It really does depend on which contest you're talking about.-Cye- wrote:I'm thinking about entering my newest amv in some contests, but I really have no idea what "contest quality" is. Do you need a really AMAZING video to enter contests or are there lots of entries but only the really amazing win? I mean I feel like a lot of the videos I watch are not that stellar but they get a lot of fanfare, so I'm unsure whether it's pointless or worthwhile to enter some contests. It's not a big deal if I win or not, but it would be cool to get a video shown somewhere.
Some (usually at the smaller cons) show everything that's submitted, as long as they're not disqualified for not following the rules.
The bigger conventions, which get tons of entries every year, usually have some sort of screening process to determine a set of finalists, which are then shown during the contest screenings. Otakon also shows the submitted videos that didn't make the finals in a different set of showings, so everyone gets their video shown at some point. Don't know about other large cons.
The exception to all this is Anime Weekend Atlanta, with its three separate contests and different rules for each. I know they promise to play at least one video by each creator who submits to the Exposition, but I don't know about the Professional and Masters contests and how they're handled when the con rolls around.