Top 8 PMVs ~ March

I'm glad to see our site is all functional again, with extras too! Our little blog has reignited like the glorious rising sun and we will bask in its warmth until...
Yeah it's true, I just want some of Celestia's cakes. Eh, sue me!
Anyways we've got all the new code sorted out, 'hired' new contributors, Sonic30 is still alive and...
Oh damn!
Gotta do one of these now. Why so many PMVs? And why are they all so good!

It's that time again everypony. Come the end of each month I pick the eight best PMVs released that month and share them all with you guys!
It'd be easy if they weren't all amazing. Ah well, such as ponies. Find them all skulking after the break:


#8 Drive By ~ DILeakStudios


While short, I really enjoyed this animation. The song choice is brilliant with the hoof-tapping beat and the exciting lyrics. Silhouettes imposed over a shifting-hue background, really grab your attention, and that soft ring recurring with each beat just reinforces the electric feel of the song. Sometimes certain PMVs use a radial stretch for each beat, but this can be a little distracting, the ring in this animation is different, I would say; fun to follow, rather than distracting.
The chorus is fantastic, and is a perfect example of animations' potential energy. The lip syncing is almost perfect and I find myself swinging my head about like a madman when the 'Y's fly across the screen.
I wish the animation was longer, spanning the whole song, but other than that this is one entertaining PMV!

#7 Superhero


Damn PMVs, influencing my opinions all the time. I'm pretty impartial to Rainbow Dash, but this PMV just suits her perfectly. Normally I get tired of effect overlays that are always on, but as usual, there are exceptions. You may notice a slight blur along the edges of the video, as well as a soft light flare. I dunno, it seems to keep my attention toward the center of the screen, acceptable. The timing here is great with different actions/events sequencing with the song's note or beats. The song choice itself also fits Rainbow Dash perfectly. And finally, a sonic rainboom that's allowed in a PMV, seriously they are EVERYWHERE, it's ok here 'cause Rainbow Dash 'n' stuff. Also, is it just me or does Rainbow look pretty darn cute when she's casually flying up (1:55), with those hooves tucked underneath... ahem, enough RD praise :)


#6 Escape ~ CaptainHoers


Right um, this... one. This is pretty darn awesome, if only I could... know... what I'm... watching? Nah, it's okay. One would have to have extensively watched a dozen or so Pony Tumblrs and read pretty much all of Homestuck, which is huge. Even then it's still meant to be pretty crazy. The art style is simple but there would have been a lot to draw and it looks fine anyway. Besides, a dream is pretty much equal to magic in an 'explains anything' sense. And it's definitely a dream sequence, being as trippy as a Joss Whedon dream sequence.
Sure, I may not have a clue what's going on, but it looks cool! Crazy boss fights everywhere, references each second, 'splosions left right and center and Spitfire's flying on a lucky Winona dragon!


#5 Daddy Discord ~ MadameLeFlour


Well I never thought I'd never describe Screwball as being adorable, but here it is:
Screwball is adorable! The opening of this PMV is super suspenseful, made me shiver the first time. The use of material is so much more important than the material itself, and the PMV perfectly demonstrates that. Except for a few minor scenes, I'm pretty sure this video doesn't use any original footage, it's all just vectors with minimal animation. But it still works!
I think the nature of the song helps support the static portrayal. Neat little effects like the transition from the stain-glass window to outside the maze, really sell this PMV. It's mostly Screwball and Discord exchanging verses, usually while Screwball is jumping around. Also, try to find where Screwball is just an edited Pinkie Pie!

#4 Promise The Moon ~ ThrashChrist


D'AAAAAAAW, Twilight, why you so awkward?
Anywho, the transitions in this are, I think, the strongest point, except the presence of Princess Luna of course. There's also a tonne of neat editing in this too. It's smooth and flows along with the song. There's some really nice Typography in certain parts of the video, sometimes a little out-of-place.
Basically the PMV spins the song around Twilight investigating the mysterious moon myths, whilst slowly falling for the Moon Princess herself. TeeHee, so cute! Or rather... ahem, emotionally er, pleasing...
The panning effects that help keep the PMV's momentum coupled with the inventive transitions really kept me engaged, and sometimes pleasantly surprised me. Especially that sun transition. Twilight's and Luna's feelings and emotions are portrayed perfectly using some of the best sequences form the show, as well as the use of community made images.

#3 Dr.Adorkable Twilight's Freeze Ray ~ jhaller2


If you haven't seen Dr.Horrible's Sing-a-long blog, go watch it right now! Or at least, after this.
Everything that I can find to critique in this PMV is already brilliant. The timing, the lip-syncing, the framing and pacing, everything! Again, Twilight is best source material! All the tiny little lyric quirks and inflections of the voice are flawlessly reflected in the PMVs editing and timing. The transitions are unique and seamless. The framing and use of the base material is inventive, humorous and playful.
Twilight's freeze spell is used to switch the video alongside the line of the song whilst simultaneously suiting the lyrics, bah, so good and yet still not number 1!

How does this happen?

#2 Sweet Apple Acres ~ epicdarkwizard12


Blast! Even better syncing and framing! I'm running out of funky words to describe these awesome PMVs! We've got 4 minutes of inventive effects, overlays, synchronisation, timing and framing here. All the best Applejack moments are used here, perfectly fitting MandoPony's lyrics. Dynamic use of a fall-weather themed landscape frame keeps the shape of the PMV in flux.
The pacing of the video parallels the song and it shifts from the verses to the choruses and back again. I can literally see Applejack singing the words alongside MandoPony! This PMV also has one of the best, if not the best example of layering I've seen. Whilst the chorus is running, there's the bottom layer (the one panning across the 'Iron Pony' field) and the top layer, with ponies doing... things. In the last chorus we see Apple Acres itself in the background. The thing is, I can't get over how great this looks, usually I see layering that doesn't tessellate at all and it doesn't look good, but this looks fantastic, with the perfect transparency for each layer.
During the bridge we see Applejack's cutiemark pulsing with the beat, with mor-m-m-more ponies piling in around it, arg, so good!

#1 Never Back Down Typography ~ X-90


Whoa! I'd have never thought that a Typography could take the top spot, but here we are, and it is so deserving!
This PMV is just mind-blowing in every sense. One could not fathom words looking this good.
Everything is explained a lot more in detail here, but I'll do a little cover of it.
This video just screams uniqueness, there is not one part of it similar to another. Every line is different, and you find your eyes are moving along some crazy pony roller-coaster.
The words themselves mirror the ecstatic feel to the song, flowing with longer, smooth sentences or snapping along with short, sharp lines.
Sometimes I find myself chasing the words across the screen, or swaying to and fro with the rolling lyrics. It may be overused but this PMV is just epic
ALL OF IT IN ONE SCENE! So much rendering...


Well there you go folks, another painstakingly filtered Top 8. These are getting harder and harder, but I did learn how to embed flash files, so woo! I hope I didn't ramble on too much. Also I HATE April Fools! Rarg! Don't forget to check out the too close's, because they are all great, support the artists etc.

Anthem
Little Dreams
Never Back Down
pony_tiem.mp4
Sleepymare
Strength (Horses of the Unseen)
Vanilla Twilight
✭ρ♏V ✭ ~ ♪♬ ~ в ℓ σ ω ~ ♪♬ || ∂αяк нσσƒ ѕтυ∂ισѕ ❤ |

EDIT: Oh also, I forgot to mention: A few different things I omit while compiling these Top 8s, videos/animations from a series I don't include because they're always great anyway, and the series can be taken as a whole and everypony knows 'em. So videos like Friendship is Witchcraft, Thinking With Portals, Pony.movs and the like are all awesome anyway, so there's no need for me to reiterate. Also and media videos pertaining to the production of other media, like game previews and animated storyboards etc.

Soggy Out!