KUMORICON 2007 AMV CONTEST HOME PAGE

Last Edited: 1-Feb-07.

Welcome again to all AMV creators! This page contains the rules and categories for the upcoming AMV contest. For specific questions or comments, you may reach the coordinator by removing all 4 "r" letters from the following e-mail:

grury1656@oprusnert.com

SIX AMV CATEGORIES:

1. DARK / SERIOUS (DRAMA 1): Story and character study works that are serious or somber and may include unrequited emotions, grief or loss, conflict, strife, horror elements, and tragic results from misfortune, fate, or difficult decisions.
2. ROMANCE / UPBEAT (DRAMA 2): Story, character, and relationship works of hope, warmth, achievement, improvement, authentic love, forgiveness, compassion, or other positive feel or outcome.
3. JAPANESE CULTURE: An open category that celebrates the Japanese core of anime; these works use Japanese music, traditional imagery, or other uniquely Japanese settings.
4. COMEDY / PARODY / FUN: You know this one already - make us laugh.
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 or trailer.
6. ACTION & EFFECTS: This is where the high-speed music and flashy stuff meet. Take your Bonine® and buckle in!

VIDEO FORMATS:

• YES: We will accept .avi and .mpg formats encoded in Xvid 4.0, DivX 5.05, and Microsoft MPEG 4 version 2, or earlier (lower numbered) versions of these codecs. This year we will also accept h264 encoding on an experimental basis. Entrants using these formats whose works encounter difficulties in playback will have about 2 weeks beyond the deadline to re-encode the work and resubmit.
• NO: We will reject .wmv, .swf, .mov files, and also reject SVCD disks. Basically, we'll pop the disk in a Win2K computer (to ensure backward compatibility) and we will need to see an .mpg or .avi file. If we see anything else, or VIDEO_TS / AUDIO_TS directories, that entry gets rejected. We are also -not- accepting .mkv (Matroska video codec) files for the 2007 events. Again, provided the initial attempt is received on time, we will contact the creator and he or she will have about 2 weeks of extra time to re-encode and resubmit.
• HINT: .zip, .tar, and .rar are -not- video compression.
• MINIMUM QUALITY: Video size should be at least 512 x 360 and at least 23 frames/sec.
• MAXIMUM LENGTH: The hard limit is 4 minutes and 40 seconds (4:40) which will include all bumpers, intro, ending, opening and closing titles.
• MAXIMUM FILE SIZE: For best playback, maximum file size is 125MB and maximum bit rate is 2000 kB/sec. A good guideline is that your final encoding should not exceed 26MB per minute of length.
• SUBTITLES and BUGS: These are to be removed by the creator unless they are carefully selected to complement the work. Exception: You may create your own subtitles and overlay graphics to add to the work. Entries displaying a codec logo from a commercial codec vendor will also be rejected. Example: DivX versions 5.12 and higher often display the DivX logo. Earlier versions often do not display the logo.

CONTENT:

• ANIME is: (a) created by Japanese artists and studios for TV shows and movies shown in Japan or possibly elsewhere as long as the primary dialogue is in Japanese, and (b) video content produced by Japanese game companies.
• OTHER VIDEO CONTENT may be included in up to 10% by frame count. If other content is composited with anime, then it counts as 100% 'anime' as long as 1/3 of the visual field is of Japanese origin. Examples of non-Japanese content are:
  
        - Disney, Warner Bros, Hanna-Barbera animation, Transformers (USA)
        - Wonderful Days, Invader Zim, My Beautiful Girl Mari (Korea)
        - Skyland (France)
        - Chinese and Vietnamese copy-cat animation
• PG-13: Because of the anticipated environment, AMV contest submissions must be PG-13 or less regarding 'mature' content. The MPAA guidelines have relaxed a bit over the past year, but they still require no more than 0.2 seconds of so-called 'illicit material' per 30 min. Since each AMV is shorter than that, this means ONE instance per AMV, SIX frames at 30fps or FOUR frames at 24fps of 'illicit exposure' per AMV. Usually 'illicit' means 'something the character would get arrested for not wearing or for doing in public if this were real life.' However, since this is animation we can usually get away with diffuse views which fog out the naughty bits. Creators can also start with 'illicit' material and sanitize it themselves using blurs, mosaics, overlays, and other effects.
• RADIO-CLEAN LYRICS: Self explanatory. Hint: Good audio editing can often cover an 'explicit' word with a sliver of the same length taken from an instrumental section when the band is playing the same note or chords.

SUBMISSIONS and DEADLINE:

• PHYSICAL MEDIA BY MAIL: Submissions may be sent by mail to:

        KUMORICON 2007 AMVs
        33470 CHINOOK PLAZA
        SCAPPOOSE, OR 97056

Submissons must include full name, entry data (see below,) plus contact address or e-mail.
• ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS: (NEW!) Editors may make their AMVs available for download on www.animemusicvideos.org, or their own or other hosted space, as long as the download does not require Java, Javascript, Flash, Shockwave, cookies, website login, registration, or 'click-to-Enter' the site. An account name and password for FTP is acceptable. No entries will be downloaded from YouTube, LiveJournal, MySpace, or similar social networking sites. The site must allow download of a distributable copy of the file, rather than a link to streaming media. When your AMV is ready for download from a hosted space, send an e-mail to the AMV coordinator (see above for e-mail address) including:
          - download URL
          - entry data (see below)
          - e-mail address or other contact information
          - Your full name and city or town name
• ENTRY DATA: Each entry must include:
          - Title of AMV,
          - All anime series used
          - Music Title(s,) performer(s) or composer(s,) or other description of
            audio source(s) such as trailers or audio advertising.
          - Contest category for entry to be submitted
          - (Optional) 2nd choice for contest category
• NUMBER OF ENTRIES: Each entrant may enter a up to THREE AMVs. Each entrant may enter up to TWO AMVs in any one category.
• DEADLINE DAY: ALL submissions must be received on FRIDAY 27-July-07, no later than 4:30pm at the mail-in address. The last electronic download attempt shall begin no later than 8:00pm that same evening. Entrants will be notified of on-time receipt of their works. Entrants will -not- be told in advance whether or not their entries have been selected by the Judges' Panel.
• LATE ENTRIES are usually retained for automatic entry into the following year's contest.
• PRE-SCREEN: All entries are reviwed by a judges' panel for video and audio quality and playback robustness. Entries are presented to the judges by random order within each category using a mechanical randomizer such as dice or other random event generator. Collectively, the judges determine the sequence of categories and the order of entries within each category. The maximum number of entries shown in any category will be SIX. Judges will thin down category entries as they see fit, and they may optionally run any entry in any other category, should they collectively agree that the work is better fit and improves the entertainment value of the overall show. These changes occur rarely and almost invariably improve the presentation impact of the entry. Nevertheless, the judges' decisions in these matters is final.
• PRIZES are awarded to one entrant per category by a tally of audience votes. An overall, Best of Show prize is also chosen by audience vote. The judges may select an additional entry to receive a Judge's Choice award or another honor of their creation. The AMV Contest Coordinator may select an entry for Special Mention. Therefore, a total of seven to nine prizes shall be awarded in 2007. In the unlikely event of a tie, the coordinator will attempt to convene a quorum of judges to split the tie, or if feasible the coordinator may award twin prizes.
• OTHER NOTES: Physical media may not necessarily be returned. Physical media containing unplayable files are often disposably used as 'targets.' Entries cut out of the competition may be shown at other times and places during the convention, such as the AMV Pre-Show or AMV Show (following the contest.) Entries received for 'exhibition' as opposed to competition may run in either of these shows at the whim of the Coordinator. (Or not.)

GOOD LUCK & SEE YOU ALL AT KUMORICON 2007!