Reviewing Cock Hero videos

[scruffynerf]

I'm watching a lot of CH videos with a critical eye right now... looking for prime bits to compile into a 2.5 hour group game.
And I'm seeing some patterns of things I 'dislike' or at least that would cause me to downgrade a rating....

I might actually do reviews, if there was interest (is there?)
but in the meantime, the top 5 things that if you don't get right, it 'ruins' the video:

1) No beat meter. Sorry, but without the visual beat meter, and just a beat sound, half of the experience is lost.
It's just a music video with a beat added. (not that PMV aren't awesome, I've been watching a lot of those too...)

2) A beat meter that doesn't sync right with the beat... If you can't make the meter actually highlight/whatever the beat, it's more distracting that anything else. It's a timing issue...

3) A beat/meter that doesn't fit with the music. I just watched a music video with awesome pop music, and the beat meter didn't match the music at all. It might have match some beat sounds, but it was lost in the music, and besides which, it needs to flow with the music as closely as feasible... Putting a 123-123 beat on the screen when the music isn't doing 123-123 at the same time? Not fun.

4) Interesting visuals that match with the music in cuts/flow/style. This is a lot of work, but it's the essence of editing. It needs to flow well too... Bad cuts, splicing in video that doesn't fit well, not syncing the music to the action (if they are fucking, and the beat is 1-2-3, the fucking should flow with the 1-2-3... at least it shouldn't jar and feel disconnected, it should look like they fucking to the beat too.

5) Too Fast or Too Slow: give me enough time to enjoy the visual, but not so much I get bored... Mixing it up is good, but some continuity of visual images is good too... Make it all seem connected... (again, this is editing's goal)

I'm sure I can think of other things I've noticed, but those 5 stand out right now.

For practice, there are some awesome CH videos that just lack a meter... Someone who goes and adds a meter to these would be a Cock Hero Hero. SirDerriere's taking PMVs and adding a meter to them stand out as good examples of how to do this.

[cockman]

"looking for prime bits to compile into a 2.5 hour group game."


With who? I'm in.



ps I agree w/ u but CH Flux Dance 1-3 r exceptions to rule 1.

[figroll]

Flux Dance are the exception because if you do 4) and especially 3) right you don't need a beat meter. Although I suppose it depends on if you are aiming for a dance like experience or a more "gameified" technical challenge.

[scruffynerf]

I'll disagree, the lack of a beat meter on the Flux Dances is exactly what I'm talking about...

Yes, it's got a solid 'beat' sound, but the lack of a visual means you have to focus on the sounds, and can't 'see' the beat.

Maybe it's a matter of taste, but I'd love to see the Flux Dances with a beat meter added.

(and btw, about the 'game', see my other thread for the details, more to come once it's over and done with)

[Kristycookie]

It's definitely a matter of taste. Whether or not there is a beat meter, or the beat meter is 100% accurate doesn't matter to me one bit. For me it's a guide, not something to be stared at and followed with exact accuracy.

Different strokes (heh) for different folks.