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Information

• Member: MeriC
• Title: Please Don't Make Me Cry
• Premiered: 2007-09-21
• Categories:
  • Drama
  • Character Profile
  • Serious
  • Romance
• Song:
  • Eisley Telescope Eyes
• Anime:
  • Paradise Kiss (TV)
• Participation:
  • Anime Weekend Atlanta 13, AWA 13 Pro Contest (2007-09-21)
• Comments: *** Winner - Best Romance, Anime USA 2007
  
  The Concept:
  I'm actually not too sure how I came up with the idea for this video, which is highly unusual for me. Must be getting old. I think I heard the song "Telescope Eyes" and knew I wanted to use it for a video project. I didn't know what anime to use for the longest time. I eventually saw Paradise Kiss, and thought it would be a great match for this song.
  
  I think I began making the video back in January or February 2007. As I worked on it, I had several friends beta-test it. My goal was to send the video to Anime Central's AMV contest, but the video wasn't polished enough to send in time. Mike (VegettoEX) then suggested that I send the video to the AWA Pro contest. I wasn't content to sit on the video for months and months, but I found myself doing just that.
  
  The concept itself is all about a couple that is having a difficult time trying to keep their relationship together. Is there a happy ending? You're gonna have to watch to find out.
  
  Making the Video:
  This video used the Region 1 Paradise Kiss DVD releases (and some HEAVY AVS-scripting. The footage looked like complete ass, despite being a newer release).
  
  I used Adobe Premiere for editing the raw timeline, and Adobe After Effects for all of the effects.
  
  The "look" of the video is established around the settings featured in Paradise Kiss itself. I wanted the narrative story to take place in the dark, dingy alleyway/staircase that Yukari and George find themselves in throughout the series. I spent a lot of time finding a suitable background texture to use for the hallway. When I found something I liked, I created a turquoise color scheme (which is also very prevalent in Paradise Kiss), as well as butterfly imagery on the backdrop.
  
  All of the "hallway" scenes were created using a 3D camera in After Effects. It was a real bitch, especially since I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to 3D spaces in After Effects. Hopefully I will get the hang of it some day.
  
  The choruses also exist in a 3D space, but it's nothing as elaborate as the hallway sections. I used multiple screens of the same scene just to be pretty, and the movement of the scenes and camera flows along with the music (theoretically).
  
  Conclusion:
  I'm extremely proud of this video on both a technical and personal level. I really struggled with the footage early on in the editing process, mainly due to the fact that there's not much animation or movement in the show (featuring the two main characters, that is). I was about to scrap the video, but I liked what I had done enough to continue working on it, and I had to re-work the concept quite a bit to make it work. I think the changes I made were all for the best.
  
  I think the video itself (in terms of story) is quite simple, and I hope it's easy to follow, despite the moody visuals. I tried to push myself to learn new things with this video, and I was moderately successful in doing so.
  
  Thanks go out to VegettoEX, AtomX, and Nessie for beta-testing the video!