SpiderMad
Smash Master
- Joined
- May 6, 2012
- Messages
- 4,968
Useful Prior Reading: http://smashboards.com/threads/to-all-aspiring-combo-video-makers.213484/
I read this back in 2010 or so and it inspired me to make combo videos along with watching many great combo videos themselves that drew me and others alike into loving the game.
My Combo videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhJUOzWK05k&index=1&list=PLovBMkMLex7wTISMgGxSMBt7vcLpeX4Gs
Even after creating a dozen or more so far that have held some great moments and memories, it's only recently that I'm learning what it takes to strive for making a great combo video. Saving the best of clips, and finding the best of original inspiring music and host of minor unique editing ideas to explore and accompany it.
Creating a Combo Video
Use Sony Vegas or Adobe Premiere, or for Mac you can use Final Cut Pro
Good clips in good quality [An amazing combo video is better than two good ones]
Good music in good quality [The song IS the video as much as the clips are]
At least a few transitions
Usually at least one effect but not too many
Intro and Ending in some shape or form
Inspiration Playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qYr13bLv80&list=PLovBMkMLex7y0xboPZJ8ZALzhluFPH3AN
Keep creating short combo videos with yours and others recorded clips and you'll get better and know the right transitions to use and develop a style to your work: each combo video creator has distinct styles to their craft just as the combos themselves do. If you're constantly editing clips you've performed yourself or along with your friends/crew, you'll know what kind of tempo the overall video should go towards and what songs and transitions to use to match your/someone's style of play. Eventually you'll feel when you're ready to work hard and filter only the best of clips to make an amazing moderate length combo video. Most of the renowned great combo videos of Brawl and Melee were people's works far later after having created many decent but unnoticed ones prior.
Transitions: There's a ton to use
- Gallo likes using a specific blur warp out one often and usually to ease between dark and light stages https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxy7kVzJbAA
- Prog favors more of a fadeout one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPbVqAzD7lg
- AriqueNuubs has a few different ones based on the ending situation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYgopUL8kk8#t=392
- Having almost none at all is still a tried and true Melee way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPlP4zvX0lQ
There's also more obscure things like zoom-ins used a couple times here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyp5GwI07VU and here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2nClt2NBps#t=53
Learn from combo videos that suck. Don't go overboard with anything, like tilts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wm0R7vdlOk (there's often a better and more creative alternative to accomplish the same feel to match the music and such, like less nauseating water/aura effects to follow Lucario throughout the transitions and such) and ones like these https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ids3nhCgzRg are just so bad and should inspire you to not do what he did.
Music is the heart of the video, go for something inspiring.
Don't use lame music. This song is almost great but it's gay/shallow at the same time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQj-e9odbsg.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yKYGpZpHMk This has a low quality song besides it being a little obscure to match Westballz; it's actually decent until the dubstep sections (which again are in low quality making them accomplish nothing). DaShizWiz chose the most gruelingly long same patterned song for his video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vHxXE6VmJE
-Great use of a quirky song for beginning, but don't use Eminem as too many videos have https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJJTP0ZH3Oo
-Long lost music no one has heard before can be inspiring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDPBoj-jBKE
-Classical https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6drq0809VGs
-Old mainstream classics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXy8WWrH4w8 and this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyBYSSsuWUo
- Nice music work all around https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQwhFwVMGOU
-Overall Amazing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPlP4zvX0lQ
Intros/Endings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eOAkXBjAsI Masked in objects (has yet to be done in a Smash video EDIT: Guy finally did with CF & Falco on FD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obsLnZF7gWM )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4buBaC1_Dn0 Dolphin recorded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXd1jQVlAUo Dolphin recorded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA6PJVxK2rM Dolphin recorded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGTWI2f6AIE Signature Intro/Ending of any Vectorman created combo video
Non-intro/Ending clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW3TluyP6MQ#t=14 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW3TluyP6MQ#t=43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI7OQiRRaY4 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI7OQiRRaY4#t=109
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYgopUL8kk8#t=392 AriqueNuubs
Replays allow you to change the angle of the camera in many different ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI7OQiRRaY4#t=117 Too obscure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQfq78B7Edw#t=312 Decent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgvYLNGtYK8#t=29 Good (Gallo's videos often make use of this)
Subtle lighting/coloring effects
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJdaOMcepwo#t=38 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShM11mV7wMI#t=56 ) Small lens flare and color change to indicate Ike mode activated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA2qyu8xWP8 First clip the Third F-smash is gold colored, and the 1st Up-b is gold colored.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYgopUL8kk8#t=56 Ariquenuubs again.
Background overlays/effects
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7JsFY-5kow Tron effect behind video (could also use anything like a rendered water effect)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxy7kVzJbAA Edge Blurring (Gallo loves this) (also seen in AriqueNuubs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYgopUL8kk8#t=387 )
Two combos done in same match
- if short let duration between the two combos: possibly just let it play out
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA2qyu8xWP8#t=65 Certain effects like this can mask the skip forward in time though a little obscure
-otherwise some people (especially in Brawl combo videos) use speed-up to get to the second combo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDPBoj-jBKE#t=184
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwyWLqKckcs&list=UUdJM9q24Rgv50sj518wbN6Q#t=270
- if none of these can work out in a good fashion, just split the combos and chose to space them right after each other or much farther in the video to where you don't realize.
Subtle character connectivity (Stage/Location/Action/Movement/Color/Character)
This can happen a lot on accident, and it's sweet when it does and you notice it later
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA2qyu8xWP8#t=79 Ike moving to the right as Marth appears moving to the right
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ub2eoALL4U#t=11 Marth to Pit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ub2eoALL4U#t=87 Diddy Side-b's into an aggressive F-smash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA6PJVxK2rM#t=167 super effect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW3TluyP6MQ&list=PLovBMkMLex7wTISMgGxSMBt7vcLpeX4Gs#t=46 Spinning > Mario cape
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShM11mV7wMI&list=PLovBMkMLex7wTISMgGxSMBt7vcLpeX4Gs#t=33 DKs arms up when he jumps > Wario's up-tilt
Subtle music matching.
You don't have to have this happen at all by any means, the tempo of the music matching the overall gameplay is more important.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ub2eoALL4U#t=219 Pit's arrow and Falcon's knee (very subtle)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPlP4zvX0lQ#t=321 consecutive hits flowing with the up tempo
Subtle slow-down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDPBoj-jBKE#t=23
Sometimes having the clip's sound on. You can have the entire video have the clips sound on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AIAtAsfYZE but few videos do as it can distract from the music. Likewise, they become more of a "highlights" thing people are doing from Salty Highlights' popularity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbQ7uXZs2qE&list=PLweURmbsvp-QjqoPWvIHPQiMn8Dn12yQY which IMO isn't really close to a memorable combo video with corky lame music and mixed in corky fail clips.
Moments you might want the sound on in a true combo video are some clip during the Intro or Ending, as well as when someone is commentating the match, or during a move with some loud effect.
This guide will pry be updated once in a while until I get everything down
I read this back in 2010 or so and it inspired me to make combo videos along with watching many great combo videos themselves that drew me and others alike into loving the game.
My Combo videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhJUOzWK05k&index=1&list=PLovBMkMLex7wTISMgGxSMBt7vcLpeX4Gs
Even after creating a dozen or more so far that have held some great moments and memories, it's only recently that I'm learning what it takes to strive for making a great combo video. Saving the best of clips, and finding the best of original inspiring music and host of minor unique editing ideas to explore and accompany it.
Creating a Combo Video
Use Sony Vegas or Adobe Premiere, or for Mac you can use Final Cut Pro
Good clips in good quality [An amazing combo video is better than two good ones]
Good music in good quality [The song IS the video as much as the clips are]
At least a few transitions
Usually at least one effect but not too many
Intro and Ending in some shape or form
Inspiration Playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qYr13bLv80&list=PLovBMkMLex7y0xboPZJ8ZALzhluFPH3AN
Keep creating short combo videos with yours and others recorded clips and you'll get better and know the right transitions to use and develop a style to your work: each combo video creator has distinct styles to their craft just as the combos themselves do. If you're constantly editing clips you've performed yourself or along with your friends/crew, you'll know what kind of tempo the overall video should go towards and what songs and transitions to use to match your/someone's style of play. Eventually you'll feel when you're ready to work hard and filter only the best of clips to make an amazing moderate length combo video. Most of the renowned great combo videos of Brawl and Melee were people's works far later after having created many decent but unnoticed ones prior.
Transitions: There's a ton to use
- Gallo likes using a specific blur warp out one often and usually to ease between dark and light stages https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxy7kVzJbAA
- Prog favors more of a fadeout one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPbVqAzD7lg
- AriqueNuubs has a few different ones based on the ending situation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYgopUL8kk8#t=392
- Having almost none at all is still a tried and true Melee way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPlP4zvX0lQ
There's also more obscure things like zoom-ins used a couple times here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyp5GwI07VU and here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2nClt2NBps#t=53
Learn from combo videos that suck. Don't go overboard with anything, like tilts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wm0R7vdlOk (there's often a better and more creative alternative to accomplish the same feel to match the music and such, like less nauseating water/aura effects to follow Lucario throughout the transitions and such) and ones like these https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ids3nhCgzRg are just so bad and should inspire you to not do what he did.
Music is the heart of the video, go for something inspiring.
Don't use lame music. This song is almost great but it's gay/shallow at the same time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQj-e9odbsg.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yKYGpZpHMk This has a low quality song besides it being a little obscure to match Westballz; it's actually decent until the dubstep sections (which again are in low quality making them accomplish nothing). DaShizWiz chose the most gruelingly long same patterned song for his video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vHxXE6VmJE
-Great use of a quirky song for beginning, but don't use Eminem as too many videos have https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJJTP0ZH3Oo
-Long lost music no one has heard before can be inspiring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDPBoj-jBKE
-Classical https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6drq0809VGs
-Old mainstream classics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXy8WWrH4w8 and this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyBYSSsuWUo
- Nice music work all around https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQwhFwVMGOU
-Overall Amazing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPlP4zvX0lQ
Intros/Endings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eOAkXBjAsI Masked in objects (has yet to be done in a Smash video EDIT: Guy finally did with CF & Falco on FD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obsLnZF7gWM )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4buBaC1_Dn0 Dolphin recorded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXd1jQVlAUo Dolphin recorded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA6PJVxK2rM Dolphin recorded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGTWI2f6AIE Signature Intro/Ending of any Vectorman created combo video
Non-intro/Ending clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW3TluyP6MQ#t=14 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW3TluyP6MQ#t=43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI7OQiRRaY4 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI7OQiRRaY4#t=109
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYgopUL8kk8#t=392 AriqueNuubs
Replays allow you to change the angle of the camera in many different ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI7OQiRRaY4#t=117 Too obscure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQfq78B7Edw#t=312 Decent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgvYLNGtYK8#t=29 Good (Gallo's videos often make use of this)
Subtle lighting/coloring effects
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJdaOMcepwo#t=38 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShM11mV7wMI#t=56 ) Small lens flare and color change to indicate Ike mode activated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA2qyu8xWP8 First clip the Third F-smash is gold colored, and the 1st Up-b is gold colored.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYgopUL8kk8#t=56 Ariquenuubs again.
Background overlays/effects
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7JsFY-5kow Tron effect behind video (could also use anything like a rendered water effect)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxy7kVzJbAA Edge Blurring (Gallo loves this) (also seen in AriqueNuubs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYgopUL8kk8#t=387 )
Two combos done in same match
- if short let duration between the two combos: possibly just let it play out
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA2qyu8xWP8#t=65 Certain effects like this can mask the skip forward in time though a little obscure
-otherwise some people (especially in Brawl combo videos) use speed-up to get to the second combo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDPBoj-jBKE#t=184
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwyWLqKckcs&list=UUdJM9q24Rgv50sj518wbN6Q#t=270
- if none of these can work out in a good fashion, just split the combos and chose to space them right after each other or much farther in the video to where you don't realize.
Subtle character connectivity (Stage/Location/Action/Movement/Color/Character)
This can happen a lot on accident, and it's sweet when it does and you notice it later
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA2qyu8xWP8#t=79 Ike moving to the right as Marth appears moving to the right
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ub2eoALL4U#t=11 Marth to Pit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ub2eoALL4U#t=87 Diddy Side-b's into an aggressive F-smash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA6PJVxK2rM#t=167 super effect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW3TluyP6MQ&list=PLovBMkMLex7wTISMgGxSMBt7vcLpeX4Gs#t=46 Spinning > Mario cape
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShM11mV7wMI&list=PLovBMkMLex7wTISMgGxSMBt7vcLpeX4Gs#t=33 DKs arms up when he jumps > Wario's up-tilt
Subtle music matching.
You don't have to have this happen at all by any means, the tempo of the music matching the overall gameplay is more important.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ub2eoALL4U#t=219 Pit's arrow and Falcon's knee (very subtle)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPlP4zvX0lQ#t=321 consecutive hits flowing with the up tempo
Subtle slow-down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDPBoj-jBKE#t=23
Sometimes having the clip's sound on. You can have the entire video have the clips sound on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AIAtAsfYZE but few videos do as it can distract from the music. Likewise, they become more of a "highlights" thing people are doing from Salty Highlights' popularity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbQ7uXZs2qE&list=PLweURmbsvp-QjqoPWvIHPQiMn8Dn12yQY which IMO isn't really close to a memorable combo video with corky lame music and mixed in corky fail clips.
Moments you might want the sound on in a true combo video are some clip during the Intro or Ending, as well as when someone is commentating the match, or during a move with some loud effect.
This guide will pry be updated once in a while until I get everything down
Last edited:
