Otakon 2004 AMV Contest Finalists

[Vlad G Pohnert]

I don't know ... If someone sees a video they like and want to vote for it, I don't think they should have their vote invalidated for not sitting through the entire contest. Also, what about people who watch the first part of the contest at one time and the rest of it during one of the other showings?

Well, since the contest is shown multiple times, I suppose it could be a valid argument, but then again I see people who watch half a catagory and vote.. then of course they find out they liked something better after the fact... Think of being last in the category.. how fair is that

Vlad

[genestarwind21122]

I have a great idea. Why not give everyone a sheet with the videos name on it. Not a voting ballot but just a sheet with titles. Then at the end of the showing have someone annouce if you got a title sheet in the beginning bring it up to the front for your voting card and turn in your voting card before you leave. So that way people can check off on the other sheet what they like and then just transfer it over to the voting ballot. Which eliminates the possibilites of someone who leaves early or if someone comes in way too late.

[hackerzc]

At a con were the name Westware can mingle in with Vlad Pohnert And DokiDoki..... nothing is for sure.

Yes, we Canadians are quite friendly.

Actually I have found this to be very true, no joke. All Canadians I know are really nice. And I'm talkign about more than just you and Vlad

Honestly I think it's up in the air, esspecially since Tim didn't do comedy this year (which was extreamly surprising to say the least).

Wanted a break...

Actually I can understand. My problem is when I take a break... I just don't make ANYTHING. What can I say? The idea of starting a new video, and thinking about all the time I'd have to put into it overwhelm me. That's why I've only made 3 in the past two years.

The main reason it's being done differently is to get more people voting.
If it does not work, then maybe do something different next year.

How about an applause meter? *ducks*

To be honest I really have no clue what to say to that. Didn't AX or someone do that? I would imagine it's not a very goot method to go by though. Oh well that's something to think about after the con anyway.

PENCILS is also good, most of the time poeple do not have a pen handy and thus do not vote... JUST MAKE SURE to have someone at the door(s0 after collecting the ballots and pencils and you'll do fine....

I just hope Geoff does not eat them.... or whatever it was that prevented him from giving me any of the pens we were using, for the last AMV prescreening in Baltimore. I'm pretty sure there was a guy in the back row stabbing his arm with a chopstick and trying to write with it.

ALSO, I was wondering if there will be any pre-seating for the finalists (or event entrants) in the contest on Firday night (the main showing).. I lot of cons do that (Including the two I run) and I always think of it as a fair exchange for creators who enter making it what the contest is in the first place...

As of this moment, no. I know nothing like that was ever planned, but if I bring it up with Geoff something should be able to be worked out.
Next year though I'll insist on this being one of the perks... assuming I'm involved in the contest at all.

[hackerzc]

A few comments on new method of distribution of the AMV contest ballots:

-So, will someone will be passing out the ballots (and pencils) as people enter the room (and does this mean people will have to line up to get into the rooms that will be playing the contest)?

-Personally, this method is a mixed bag. On the plus side, it does ensure that people will be voting for the contest. On the negative side, I'm a type of person who a.) likes to have an idea of the videos that will be playing in the contest as soon as I get my registration kit and b.) likes to have a second ballot not as a way to sneak an extra vote (after all, I am honest and only vote once), but rather as a souvinier of that year's AMV contest (as well as something to keep track of the winning videos on).

Other than that, I'm looking forward to seeing this year's AMV contest.

As far as I understand it, the rooms where the contest wil be held will be cleared prior to the screening. So Yes you will have to get in a line. As it stands you will be given a ballot as you enter the room.

As for wanting to know the videos once you get your reg bag, just be lucky the contest is not blind like the prescreenings were, lol.

What I just realized about the ballots being handed out at the door is that there are three contest showings. So in theory, if you wanted too, you could vote three times. Don't know about the rest of you, but that it a bit unsettling. Oh well.... the way ballots are done wasn't my decission, lol.

I've always managed to snag a couple of ballots every year after the votes have been collected. Typically the extras are placed on some random table around the registration line, or you could always ask the various Otakon infodesks for a ballot. Theoretically if one really wanted to cheat, they could keep asking there for ballots, but it's too much work really.

Yeah, like I said, anyone who really wants to cheat will find a way.
There are ways to virtually eliminate cheating, but they are totally impractical. Cheating really isn't even an issue, so don't worry about it.

I'd prefer it to be unofficial. If it's made official and then Cyanna can't tag along, then I'm passing on it.

It would be easy enough to extend it to a guest.
Infact there is enough room that all creators who submitted could be given priority seating prior the screening.
Infact I'm going to see about making this happen this year... I have a list of every creator who submitted by name. Would be easy enough for you guys to walk up, flash some ID and let you guys in.
Let me see what I can do...
I have to run this through Geoff first though. I don't see any reason what so ever why this can't be done.... at least for the BIG screening in Main Events. I'll let you know what he says.
(email sent... I'd call but his phone is out of service or something).

Man I love acting on stuff like this. I origionally was going to wait till next year to setup something , but it's too good an idea to just pass up. Especially since it's SO simple to carry out.

I didn't think there was any official seating at Otakon for this. A group of us staked out a place in the middle of the room behind tech last year and it worked out pretty well, but I don't remember there being any 'official' seating announced.

There isn't.... but that's not going to stop me from trying to do it for you guys now. I'm really dissapointed I didn't think of this earlier.

[anneke]

One thing I saw at a recent convention that could be applied to an AMV contest. When someone hands in their ballot, simply use a hand hole punch, and thus put a hole in their badge. Quick and dirty and you know who has voted. Means that a person would have to actually get their friends to walk up with their ballots to turn them in. Down side is it would slow down the ballot collection process. And it can be a pain to punch a hole in the badges if they are to thick.

I highly aggree with making sure that people saw the entire contest/category before voting. Fanime suffered from this, this year. The videos shown later had more people watching them and thus a much better/higher chance of getting votes (not saying the results would have changed, I just have a feeling they would have). With Otakon's system of multiple showings it's harder to handle. I would personally put a note on the ballots that urges people to only vote on categorys they have seen all the videos of. And to also repeat this at the contest, to press on people how it's unfair to vote for one video without having seen the competition.

Often time I hear the excuse from people, well I know such and such combination is going to be bad so I didn't need to see the video. (rolls eyes). Or I don't like the anime or music a video is using so I don't need to see the video to know it's crap already (Rolls eyes again). Unless you see all the videos, you don't know how surprised you may be by something you didn't think you liked. (And thus the sign of a good AMV).

Anneke

[Scintilla]

Often time I hear the excuse from people, well I know such and such combination is going to be bad so I didn't need to see the video. (rolls eyes). Or I don't like the anime or music a video is using so I don't need to see the video to know it's crap already (Rolls eyes again). Unless you see all the videos, you don't know how surprised you may be by something you didn't think you liked. (And thus the sign of a good AMV).

Yeah, um, like that one video at the prescreenings that was NGE to Linkin Park... we expected it would be horrible, but it was actually one of the better drama videos there. Just goes to show.

However, with the number of good quality entries we had this year, I feel confident that there aren't going to <i>be</i> any "crap" videos in the finals, so everyone ought to be watching them all anyway.

[HurQlez03]

Yeah, um, like that one video at the prescreenings that was NGE to Linkin Park... we expected it would be horrible, but it was actually one of the better drama videos there. Just goes to show.

That was my AMV, "Faithless"

[EBwiz]

I tell everyone to not even bother viewing the AMV screenings usually as that most of the time the quality videos are only in the contest. It's good to hear there were a good amount of quality videos this time around.

[paizuri]

I tell everyone to not even bother viewing the AMV screenings usually as that most of the time the quality videos are only in the contest. It's good to hear there were a good amount of quality videos this time around.

Uh, don't the results of the prescreenings dictate which videos make it into the contest?

[hackerzc]

I tell everyone to not even bother viewing the AMV screenings usually as that most of the time the quality videos are only in the contest. It's good to hear there were a good amount of quality videos this time around.

Uh, don't the results of the prescreenings dictate which videos make it into the contest?

Yes.