2015 AMV Contest Categories & Rules

[13Joe]

2015 Kumoricon AMV Contest


CATEGORIES:

There are SIX categories for the 2015 contest:

1. UPBEAT / DANCE MUSIC
   We're looking for fast-paced fun.

2. INTENSITY
   Action, suspense, conflict, triumph, and despair!

3. TECHNICAL EFFECTS
   Substantially altered video and/or audio source material.

4. COMEDY / PARODY
   Not snide or snarky, just make us really laugh.

5. TRAILERS
   Now playing at a Kumoricon AMV contest near you...

6. THE MELTING POT
   IF your AMV doesn't fit another Category - Anything "Appropriate" goes!



CONTEST RULES:

ANIME: are Japanese animated productions featuring hand-drawn or computer animation.

You MAY include NO MORE than 10% (of total duration) of non-anime (as defined above) video.

TV station logos ("bugs") and other commercial indices must be obscured or removed.

Bumpers for non-commercial indices such as studio names, creator names, and
promotions for other AMV contests and AMV download sites are permissible.

Parody uses of commercial logos are acceptable.

No more than 4 entries per person, with no more than 2 entries per Category.

MINIMUM VIDEO RESOLUTION:        480 wide by 360 high.

MAXIMUM FILE SIZE:                330MB.

MAXIMUM DURATION:            5:00 minutes.


CONTENT IS PG-13.
We try to run a clean show. This means we want NONE of the following:
panty shots, exposure or fondling of 'private parts,' gross or gory
dismemberment, profanity (swear words,) or themes likely to insult
or disparage by race, social class, religion, ethnicity, gender,
or sexuality - because that's NO FUN for anybody.


VIDEO FORMATS:
To submit, you can send URLs for download links or download pages from or
AMV fan sites such as animemusicvideos.org, akross.ru, amvnews.ru, etc.
We can also download from sendspace, and similar FREE services.
The download site must allow us to receive a stand-alone file playable
by VLC (Videolan media player,) or Zoom media player.

Acceptable file formats are: avi, mpg, mp4, and mkv.

We will NOT download from sites where we have to set up a user account.
We will NOT download from GoogleDocs.
We do not stream videos, so do NOT send YouTube or vimeo links.
Do NOT send mov, rm, or wmv files.


WHERE AND HOW TO SUBIMT:

ALL Submissions MUST be EMAILED.   Physical media (such as by mail) is NOT accepted at this contest.

Emails NEED to INCLUDE:
-Name OR Alias (of ALL creators/editors or groups)
-Email Address
-City or Country (Optional)
-Name of your AMV
-Names of ALL Video and Audio source used in your AMV
-Preferred Category - Judges and Coordinators have the final say.

Email Submissions To:      amv13joe@gmail.com

By Submitting an AMV, you grant Kumoricon and the Kumoricon Coordinator unconditional permission to use, copy, share and show that AMV.


DEADLINES:
Submission e-mails MUST reach the coordinator's email by 4:30pm Pacific Daylight Time
(UTC 23:30) on 19-Jul-2015.

A panel of judges will convene to review all entries and select up to SIX
AMVs per category. The judges' decisions on the playlist is final.

All entries must have premiered or been created NO EARLIER than March 1, 2014.
Entries that have participated in previous Kumoricon contests are excluded from the 2015 contest.


PRIZES:
Each category will win one prize chosen by audience voting.
The audience will also choose a Best of Show winner.
The judges may make a Judges' Choice award, and
the coordinator may award an Honorable Mention.

Therefore, between SEVEN and NINE prizes shall be awarded for 2015.

A prize is usually an anime DVD or BluRay, a manga, or art book.
If an entry receives two or more prizes, the prize package will be increased
in awesomeness.


GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!



Send Questions or Issues to me "Joe" at amv13joe@gmail.com

-Edited 02-Feb-2015 to Include: No more than 4 entries per person, with no more than 2 entries per Category.

[absolute_apocalypse]

A little sad to see Retro omitted this year (although it seems the interest in the category has died down so I certainly understand why) but otherwise I think these are a very solid set of rules.

My only other comment is that "Names of ALL Video and Audio source used in your AMV" will probably discourage submissions of AMVs that have tons of sources; although that may be your intention? I know that last year we had a "or Various if you have more than X sources" clause; that might be something to consider.

[Prinz Eugen]

Even though a category is popular, we like to mix things up, and withdraw a category for a while and either bring it back later or make room for something else to grow up bigger and better. I had also run 'Instrumental' for years, and even other types of categories which specified that the anime (or setting) had to be in a certain time period, such as 'Jidaigekki' which is all your 'ancient times' through the Bakufu - pretty much pre-20th century, and I also ran a steam-punky setting by stretching it through the Taishō era (-1926, you have reliable vacuum tubes invented by then) hoping someone would have made something to Taishō Yakyū Musume or Otome Yōkai Zakuro.
No bites, but we got a Steamboy, though.

More shows are coming out that are somewhat steampunk, and it might be fun to try that again in another year or two, because since then we've had:

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée
Victorian Romance Emma
Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai
Hitsugi no Chaika

...all somewhat steampunk or within the era.

We should also decide how many AMVs can one person enter. (I've usually had 4, with only 2 max allowed in any one category.)

Edit: Reading between the lines, it looks like Japanese game footage is also already included in the definition "Japanese animated productions." Cool.

[13Joe]

A little sad to see Retro omitted this year (although it seems the interest in the category has died down so I certainly understand why) but otherwise I think these are a very solid set of rules.

My only other comment is that "Names of ALL Video and Audio source used in your AMV" will probably discourage submissions of AMVs that have tons of sources; although that may be your intention? I know that last year we had a "or Various if you have more than X sources" clause; that might be something to consider.

Thank-you!


Hopefully, we will see some retro entries entered into one of the categories, maybe the melting pot if nothing else =).


That was indeed the intention this year, to streamline the entries and hopefully have fewer maximum multi-source vids.

[13Joe]

We should also decide how many AMVs can one person enter. (I've usually had 4, with only 2 max allowed in any one category.)

[/size]Edit: Reading between the lines, it looks like Japanese game footage is also [/size]already included in the definition "Japanese animated productions." Cool.

Great idea, I had forgotten to include something like that.   I will edit the Rules now.


I liked the Definition of Anime I found, I wanted to allow game footage;  I remember a fantastic Vid done a couple years ago with Final Fantasy footage by a very talented lady - I believe it won an award if not two.

[Prinz Eugen]

Having worked as an engineer at a wonderful steel foundry for a number of years, I like "The Melting Pot."
However, while some people might think of melting butter or caramel on a stove, or melting lead or pot metal for soldering, home electronics, casting bullets, etc, I remember THESE BIG GUYS:

The biggest pour we had while I was there was a twin-ladle pour of 82,000lbm of molten steel at around 2800F.
It was awesome. This sort of photo is usually taken from a catwalk two or three stories up from the pouring floor - and the direct radiated heat even way up there is PLENTY to give you a suntan!
 
I hope this batch of entries is large and energetic!

[Kori123]

I have a quick question.  I want to enter the contest but I'm only able to go to the con for one day.  Does that matter?  Can I still enter the contest even if I only end up buying a day ticket for monday or something like that?

[13Joe]

I have a quick question.  I want to enter the contest but I'm only able to go to the con for one day.  Does that matter?  Can I still enter the contest even if I only end up buying a day ticket for monday or something like that?

Thank you, for your interest in this years contest.

Attending the Con is not a requirement to enter the contest so you are welcome to submit your AMV without worry =).

I look forward to seeing your submission!!!

Cheers,

Joe

[Kori123]

I have a quick question.  I want to enter the contest but I'm only able to go to the con for one day.  Does that matter?  Can I still enter the contest even if I only end up buying a day ticket for monday or something like that?

Thank you, for your interest in this years contest.

Attending the Con is not a requirement to enter the contest so you are welcome to submit your AMV without worry =).

I look forward to seeing your submission!!!

Cheers,

Joe

Awesome!  Working on something now so we'll see how fast I can get it done.

[Prinz Eugen]

I have a quick question.  I want to enter the contest but I'm only able to go to the con for one day.  Does that matter?  Can I still enter the contest even if I only end up buying a day ticket for monday or something like that?

Also, all winners not present at the con will be contacted privately for shipping details for prizes.

[Kori123]

I have a quick question.  I want to enter the contest but I'm only able to go to the con for one day.  Does that matter?  Can I still enter the contest even if I only end up buying a day ticket for monday or something like that?

Also, all winners not present at the con will be contacted privately for shipping details for prizes.

Will the winners be announced somewhere?  I feel like in the past the ball has been dropped with this.  Not just the AMV contest but other contests also.  I entered the Fan Fic contest a few years back and no results were posted anywhere.  And I know a couple people are still wondering about the results of last years AMV contest.  Not sure if they're posted somewhere and I've missed them or something else.  It'd be nice if they were posted on the website like 'past winners'.  Not sure if you can do that at all but it might be something to suggest.

[13Joe]

Will the winners be announced somewhere?  I feel like in the past the ball has been dropped with this.  Not just the AMV contest but other contests also.  I entered the Fan Fic contest a few years back and no results were posted anywhere.  And I know a couple people are still wondering about the results of last years AMV contest.  Not sure if they're posted somewhere and I've missed them or something else.  It'd be nice if they were posted on the website like 'past winners'.  Not sure if you can do that at all but it might be something to suggest.











I can not speak of the other contests, but (not counting 2014 - I know nothing about that year) there are posted results for the past several years.   I had to go find them for a project I am currently working on.

I will commit to making sure there is a clear title for this years winners as well as it will be the final post in this thread before it is locked in the fall.  I am sure it is frustrating not knowing the results of a contest and will make sure that's not the case with this contest. 

[Prinz Eugen]

OK, without naming names, there was a hell of a lot pf petty politic-ing going on last year, and personally I am glad I had NONE of it and no part in it.
(I was studying for the US Patent Bar at the time...)

Anyways, this is like the old movie "The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly" - from what I heard among my own social network, there were 3 people who have different puzzle pieces for the ultimate prize: the playlist, the list of which AMVs won, and the co-relation of which contact information goes with which AMV. The 3 different people are at loggerheads with each other and at this point it seems like they all simply walked away from the problem.

The way to resolve this issue would be for a high-ranking person such as a current 2015 director to care enough about the various 2014 contest(s) whose results are still lacking, and to go back through and forensically dig up who was responsible for what, and who last got reports of the outcome of the 2014 events. In the case of the tripartite AMV conundrum, if any one of these 3 people is NOT volunteering for 2015, then there is little leverage that the current high-level board members have in FORCING a currently unaffiliated person to lift his or her finger and reply to an e-mail asking who won what, or who is the contact person for AMV "Blah-Blah-Blah" that won Category [X.]

Honestly, if they won't do that, then griping about 2014 results on a thread dedicated to 2015 AMV rules (which are currently already frozen for 2015) will accomplish little to nothing.
I'm channeling Hillary Clinton on Benghazi here:
"AT THIS POINT, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?!?"


Lost State Department e-mails on your personal, hacked server?
"AT THIS POINT, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?!?"

Perhaps a new thread or other social media effort needs to be snowballed together to encourage the persons who know each of the fragments of information to come together and cooperate. Don't forget, when you think of Hillary Clinton 2016, think of Failed AMV Contest Results. Same difference.

73 73 SK SK <dit-dit> ** 
--... ...-- --... ...-- ...-.- ...-.-       . .

** (That's a call-sign sign-off and I'm-through-transmitting signal in Morse Code)

[Kori123]

Will the winners be announced somewhere?  I feel like in the past the ball has been dropped with this.  Not just the AMV contest but other contests also.  I entered the Fan Fic contest a few years back and no results were posted anywhere.  And I know a couple people are still wondering about the results of last years AMV contest.  Not sure if they're posted somewhere and I've missed them or something else.  It'd be nice if they were posted on the website like 'past winners'.  Not sure if you can do that at all but it might be something to suggest.


I can not speak of the other contests, but (not counting 2014 - I know nothing about that year) there are posted results for the past several years.   I had to go find them for a project I am currently working on.

I will commit to making sure there is a clear title for this years winners as well as it will be the final post in this thread before it is locked in the fall.  I am sure it is frustrating not knowing the results of a contest and will make sure that's not the case with this contest.

Awesome!  Yeah, I'm not sure what happened because I didn't enter the AMV contest last year and I don't know what goes on behind the scenes.  But like I said, I just wanted to know if it'd be posted somewhere in case I am unable to be there.  It sounds like things are better now though so I feel much better.  Thanks so much!

[Prinz Eugen]

I can not speak of the other contests, but (not counting 2014 - I know nothing about that year) there are posted results for the past several years.   I had to go find them for a project I am currently working on.

I will commit to making sure there is a clear title for this years winners as well as it will be the final post in this thread before it is locked in the fall.  I am sure it is frustrating not knowing the results of a contest and will make sure that's not the case with this contest.

It sounds like things are better now though so I feel much better.  Thanks so much!

On all the AMV contests I have run, I had the results up within a week at the latest and usually within the next day of the con.
I also made sure all winners - worldwide - received their prizes. Sometimes this took 3-4 months depending on overland transport in some parts of the world, and also local hostilities. But we got it done.


- G

[TheInsecureTaco]

So, in the rules you say "ANIME: are Japanese animated productions featuring hand-drawn or computer animation. You MAY include NO MORE than 10% (of total duration) of non-anime (as defined above) video."


Would you still accept RWBY? It is not Japanese animated, but it is anime style, and is the first (and only) american made anime to be dubbed in Japanese. I just finished making a RWBY AMV today, before realizing it might not be accepted on that technicality.

[Prinz Eugen]

Would you still accept RWBY? It is not Japanese animated, but it is anime style, and is the first (and only) american made anime to be dubbed in Japanese. I just finished making a RWBY AMV today, before realizing it might not be accepted on that technicality.

OK, so will admit I am a helluva snob about this question.
Technically if it's American made it positively CANNOT be called an anime.
Same goes for Vexille (British) and Legend of Korra (American.)

Yes I know one of the lead creators recently passed away and that may be poigniant or culturally significant to Kumoricon-goers, and the characters do look cool, but to me this works like the way wines work, especially the AOC, or "Appellation d'Origine Controlee." The definition of a wine's name includes a limited region where the grapes are allowed to be grown.

Example: Joseph Drouhin produces many wines in Burgundy, France, and one is called "Gevrey-Chambertin."
The family also owns Domaine Drouhin here in Dundee OR. Yet, even though they could make wine "in the same style" as they do in the Gevrey-Chambertin AOC within Burgundy (yeah, it's all pinot noir...,) they CANNOT call the wine they make here a "Gevrey-Chambertin." That name means not only materials and methods, but a source location for the materials.

For "anime," the source or original work must be Japanese.
Sure, lots of very talented people are copying "the style" all over the world, BUT a copy - even a very convincing-looking copy - is still counterfeit of the original authentic material.

Just like there are some VERY good 'table wines', too.
They just cannot claim the 'official ' brand name.

BUT you can send it in anyway and have it NOT count it as one of your (4) submissions - a couple years ago I received a live action / original animation work, and I put it in the show and in off-hours as a recap; it was pretty good.

EDIT: Revised Reply Below!!

[LtCommanderRichie]

So I'm assuming there's no room for Japanese live action shows like GARO or Kamen Rider, then.

[Prinz Eugen]

So I'm assuming there's no room for Japanese live action shows like GARO or Kamen Rider, then.

Not in the anime music video contest. Transitions between cartoon cel shading styles and live action are often quite jarring.

We did look into "CMV" (Cosplay Music Videos) last year but it seemed to have fizzled out.
Cheezy Sentai Team Combined Power-Fun! is a blast, but maybe the con can try that in the main video programming tracks?

What do you think?

"KAI-TOOOoo JOOOO-KAAaaah!"
 

[LtCommanderRichie]

That would be hard to do since no official English subtitles exist for either of the franchises I mentioned. All my vidding material is ripped off my personal copies of the Japanese DVDs, but if Kumo wanted to add a Rider/Sentai/GARO etc video track to the screening rooms their options would be limited to Crunchyroll's Ultraman subs and the recent Shout Factory Zyuranger release unless they wanted to resort to piracy. There isn't much official selection in the states for JPN live action shows, unfortunately.


Also that W form is named CycloneJoker.

[Prinz Eugen]

You can always send stuff to me or Joe and we can consider it for the other showtimes during the con.
If you have enough material for about an hour, *you* might want to set up a panel with programming and make a presentation. Then YOU are the panel expert and can show us all what's cool, funny, and geeky-trivia-like in the wild world of sentai fun!
Wanna try it?

[LtCommanderRichie]

I've done exactly that the past few years, but unfortunately I was busy getting a degree this year and missed the panel submission cutoff date.

[Prinz Eugen]

I've done exactly that the past few years, but unfortunately I was busy getting a degree this year and missed the panel submission cutoff date.

Uggh! I know the feeling - last year I missed the whole con while studying for the Patent Bar!
 
- G

[Prinz Eugen]

Would you still accept RWBY? It is not Japanese animated, but it is anime style, and is the first (and only) american made anime to be dubbed in Japanese. I just finished making a RWBY AMV today, before realizing it might not be accepted on that technicality.

HEY I JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING!
You guys could send the RWBY and other non-anime works to "The Melting Pot"
It's an undefined, anything-goes, catch all category.


TRY IT and GOOD LUCK!!

[TheInsecureTaco]

Would you still accept RWBY? It is not Japanese animated, but it is anime style, and is the first (and only) american made anime to be dubbed in Japanese. I just finished making a RWBY AMV today, before realizing it might not be accepted on that technicality.

HEY I JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING!
You guys could send the RWBY and other non-anime works to "The Melting Pot"
It's an undefined, anything-goes, catch all category.


TRY IT and GOOD LUCK!!

Thank You! I was really disappointed that after all that work I wouldn't be able to submit it, so I'm happy for another alternative.

For the submission, because the file is too big to be emailed, should I just send it as a compressed .rar file? this would only work if you have winrar

[Prinz Eugen]

For the submission, because the file is too big to be emailed, should I just send it as a compressed .rar file? this would only work if you have winrar

Yikes - almost missed that on there.

If your AMV is "large" meaning 250-350MB or so, then you can upload it to Sendspace.com
Sendspace will generate a download link which you can e-mail to the AMV coordinator,
and also generate a delete link where, after you have confirmed that the AMV has been received,
you click on the delete link and SendSpace clears it off.

If your AMV is much larger, like 500MB or more, then it's either WAY COOL VIDEO at like 2880x1620 at 60fps
and GODLIKE depth and clarity we have never yet seen before, or you used an ineffective compressor.

Output your video to uncopmressed .avi, then try an AMV compressor like AMV-Simple.
You can get versionm 4.0 here: http://amvnews.ru/index.php?go=Page&id=35&lang=en
Older computers may need to use version 3.2 or 3.5.
Some older versions are available at the above link.

DO NOT send something annoying like a 900MB .wmv file. for a 3 minute video
Please.

[Kori123]

Ugh.  I was trying to finish one more video before the deadline but between editing at work and finishing my last video, it doesn't look like I'll be able to.  I got one in.  I guess I'll just wait until next year to pick this one up again.