Question for you all...[contest awards]

TheShadow99 · Post by **TheShadow99** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 10:57 pm

dokool,

Unfortunately while I've wanted to go to several Cons over the years. Starting with NekoCon in it's first year (last year was year 7 for them) as it & Anime North used to be the two closest), but work just won't cooperate... Being in charge wasn't exactly my idea (since I get to be in charge over all of video, from the video rooms, to the video games, to the AMV contest), but I'm the only one with real world experience doing A/V work... Yeah me... Since I don't have to travel at all for this Con, I think I can manage the extended weekend off at work...

Btw if any of you guys want to take an early look at the Con here is the current site. When we are a bit closer (& more organized) I'll make sure to make another thread inviting any of you that want to come...

dokool · Post by **dokool** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:51 am

TheShadow99 wrote:dokool,

Unfortunately while I've wanted to go to several Cons over the years. Starting with NekoCon in it's first year (last year was year 7 for them) as it & Anime North used to be the two closest), but work just won't cooperate... Being in charge wasn't exactly my idea (since I get to be in charge over all of video, from the video rooms, to the video games, to the AMV contest), but I'm the only one with real world experience doing A/V work... Yeah me... Since I don't have to travel at all for this Con, I think I can manage the extended weekend off at work...

Perhaps you ought to find someone else to run the contest, then? I don't want to pass judgement on your ability to run things, but it sounds to me like you're going into this with no real practical experience, which I think is a must for anybody who wants to run a contest.

Not to mention, it sounds to me like you have enough on your plate. Contests require the full attention of whoever's running them: recieving entries, making sure they adhere to the rules, coming up with the finalists, preparing the contest tape, etc.

However, I imagine that you have no intention on stepping down now that I've basically challenged you, in which case I <i>beg</i> you to talk to other contest coordinators, for both small and large cons. I also suggest you keep doing what you're doing now and keep in touch with editors (something that not all contest heads could be accused of doing).

TheShadow99 wrote:Btw if any of you guys want to take an early look at the Con here is the current site. When we are a bit closer (& more organized) I'll make sure to make another thread inviting any of you that want to come...

Certainly an interesting choice of location, especially since there's already an established convention in Western PA (Tekkoshocon). I'd recommend taking that little skip towards professionalism by getting a domain name ASAP.

TheShadow99 · Post by **TheShadow99** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 9:14 am

dokool wrote: Perhaps you ought to find someone else to run the contest, then? I don't want to pass judgement on your ability to run things, but it sounds to me like you're going into this with no real practical experience, which I think is a must for anybody who wants to run a contest.

Not to mention, it sounds to me like you have enough on your plate. Contests require the full attention of whoever's running them: recieving entries, making sure they adhere to the rules, coming up with the finalists, preparing the contest tape, etc.

However, I imagine that you have no intention on stepping down now that I've basically challenged you, in which case I <i>beg</i> you to talk to other contest coordinators, for both small and large cons. I also suggest you keep doing what you're doing now and keep in touch with editors (something that not all contest heads could be accused of doing).

Well really in some ways I wish I could, but as the only local member of the staff and as the only one with any technical experience. I'd only ever originally planned to help out in a smaller capacity when I heard they wanted to start a Con. Then more and more they had me making any vaguely technical decisions and absolutely anything to do with A/V... Eventually you realize you are in charge of it, whether you like it or not and you'd best do what you can...

I do plan to get as much info as possible about how to pull this off (& hopefully pull it off well), that's why I'm here posting this after all...

dokool wrote: Certainly an interesting choice of location, especially since there's already an established convention in Western PA (Tekkoshocon). I'd recommend taking that little skip towards professionalism by getting a domain name ASAP.

Yeah their is a big redesign with a domain name for the site as well coming up fairly soon. Since things are currently slated for Labor day weekend in 2006, so things are going forward in steps.. We just haven't gotten to that step yet...

& Actually while we do have quite a few other Cons nearby lately, that's the closest and still over 100 miles away... We do have a geographical advantage though, which is we happen to be equal-distant between Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo (it's a big trianlge with us at it's center) & we happen to be running it at a different time of the year compared to any other possible Cons even remotely close. Once upon a time Erie still reigned as the third largest city behind Philly and Pittsburgh and if Harisburg hadn't started withdrawing state funds from it years ago we'd still be third largest.. It's another wierd triangle thing (Erie, Pittsburgh, and Philly basically outling the state with another triangle). Well now that I've ranted about local history...

They do however have quite a list of VA's that all want to come (in fact currently more than we can afford to fly in and house for a weekend). As well as already having things lined up fairly well in almsot every department except video... My fun just never ends...