Hey guys,

Recently on the Midori Days review I got a few comments about my reviewing style, normally I would just ignore it and move on but because it sparked a small discussion and it's rare that I get any comments about my style as is I felt like trying to get a larger opinion from you guys.

Here's the original comment from the review:


Which got followed up by:


Now here's the explanation of why there is less clips in the Midori Days review compared to something like, I don’t know, The Ergo Proxy review. There is a big chunk of my reviews that exist where I was unable to be in a place where I could film myself in any capacity which lead to many reviews just having my voice and clips / images to accompany it. The reason why I don't do that anymore is because A) I actually CAN film, B) Finding clips that are just there to fill in space and not help prove a point take a lot longer to find and edit then filming would take and finally C) Copyright Issues.
Now I know that there is a little thing called Fair Use and more likely than not my work would be covered under that but because I am not a lawyer, and I am a Canadian citizen not an American one (which means American Fair Use law may not apply to me and I am unsure of how our Canadian equivalent works) I feel the need to play it safe most of the time so I don't end up stepping on many toes.

Generally in the last little while I've done my best to keep the amount of Copyrighted Footage (Anime Clips) to a minimum, so generally anywhere between 2 - 3 ish minutes for a 10 minute review. Just enough to show examples of the show that I am focusing on for that week but not so much as to completely intrude on anyone's copyrights. I also make sure to give full credit, hence the title and copyright info that is displayed when I show clips.

Now with that in mind, I would be quite willing to find a way to incorporate more clips as safely as possible if there is an outcry for it. I say this because I make these reviews for you guys, so that you can get some informative content and (hopefully) be entertained in some fashion. So if you guys want me to use more clips I can use more clips.

You can use the Poll above to give me your thoughts anonymously or post a reply for more detailed thoughts (Or both, which is perfectly fine ) Sorry for the text dump everyone, have a good week and stay frosty!

- Ark

Honestly mate it's all up to you.

I feel like discussing this even though I could totally skype you this very instant.

Knowing the whole "fair use" thing, I would say keep doing what you're doing. Your reviews are really the most "legal" of all the Brigade's, and I respect that. As long as you give enough clips to back up your point, people should realize that they're watching you for your opinion and a short preview, not a trailer for the anime.

Just my two cents!

is it wrong that I want more william?

Also ark, what your doing is fine. Legal issues about clips aside, acting hammy in front of a camera is what you do best and is what I like to see

I don't have a problem with what you're doing now. But, in the end, it's your choice wether or not you want to change you format.

You've been able to back up your opinion without relying on a plethora of clips, and for that I must say good job, sir. Your delightfully hammy performances are more than enough to carry the review, and if the style works, then it doesn't need fixing. :3

I'll admit I haven't been keeping up with much of your reviews lately but this idea first popped into my mind while I was watching your Read or Die OVA review which in my opinion was "too much talking and not enough showing."

While talking can be enough to get the points across that you want to get, more often than not its better to show people rather than just say it because that way your point will stick in their mind better than it would if you just voiced your opinion.

Here's a proverb to prove my point.

“Tell me and I will forget, show me and I
may not remember, involve me and I will
understand”

Anyone can easily talk in front of a camera saying why they think something is good or bad, it takes another kind of person to show by example to explain what they mean, and a true kind of person to be able to compare and contrast examples of shows that have done better or worse.

I'm not saying what your doing is bad I'm just saying its something that is worth improving on so that you can stand out more in our minds instead of being someone who just talks in front of the screen for an entire video.

Vixen currently doesn't have a camera so she can't film any of her segments but her reviews still have lots of praise and too my knowledge no one has shown any dislike to the style that she is using.

I think you should use as many clips as necessary to illustrate your points clearly and concisely. No more. No less.

The amount of visual evidence necessary for meaningful analysis changes from show to show so I don't think it's necessarily a good idea to arbitrarily choose a percentage or fixed amount of footage. Simply put, use what you need.

I find the funniest bits of your reviews are when you are on camera.

I think the clips should be shown when you're being more analytical and providing evidence for your points.

I myself am not sure how (digital) copyright laws work north of the border--if anything i presumed, quite possibly incorrectly, that said copyright regulations were a tad more lenient in Canada than they currently are in the States. However, as i started noticing your use of fewer clips per review than before in your more recent vids, I actually started to wonder if in fact Canadian copyright laws are close to being as strict as the proposed SOPA & PIPA laws would have been in the US. Regardless, I figured that your less frequent use of clips had _something_ to do with erring on the side of caution as far as said laws were concerned.

Granted your "new" format took some getting used to, as the format of your peers @ D2B are still quite clip-heavy (in comparision anyway). But i've gotten used to it...not anticipating how quickly SOPA & PIPA would get crushed in Congress (at least for now), i resigned myself to the possibility that if worst came to worst (and those two laws were to actually pass), Glass Reflection would be an ideal template for the other D2B reviewers to follow with their respective "shows." The main purpose of those shows would not have been altered or adversely impacted...to primarily inform anime enthusiasts of other anime series to check out or avoid.
After all, the purpose of Glass Reflection, KitSuki, and Anime Dissection is not a showcase for AMVs.



The Kitsune's observation is astute as always. Heck, even the platinum standard, the review show that pretty much set the bar for every legitimate review-format program on any medium and FOR any medium--the original Siskel & Ebert--was never clip-intensive and was never intended to be, pretty much (i'll guess) for the reasons aforementioned above, among others. So in conclusion, Glass Reflection's current format is satisfactory--it stays "legal," but still serves its primary goal...to let us, the viewers, know what anime we should like, love & steer clear of, plain & simple.