Kumoricon 2010 AMV Contest Rules! (Final - except maybe for typos)

[Prinz Eugen]

http://www.opusnet.com/guy1656/k2010-amv.htm

OK - Thank you for your previous comments and discussions, and HERE WE GO!!!

SEVEN AMV 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. GENKI! The sugar-blast category. Light and fun exuberant works, possibly using dance beat. Themes with a fun-for-all, positive feel or outcome.

   3. JIDAIGEKKI,   Plus a Little Afterward. This category is an open format, with the only criterion being anime illustrating any Japanese historical settings up through the Tai-Sho Era (大正時代, ending in 1926.)

   4. RETRO Each submission must satisfy two of the three conditions below:
          * Video is any anime from released before or during 1995AD, and excluding Neon Genesis Evangelion.
          * Video color must be mostly or completely de-saturated to appear as tratitional black and white footage or heavily aged footage. Screen treatment such as scratches, silent movie era text frames, or mechanical projector foibles are optional.
          * Audio is any music, radio, or TV broadcasts released before or duriong 1995AD.

   5. 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.

   6. 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.

   7. EFFECTS This is where the high-speed music and flashy stuff meet. Take your Bonine® and buckle in!


Visit the site for submission details and deadlines.
Director of programming may make changes after her review.
(I will notify you of that here.)

[murder_of_raven]

Umm...  You give submission guidelines and how to submit but not where to submit. I'm guessing your email address will work (and that's where I'll submit to until I hear otherwise) but providing the format and address would definitely be helpful.

[Prinz Eugen]

Umm...   You give submission guidelines and how to submit but not where to submit. I'm guessing your email address will work (and that's where I'll submit to until I hear otherwise) but providing the format and address would definitely be helpful.

Edit: DONE!!

[mellonemrys]

I'm excited, I finally have a computer that is capable of running video editing software, and I have software to edit with! (Hasn't made an AMV in over 5 years...)

Just an easy question though Guy, do you allow creator made titles/ credits at the beginning and ends of vids? I think in the past the rules said no...but I just wanted to double check so as not to screw up your system.

- Kate

[Killer_Tofu]

So there's no Drama category this year? hmm. The Vid my BF and I are submitting can really only be described as drama. It focuses on the characters' emotions rather than action or effects. So I guess Drama AMVs are now a part of random amusement category?

[murder_of_raven]

do you allow creator made titles/ credits at the beginning and ends of vids? I think in the past the rules said no...but I just wanted to double check so as not to screw up your system.

I am clearly not Guy but as far as I know titles are totally fine (my AMV that showed last year had them). I don't know about credits but I really doubt they'd be a deal breaker for a really good AMV and I know that contest viewers (myself included) like to know the series/song so they can check them out later. So I'd say titles/credits are nice but by no means necessary. Hope that helps.

So there's no Drama category this year? hmm. The Vid my BF and I are submitting can really only be described as drama. It focuses on the characters' emotions rather than action or effects. So I guess Drama AMVs are now a part of random amusement category?

From what I hear the Drama category was axed at least last year and maybe for longer than that. And goodness no, the random amusement category is for funny/strange works. I know that you can still submit to the AMV show (which is after the contest usually) but I'm afraid there's probably little you can do with your drama AMV unless it can be squeezed into another category (for example: would making it black and white make it retro? would changing the audio make it funny?) but probably you are just going to have to submit it to a different contest. You could look at that as a bad thing but I find that drama AMVs tend to be poorly received at cons anyway. I think for the vast majority of drama AMVs you need to be familiar with the source material for the context in order for it to be interesting and I just don't think you can count on that with an enormous crowd. ::shrug:: Best of luck!

[mellonemrys]

Thanks Raven...I've honestly only peaked in during the AMV contest...waaaaaay back in '05 or something. And really only know how its set up through talking with Guy. *is normally stuck in a room doing other artsy stuff*

Anyhoo, over 12 hrs into making this vid and I'm pretty happy with it for a first try with this program and in 5 years. I'm a little daunted by the competition (I've been looking you guys up ^_~) but we'll see I guess!

[murder_of_raven]

Thanks Raven...I've honestly only peaked in during the AMV contest...waaaaaay back in '05 or something. And really only know how its set up through talking with Guy. *is normally stuck in a room doing other artsy stuff*

Anyhoo, over 12 hrs into making this vid and I'm pretty happy with it for a first try with this program and in 5 years. I'm a little daunted by the competition (I've been looking you guys up ^_~) but we'll see I guess!

Newcomers are always welcome! And honestly, the competition intimidates me as well but you just hope for the best and sometimes things work out! Good luck!

[Kimiski]

Ah, no drama or Japanese Music? :/
I had a perfect one for Japanese Music, now I don't know what to do with it...
And I had an idea for Drama too

I don't usually even try for action cause most all action is special effect stuff anyway

[murder_of_raven]

I don't usually even try for action cause most all action is special effect stuff anyway

Well, if it's any help action and effects were specifically split for that reason this year. So you could have a shot if you are good at making action videos but not fancy special effects.

[Kimiski]

I don't usually even try for action cause most all action is special effect stuff anyway

Well, if it's any help action and effects were specifically split for that reason this year. So you could have a shot if you are good at making action videos but not fancy special effects.

I will try
So do you think my chances would be any less if I submitted an action AMV with Japanese music and english subs for the lyrics of the music? For being selected for the show.

[Prinz Eugen]

do you allow creator made titles/ credits at the beginning and ends of vids? I think in the past the rules said no...but I just wanted to double check so as not to screw up your system.

... as far as I know titles are totally fine (my AMV that showed last year had them). I don't know about credits but I really doubt they'd be a deal breaker for a really good AMV and I know that contest viewers (myself included) like to know the series/song so they can check them out later. So I'd say titles/credits are nice but by no means necessary. Hope that helps.

The rules are here: www.opusnet.com/guy1656/k2010-amv.htm
and they only specify that what you cannot have are fansub subtitles left in,** DivX logos, and TV screen bugs ("TV Tokyo," "BS2," "Cartoon network," etc)

You may make any sort of text intros, closing credits, bumpers, and subtitles as you wish, and you are alse free to add comic word balloons or any other text overlays that you feel are ENTERTAINING.

(** unless SPECIFICALLY and INTENTIONALLY selected for the scene)

[Prinz Eugen]

Ah, no drama or Japanese Music? :/
I had a perfect one for Japanese Music, now I don't know what to do with it...
And I had an idea for Drama too

The generic drama category is off the rotation for now, because a slow dirge by Coldplay using Miyaka and Tamahome .... zzzzzzzzzz..

Whoa. See, I even fell asleep trying to write that one!

For the more unusual categories, we try to mix things up from year to year.
This time, "Japanese [something]" is the setting, rather than the music.
Something different!

But a drama style can work in the Jidaigekki thru Taisho category, or the Retro category depending on how it's made (as MoR opinted out.)

The other tweak is the "Intensity" category is NOT pure Action, it's whatever grips the audience - and we mean GRIP.
If your emotional saga is GRIPPING - as in will it galvanize the audience into rapt silence - then it's INTENSE, and you might send it that way.

Meanwhile, cut after cut of the same-old, green mecha vs yellow mecha stomping through town could be 'Action,' but unless there's a real story behind it, that one may not get picked up as 'Intensity.'

'Effects' can also be a drama style. An example might be to take two FF characters, carefully color-shift hair and clothing colors, and composite them into the backgrounds from some other recognizable show ...

I don't usually even try for action cause most all action is special effect stuff anyway

See above, and previous replies. Effects is separate this time around, so you can have slow and sparkly,
and 'Intensity,' generally has to be more than just combat or explosions. There has to be a WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS underlying it.

[Kimiski]

Oh ok Sweet
I think I will still do the Japanese Music (because it fits so freaking well xD ) and enter it into Intensity..... if I can finish the thing on time and get it compressed. xD

[somanyturtles]

So how much effects land us in the effects category? Are we talking about 60fps, flashy, Nostromo vids or anything that has a good masks, overlays, and transitions?

[murder_of_raven]

So how much effects land us in the effects category? Are we talking about 60fps, flashy, Nostromo vids or anything that has a good masks, overlays, and transitions?

I'm hoping Effects will be used to some extent as a catch-all for good videos that don't fall into the categories; a lot of videos have some really subtly impressive effects so I don't think the Nostromo "oh my god where did he even get this footage from" is the only way to have a successful Effects vid. Granted, that's just me so I wouldn't recommend submitting anything specifically to the Effects section unless you know your video is sparkly, otherwise I'll just be hoping that some of my more effect-ridden videos might get bumped into Effects if the judges don't like them in the category they were intended for. ::shrug:: One can hope, yes?

[Prinz Eugen]

So how much effects land us in the effects category? Are we talking about 60fps, flashy, Nostromo vids or anything that has a good masks, overlays, and transitions?

VERY good question, and the answer is "generally it's the judges call."
Effects can certainly by subtle or diffuse, rather than splashy/flashy.
The bottom line is ENTERTAINMENT.

Do you spend three weeks creating this one uber-transition, and use NOTHING BUT THAT ONE EFFECT over and over?

Sometimes a very interesting drama type can be made by exploring an series crossover relationship. The effects aren't pyrotechnic, but the audience knows you've been doing some serious editing and re-purposing of the footage - to take the show footage as raw material, and forge it into YOUR STORY.

[somanyturtles]

Cool, that gives me an idea of what to shoot for for a video I"m doing. It was gonna be for a category that got 86ed but I can make it work and hopefully get in in effects.

[mellonemrys]

Thanks Guy! It could've been for another con's AMV contest, years and years ago, that I saw mention of not allowing bumpers.

[Phantom]

Last year, back in May 2009, my computer crashed 7 times within a period of a month.  After the 7th crash, I couldn't get the the computer to run the PC recovery disc.     Subsequently, I had to buy a new computer, the cheapest I could find (and couldn't go to the con because of that). 

I lost a lot of my work on the AMV I was working on at that time.     So, I've been reluctant to start working on a new one.  But, I'm going to try.  Hopefully, I'll have one ready in time.

[Figgles]

I'm gonna try and finish up my AMV for the trailers category. I've never entered into one before, but I got a new video editing program just for this. ^^