[Jaref 344]

Just like pony fanart, even the simplest of images can have a lot of thought, a lot of backstory to it. Sometimes the artist will tell you in the description, sometimes you have to see it for yourself. I know not everyone cares about that, but that's what I like about PMV's. I don't judge the quality of a PMV by how well you can use an editing program. I like emotion, whether it's sad, beautiful, creepy, feel-good, funny, dramatic. Some PMV's really bring it

 

And like Senpai Stellafera said, sometimes we like to have fun. Fun is allowed! Not everyone have a degree in graphic design and animation. Something to keep in mind when you judge other people's work