About starting a MEP

[sunwukong86]

How do you qualify to start one? Are there rules other than what's posted in the MEP sub-forum?

[dj_ultima_the_great]

The simple answer is that you don't qualify. You just make a post in the MEP forum, and if it garners interest, people will join.

The complex answer is that there are so many MEPs starting up these days that people are beginning to discriminate heavily to decide what they'll join. This is a basic list of things that people will look for in a MEP thread, whether they admit it or not - and of course this list is open to amendments and additions:

1. Coordinator. Are you well-known on the .org? When did you join? If you're a "veteran," meaning you've been around for a couple of years, and you've proven that you can be serious and dedicated (even if you occasionally exhibit some silly/jack-off behavior), people are more inclined to trust you. On general, people seem to look for folks that have been around for at least a year.

2. Track record. If all you've made are YouTube videos, nobody is going to join. Generally speaking, we have a strong dislike for that site - the reasons vary from person to person, and some don't hate it at all, of course. However, more often than not, a Tube editor is frowned upon. Also, how many videos do you have on the .org? Just a few? A ton? If an editor has nothing on this site, they're pretty much discounted instantly. Why? Well, we have no proof that you have the technical or creative know-how to pull off a MEP. That's just us being cautious - try not to take it personally. We don't want to waste our effort on someone who potentially can't do the job.

2-1. Type of videos you've made. This is one of those, "whether we want to admit it or not" things. Basically, if you've used nothing but popular anime with popular music, people have less faith in you. It's a sad fact, but it's true, because more often than not, those two things are warning bells for poor editing. Again, that's really just us being cautious. Nobody wants to put their name on something that could possibly result in a crappy product.

3. Concept. You're more likely to garner interest if the idea for your MEP is original. For example, projects based upon a band's album(s) are likely to fail. This is not only because the music mixes tend to be poorly done, but also because they have a track record of having average to shoddy editing. On the other hand, if you put something out there like the idea for the VG Projects or the AMV Hell series, that's something that you just don't see much - or rather, it wasn't back when they first started. People like doing something that hasn't been done before. It's like being the first one of your friends to see a really awesome movie or concert or something. Makes you feel special.

3-1. Note that I am not bashing band-based MEPs. There are a ton of people on the .org who like those sorts of MEPs, and you can find some very well-done tracks within them. However, the majority of them are exactly as I described.

4. Download other MEPs. Use your own judgment to see what they did wrong and right. Read the threads associated with those MEPs. See where conflict sparked, and pay attention to where people agreed and gave their enthusiasm. Get a feel for how certain members behave and how they interact with others. That's something that takes time and experience, but it isn't difficult to see who hangs with who and how that affects how they act. Know what positive and negative things will arise from those interactions and be prepared to deal with them calmly and in an efficient manner. The minute you blow your top is when you lose control of the situation. Even if it's something as basic as people not liking your idea, no matter how rude they are, always keep your skin thicker than theirs. Don't let things get to you, because I've seen so many threads spiral out of control because the coordinator got pissed at one little thing and that set off everyone else. Thick skin and positivity - that's what I told the people on my MEP, and I'd like to think mine went pretty well.

5. Information. If all you say is, "Let's do a MEP for 'x' concept," and you don't say much of anything else, that's an instant turn-off. No matter how people may complain about the length and the amount of reading on some MEP threads, the fact is that they want details. Give them technical requirements, give them deadlines, give them the entire description of every last idea you had down to the letter. People want to know what they're getting themselves into before they commit to something that could eat up a chunk of their hard drive for months of their lives. If you're not sure where to start, look at what others have posted in their threads. See how other coordinators set up their projects. There are common ideas that go for every project, particularly in the technical details, so pay close attention to those. Be concise, be coherent, be positive, and most of all, be honest. Let people know exactly what you want and be willing to consider suggestions that might help you out. I spent months writing up the guidelines to my second MEP (I started them halfway through the first one). While it doesn't necessarily have to take that long, you should spend a good deal of time considering what you want to present to us.

6. Read the guides. I can't stress this enough. They're not the be all and end all of sources, of course. They're nothing more than what they're called - guides... designed to nudge you in the right direction and to give your editing some organization.

Most of all, give it time. If you've made a bad first impression on the forumfolk, or you just have newbie traits in your behavior, give yourself some time to integrate into the community again.

That's all I can think of to tell you, really. I hope some of it helps.


- Jen

[mirkosp]

This question was asked in some threads already, afaik. Two stickies were made to help people who wants to coordinate a mep:
This and this. They're a long read, but they'll be helpful.

[sunwukong86]

1. Coordinator. Are you well-known on the .org? When did you join? If you're a "veteran," meaning you've been around for a couple of years, and you've proven that you can be serious and dedicated (even if you occasionally exhibit some silly/jack-off behavior), people are more inclined to trust you. On general, people seem to look for folks that have been around for at least a year.

2. Track record. If all you've made are YouTube videos, nobody is going to join. Generally speaking, we have a strong dislike for that site - the reasons vary from person to person, and some don't hate it at all, of course. However, more often than not, a Tube editor is frowned upon. Also, how many videos do you have on the .org? Just a few? A ton? If an editor has nothing on this site, they're pretty much discounted instantly. Why? Well, we have no proof that you have the technical or creative know-how to pull off a MEP. That's just us being cautious - try not to take it personally. We don't want to waste our effort on someone who potentially can't do the job.

- Jen

Answer 2 is really funny, considering well, I know a crap load of people who have .org and YT accounts. Answer 1 applys for #2 for me because I pissed a lot of people off on YT. I know for a fact who here doesnt like me because of that. I know both Kevmasta and Arashinome have done MEPs and are loyal YTubers. I could name a whole list.

Basically if I have a reputation around here its bad and its from YT.

[NS]

Well if you keep talking like that.. like anything that happens on youtube, people here actually give a shit about, then you'll never be "popular"

[dj_ultima_the_great]

Please read what I wrote more closely. I said if all you have are YouTube videos, people will not join. I have an account with that site as well. It's all in where you place the emphasis. The .org is my priority, and I don't put my music videos on the Tube because this site is vastly superior to that one in nearly every way as far as AMVs go. Even if I did, I would always place emphasis on the fact that my videos are on this site - not that one.

In short, I didn't say that having connections with YouTube is a bad thing. I said that coming with material only from that site will cost you participants who are hostile to the site in regards to how it affects this one.

Sorry for any misunderstanding.


- Jen

[sunwukong86]

Please read what I wrote more closely. I said if all you have are YouTube videos, people will not join.


- Jen

Oh yeah sorry, I misread that.

[JaddziaDax]

I agree with everything DJ Ultima said :3 plus for those of us with donator's accounts we can see star ratings and if you have "low" star ratings people are less likely to want to join your mep... or if we download your latest video and the visual/audio/editing quality is low, people are going to be less inclined to join your mep..

The biggest problem I see you (specifically) having is the group of people who you have seemed to have pissed off on the tube site. They spam the crap out of your threads. That and the fact you haven't seemed to have read the mep coordinator help help stickies doesn't help your case.

If I were you I'd probably lay low for a while and work on improving your own videos before trying to jump into making a multi editor project.

[Scott Green]

...........plus for those of us with donator's accounts we can see star ratings and........

damn yooooooouuuuuuuuu O:

....gotta donate someday myself....

[BasharOfTheAges]

Another thing (akin to what JaddziaDax hinted at) is that unless you're doing something with good friends or as a joke, many people won't be interested if they feel you're not any good and that the project will just end up making them look bad by participating.