Kumoricon 2011 AMV Contest Rules Page URL & Final Discussion

[Prinz Eugen]

The preliminary (let's say, semi-final) rules page is up for the Kumoricon 2011 Contest!

Here it is: www.opusnet.com/guy1656/k2011-amv.htm

Here are SIX categories:

1. INTENSITY: Similar to an 'Action' category. A strong and solid audio and visual story engaging the audience with impact, high suspense, and gripping scenes throughout.

2. INSTRUMENTAL: This category is an open format, using any anime and any style of AMV, with the only criterion being that the music does not contain any discernible lyrics and scat or nonsense syllables either. Music may use the human voice as a wordless instrument.
Two examples:
Music Sample 1
Music Sample 2

3.RETRO: Each submission must satisfy BOTH of these conditions below:
   a. All music and sources must be at least five (5) years old, and
   b. The sum, in years, of the latest (youngest) video source and audio source must equal AT LEAST 30.

4. RANDOM AMUSEMENT: This is a broader category than Comedy / Parody; it also includes bizarre or off-beat works that con-fuse as well as a-muse.

5. TRAILERS: Includes fake commercials, TV spots, and movie and game trailers. May use actual advertising audio or a fictitious creation in the style of a commercial, trailer, or fake episode opening credits. Serious and intriguing dual-openers will also show in this category. Comedy trailers may get redirected to RANDOM AMUSEMENT.

6. EFFECTS This is where the high-speed music and flashy stuff meet. Take your Bonine(R) and buckle in!

Content is PG-13 (one 'illicit exposure' up to 0.2 sec duration,) with ONE explicit word allowed in the lyrics (My add.)

PM me for typos to fix.

Other questions comments or suggestions leading up to 1-Mar-11 WELCOME!

[Samcyxk]

  Thank goodness for that one curse, or I wouldn't be able to submit one of my videos

[murder_of_raven]

Oh yay! I am really excited the Instrumental category made it through, I have an idea for it that I am increasingly excited about! All and all, I'm really happy with how the rules turned out this year and I currently don't have any questions!

Also I was *just* wondering when this was going to get released, pretty incredible timing that it was here the first time I checked

[Washougal_Otaku]

Looks good to me!  I just have one question, though...

If the lyrics of a song has multiple explicit words, would the video still be valid if the words are censored out with the traditional BEEP sound?  (I think that can add to humor in some cases).

[Prinz Eugen]

Looks good to me!  I just have one question, though...

If the lyrics of a song has multiple explicit words, would the video still be valid if the words are censored out with the traditional BEEP sound?  (I think that can add to humor in some cases).

The only explicit words that the judges will 'count' would be the ones they hear. Censor bleeps or other noises or methods which make the word incomprehensible (high-speed-reverse?) do not 'count.'

And speaking of the 'Count,' here is a very creative use of the censor bleep in places where swearwords are NOT HAPPENING - to create something entirely DIFFERENT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQgB4424SIM

[Washougal_Otaku]

THAT WAS GREAT!!!

[Samcyxk]

LOL I love the Count Censored. Gotta wonder when someone'll do something like that in AMV form.

[Yatterman]

I would love to see that happen.

[Prinz Eugen]

3.RETRO: Each submission must satisfy BOTH of these conditions below:
   a. All music and sources must be at least five (5) years old, and
   b. The sum, in years, of the latest (youngest) video source and audio source must equal AT LEAST 30.

One final check: Do you guys think 30 is a good figure here?
What would 10 or 15 be like?

[Washougal_Otaku]

Well, if it's being the youngest video source, perhaps 20 or 25 would be a better number to work with.  Again, I'm looking at this from someone who wants to someday make an AMV with Ranma 1/2, and the last thing they made was just a few years ago, whereas the first animation was done in the late 80's.

[murder_of_raven]

3.RETRO: Each submission must satisfy BOTH of these conditions below:
   a. All music and sources must be at least five (5) years old, and
   b. The sum, in years, of the latest (youngest) video source and audio source must equal AT LEAST 30.

One final check: Do you guys think 30 is a good figure here?
What would 10 or 15 be like?

Definitely not /more than/ 30. >.> Please, I just started my AMV based on these rules and if they got stricter it wouldn't work anymore. I think 10 would be maybe a little bit too much on the recent side but 5 to 10 old years gives us... My-HiME, FLCL, Gundam SEED, Saikano, Spirited Away, and Steam Boy. As for music... we get nothing because early 2000's music is garbage. xD Haha, just kidding, but it certainly wasn't the Renaissance of American pop music either.

I feel like, at the very least, we should aim to keep this category within the bounds of prior to when high-end video editing software was easily available, as I think the real merit of the Retro category is that it gives creators an excuse to make flashy(er) AMVs to anime whose animation is, at best, outdated. I've heard people refer to Random Variable's "Euphoria" as the beginning of effects AMVs... the sum of the age of its song and anime is 18.

My vote stays where it was prior to the release of the rules: I think the total should be somewhere between 20 and 30, my preference is 25 but I don't have any problems with 30.

Also, a rules question: For the Instrumental category, may we include short clips of spoken dialogue? As the rules are currently written ("the only criterion being that the music contain no discernible lyrics") one could argue that if the words were neither lyrics nor a part of the music they would be okay? I don't want to seem like I am bending the rules however, simply if they are allowed I would want to include some (10 words tops, used to establish and frame the premise of my AMV). I can send a private email if you'd like specifics, I would like to keep this one under wraps though, I think people are going to like it

Edit: Although this might be a good thing to cover in a rule revision, it occurs to me that I will probably be making a version with the words anyway so I could follow the "alternate version" rule and just submit both and let the judges figure out which one they like better!

[Mitsukai Mizu Amaya]

I'm having a bit of an issue with an AMV I'm making for the contest. I've got three of them done, but the fourth is an Resident Evil AMV, and, well... I'm TRYING not to make it above PG-13, but I'm a bit unclear as to what the guidelines for using a series with so much blood, guns, and zombies would be. Any advice?

[Washougal_Otaku]

Personally, I would say it'd be best to save that idea for an adult-level AMV contest.  I'd love to see it, but it's something that I would think would be an issue with regulations for this contest.

[Mitsukai Mizu Amaya]

Hm... maybe. Is there one?

Also, another question. I want to make a Hetalia AMV. The problem is, one of the characters I want to use (Seychelles) hasn't appeared in the anime, but is the main character of the PSP game and the Gakuen thingy. I was wondering, because this may break the '100% Japanese origin' rule, but what about animating some parts yourself? She would only appear for very brief little bits, and I plan to get a tablet and a bunch of images of her from Gakuen and the PSP game, and use those to animate the bits or make the frames cell-style from scratch (All I'd need to do is make the mouth/eyes move, maybe a bit more, etc.). Now, I know how to do all that, but would that break the rule of it being of Japanese origin?

[murder_of_raven]

Now, I know how to do all that, but would that break the rule of it being of Japanese origin?

Obviously I am not an authority figure, but if she's in less than 10% of the frame count (as per the rules on non-Japanese content) whatever the ruling on that question is it should be fine. And honestly, I am very impressed by your plan and would absolutely love to see it

[Mitsukai Mizu Amaya]

Thanks. The idea was to do a Hetalia AMV to Poor Unfortunate Souls from the Little Mermaid, with England being Ursula, Seychelles Ariel, and France that... uh... dude xD;;; Or a trailer set to Pirates of the Caribbean audio. But Seychelles doesn't appear in the actual series, as far as it's gotten, yet. It'll take a while, but I want to do it, and thanks.

It'll be easier with the trailer to keep the frame count less than 10%, though I can still do the other one... n.n

[Kori123]

I'm really excited for this.  I'm finally going to enter!  I haven't entered an AMV contest since Anime Overdose 2006.  ;w;

[SmallSushiBug]

I'm excited This year will be my third time entering an AMV in this contest. Right now I have an idea but I have a couple questions about it:

I think I'm going to go with the Retro category. The song I picked was released in 1981 and the anime series I'd like to use is from 2006. So together...35 years? Both are at least 5 years old as well so I'm assuming this is okay?

[Prinz Eugen]

I'm excited This year will be my third time entering an AMV in this contest.

Yay :-D

The song I picked was released in 1981 and the anime series I'd like to use is from 2006. So together...35 years? Both are at least 5 years old as well so I'm assuming this is okay?

2011 - 1981 = 30; 2011-2006= 5; so YES: 35 >= 30 and you are GOOD TO GO!

[Prinz Eugen]

Final rules are posted at:
http://www.opusnet.com/guy1656/k2011-amv.htm

Forum moderators may now LOCK this thread;
specific questions about the final rules, or
"can I do this/that in an AMV" can be discussed individually.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL AMV EDITORS!!