The reason I listed specific video types is because I WILL NOT be downloading codecs just to watch one entry. I did though say that people can contact me if they want to use a format other than .avi or .wmvEven if your planning to play then using media player, you can download various codex that will play back mpg and even DivX files.
I also do not know what method will be used to show the videos at the convention. This is the first time Animaritime has been held, and we are trying to do the best we can.
I don't have the money to be buying anything for the convention, as I am a cash-strapped university student in Canada. Even with the exchange rate being rather good for us reight now, something that costs under $50US will be more like $100CAN when all the shipping and handling is accounted for.First off, I agree with Dan and Vlad- MPEG is a very, very common standard and realistically if your computer can play back most AVI files, it can handle an MPEG1. Personally, I like mastering files out to MPEG2 like Vlad (and a number of other people) since you can get quality as high as the original source DVDs were (as MPEG2 is the format DVDs use). If you're going to be running contests or just playing videos back on something other than the computer monitor, I'd highly recommend picking up something like the Netstream 2000 MPEG/DVD decoder card- it's what some of the most high-profile contests are played back from and they can usually be gotten for under $50US on eBay.
Also, I have admited that I should have put MPEG on the list, as I realize my computer can handle it. Once again, my email is there for inquiries about different file types. The reason I put those two types are because they are the most common ones that I have seen.
Oops...once again, I'm new at this, and thought I had the bases covered. Apparently not. Entries will be accepted on CDs or DVDs, since they do have to be able to run on my computer.You don't anywhere specify what mediums you will accept for sending in the videos.
The judging will be done by club members. I'm not sure about the exact number of judges, as that has yet to be decided.You might want to let people know just who will be doing the judging- listing out the exact people isn't necessary if it's not being done as an audience vote, but people like to know these kind of things in general...
I do realize this, and I do thank you. The only reason I was getting a bit upset was the fact that, from my perspective, the first comments seemed to be rather condenscending towards me. This may not have been intentional, but it was how it came off to me.Running a contest isn't an easy thing, even at a smaller convention, and the more planning and knowledge you have the smoother it should run. We just want to give you the benefit of our previous experiences with contests to try and make sure yours goes off as good as possible...
But I do realize that these concerns are well-founded and helpful for me in the organizing of this contest.
The Cleric 007