A commentary on FMVs

Hello, friends! More content from Bashful Bi today, and this time, it will be my opinion on BL FMVs, or fan-made music videos. Typically, BL FMVs portray the relationship between one (or sometimes more) couple(s) in a BL show through select scenes from that series, and they have a song playing as the scenes are shown, exactly like a music video. They're made by fans of the show and the couple, who are often amateur filmmakers, which occasionally leads to these kinds of video being taken down from YouTube for copyright reasons.

For me, FMVs posted on YouTube are the way I most commonly discover new shows to watch. I have my YouTube search history turned off on my account, because it got to the point where I was embarassed to lend any of my devices to other people when they needed to use that app. So, basically, to find new inspiration to watch a show, I type "bl fmvs" into the search bar, click on a random playlist or video that comes up, and allow the black hole of YouTube to do the rest. When the characters in an FMV pique my interest, I find the BL series name in the description, the video, or sometimes even the video comments, and search for it online to read its premise and reviews. If I'm still intrigued, I watch it, and then I review it here, and the process repeats itself.

FMVs are almost like trailers for a show, and some edits can look almost as professionally well done as an official teaser or an actual music video. Sure, some of the ones I've found look like someone just spliced together some of their favorite scenes in an iMovie template and overlayed some nice music, but others stand as 2-minute works of art. There are a lot of factors, in my opinion, that make an FMV enticing:

1. Music that matches the mood of the FMV. A sad ballad doesn't really vibe with a video centered on cutesy cuddling, and an upbeat song clashes with constant scenes of arguing. This seems pretty self-explanatory, but I've nonetheless encountered videos that have missed this mark.

2. Scenes cut to match the music. As a lifelong dancer and musician, it just bothers me when one scene cuts to another between rhythmic beats, or when cuts are made without regards to the music's meter. I get the feeling of trying to run with a backpack when that happens: my bouncing up and down as I run is out of sync with my backpack bouncing up and down on my back, which makes it harder to run quickly and efficiently. If you've studied physics, you'd know this is called wave interference; if you've ever had to run for a bus after school, you'd know it sucks like hell. Basically, cutting between scenes off of the rhythm of the music is wave interference between what I see and what I hear, and it sucks like hell. It's also mad dope when scenes cut on a downbeat--you'll know it if you see it.

3. A storyline within the FMV. This doesn't necessarily even have to be the actual storyline of the characters in the show, but some sort of logical development in the overarching order of the scenes. At least for me, I like to know what's happening between people--I'm not just here for the smut. While I could have easily typed "hot guys kissing," or something like that, into the YouTube search bar (remember, my search history is off), I typed "bl fmv" instead. I want things to make sense. Maybe that's why I'm a science major.

4. Good taste in the video filter. Too heavy of a filter draws too much attention away from the actual content of the FMV, which is ultimately what I'm here for. It's like slathering tons of makeup on your face for a driver's licence photo, and then being unrecognisable when you're pulled over. For me, beyond the aesthetic appeal, an FMV is a source of information for me to decide if I want to watch a show or not. However, I do understand that this can sometimes be utilized to mask the scenes from the algorithms used to detect the sharing of copyrighted materials on the internet, so I guess a heavy filter might be a necessary evil sometimes.

5. NOT NECESSARILY the goodness of the show or the characters' relationship. If any of you have ever heard the saying that "a film is made in post-production," it holds true for amateur video editing too. I've edited a little bit myself for various school projects, and the power you have even in basics like iMovie is incredible. You can cut up and color some seriously crappy footage into a fantastic finished product with very little actual knowledge or skill. The key is choosing and arranging scenes in a way that makes the show and the characters' relationship look good. As an FMV creator, you elect what you do and don't put into your video, as well as how. It's the viewer's choice whether to believe you or not.

Honestly, thought, many of these critera are more widely applicable to film in general, not just FMVs. I just looked through my notes from a film class I took at the very beginning of college, and the above list I randomly came up with just off the top of my head has quite a bit in common with them.

Anyway, if you're ever bored, I would definitely recommend hopping into a YouTube hole of BL FMVs. See if you agree with me. Better yet, find a good new show to watch!