AWA 10 Anime Music Video Contest Rules (Cliff's Notes)

[MCWagner]

All these rules will be appearing shortly on the main AWA webpage, but they're being posted here for anyone that doesn't happen by there frequently.

Here's the short version of the rules. This is really only for browsing the general stuff, please consult the long version when you're checking to make sure you submitted properly. Especially note the new rules we've got concerning distribution of Pro judging "tapes", and the new strictures on Masters' entries.

Here we go, the short version:

AWA AMV RULES, Cliff’s Notes Version
Summary of all the long, boring specifications for each contest. We got complaints last time about confusing rules, so this should help summarize everything for you. Check the full version (at bottom) for all the detailed rules if you’ve got questions.



General:
When you submit to the contest, don’t send us your only copy of your video. (You aren’t getting it back.)

We accept any material, any video or music source, just get it to us on time. This means non “Japanese” animation, live action, or even non “music” audio sources is accepted, being late is not. Each contest has a different deadline, so be sure to note when you have to submit.

Submissions of a mature or violent nature may be restricted to a special late-night viewing session. (We don’t censor for content. It’s allowed, but showed later.)

One contest per video, please. (One individual video may not be in all the contests.)

You may enter multiple contests if you have created multiple videos.

Two Kinds of Submissions Are Accepted:

Video Tape Submissions
Put it on a video tape and mail it to us.

Labels, labels, labels. Label the tape clearly according to the full instructions, both on the spine and the face. Don’t forget your contact info in case the tape gets damaged in shipping.

Record in SP (2 hr) mode only. NTSC SVHS, DVD-Video, VHS, MiniDV, Pal or SECAM VHS are all good.

Record 1 minute of black at the front of the tape before you get to the video. Record a couple of seconds after the video is over. This just makes it easy on us and avoids tech flaws in the tape.

You can put more than one video per tape, even for different contests, just be sure everything’s labeled so we can tell what belongs where.

We get the tape when we get it. Don’t try to weasel around deadlines.

Include a letter with the video tape with all the required info.

Use a standard padded mailer to ship the tape, and leave the tape in its cardboard sleeve. Label the mailer with “ATTN:” and the AWA 10 Contest you’ve entered.
Mail all entries to:

ATTN:...
Patrick Bohnet
2955 Lula Lane
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Digital Submissions

Rules for digital submissions are elaborate and include advice on resolution, CODECs and transmission. Sorry, no way around it, you’ll have to read the long version.

You can either send us a CD/DVD with the video burned on it as data (all the obvious rules for tape submissions apply), or upload it directly to our server at http://contest.otakuvideo.com.

Any questions should go to: contest@otakuvideo.com

Contests:

Music Video Exposition Deadline: August 27, 2004
The goal of the Music Video Exposition has always been to give as many videos the chance to be exhibited as possible while awarding recognition to as many deserving videos as is practical.

Entries are judged by the Anime Weekend Atlanta Video Art Track Staff.

Judging is NOT blind. Judges will know who made each video.

There are no set awards, but the general categories usually include Drama, Comedy, Action, Best of Show, etc.

Contest Rules in Addition to General rules:
All entries must be in our hands no later than August 27, 2004.

You may submit as many videos as you can fit on one standard T-120 VHS (or S-VHS) video tape. (In other words, 2 hours worth.)

We’ll consider any request for a specific video to be the one shown at the convention. At least one will be shown from each contestant at some time during the convention.

Professional Contest Deadline: July 30, 2004
Four years ago, Anime Weekend Atlanta decided to begin a new and novel manner of judging AMV contests. Instead of having our staff review the videos (which is done for the Exposition), or letting the audience vote on entries (usually leading to logistical nightmares), we had a contest judged exclusively by those who participated.

The contest worked like this; the complete set of "blinded" entries to the contest are all compiled onto tapes, and then copies are mailed back to everyone who entered. This year, though, it’s a bit different. NOTICE: THIS YEAR WE WILL BE SENDING OUT DVDs OR TAPES. WHEN YOU SEND IN YOUR ENTRY, PLEASE INCLUDE THE BLANK TYPE OF MEDIA YOU WISH TO RECIEVE. Nomination and voting for each category is done online at a designated website, with each participant getting a vote for each category. Awards are given based on these votes. Ties are broken by the staffers.

Contest Rules in Addition to the General Rules
Because of all the trouble that goes into making the Professional contest work, we tend to be harsher on the rules. Double-check everything before you send it off.

The only requirement to be a “professional” in this contest is to follow the rules. Every level of experience is welcome to join in.

All entries must be in our hands no later than July 30, 2004.

You may submit only one video, not longer than 15 minutes. Note: This was in place for the first time last year, and we still got a huge number of entries. Looks like it’s staying.

Judging is “blind.” Your submission, the video footage itself, can not tell us who you are, your studio name, etc. in title cards or bumpers. If you leave it in, we’ll disqualify it or we’ll snip out anything like this so everyone has a fair chance. PLEASE REMEMBER THIS RULE. WE ARE VERY TIRED OF HAVING TO SNIP UP ENTRIES THAT DON’T FOLLOW THIS RULE.

You can include a second version with your name attached to show at the convention, but the blind one is the one that will be judged. (Make sure on the label that we know it’s there.)

For the judging, you may send blank VHS tapes, SVHS tapes, or blank DVD media, the choice is yours, but you will only receive one set of judging media.

If you are sending the tapes, send three new blank tapes. You may only send new high grade Sony, Fuji, or TDK brand tapes; we are tired of killing our VCRs when cheap tapes break inside of them.

If you wish to send DVD media, send four new, blank DVDs. The media can be DVD+R or DVD-R. The media MUST be 4X compatible or faster. Sony, Fuji, and TDK media have been found to be the most compatible, but get a brand that you know works in your player.

We copy all the submissions onto these DVDs or Tapes (2hrs per) and send them back to you for judging. Digital submitters will ALSO have to send us these blank DVDs or Tapes, just because you upload your video does not mean you don’t have to judge.

Also include a stamped, self addressed mailer to return the three tapes or four DVDs back to you. Make sure your media fits in the return mailer.

If you live in a foreign country, or have trouble accessing a post office for various reasons, contact contest@otakuvideo.com for an alternative to sending the blank media and return mailer.

VERY IMPORTANT: Since we don’t know yet what the content of these videos will be, there’s a chance some of the videos may include scenes of a violent or sexual nature. Since we’ll be sending these videos all across the country, and we don’t want to get in trouble with anyone’s parents, you must be at least 18 years old to compete in this contest. At the end of the long version of these rules there is a letter to sign stating just that. If you are not 18 and still want to compete, get your parent or legal guardian to read the final paragraph and sign it. We cannot accept entries to this contest without the signed letter. Yeah, it sucks, but we don’t want to risk getting anyone in trouble.

You’ll be told when and where to login and put your votes on a website once everything is up and running. You can suggest additional award categories then.

The Masters Deadline: August 13, 2003
As one of the largest AMV contests in the country, we felt the Music Video Community respected our opinion, and that we had earned the right to endow a new contest where we could bestow a special honor from us to one individual artist.

The format we chose was The Masters, named after a golf tournament in nearby Augusta, GA. The concept was simple; those who had received recognition in a prior contest, either at Anime Weekend Atlanta or elsewhere, would send us just one entry, and this entry would be judged by the Video Art Track Director, in consultation with others, on the stringent evaluation of technical and artistic qualities in the video.

Contest Rules in Addition to the General Rules
This is for the real nit-picking judging. We’re very strict on following the rules, since these are all experienced creators. Triple-check everything before sending your submission in.

There is only one award, the Grand Prize, for this contest.

Only one entry per contestant is allowed.

Only brand new entries (never before competed or exhibited in a contest anywhere else) are allowed.

Like the Pro contest, judging is “blind.” Don’t leave anything in the video specifically telling us who you or your group are. You can include a copy with all the “studio identification” intact for display at the convention, but the “blind” one is what will be judged.

To be eligible for this contest, you must have received some form of formal award for your other works. NEW: Since AMV contests have expanded in a bunch of different directions in the last few years, we are going to have to be more specific on this point. Because online contests have expanded beyond any one person’s ability to keep up with them, awards given via online contests are not eligible for this qualification. This is in no way meant as a slight against online contests, but rather an acknowledgement that if someone made up a fictional or rigged contest we’d never heard of online to give themselves an award, we’d be none the wiser. Second honorable mentions are no longer eligible for this qualification. Again, this is not meant to ‘dis’ honorable mentions, but there’s a vast sliding scale between different conventions for what an “honorable mention” means, with some conventions technically giving all contestants an “honorable mention”....kind of defeating the point of the qualification here.

This may be seen as “whittling down” the eligible number of contestants, and we’re sorry to have to implement these restrictions, but the explosion of AMV contests all over the place has somewhat forced our hand. With the exception of online awards and honorable mentions, everything that qualified you for Master’s before, still qualifies you now.

Send us your award-winning video along with your Master’s submission, along with the name of the award won. This is your “qualifying” video that lets you enter the Master’s contest.

All entries must be in our hands no later than August 13, 2003.

We don’t restrict on content, source, or length for this contest. Give us your best.

Include in your submission your sport-coat size. (The Award itself is a “Master’s Jacket.”)

[Castor Troy]

Awesome, although a few dates still list 2003 but it people should catch on right away.

I got a question though, how does someone sponsor an award like "The Carlos stop whining award"? or anything of that nature?

[Bakadeshi [AuN Studios]]

question: can the same video compete in 2 diferent contests, such as both the Pro one and the normal Exhibition one?

[AMV_4000]

question: can the same video compete in 2 diferent contests, such as both the Pro one and the normal Exhibition one?

One contest per video, please. (One individual video may not be in all the contests.)

hope that answers your question

[Bakadeshi [AuN Studios]]

question: can the same video compete in 2 diferent contests, such as both the Pro one and the normal Exhibition one?

One contest per video, please. (One individual video may not be in all the contests.)

hope that answers your question

how did i miss that..... I'm going blind

[JCD]

OK, last year Expo, this year professional for me

I hope sending the dvd-r's back to me isn't too much of a problem since my certification from last year still isn't here

[AquaSky]

Question : If you've received an award for any of your videos in the past, are you limited to entering only the Masters category ? Or is it simply a requirement for that category (and not a disqualification from entering the others) ?

[Ashyukun]

Question : If you've received an award for any of your videos in the past, are you limited to entering only the Masters category ? Or is it simply a requirement for that category (and not a disqualification from entering the others) ?

No- you're just not allowed to particupate in the Masters if you haven't. Anyone who wants to can enter videos in Pro and Expo irregardless of whether it's their first video or if they've won a dozen awards. But you can't enter Masters without some qualifying form of recognition.

[MCWagner]

OK, last year Expo, this year professional for me

I hope sending the dvd-r's back to me isn't too much of a problem since my certification from last year still isn't here

You mean award certificate? Uh.....yeah....hmmm..

That was caused by massive delays and my being a punk about it. (Stupid work always getting in the way.) Mailing out pro stuff is completely different...

[MCWagner]

Question : If you've received an award for any of your videos in the past, are you limited to entering only the Masters category ? Or is it simply a requirement for that category (and not a disqualification from entering the others) ?

No- you're just not allowed to particupate in the Masters if you haven't. Anyone who wants to can enter videos in Pro and Expo irregardless of whether it's their first video or if they've won a dozen awards. But you can't enter Masters without some qualifying form of recognition.

(Just making it official)

Yup, what Ashyukun said. If people who had ever won anything before were only allowed to compete in Masters, I would get soooo swamped....