THF Movie Competition 2016 - Round 5: FINALS

Choose one video.

Montage | Editor | Gameplay

Wizard | Editor: Halzred | Gameplay: Hyena
38% (33 votes)
Combat Evolved | Editor: B SiK | Gameplay: B SiK
37% (32 votes)
Halo 3 Montage 1 | Editor: Fatal | Gameplay: JoeyClutch
24% (21 votes)
Total votes: 86

Round 5: FINALS

Congratulations to this years THF Movie Competition finalists!

Vote for one video. Ties will be determined by the judges overall rating. Voting results will remain hidden until the poll closes on December 17th. You may cancel and change your vote at any time.

REMEMBER: Voting closes December 17th!

A Note ON Prizes

Final prize winners will be announced next weekend after the final polling has closed. As a reminder, both the base prize pool of $1000 and all entry fees and donations made between the start of this contest and now will go towards the final purse (final amount to be determined).

Montage Editor Gameplay
Halo 3 Montage 1 Fatal JoeyClutch
Combat Evolved B SiK B SiK
Wizard Halzred Hyena

Halo 3 Montage 1 | Editor: Fatal | Gameplay: JoeyClutch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAcpxGv6Utg

 

Combat Evolved | Editor: B SiK | Gameplay: B SiK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PyNl8oO5xE

 

Wizard | Editor: Halzred | Gameplay: Hyena

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

No matter who wins now, congratulations to all finalists (and all entrants)! You've made an incredible competition with videos matching those in previous competitions which I really didn't expect in 2016. Good luck to all, time to rewatch these all a few more times. 
I went with B Sik. Really close between him and JC. I think the gameplay and editing was just a tad bit cleaner. I think the longer video helped show just HOW many clean and solid clips B Sik had as well, without making the video feel like it was dragging on. I know part of it is just the game and gametype, but I saw too many missed opportunities in Hyenas gameplay for that extra kill and I thought the little trick plays or whatever you want to call them got a lil repetitive. But I understand wanting to show multiple occasions of him doing it an all that though. I just think having 2 entries ended up backfiring for you in the end. 1 10 min video with the best of both would've been insane and most likely won it, imo.

I went with wizard mostly for the atmosphere although i thought the gameplay was very strong, just not beau's strongest collective effort. Some people have a habit of seeing something that isn't the absolute best, and because it isn't the absolute best they write it off or downplay it. That's sometimes what happened with beaus videos post mastery and i think it happened with wizard to some degree. It doesn't change the fact that what beau shits out of his ass in the morning is a better clip than 99% of  what's been posted on this website for the past 2 years. I've gotten hate for saying shit like this in the past but i genuinely don't believe people understand the gravity of what went on in alot of Wizard: Conceptually yeah it's easy to understand and see what happened in most of the clips and because of that any dipshit can walk in here and say yeah that wasn't that cool or that great - I agree with that for a very small portion of the gameplay, mostly the nade-throwing-kills - but to put yourself in situations where you're doing the most counterintuitive things and still surviving or winning the battle is literally mind boggling. To stand in front of a rocket or sticky grenade and just let it come at you goes against every base instinct we all have as halo players - I'm not big on the "montages are art" standpoint, especially not with gameplay, but beau's gameplay is such a vivid expression of how he see's the game, and from what little i know about him, an extension of who he is as a person: That's what makes the video so special. The frames around 4:46 might be my favorite sequence in any halo video ever. Halzred's edit and soundtrack in this are also very underrated. The only song selection I like better than this from the past year or so probably is the loka remix he used in chasing shadows.

I loved the gameplay in Joey Clutch and the edit was clean and smooth but overall it just looked and sounded like too many other videos. Outside of the gameplay i didn't feel it had that defining flavor that makes a great video great. 
Same with Bsik. The video was flawless, i loved it. The gameplay was great. The biggest problem for me was the soundtrack and the vibe. I watch roots and retrospect and i feel like i'm a part of B's experience, i feel like i'm seeing the culmination of something or a milestone or a statement (particularly with roots and the time that was released). I didn't get those feelings from combat evolved, despite it being a great video.

a deserving top 3 from all 3 videos and i wouldn't be surprised if any of them won. Last comp it was pretty obvious that fatrat was going to run away with it so it's cool to see three videos that all could easily win. 

 

This is tough, because I have to choose between the best Halo CE montage I have seen, maybe the best Halo 2 montage I have seen, and not the best Halo 3 montage I have seen. Why am I still leaning towards voting for Joey and Fatal then, if its not all due to my own personal bias for Halo 3? I have to think about this for a while.

All of these entries are amazing videos, ones I will watch multiple times throughout the years.

JoeyClutch's project has been in development for awhile. Phurion was telling me over a year ago about how crazy this guys clips were when he was originally going to edit. To see the final product, really blew me away. Some of the best competitive Halo 3 clips I've seen in a very long time and completely deserving of being in the top 3 videos this year. That being said I do put this video at 3rd place in my opinion,

B Sik is one of the most humble and supportive people in this community. He's like the wise old man in a kung fu movie. Sometimes he needs to show us youngsters how it's done and fuck us up...and that's what he did. His montage blew my nutsack backwards. Probably one of my favorite Halo CE montages of all time. If you have a general understanding of Halo CE then you'll know his knowledge of the game is incredible, and what he is doing takes so much fucking skill. Absolutely loved this video but this will be my 2nd place.

To pick this video as my favorite was difficult, but I knew deep down this is what I was going to choose. To me it was the most deserving. Not just as a single video, but taking into consideration his entire filmography, and montaging as a whole. I strongly felt like he needed this win. Maybe I'm bias. It's no secret he has been my biggest inspiration in making videos, and that can be said for a lot of people. He's one of the best montagers to ever do it and my personal favorite. His video was absolutely amazing. I've watched it multiple times since it's release and still get chills. My vote for 1st place went to the lightning sniper, Hyena.

 

I want to give a s/o to everyone who had something to do with this competition. I'm so happy we could get this organized one last time. THF is totally a dysfunctional family, but a family none the less. Some of you can be faggots but I still love you all. So, thank you to everyone on THF! It's been real.

Voted for Wizard.

I thought that Joey had amazing gameplay, but besides that glowing sticky nade I can't remember anything about the editing or even the soundtrack. It was smooth but it didn't stand out. It felt like a top tier Halo 3 montage, but nothing new. If someone asked me what year I thought it came out before knowing I wouldn't have guessed 2016.

B SiK was amazing, and I loved the editing and gameplay. Nothing much else to say. 2nd place for me.

Wizard just had more to it. It had emotion, a narrative. I could feel the satisfaction that Beau felt with each clip, and Halzred did a great job of showcasing that while also putting his own flair on the video. I could tell you the intro, the soundtrack, and the order of the clips after just one watch. It had a sticking quality to it, and that's hard to capture after 10,000 Halo 2 montages have been released.

 

Great job to everyone <3

 

 

I went with B Sik

I thought that video had the best overall gameplay and editing.

Wizard and JC were just as amazing as well. Honestly it was very hard to pick just one.

Congrats to all the finalists, you all had amazing videos!

Went with CE, the GP, editing and soundtrack were absolutely surreal to me, and that on the most difficult Halo, both to play and to edit (<- correct me if Im wrong)

What an amazing final hoo-rah from the community guys. Im so proud that we were able to go out with a bang this year, defying all the things that brought Halo to a downfall over the last half a decade.

Of course I would love to see a Movie Comp 2017, maybe on HiB? I mean common, Ishii is making an M9 ;)

Love you cunts <3

Had to go with B Sik all things considered.

Really wanted to give it to Beau just because when it comes to considering all the content Beau's produced over the last 2 years or so, nothing can truly compare to how mind-bending his stuff has been. He feels like the most-deserving candidate for first place. 

But when it comes to strictly the best video, I just thought B Sik's was a little better. I think we can all agree that it was pretty much flawlessly produced. The fact that it can attract a CE-illiterate like me to watch it over and over again like 15 times gives it a little more credibility in my mind. To me it had a lot of unique style transition-wise too. I know a lot of people felt Roots was more personal and captivating from a nostalgic perspective, but I can't really see why this wouldn't have a similar effect, and a little better gameplay to boot. The ending to the video and all those masked spartan transitions are pure beauty. I'm not sure what more could bring you back to the roots of halo more than watching those flawless scenes. That seemed far more breath-taking to me than most of Roots if we're comparing. There is not a single thing I can say I dislike about the video, and I can only think of things I love about it.

I can't quite say the same for Wizard. I thought Halzred's editing was very good and gave an epic feel to the gameplay. I especially loved the intro, and of course the gameplay was incredible. But some spots here and there just bothered me, especially the audio (which everyone has harkened on enough already). It feels kind of silly for me to choose a video over another in large part because of the audio, but it honestly annoyed me so much I can't ignore it. It bothers me every time I watch it, and when we get down to the end like this, little things matter as Swanky has already said. I just can't imagine a scenario when not locking to stretch the audio is ever a more desirable option than actually locking it. In general, slowing down Hyena's snipes is a bad idea anyways. I wanna see those fuckers at full speed coming at me hard and fast. That's like the hallmark of a Hyena vid to me - just constant rape that comes at you over and over again to where you're at a lost for words. While the video did a great job showing the clips in their fullness, it felt too slow-paced. 

If Death Machine were here, it would be a tougher choice. I thought Death Machine really felt like the Mastery of Halo 2 more so than Wizard, and most of all, it felt like a Hyena video. That's really what I wanted when it came down to it. Nothing against Halzred, but I wanted a video with the full Hyena experience, and that video gave it to me. I really felt that one was the winner for most of the competition, and I was very surprised when it lost out to Wizard. When it came right down to it, there was less wrong with it and the gameplay was better overall (it entertained me more, I can't really speak credibly on whether it was objectively better).

Joey Clutch was an amazing video, but I have a hard time picking a video to win the comp that I am not even sure is in the top 100 halo 3 montages of all time. If there were more clips of the caliber Joey had placed in the video, it might be in there. But it's an uphill battle trying to compete in a category of halo montaging that's produced so many unbelievable videos, especially when the editing, although flawless in its own way, lacks the style you get from the halo 3 montages  of the past. I voted for Fatrat's last year because I felt it was almost indisputably a Top 10 Halo 3 montage of all time (and a Top 5 one for me), but the same can't be said this year. 

All the people in this pool are very deserving of the reward though, and they've all been great assets to the community. Especially Beau. I voted based on what I thought was the best video given the options, but I doubt there is a person more deserving of this reward than Beau (even if he spends the whole lot of cash on alcohol and cigarettes lol). Thanks to all those who sacrificed to give us another competition this year. I realize it's a much less fruitful venture this time around, but it gives people like me something to enjoy during my free time if that's any consolation (probably not lol). Best wishes to the final 3.

Went with Combat Evolved. B really surprised me with the solid, minimalist but stylish edit and I can fully appreciate the GP.

I liked Death Machine more but it doesn't change the fact that Wizard has strong narrative and "feel". Halzred did amazing job with the edit.

Joey Clutch M1 was great but I felt it was too "safe". It's like a good pop song, but I've already heard it so many times.

Congratz to all, not just the people involved in the finals, but everyone who submitted a Halo montage to the contest in 2016!

Joey Clutch was an amazing video, but I have a hard time picking a video to win the comp that I am not even sure is in the top 100 halo 3 montages of all time.

I never really expected to win the contest and I'm not sure if I would put it in my top 20 but, come on, not sure it's in your top 100? Jfc.

Anyways, I voted for myself for obvious reasons but I prefer BSiK over Hyena. I hate H1 montages yet he got me to watch one dozens of times and I enjoyed it every time. Absolutely fantastic video. Wizard is great but I don't enjoy that kind of gameplay as much as I enjoy videos like Supreme Demonstration so it's hard for me to justify voting for it. The intro was really good but the editing was nothing special after that and the audio work was terrible. And nothing will ever beat H3 for me so there's a bit of bias there too lol.

Thanks to everyone who voted for me throughout the previous rounds. Very happy to have made it this far!

I would have to agree on Beau deserving the award most. But this isn't a popularity contest, or even which game we like best poll, it's a movie competition. I just can't get over the first time I watched Wizard, I had this very visceral feeling of being disappointed. Some of the gameplay was mindblowing, but not all of it, which is of course a ridiculous expectation for gameplay, even Hyena's. But the fact that Death machine was pound for pound better gameplay just bums me out. I honestly didn't like the presentation enough (audio was tinny and ugly all over the place) to justify voting for Wizard. I can't vote for an entry that made me feel disappointed after the first watch. The first time I watched Joey H3M1 by contrast, I was captivated, and thought that we might've had a movie comp. winner. I didn't get that feel from Wizard, and that (among a few other things) is why I can't see myself voting for Wizard.

B Sik on the other hand just had this charm for me, from the first time I watched the opening shots of the spartan over the riffs of that funky guitar thing. I knew all the way through that this was a CE montage that I would actually be able to watch, as a non-CE literate and someone who hasn't seen a lot of CE montages, that's pretty special.

 

I'm between Joey Clutch and B Sik and I haven't decided yet.

Went with HYENA's wizard.

The clips were so good, it wasn't just sniping, it added cool variation

Hyena you are a beast

I would have to agree on Beau deserving the award most. But this isn't a popularity contest, or even which game we like best poll, it's a movie competition. I just can't get over the first time I watched Wizard, I had this very visceral feeling of being disappointed. Some of the gameplay was mindblowing, but not all of it, which is of course a ridiculous expectation for gameplay, even Hyena's. But the fact that Death machine was pound for pound better gameplay just bums me out. I honestly didn't like the presentation enough (audio was tinny and ugly all over the place) to justify voting for Wizard. I can't vote for an entry that made me feel disappointed after the first watch. The first time I watched Joey H3M1 by contrast, I was captivated, and thought that we might've had a movie comp. winner. I didn't get that feel from Wizard, and that (among a few other things) is why I can't see myself voting for Wizard.

B Sik on the other hand just had this charm for me, from the first time I watched the opening shots of the spartan over the riffs of that funky guitar thing. I knew all the way through that this was a CE montage that I would actually be able to watch, as a non-CE literate and someone who hasn't seen a lot of CE montages, that's pretty special.

 

I'm between Joey Clutch and B Sik and I haven't decided yet.

I don't think you should ever judge something off first impressions. If you are anything like me its almost natural to feel disappointed watching Hyena's GP because I'm always expecting ridiculous gameplay. After letting it sink in and paying more attention I appreciate the montage more and more the longer I think about it. Which is unique because I don't really view any other montage in that manner. It either blows me away and the feeling depreciates with subsequent watches or I don't like it from the beginning and subsequent watches doesn't add anything for me. 

I get where you are coming from on the GP perspective, but Wizard hands down has the best presentation here and I don't think its something that should be easily overlooked. It adds a lot to re-watchability where as I don't think I'd be watching some of the entries nearly as much as I would come back to Wizard in the future. Not that the other two in the final are slouches in this regard. I just think it adds a lot of value to his montage. 

If you go back and look at Neurosis' top 100, there are around 40 videos I would remove from that top 100 in favor of my own preferences, despite the fact that nearly all of the videos in that specific top 100 are worthy candidates to me. That's around 140 videos that are up for consideration at the least. You are likely much more aware than me even of just the sheer number of astounding Halo 3 montages. I tend to have a strong affection for halo 3 social gameplay just as much as competitive, and I'm not sure how similar we are on that.

I guess I just thought it was debatable having thought about it like that. Having rethought it, I vastly overstated I think. It definitely belongs in there at least at the halfway point objectively speaking. I was reminiscing on too many videos that I would place ahead of it because I felt more invested in their personality - particularly a lot of social montages I enjoyed more that aren't objectively better by most standards. So the short answer is you're right to criticize; it's better than I gave it credit for.

My thoughts on the three finalists

B Sik - I'm not an expert on H1 montages, so my opinion on this montage is kind of irrelevant. The one thing I can get into is the editing and the vibe of the montage and I think of these 3, Combat Evolved is the best. A lot of the elements he uses have been used to death, like the slowing down of a clip at the end to emphasize or hit a sync, but he's done it so well that I don't care. The music is perfect for the vibe he's created. I'm torn on the gameplay because on one hand it's super impressive to me to see so many spawn sticks and spawn snipes, but on the other hand he sets it up so that he goes through each type of clip in sections. It's impressive that he has hit so many clips like this, but then again it also feels like the same clips are being repeated over and over. In any case, B Sik's game knowledge is insane. His timing, his accuracy, his prediction ability - it's all off the charts. Again, I didn't really play H1 so I can't relate, but spawn sticking kids, nading the sniper to yourself and some of the tricks he pulls off seem so insane to me. It's also unreal that he hit all these clips in 2v2s (I feel like this is true, but correct me if I'm wrong), though that also limits his variety as well. It's a really enjoyable montage but the feeling that I need to break these three down makes it hard to sound positive about it. So I should clarify that I do love this montage.

Hyena - If this was the first time we'd ever seen this montage, it'd probably blow the competition out of the water. Hyena is the GOAT of Halo montages at this point. Sure, there are tons of other amazing montagers, but how often do you hear someone refer to someone's clips being Dutchy-like, Kampy-like or Phurion-like. Yes, it happens, but not like it does with Hyena. Lightning sniping is a thing so many people have tried to imitate it's ridiculous. Now we've got so many montages that play on 10 sens and shit, it almost cheapens all of the clips that are Hyena inspired. The point is that he's really not competing against B Sik and JoeyClutch, but he's competing against himself. A lot of people have pointed out that they prefer Death Machine and that's fair, but I think Wizard is the better package because as much as I like to see Hyena's insane snipes, I prefer a mix of unique game-breaking shit and his nasty sniping and Wizard has more of that. In some senses, he's guilty of the same thing as B Sik with repeated use of similar clips (example, the instasplode frags), but like B Sik it's just insane to see how well he's mastered that aspect of the game. I really enjoyed Halz'z edit on this, too. I know it doesn't feel the same as Hyena's own edits, but he does an incredible job and I think the atmosphere of this montage also pushes it above Death Machine. Damn, though, have you seen Exorcist? I feel like that might even be better.

JoeyClutch - I'm not going to pretend I'm not biased because H3 is my game and I also really like this montage because it's the most relatable because I've played high level MLG (sure, I never got a 50, but I played people like Joey all the time) and I can understand how insane it is to hit these clips at such a high level. Joey's gameplay really is insane, though. It's a completely different style than B Sik or Hyena. B Sik's clips are all about game knowledge, Hyena is about flashiness. Joey's clips, perhaps because playing against him he was always about the win, are more situational. They are amazing clips that come from natural ability coming out through the course of a game as opposed to going out and trying to hit clips. Fatal's edit is very functional and it lets the clips shine in a nice atmosphere, but I agree with those that say it feels a bit too safe. Originally I didn't think that, but it hasn't stuck with me the same way the edits from B Sik and Halz have. 

It also feels like Joey was matched up against Evadur and Hyena was matched up against himself, so B Sik was able to move through because the next best H1 effort from PFrenzy (I'm a huge PFrenzy fan, so this isn't meant as disrespect) couldn't really compete with it. This isn't to say I think it doesn't deserve to be in the finals, it's just an observation. I've commented on the fact that we ended up with 2 montages from the first three Halos in the final 6 and then 1 from each Halo in the finals, but this also comes into play. The longer these games are out, the more people are pushing towards the older games. Halo 1 clips and Halo 5 clips are so different and while I don't necessarily jump on board with hating H5 just because I don't like playing it, seeing H1 and H2 clips is really enjoyable because they feel like more pure Halo clips and it's great to see those games still getting attention. That being said, H3 clips have been incredibly cheapened by MCC thanks to it's shitty system that allows people to search Snipers and get clips every single game by playing against shitty kids, so to see level 50 MLG clips, clips that we will never see again unless they're released by some other god from the playlists heyday, is incredibly refreshing.

The upshot of all this is that I'll probably vote for JoeyClutch because I'm biased, but all three are insanely good and for different reasons and all three should be compensated for the amount of entertainment they provided. Also, mad props to everyone who submitted. There were so many great montages that didn't get a lot of attention - special mention to Phantoms, Nokt/RT, Ingenuity, Holmbolm, Sucky/Hashbrown, Piano Frenzy and Evadur.

EDIT: I just watched the part in Wizard where he melees the sticky with the butt of the rifle. This is real tough.

 

 

Wizard has my vote for sure.

Joey clutches montage was awesome as well.

-Art

Eh, I think the first impression of a montage is a huge factor in how good it is. Wizard starts off really well, I really cannot describe how much I love that intro sequence (it's fucking incredible) but I really can't get over how disappointed I felt as the video went on, especially when comparing it to videos like Mastery/Supreme Demonstration. 

It also really depends on what type of gameplay you prefer.  I just prefer pure displays of skill over tricks/glitches and unique kills. As a result, Wizard doesn't have much replay value for me because I don't find clips like the ones where he gets people to shoot his grenade or the kills through walls entertaining. They're neat the first time I see them but I don't really enjoy them much during future playthroughs (except for that grenade melee lol). On the other hand, clips like Dutchy's 1v4 flagstop, Hyena's icicle jump 2v2 triple, or Joey's trocity really stick with me for much longer. I don't really enjoy Ingenuity for similar reasons.

Also, many of you are mentioning that a downside of Joey's video was that my edit was safe (which it was, not denying that) but what makes B's edit any riskier lol? It's pretty similar to mine; basic angles leading into title text, ambient music, basic syncing and cuts, lets the gameplay shine. It actually really reminds me of this edit from FGW (or, more accurately, his edit reminds me of B's lol).

The ending of CE kind of sets it apart, at least to some extent imo. In general, there appears to be a little more work, thought, and time involved in the angles and editing throughout CE as well. Of course, that's at least debatable. But it seems to me B Sik spent more time on developing a real concept that was well-thought-out and executed. 

Both edits have similar styles, "ambience music" as you said. Not too much different on the whole, so can't really argue beyond the above.  

Voted For Joey's. I have a bias towards Halo 3 but over all the montages IMO it had the best gameplay and editing that showcased that gameplay. 

Always hated comparing social and MLG gameplay, MLG clips are 100 times harder to get then social, especially 50 high MLG. It's why i always thought fatrats didn't deserve to be number 1 in the last competition but that's my opinion and everyone has there own. 

It also really depends on what type of gameplay you prefer.  I just prefer pure displays of skill over tricks/glitches and unique kills. As a result, Wizard doesn't have much replay value for me because I don't find clips like the ones where he gets people to shoot his grenade or the kills through walls entertaining. They're neat the first time I see them but I don't really enjoy them much during future playthroughs (except for that grenade melee lol).

Also, many of you are mentioning that a downside of Joey's video was that my edit was safe (which it was, not denying that) but what makes B's edit any riskier lol? It's pretty similar to mine; basic angles leading into title text, ambient music, basic syncing and cuts, lets the gameplay shine. It actually really reminds me of this edit from FGW (or, more accurately, his edit reminds me of B's lol).

Reducing wizard to a bunch of tricks is a disservice to the video. You should rewatch the video and absorb the rest of the more natural gameplay, because there is plenty there to keep anyone satisfied. You're talking about literally some of the BEST halo 2 clips, social or competitive, and writing them off as a sidebar which is ridiculous. 

 

I think it's a little ridiculous to call out B in defense of your own video. What makes it different has nothing to do with the editing in your respective videos, it has everything to do with your demeanor (which does not offend me for the record). You heavily critique editing, you wage wars with guys like blackout over the merits of editing. Overall you rate yourself higher than i think most other players would rate you as an editor - I don't mean this offensively, i'm just explaining what i see and i think a lot of people would agree with me. You style yourself as an editor whereas B does not. Which would you expect more from? The guy constantly talking and critiquing about editing or a man who has literally not said one thing about his own editing skills and has made the effort to avoid any such discussion that would put him in a position where his vanity would be evident? 
i went through some similar growing pains both with editing and gameplay. Again, just to be clear, i don't think you're a bad editor and i don't want to give the impression with anything i said that i think i'm better than you in any way because i don't think that. The reality is that B would never make a statement like the one you just made (Because he doesn't see editing the way you do) and assuming that people's impression of you as a forum member or person doesn't influence a vote is just ridiculous. 

I think there is a clear winner here. I won't tell you which montage i picked, but I'll tell you which montage i think deserves third place.

Joey's Halo 3 Montage 1 is not in my top two. The editing is very clean in regards to transitions, syncs, etc., but the flow and the pace of the montage are completely off. I've already described in detail why i think this; you can find my thoughts on this matter in my essay on flow and in my critique of zhestal's Dlongo montage. I won't go into detail about it here since i've already shared my thoughts about it. I was watching the montage with such interest until it completely threw me off. It could have been great, but, in my opinion, falls short of top two.

If you even care what i say, in most cases i doubt it (which is fine), read those two critiques and then watch the montage again.

 

edit: The two critiques can be found in my signature.

i'm wit sk0ls on this one

I wouldn't give this montage the exact same critique, but it's a similar one. I'm just paraphrasing part of my Dlongo critique here for those that don't want to click through.

 

 

Dlongo Critique; second bulletin.

"It's starting to feel like I've watched multiple montages in the same video; they just have the same color grading. After each song we get a pause, black screen, and then a new song starts and another chapter montage begins... then turns to the gameplay the exact same way the previous part happened... the pace of this montage is like this - starts in the lowest of valleys, ends on the highest peak. Now this isn't bad. Every montage needs peeks and valleys. We can't always be way up or down. However, in this case, it's too drastic and too regular... "

 

No Question: All 3 videos have the right to win this contest. Joeys tage might be the last big h3 mlg video, hyenas gameplay is absurd as always but my heart is with B SiK. It's just a perfect video in my opinion.

Like I mentioned, I'm comparing Wizard to Hyena's previous videos. It's impossible for me to watch it and not think of Mastery/Supreme Demo which is why I don't find it very satisfying to watch.

I wasn't trying to call B out nor am I defending my edit. I know my edit was safe, that's how I like my videos. I was just curious as to why my edit being safe is a downside when B's edit is also pretty safe, which you've provided the reason for (people expect more from someone who identifies as an editor).

"you wage wars with guys like blackout over the merits of editing"

Guys? Blackout is pretty much the only person I've argued with on this forum since I got back into the THF community and that's because he's a fucking moron. He's an objectively bad editor yet consistently insults other editors to try and make himself seem amazing.

I don't think that I rate myself very highly. I see myself as an consistent editor who releases solid videos but nothing incredible or creative. I'd like to think that I have the basics down (syncing, flow, angles, etc.) but none of my videos go above expectations editing-wise, which is why they all feel safe. I'm not particularly creative when it comes to the structure/story of a video and inexperienced with VFX too so I wouldn't place myself anywhere near the top.

Anyways, I see your point. I didn't think I came off as arrogant or as someone who rates himself very highly so I'll try working on that lol.

EDIT: Also, Valiant, I completely see your point. I thought of some cool ideas for the transition between the first and second song but it was pretty much impossible for me to actually produce with Halo's theater mode and I eventually gave up trying to capture the angle and faded it out. It's definitely one of the biggest downsides of the video (and a negative in all my longer videos in general). It's why I think my shorter videos tend to be my strongest edits (Trunks' mini is my best edit imo).

I don't think that I rate myself very highly. I see myself as an consistent editor who releases solid videos but nothing incredible or creative. I'd like to think that I have the basics down (syncing, flow, angles, etc.) but none of my videos go above expectations editing-wise, which is why they all feel safe. I'm not particularly creative when it comes to the structure/story of a video and inexperienced with VFX too so I wouldn't place myself anywhere near the top.

this is the first thing you ever directed towards me when i told llama i would edit for him for free and try my best:
https://gyazo.com/398eb36d93090dbf8564d206dedecc78 

I'm no editing god, and I rarely put my best foot forward but I also know that i'm a capable editor. Why you felt the need to reduce the projects i've made and the gesture i made on behalf of llama is still beyond me. It is what it is - I only bring it up because it happens to be a great example of what i was referring to in my post.

 

I don't see how what you quoted has anything to do with what I said to you regarding Llama's video. He offered a decent amount of money and made it sound like he was looking for a really professionally done video and trailer which would take up a lot of time and require lots of work. I never claimed I could've done what he was asking for.  I figured he was obviously looking for someone really good, like Muggsy tier or something, or he would've just asked someone to edit for free instead of offering money. 

Posting my comment without the context just makes it look much worse than it actually was.

I'm gonna stop arguing, don't want to take over the thread with this.

I don't see how what you quoted has anything to do with what I said to you regarding Llama's video. He offered a decent amount of money and made it sound like he was looking for a really professionally done video and trailer which would take up a lot of time and require lots of work. I never claimed I could've done what he was asking for.  I figured he was obviously looking for someone really good, like Muggsy tier or something, or he would've just asked someone to edit for free instead of offering money. 

Posting my comment without the context just makes it look much worse than it actually was.

I'm gonna stop arguing, don't want to take over the thread with this.

I'm not arguing with you lol. You wanted answers and I gave them to you. If you don't like what you're hearing then that's not my problem, and playing dumb and pretending like you aren't aware of your own ego is literally the most egotistical thing you can do - that's coming from probably the biggest ego on this site. Takes one to know one i guess. 

Gave all of them another look since it had been a while but still can't choose. They are all 3 fantastic videos and I really can not pick one that I like more than the others. So congratulations to whoever wins but all of you made fantastic videos.

Eh, I think the first impression of a montage is a huge factor in how good it is. Wizard starts off really well, I really cannot describe how much I love that intro sequence (it's fucking incredible) but I really can't get over how disappointed I felt as the video went on, especially when comparing it to videos like Mastery/Supreme Demonstration. 

It also really depends on what type of gameplay you prefer.  I just prefer pure displays of skill over tricks/glitches and unique kills. As a result, Wizard doesn't have much replay value for me because I don't find clips like the ones where he gets people to shoot his grenade or the kills through walls entertaining. They're neat the first time I see them but I don't really enjoy them much during future playthroughs (except for that grenade melee lol). On the other hand, clips like Dutchy's 1v4 flagstop, Hyena's icicle jump 2v2 triple, or Joey's trocity really stick with me for much longer. I don't really enjoy Ingenuity for similar reasons.

Also, many of you are mentioning that a downside of Joey's video was that my edit was safe (which it was, not denying that) but what makes B's edit any riskier lol? It's pretty similar to mine; basic angles leading into title text, ambient music, basic syncing and cuts, lets the gameplay shine. It actually really reminds me of this edit from FGW (or, more accurately, his edit reminds me of B's lol).

I think you're ruining your chances posting with such disrespect to your own competition. It's one thing to criticize the entries from an unbiased viewpoint but to belittle the other entries for the good of your own videos chances is just wrong. This is the main reason I don't have motivation to create content anymore. The last year or two I feel like so many people in the community have an ego and lack respect for others, maybe this is because of the diminishing return for so much work put into videos, idk. Your comments certainly won't help you and Joey's chance of winning in a contest which is somewhat a popularity contest :P Anyways, good luck B and Hyena! This competition brought together a much bigger collection of amazing videos than I expected! <3

I agree that first impressions aren't everything, but they're something to be aware of when trying to objectively critique a montage (which to be fair, I rarely do. I think it's much better for the community when people compete against themselves rather than trying to compare others). But the THF movie comp directly calls for head to head comparisons, so here goes.

"It either blows me away and the feeling depreciates with subsequent watches or I don't like it from the beginning and subsequent watches doesn't add anything for me. "

^I'd agree with this generally, obviously with Hyena being one of the few exceptions. I'd disagree with you though, in that with each subsequent watch of Wizard, it's impossible for me not to feel underwhelmed with some of the clips, (namely some lightning snipe triples and a few sloppier clips like some of the nade shots) simply because we have all seen what Beau can get up to in other vids like Supreme Demonstration and Death Machine. These clips are sweet regardless, but just given what we know Hyena can do, they don't blow me away the way I'm accustomed to. Bonus points for including maps like the Derelict remake, and the best Burial Mounds clip of all time, but there are no doubt some clips didn't seem any different from Hyena's little vids GP, on either the first watch or the 6th. Part of why I feel the GP in this is weaker than DM is just the choice of what to include. I thought that several trick plays in the videos leading up to Wizard were much cooler than things that made it into this entry. Again, nitpicking, and every single clip in Wizard is solid. I just don't think it compares to the raw carnage of Joey Clutch or the charm of B Sik's clips.

From a presentation standpoint, Wizard isn't the best here. B's editing was simple and as peeps above were saying, charming due to B's skill without bragging. Fatal's edit on Joey's had some weird flow (mainly first transition) but was otherwise technically perfect (no weird audio glitches like Wizard). Wizard had an amazing first 1:20 or so, but from then on the edit just bugged me with constant rough edges that I felt could've been fixed fairly easily. I can't recall exactly, but there were issues beyond some lock to stretch shenanigans. Maybe someone can go back and read the video thread if they care about the nitty gritty.

In reply to Valiant, I would disagree there too. To me it's between Joey Clutch and B Sik for 1st and 2nd, and Wizard is firmly in 3rd place. Which way you go with that pretty much depends on implicit CE/H3 bias, and whichever type of gameplay you prefer. I'm still not entirely sure which way I'm going to go in that matchup. However, Wizard will probably win despite its flaws just bc Hyena's gameplay is in a league of its own, and tbh if anyone's going to win on not their best video, I'm happy it's Hyena.

In reply to Valiant, I would disagree there too. To me it's between Joey Clutch and B Sik for 1st and 2nd, and Wizard is firmly in 3rd place. Which way you go with that pretty much depends on implicit CE/H3 bias, and whichever type of gameplay you prefer. I'm still not entirely sure which way I'm going to go in that matchup. However, Wizard will probably win despite its flaws just bc Hyena's gameplay is in a league of its own, and tbh if anyone's going to win on not their best video, I'm happy it's Hyena.

I never said i was voting for Hyena; you seem so convinced he's going to win already. None of these montages come close to my favorite, but there is one montage that sticks out to me as a whole. I think people are really overrating Joey Clutch's montage (i'm not trying to insult either Joey or Fatal here). At the end of the montage i felt like it was just one long note on a keyboard being held down the entire time. I felt that if i stopped watching the montage after the first song i wouldn't have missed anything in terms of the way i felt after watching it. When i look to critique a montage in a contest like this where everyone isn't a top tier editor, i look at the flow. I do this because anyone can work with the flow of a montage while not everyone will have the best editing or the best gameplay. Flow is what makes a montage; it makes it cohesive and gives it purpose.