Why I love AMVs
I’m a big fan of amateur music videos (AMVs). These are music videos cut together with scenes from a tv show and connected to a song. They’ve been around at least as long as the internet. The earliest AMVs got started in the anime fandom. They’re tied together so much AMV started out meaining “Anime Music Video.”
Since I connect music and story, I appreciate the art form. One of the best ways I’ve found to put together a writing playlist is start with a show similar to the art I’m trying to create, then go do a simple YouTube search for “Show AMV.”
I get two benefits. The first is an easy selection of music, already combined into playlists by YouTube’s robots.
The other is more important.
I get a glimpse of what other people love about the same shows, genres, and stories I love.
Few of these focus on actual plots of the shows. They focus on one character or a relationship.
Little reminders of how important character and subplots are. Something I need from time to time.
Author’s Note
I’ve been watching AMVs since the 90s. I couldn’t tell you for sure which was the first AMV I ever saw, but I know which one was the first to stick with me for all these years.
This was also how Learned about Mindless Self Indulgence.
Yeah, Pikachu introduced me to electropunk.
I grew up in the 90s. I wore a long leather coat. I was a computer geek.
And I had to discover MSI from a pokemon…
… My rep is ruined…
