Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - WINNERS POSTED!

Announcement & discussion of Anime Music Video contests
Locked
User avatar
Iron Solari
OSHMKUFA2010
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 10:08 am
Status: I can't believe it's not butter.
Org Profile

Re: Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - DEADLINE: MAY 4th

Post by Iron Solari » Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:49 pm

My birthday is the deadline D:
"Some guy stuck a butter knife covered in peanut butter into my DvD player because he said it was hungry."
-Anonymous

User avatar
XStylus
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2001 12:11 pm
Status: Fondly enjoying the salty air.
Location: A quaint little village.
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - DEADLINE: MAY 4th

Post by XStylus » Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:55 am

Addition made to the FAQ:

Question:
Will you accept 10-bit MP4s? They’re much better quality!
Spoiler :
Answer:
While indeed it may be better quality, the software we use to process AMV submissions does not play nicely with them. Therefore, we reject 10-bit MP4s at this time. Normal 8-bit MP4s will continue to be accepted and preferred.
"Understanding is a three-edged sword: Your side, their side, and the truth." — J. Michael Straczynski

User avatar
l33tmeatwad
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 3:22 pm
Location: Christiansburg, VA
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - DEADLINE: MAY 4th

Post by l33tmeatwad » Fri Mar 01, 2013 7:20 pm

xstylus wrote:Addition made to the FAQ:

Question:
Will you accept 10-bit MP4s? They’re much better quality!
Spoiler :
Answer:
While indeed it may be better quality, the software we use to process AMV submissions does not play nicely with them. Therefore, we reject 10-bit MP4s at this time. Normal 8-bit MP4s will continue to be accepted and preferred.
Due to that fact that no source AMV editors work with is actually 10bit...I don't see why anyone should even ask. I can understand for an upload to the org or something, as it allows you to save more space...but considering the source material is 8bit to begin with...they could just jack the bitrate up if you are concerned about quality.
Software & Guides: AMVpack | AMV 101 | AviSynth 101 | VapourSynth 101
PixelBlended Studios: Website | Twitter | YouTube

User avatar
XStylus
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2001 12:11 pm
Status: Fondly enjoying the salty air.
Location: A quaint little village.
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - DEADLINE: MAY 4th

Post by XStylus » Fri Mar 01, 2013 8:52 pm

l33tmeatwad wrote:
xstylus wrote:Addition made to the FAQ:

Question:
Will you accept 10-bit MP4s? They’re much better quality!
Spoiler :
Answer:
While indeed it may be better quality, the software we use to process AMV submissions does not play nicely with them. Therefore, we reject 10-bit MP4s at this time. Normal 8-bit MP4s will continue to be accepted and preferred.
Due to that fact that no source AMV editors work with is actually 10bit...I don't see why anyone should even ask. I can understand for an upload to the org or something, as it allows you to save more space...but considering the source material is 8bit to begin with...they could just jack the bitrate up if you are concerned about quality.
I was researching some info regarding optimal settings for MP4 encoding for anime and I ran across a few conversations on a fansub forum. 10-bit encodes seem to be the fad among that community, and some were aggressively swearing by it as far superior even though the source is only 8-bit. Since a lot of encoding wisdom for fansubbing is directly relevant to AMVs, I figured that 10-bit encoding might become a thing here as well, which would suck. 10-bit files are a pain to work with and have a lot of negative tradeoffs (only plays in specific players, looks scrambled in CS6, no hardware acceleration support, no set-top box can play them). All for what is, to me, only a miniscule quality/space improvement.

If push came to shove, I could always just transcode a 10-bit submission to Ut or ProRes, but I figured I'd just save myself some trouble.
"Understanding is a three-edged sword: Your side, their side, and the truth." — J. Michael Straczynski

User avatar
BasharOfTheAges
Just zis guy, you know?
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 11:32 pm
Status: Breathing
Location: Merrimack, NH
Org Profile

Re: Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - DEADLINE: MAY 4th

Post by BasharOfTheAges » Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:04 pm

I thought you were using AMVPlayer for playback since they gave you some sort of crap about needing BRD license fees or something?
Anime Boston Fan Creations Coordinator (2019-2023)
Anime Boston Fan Creations Staff (2016-2018)
Another Anime Convention AMV Contest Coordinator 2008-2016
| | |

User avatar
Rider4Z
The Machine
Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2003 3:55 am
Status: Larger than life.
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - DEADLINE: MAY 4th

Post by Rider4Z » Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:13 pm

oh lord, not the livestock :shock: i mean laptop

User avatar
XStylus
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2001 12:11 pm
Status: Fondly enjoying the salty air.
Location: A quaint little village.
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - DEADLINE: MAY 4th

Post by XStylus » Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:48 pm

BasharOfTheAges wrote:I thought you were using AMVPlayer for playback since they gave you some sort of crap about needing BRD license fees or something?
Ehhh? License fees? No, the nothing quite so dramatic (though such a thing wouldn't be unheard of).

Last year, Plan A was to play the competition off Blu-Ray. I made a lovingly authored Blu-Ray disc and everything, and the AVTech guys backstage would've had no problem running it... ...except for the fact that Main Events didn't have a Blu-Ray player. Why? Because the projectors and scan converters and other super-awesome-techy-stuff didn't support HDMI's HDCP protocol and we didn't have any magic gray-market devices on hand to bypass it. Unlike DVD players, all Blu-Ray players are hard-coded to require HDCP even if it's playing a non-commercial disc.

Plan B was to run the Blu-Ray from a PC using software. That kinda worked, but it wasn't "seamless" enough for me because the OSD would pop up whenever the mouse was moved too close to the playback window in the software we were using, plus the software was glitchy. I was in zero-tolerance mode for anything even hinting of a glitch so I nixed the Blu-Ray altogether.

Plan C was to run the files directly from KMPlayer on my personal PC, though Vlad introduced me to a nifty little program called AMVPlayer which worked even better. And since he was operating the system while I was on stage, he was well familiar with it (though the program was pretty much idiot proof). And just in case my computer decided to do something screwy for whatever reason, we had the AMV chef computers backstage already booted and cued up to take over right where we left off within seconds with just a flip of a switch.

Thankfully we learned of all of this the day before con rather than moments before the AMV competition. Yay planning! We were ready for anything... ...except for the LACC refusing to turn off the lights. :P
"Understanding is a three-edged sword: Your side, their side, and the truth." — J. Michael Straczynski

User avatar
l33tmeatwad
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 3:22 pm
Location: Christiansburg, VA
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - DEADLINE: MAY 4th

Post by l33tmeatwad » Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:47 pm

xstylus wrote:I was researching some info regarding optimal settings for MP4 encoding for anime and I ran across a few conversations on a fansub forum. 10-bit encodes seem to be the fad among that community, and some were aggressively swearing by it as far superior even though the source is only 8-bit. Since a lot of encoding wisdom for fansubbing is directly relevant to AMVs, I figured that 10-bit encoding might become a thing here as well, which would suck. 10-bit files are a pain to work with and have a lot of negative tradeoffs (only plays in specific players, looks scrambled in CS6, no hardware acceleration support, no set-top box can play them). All for what is, to me, only a miniscule quality/space improvement.
It doesn't change the facts behind my statement, the SOURCE MATERIAL is not originally 10-bit, they simply filter and encode it to 10-bit as it allows them to compress it more without having the noticeable side effects of compressing the same amount in 8-bit. I am very much familiar with 10-bit and what it is and isn't being used for, and there is NO way a AMV editor will have legitimate 10bit footage. Even working with these 10-bit anime encodes, they have to be converted BACK TO 8-Bit to even be usable in the editing software, so even if it were legit 10-bit footage it has already been cut back to 8-bit before it even enters the editing software.
Software & Guides: AMVpack | AMV 101 | AviSynth 101 | VapourSynth 101
PixelBlended Studios: Website | Twitter | YouTube

User avatar
XStylus
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2001 12:11 pm
Status: Fondly enjoying the salty air.
Location: A quaint little village.
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - DEADLINE: MAY 4th

Post by XStylus » Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:00 pm

l33tmeatwad wrote:
xstylus wrote:I was researching some info regarding optimal settings for MP4 encoding for anime and I ran across a few conversations on a fansub forum. 10-bit encodes seem to be the fad among that community, and some were aggressively swearing by it as far superior even though the source is only 8-bit. Since a lot of encoding wisdom for fansubbing is directly relevant to AMVs, I figured that 10-bit encoding might become a thing here as well, which would suck. 10-bit files are a pain to work with and have a lot of negative tradeoffs (only plays in specific players, looks scrambled in CS6, no hardware acceleration support, no set-top box can play them). All for what is, to me, only a miniscule quality/space improvement.
It doesn't change the facts behind my statement, the SOURCE MATERIAL is not originally 10-bit, they simply filter and encode it to 10-bit as it allows them to compress it more without having the noticeable side effects of compressing the same amount in 8-bit. I am very much familiar with 10-bit and what it is and isn't being used for, and there is NO way a AMV editor will have legitimate 10bit footage. Even working with these 10-bit anime encodes, they have to be converted BACK TO 8-Bit to even be usable in the editing software, so even if it were legit 10-bit footage it has already been cut back to 8-bit before it even enters the editing software.
I'm in total agreement with you. However, I guarantee you that there will be one or two less informed or newbie editors out there who will think "moar bitz = bettah!" and will want to compress their 8-bit-to-10-bit-to-8-bit AMV back to 10-bit again. :)
"Understanding is a three-edged sword: Your side, their side, and the truth." — J. Michael Straczynski

User avatar
Hagaren Viper
Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:51 pm
Status: Just wanna play Persona 4Ever
Location: I dont wanna edit
Contact:
Org Profile

Re: Anime Expo 2013 AMV Competition - DEADLINE: MAY 4th

Post by Hagaren Viper » Mon Mar 04, 2013 9:52 pm

I had a dream that I made the finalist list but for whatever reason my vid wasn't show in the con.

I can deal with our annual drama but...please keep the drama out of my dreams if possible...

Locked

Return to “AMV Contests”