The End of AMV Theater: You Can (Not) Otakon

[TnAdct1]

I don't know anything about the new people running the contest, none of what I say is directed at them personally or otherwise, but in the long run, it doesn't matter who they are. They interviewed and accepted a job that is logistically impossible and no amount of good intentions can salvage that. To that end, Under The Box Productions is definitely among those not participating in Otakon any longer. I guess you could call it a boycott, I like the term Blacklist. If the AMV Theater and Vic and his team as it stood aren't welcome there, I do not consider it a welcome or trustworthy place to submit and screen our videos. That has nothing to do with any individual current staff, and everything to do with the pervasive systemic issues in the way leadership are choosing to run things which will inevitably result in a massive degradation of quality, and has already resulted in an absurd and unnecessary amount of hurt to a world-class team of people who deserved none of it.

To be honest, the only reason I even had interest in Otakon this year after all the mess that happened last year was the fact that:

1. The con was actually having an AMV Contest (Unless they had an international guest that interests me, which hasn't happened yet, having the Contest was the main "make or break" thing for me after Vic's sacking last year).

2. Even if they can't top Vic, I do feel that the coordinators will try their best to run the contest, as they do have experience with handling other contests (and the one handling things on the a-m-v.org side is an Otakon finalist herself).

Reading Vic's side of the story and learning how ugly things got, I myself am disappointed at how Otakon leadership handled this situation (as it's goes well against the original ideas of the convention), and with a combination of me getting older and a good chunk of the con's charm being lost in a post-COVID world, this year really feels like a "last chance" for the con (especially as someone who has opted to make Anime USA, the con that I usually am a panelist at, be the con that I spend the night at instead of Otakon).

[Zeonic Freak]

I don't know anything about the new people running the contest, none of what I say is directed at them personally or otherwise, but in the long run, it doesn't matter who they are. They interviewed and accepted a job that is logistically impossible and no amount of good intentions can salvage that. To that end, Under The Box Productions is definitely among those not participating in Otakon any longer. I guess you could call it a boycott, I like the term Blacklist. If the AMV Theater and Vic and his team as it stood aren't welcome there, I do not consider it a welcome or trustworthy place to submit and screen our videos.

It's funny you said "blacklist", because I got a google doc I use to keep up with contest I submit for for organization, and I have Otakon down under the "blacklist" category haha. I got one other con as well, but I won't name names.

Having said that, I went ahead and submitted my Masters video to the contest for the shear "ah, what the hell" attitude. It's not a slight against Vic or anyone at the staff or the people who have their personal moral convictions to not participate submitting to Otakon. I made the decision based on that I make videos for people to see and enjoy, and if it makes finals great, if not, oh well. I figured I'd try my shot this year and hope the attendees enjoy what I submitted. I completely respect others standings on boycotting the con, but I wanted to submit my entry for the people in that theater that go there to watch videos, and I want my stuff to be seen. Hopefully my video will inspire someone to make their own, because to me that's the real reward.

People gotta do what they believe is right, who knows what'll happen to Otakon over the next year or few years. Let them crumble under their own decisions for all I care, fans will go elsewhere for a good time, and editors will send videos to other cons.