Otakon 2005 Finalists (unofficial)

[ANTDrakko]

Thought I'de post this "unofficial list" from the Yahoo Groups, posted by John Westbrook:

==============================

Romantic:
SnhKnives
AuN Studios
Daniel Chang
Bryan M.S. Minnix
Adam Porrovecchio

Serious:
Janzki
Michael "VegettoEX" LaBrie & Meri Cantoni
Dan Persons
Floyed Russell
Kusoyaro Productions

Action:
Iconoclast Studios
Bishounen Stalker
.ecoy:.
Senta Miller
Addiction Music Videos (AMV 4000)

Upbeat:
Ashyukun
VicBond007
JMI Productions
Cyanna
Greasy Weasel Productions

Comedy:
Suberunker Studeosh / Nanaca & Crash Productions
Michael Zubrzycki
rogueintellectproductions
Doki Doki Productions
Mr. Pilkington

==============================

Congrats to all of the finalists!

Though, I'm terribly suprised that my video didn't make it to the finals this year. Not that I think its THAT good, though, I expect all the videos in the "serious" category to be *very* good

~Seen

[Scintilla]

Upbeat:
Ashyukun
VicBond007
JMI Productions
Cyanna
Greasy Weasel Productions

*stares*

<b>A-QUI-LINE!
A-QUI-LINE!
A-QUI-LINE!</b>

In other news, I wonder when the last year we had exactly five videos in each category was...?

[Castor Troy]

Argh, I didn't make it....

.... oh wait, I didn't enter.

Looks like a good contest, best of luck to everyone!

[Brakus]

Upbeat:
Ashyukun
VicBond007
JMI Productions
Cyanna
Greasy Weasel Productions

*stares*

<b>A-QUI-LINE!
A-QUI-LINE!
A-QUI-LINE!</b>

In other news, I wonder when the last year we had exactly five videos in each category was...?

Was it YOUR "Waka Laka" video or Cyanna's "F L C AL" video that made the list? I was surprised when I saw Cyanna's name and thought to myself, "Hey, where's Waka Laka by Scintilla?"

My video (entered in the Drama-Serious category) didn't make the finalists' list either. Then again, it's no biggie. I treat Otakon's AMV contest like an afterthought; I had AWA in my sights after ACen finished up. And I've entered it in other contests coming up in the next few weeks.

[Infinity Squared]

Argh, I didn't make it....

.... oh wait, I didn't enter.

Looks like a good contest, best of luck to everyone!

Hahaha... I was about to say the same thing (curse deadlines and my inability to follow them ).

Yeah, good luck anyway to everyone

It's looking like a good competition.

[dwchang]

I'm QUITE surprised to see neither of the Fremmerlid Sisters getting into the finals. Having participated in the pre-screenings, in my opinion, they had top-notch videos in both the drama and action categories. Also this excellent drama video.

Also any reason only 5 videos in each category? I seem to recall the previous years having at least 6 per (and some times 7). It's my personal opinions, but there were some GREAT vids that didn't get in and I guess it'd be nice to see a 6th space added (like in the past) and some of them getting in .

*looks at the first paragraph for vids that should be in *

Regardless, congrats to the finalists! If you're going to Otakon, the showing itself is an award in itself . 5,000 people cheering is certainly something else .

...totally wishes they'd have posted it without categories so I could continuing lying that I didn't enter romance >_>

[trythil]

I'm QUITE surprised to see neither of the Fremmerlid Sisters getting into the finals. Having participated in the pre-screenings, in my opinion, they had top-notch videos in both the drama and action categories.

Maybe you'll get lucky and the Otakon AMV coordinators will announce that they forgot a few finalists. Or that some names were mixed up.

Happened last year, anyway.

[genestarwind21122]

I'm not to upset about Pain of War not making the finals. I knew it was on the border. However I am disappointed that Waka Laka, and Phenomenon didn't make the finals. WTF? These top notch videos that should and in my personal opinion win the con.

This is the most messed up list I've seen because serval other great videos that should have been in there and I'm not talking about my video.

But anyway congrats to those that did make it.

Gene Starwind 21122

[ANTDrakko]

I'm not to upset about Pain of War not making the finals. I knew it was on the border. However I am disappointed that Waka Laka, and Phenomenon didn't make the finals. WTF? These top notch videos that should and in my personal opinion win the con.

This is the most messed up list I've seen because serval other great videos that should have been in there and I'm not talking about my video.

But anyway congrats to those that did make it.

Gene Starwind 21122

Meh, I don't think this list of finalists are "messed up", I'm sure the videos that made are are very very excellent. Heck, even better, the AMV Contest this year should be amazing for the audience.

Though I do share your concern about the actual scores of some videos.

::waits for Antonio's official response::

~Seen

[jbone]

Remember, a video submitted to Otakon doesn't need to be good to make the finalist list (or, for that matter, to win awards) - it just needs to be popular.

With the steady decline in number of people who know what they're doing attending pre-screenings to vote, it's not surprising that more and more crap gets into the finals - Hells, crappy videos have even won at Otakon, simply because they catered to the lowest common denominator, and the audience as a whole always falls for the lowest common denominator, even if such a video isn't actually any good.

[Ashyukun]

Meh, I don't think this list of finalists are "messed up", I'm sure the videos that made are are very very excellent. Heck, even better, the AMV Contest this year should be amazing for the audience.

Though I do share your concern about the actual scores of some videos.

::waits for Antonio's official response::

~Seen

That's probably wise- I'm not going to be considering anything set until we hear it officially from Antonio. As Trythil pointed out, it would not be the first time there has been miscommunication about the finalists. There are several videos that I'm surprised to not see in the contest as well, but (having been at one of the pre-screenings) there were a number of very good videos in many of the categories.

I somewhat doubt that we'll see the full voting results, though- the full voting results for all of the videos is something that has never before (to the best of my knowledge) been posted publicly- generally the editors have only been able to request their own scores from the screenings as well as the comments that were given on their videos. Other than that, only the compiled overall statistical information on the pre-screenings as a whole (mean, std. dev., # of votes, etc.) have been made available. This was (as I understand it) done so that there would not be any harassment/teasing/insulting of anyone because of the scores they got. Granted, that was how things were done in the past and there is no guarantee that they will continue to be handled this way since we essentially have all new people running the contest this year, so you never know.

[ANTDrakko]

I agree with you Ash and I actually am starting to agree with Jbone on that subject too a little bit.

Methinks the AMV Dinner Thursday is going to have some interesting conversations

~Seen

[Cyanna]

Was it YOUR "Waka Laka" video or Cyanna's "F L C AL" video that made the list? I was surprised when I saw Cyanna's name and thought to myself, "Hey, where's Waka Laka by Scintilla?"

I'm really excited to make it and even more dissappointed that I won't be there. But out of all the possible outcomes that could have happened with our entries, this is probably the last one I was expecting. I really was looking forward to competing with him in the same catagory for the first time because I figured if I made it into the finals, he'd be a shoe-in.

So yeah...chalk up another one scratching their head.

But I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Ashyukun]

I agree with you Ash and I actually am starting to agree with Jbone on that subject too a little bit.

While a bit more blunt than I would have put it, jbone's point is not entirely off-base from my experience. Videos that are more 'popular', use more popular songs/shows, use flashier effects do have a tenancy to both make the contest with higher regularity and win more when the decision is left up to an audience. In part I believe this is why having both screenings that are more editor-centric (KoP, Chicago) as well as more public-centric (UMD) keeps the decision process for Otakon's contest balanced well. I'm not forgetting NYC- but I think it falls somewhere in the middle from my experience there last year

The contest is ultimately for the attendees of the convention, so it's important to have videos that they will enjoy, so having the popular input of the UMD attendees (I realize there are editors who attend the UMD screenings as well, but it's my understanding they are in the minority) is important, while the screenings with more editors generally will be less swayed by popular shows and music and focus more on the technical and artistic merits of the videos. We also are more, let's face it, anal when it comes to the quality of the source and encoding, and realize that a video with considerable interlacing problems, macroblocking, or the likes will tend to look 10x worse on 2-story high screens than on the TVs we usually pre-screen on and score accordingly.

I am personally hoping that there are some changes between the initial list released and the final- like DW I am rather surprised neither of the Canadian Wonder Twins' (the Fremmerlid sisters) videos made the final cut, because they were not only extremely well edited and had beautiful source, they were also videos I would have expected to score well in an audience vote. I'm also surprised to not see Waka Laka in there- honestly it was the video I figured stood the best chance of winning Upbeat.

[ANTDrakko]

While a bit more blunt than I would have put it

Heh, thats what Jbone is always good for; a blunt representation

I am personally hoping that there are some changes between the initial list released and the final- like DW I am rather surprised neither of the Canadian Wonder Twins' (the Fremmerlid sisters) videos made the final cut, because they were not only extremely well edited and had beautiful source, they were also videos I would have expected to score well in an audience vote. I'm also surprised to not see Waka Laka in there- honestly it was the video I figured stood the best chance of winning Upbeat.

Agreed. Shackled and Phenomenon are definately two of my favorite videos for many reasons (and I usually *hate* Naruto videos). Thing is, exactly how close is Antonio going to cut it to the convention before any "mistakes" are corrected, if any?

Meh, I'm debating whether I should burn a compilation of a few of my videos to hand out, though, I was kind of hoping that being in the finals would actually make people interested in getting a CD.

Oh well, back to being a No-Name ^_^.

::Puts on his anti-radar armor. +5 to his "under the radar" ability::

~Seen