A suggestion for the Otakon 2010 AMV contest.

[Adv1sor]

I just came from the Katsucon AMV contest. It was well ran and had some really good AMVs. (There were some sound problems, but that happens). Two hours plus of AMVs. Some good, some really good, some not so good. That's usually how it is for most AMV contests. Would you agree?

I myself had an entry in Katsucon this year and, watching it up there on the big screen this morning I thought, "that's really not a very good AMV." Yet, it made the cut.

So, here's my suggestion for the Otakon 2010 AMV contest.

Have only three AMVs per category.

Cut the contest down from two plus hours of OK AMVs, to one hour or so of really good AMVs.

It comes down to this.

Is the AMV contest a showcase for us editors or an event for the fans?

Either way, let's raise the bar this year.

Your thoughts?

[Rinny]

It's an event for the fans, and plenty of 'okay' AMVs are still enjoyable for most people. If you want more great amvs in contests, then more people have to make and submit them. Three videos to a category doesn't even make things interesting.

Now, here's what I want to know...what does this have to do with Otakon's contest? Shouldn't this be a suggestion for all contests to raise their standards, or do you have some specific problem with Otakon?

[Ileia]

Gotta agree with Rinny. You don't really know what someone will like. I went to Otakon the year before last, and someone I was sitting next to got excited because there was an AMV coming on that featured an anime they liked. I thought the video was god-awful, but this person really enjoyed it.

[Scintilla]

Agreed with Rinny and Aieli_Ileia. I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of videos that make the finals get some votes: fans' tastes are quite varied.

Also, if you think the finals represents two hours of merely "OK" AMVs, you should see what the prescreeners have to sit through just to whittle it down that far. Especially in categories such as Drama which always get tons of entries (including RehDogg...).

[Kitsuner]

I agree with Rinny, Ileia, and Scintilla. Attitudes like yours are part of what give a-m-v.org our elitist reputation.

[Castor Troy]

I agree with Rinny, Ileia, Scintilla, Kitsuner, and disagree with Adv1sor.

But we can always agree to disagree.

[Adv1sor]

So, no change from my fellow editors. Well, I agree with Castor Troy in that we can agree to disagree.

Oh and, for the record, I targeted Otakon because a change there would likely change the others as well. No other reason.

You all may be right, but for me it's not an elitist thing. (My own AMVs are no where near good enough for that kind of attitude). It's more of an extension of the my belief that most AMVs, (MOST, not all), would be much better at three minutes than they are at five. So it goes that an AMV contest would be better at one hour than two or three.

Tell me that you never looked at the ballot to see how many more AMVs are left in a category during the last AMV show you attended. If you didn't, then you are right, the show is not too long.

[Vlad G Pohnert]

I think it's important not to have the show go too long (keep it just under the 2 hour mark)...

However I may point out that even if you make it an hour show there is no garantee in a contest that it's a great show or not. I've seem some contests where the whole two hours contains fantastic videos and others where only one or two have stood out...

Vlad

[BasharOfTheAges]

I've never been to Otakon (nor do I plan to because of the enormous number of people), but usually big cons like that don't tend to have crap make it into the finals, mostly because they have literally hundreds of entries (because they have such big numbers).

[sven72383]

Scintila, you had to sit through RehDogg too? I'm sorry.