by Vlad G Pohnert » Tue Jul 30, 2002 12:36 am
Just got back from Otakon and I really had a great time! This con was so much better in every way to AnimeExpo except for Registration (needs work). I met a lot of new AMV creators and had a great time spending time and talking with everyone.
The Contest:
I was just blown away on the shear scale of the contest. The contest was played 4 times during the convention. On Friday and Saturday afternoon it was played in the largest video room (2000+ capacity) and to an almost full house at that! On Friday night it was played in the main events room (4000 capacity) and was over half full! Even Sunday after the winners were announced the room was packed with 500+ people. Overall I really liked some of the entries and always had to pick between two really good ones.
Winners and comments:
Romantic Sentimental Category:
Transcending Love by Vlad G. Pohnert
Only an Ocean Away by Sarah Brightman
Cowboy Bebop, Macross Plus, and City Hunter
I was so surprised and glad people enjoyed it. A few good entries in this category especially the one to Outlaw Star featuring CGI sequences - very nice! I also love the new Trophies this year!
Serious/Dramatic Category:
The Perfect Drug by Astro Glidewell
Nine Inch Nails
FLCL
I found this to be a tough category to judge. There wasn't a video(s) that totally stood out. I did like the Card Captor, Evangelion and Pom Poko ones.
Action Category:
Path of the Deus by Senta Miller
Chop Suey! by System of the Down
Angelic Layer
This video and Shining Collection by VicBond007 were the both very good and neck and neck in my mind. Both were disserving of the win but I think Senta's did have a bit more of a dramatic edge to it.
Upbeat/Rhythm Category:
Beboppin' by DJ Fritz
Can't Get You Out of My Head by Kylie Minogue
Cowboy Bebop
Winner by a landslide victory! I can see why it won, but I didn't think it was that fantastic. I felt the beginning and end were really strong and good, but it seemed to drag in the middle. I still like it and it was addiction, but I felt a few of the other videos were just as good.
Humorous Satirical Category:
Commercial exploitation '02 by Yonder
Butterfly by SMILE.dk
Bubblegum Crisis 2040, Dragon Ball Z, and Saber Marionette J)
This video had a really good and funny concept. I was fighting with this one and Tim's (this video Sucks) It actually won by only 7 votes!!. I felt the concept was deserving of winning for sure, the effects were a bit unpolished and required a bit more work. But overall, my choice as well.
THE PANNEL:
The panel was a lot of fun and very informative as usual. Several videos were played as examples which included Kevin Codwell's Believe (my favorite) and other's I can't remember off the top of my head (well.. they did play my Memories Dance video at which point was I was so shocked about all the wonderful things they had to say about it).
AMV Overflow Room:
This room was always at least half full. It played AMVs and parodies all convention long! I also played the DDR3 Project to a full house and the fans loved it!! I finally got to see Scott's "This is Otakudom" and loved it! WOW, this is the best dubbed and lip synching I've ever seem and it lasts 51 minutes!! WAY TO GO Scott!! No wonder the place was packed solid!
In General:
In closing, it was an awesome con. I enjoyed everyone's company and hope to be back next year. The other thing I would like to say is a big thanks to both Matt and Duane who did an awesome job on the contest and their support and dedication to the presence of AMVs and it's community at the con!
Also, I would also like to mention and encourage people to keep supporting cons like Otakon and others. Keep sending in those great videos. Some say that sent only to AWA, but I think that's a wrong approach. I love AWA and feel it's the AMV communities "Academy" Awards convention where all of us get together to judge and watch videos, socialize and have a great time.
Otakon (and all the other great cons) should also be support in every way since there it's the FANS who get to enjoy everything and it's important that we keep that growing since AMVs are getting just as popular as the Costume contests at cons!
I feel that like a movie, AWA is the Academy Awards but places like Otakon are the "movie houses" where the fans enjoy our work. And as with a movie, it's always important to send in entries to both! Therefore I say send to both types of conventions so that our presence will always be there and not whither away!
Vlad