Otakon AMV Contest (Room Confirmed)

Announcement & discussion of Anime Music Video contests
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Illia Sadri
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Post by Illia Sadri » Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:23 pm

hackerzc wrote:According to what I've been told by the President, the schedule wasn't sent out for review prior to the press deadline. So not enough experienced eyes were looking at it, and those who did look assumed that "Ballroom 1" meant the entire ballroom.
It was not until programming saw the book with the numbers in it that I was corrected and the actual room we were in was confirmed.
Luckily I was made aware of this and was able to bring it up as an issue.
At first I was told that nothing could be done (which I let everyone know), fortunately everyones posts about it caught the attention of the President who has stepped in to resolve the matter. We will most likely be able to post an update on this either later today or some time tomorrow.

What makes this such a difficult situation is that the current schedule is PACKED... and I mean FULL.... there is barely any open space anywhere in it, and nothing large enough to fit the block needed for the AMV contest.
The only way to take care of the AMV Contest and the Fan Parodies is to totally flip schedules between two rooms (moving JUST the contest is impractical as it would cascade the rest of the schedule for whatever room it went into).
Since this means moving an entire video room to a smaller space programming first needs look over the schedule once more and decide which has the bigger draw, the contest/parodies or what is already slated for the room. From past experience, I expect that the AMV's and parodies will win out in this case as they consistently draw the largest crowds year to year than any other events (save cosplay and the concerts).

While I do not know what the deal with cosplay is, the President is trying to give the AMV's and Fan Parodies exactly what you are asking for ... equal attention.
Additionally, reserved seating had already been setup for those attending the convention who submitted content this year (and was done long before we even knew about the room problem).

........ nobody overlooked the schedule prior to print? And this is reassuring in what way? I know had that happened at acen, someone would have been fired. Scheduling is not throwing darts on a board and using that to determine which random event goes where. You need to consider audiences, you need to consider counter programming and flows. It's not necessarily your fault but honestly that is even more disturbing to hear because that means more than just the amv contest and parody showings are going to be f-ed up.

And I am glad to see the president cares about our fandoms, but the realistic fact is amv editors have every right to be a bit outraged when we get shafted and it takes a lot of griping to even get a second glance. The popularity is about on par with that of masquerade. Nobody would EVER consider screwing them.

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Post by MousePotato » Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:17 pm

this as come at a worst time too considering the trend of a decline of entries every year. Because of this the less loyal entrants will submit elsewhere.

Honesty, if FTP is not avalible next year then i dont see any good happening. Yes, i know its very hard to set this up and i know it's become cliche for me to say that. However, in light of this retarded episode of miscomunication the need for it is more previlant.

AND i still firmly stand by the fact that this reason the costum contest is so popular is because of the exposure (which we are fighting for right now for our selves as the AMV contest) and the one thing they have that we dont; an awards ceremony.

Now i dont want to hear about closing ceremonies at all. i know. The damn Masqurade has a great awards ceremony. WHY? because EVERYONE wants to know who won! (duh).

Now, pretend your an average emo kid who looks forward to watching Vic's newest Noir video. You see the conest and come to find out that John has come out of retirement and some how managed to submit a video in every catagory which outclass the other 4 videos that were submited that year.

Suddenly your handed this peice of paper and some wierd thing called a pencil. Time to vote! you think. So, you grab 20 more ballots and vote for all of john's videos. Then you proceed to put them in the vote box (Which is really a garbage can in desguise)

Now, after voting you go on your merry way to either stand in the hallway with a "Hug me before I kill myself" sign or down to the video game room where you make atomX cry like a little girl after a game of DDR.

In the mist of Glomping people and buying your 3rd Naruto hidden leaf forhead protector you realize that you want to know who the winners are for the amv contest.

So you walk around aimmlessly asking random Vash the Stampedes where the hell the AMV contest awards ceremony is.

*STOP* (Here's the part where i make my point for those of you who red the part about AtomX and skipped the rest)

There is no AMV contest awards ceremony. Sure there's kind of one during the Iron editors challange. But, come on; Most of the people there are amv creators not the random "o noez im going emo!" person.

In fact, at least the spectators for the Editor Challange get to see thier results.

Most of the people into AMV's are in the know as to where info on the conest winners can be found. But what about that next Kevin Caldwell or Floyd Russell? The kid that will one day tear Euphoria off the top of all the charts. He'll say, "Wow! that Tenchi video was amazing! I can wait to go onto Animemusicvideos.org and ask a bunch of stupid questions in the wrong forum and get band for persistanlly asking wear I can downlaod Dragon Ball Z footage!"

ok im done. btw i had Euphoria on loop playing in the background while i typed this. and im at work so i dont have my trusty google toolbar spell checker handy.

-floyd

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Post by hackerzc » Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:28 pm

Illia Sadri wrote:
hackerzc wrote:According to what I've been told by the President, the schedule wasn't sent out for review prior to the press deadline. So not enough experienced eyes were looking at it, and those who did look assumed that "Ballroom 1" meant the entire ballroom.
It was not until programming saw the book with the numbers in it that I was corrected and the actual room we were in was confirmed.
Luckily I was made aware of this and was able to bring it up as an issue.
At first I was told that nothing could be done (which I let everyone know), fortunately everyones posts about it caught the attention of the President who has stepped in to resolve the matter. We will most likely be able to post an update on this either later today or some time tomorrow.

What makes this such a difficult situation is that the current schedule is PACKED... and I mean FULL.... there is barely any open space anywhere in it, and nothing large enough to fit the block needed for the AMV contest.
The only way to take care of the AMV Contest and the Fan Parodies is to totally flip schedules between two rooms (moving JUST the contest is impractical as it would cascade the rest of the schedule for whatever room it went into).
Since this means moving an entire video room to a smaller space programming first needs look over the schedule once more and decide which has the bigger draw, the contest/parodies or what is already slated for the room. From past experience, I expect that the AMV's and parodies will win out in this case as they consistently draw the largest crowds year to year than any other events (save cosplay and the concerts).

While I do not know what the deal with cosplay is, the President is trying to give the AMV's and Fan Parodies exactly what you are asking for ... equal attention.
Additionally, reserved seating had already been setup for those attending the convention who submitted content this year (and was done long before we even knew about the room problem).

........ nobody overlooked the schedule prior to print? And this is reassuring in what way? I know had that happened at acen, someone would have been fired. Scheduling is not throwing darts on a board and using that to determine which random event goes where. You need to consider audiences, you need to consider counter programming and flows. It's not necessarily your fault but honestly that is even more disturbing to hear because that means more than just the amv contest and parody showings are going to be f-ed up.

And I am glad to see the president cares about our fandoms, but the realistic fact is amv editors have every right to be a bit outraged when we get shafted and it takes a lot of griping to even get a second glance. The popularity is about on par with that of masquerade. Nobody would EVER consider screwing them.

The schedule was indeed seen before it went to print (please do not misunderstand what I said). The problem was that not ENOUGH people who needed to see it did because of printing deadlines. On top of that there were complications due to mass changes in rooms this year (sizes and locations) and it resulted in confusion.
While I have no choice but to believe you when you say that someone would have been "fired" at ACEN, I'd like to remind everyone that this is not ACEN... it is not AX, it is not every con USA, it's Otakon. We are not as quick to dismiss our staff. Especially after an issue has been recognized and is being delt with (which this once is).

Put simply I am not the one in charge of making sure the contest gets the biggest and best room it can. Even so, when I found out what was wrong I made it a point to do what I could.
I felt that you (as the AMV community) deserved to know what was going on, in the hopes that you would not arrive at the con surprised to find the contest in an inadequate space that would prevent a large % of you from attending.

You can continue to have your doubts or complain about the why or the who. But the simple of the matter is that none of it will help undo what has already happened. The most productive thing to do would be to use that energy to correct the problem now (which is what is currently happening), and to prevent the same thing from happening again in the future.
So by all means continue to be outraged, angry, upset, demanding. But be aware that none of it is helping to remedy the situation.

There will be no furthur posts on the subject until a solution has been met.
John Westbrook
Otakon, Fan Parody Dept. Head

Illia Sadri
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Post by Illia Sadri » Thu Jul 20, 2006 5:51 pm

hackerzc wrote:
The schedule was indeed seen before it went to print (please do not misunderstand what I said). The problem was that not ENOUGH people who needed to see it did because of printing deadlines. On top of that there were complications due to mass changes in rooms this year (sizes and locations) and it resulted in confusion.
While I have no choice but to believe you when you say that someone would have been "fired" at ACEN, I'd like to remind everyone that this is not ACEN... it is not AX, it is not every con USA, it's Otakon. We are not as quick to dismiss our staff. Especially after an issue has been recognized and is being delt with (which this once is).
Once again, this a major breakdown in communication that might damage multiple events because you need every department's input to be successful. I don't know what the structure is for such matters but the reality is if people are not talking to one another, then it is a problem. It either gets remedied or new people come in. Maybe fired is harsh but the fact remains that someone really dropped the ball. I've worked enough times to see very well run events and poor. And I don't count recognizing a problem involving making it public and getting to the point where attendees and creators have to get on the forums and give their dissatisfaction. [/quote]
Put simply I am not the one in charge of making sure the contest gets the biggest and best room it can. Even so, when I found out what was wrong I made it a point to do what I could.
I felt that you (as the AMV community) deserved to know what was going on, in the hopes that you would not arrive at the con surprised to find the contest in an inadequate space that would prevent a large % of you from attending.
That's fine but don't expect anybody to defend Otakon at this rate in this situation. Don't take it personal either. Nobody is blaming you so don't get defensive. Basically there is a huge dissapointment that one of the most popular events at any convention is being slighted like this.
You can continue to have your doubts or complain about the why or the who. But the simple of the matter is that none of it will help undo what has already happened. The most productive thing to do would be to use that energy to correct the problem now (which is what is currently happening), and to prevent the same thing from happening again in the future.
So by all means continue to be outraged, angry, upset, demanding. But be aware that none of it is helping to remedy the situation.
You were told it was futile until you made it public and a lot of people complained. Now they are attempting to do something. I say in that case complaining was at least somewhat beneficial.

And if Otakon continues to act in such a manner, then people will respond. The griping will give way to other consequences. If people feel the con doesn't care about them, then they will simply choose somewhere else to go.

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Post by Kionon » Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:14 pm

Unfortunately, hackerzc, this event is not unique. My experiences with your con were atrocious, and I have never, ever wished to return. I was a panelist, and was treated like shit. I have friends in the industry, who were GUESTS of the con, and they were treated like shit. Worse yet, a Con Chair of another con, and her husband, were treated like shit by Otakon staff in front me. I was appalled.

I briefly considered reattending this year or next year, to see if after five years Otakon had improved. Perhaps, perhaps, I thought, I had been too hard on Otakon. However, I am deeply saddened that it appears that Otakon has not improved significantly altough given a copious amount of time to do so.

True, Otakon is NOT any other con. You are one of the largest, most well known, most PROFITABLE cons in the world. And you are telling us, you do not have the funds to set aside a ball room devoted solely to fan created videos? You have got to be kidding us. If other, smaller cons can afford to do it, certainly you can too.

Furtheremore, shame on you for trying to shift blame to these "unnamed eyes" that should have "seen the schedule prior to print." You are Otakon's spokesman, that makes you Otakon. That means we get to blame you.
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Post by dokool » Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:19 pm

Kionon wrote:Furtheremore, shame on you for trying to shift blame to these "unnamed eyes" that should have "seen the schedule prior to print." You are Otakon's spokesman, that makes you Otakon. That means we get to blame you.
I think in all fairness this is a little harsh - sure, we can rightfully blame him for the rapid decline that the AMV Contest has seen in the last 3 years, but he represents Otakon to our community of AMVers, not the entirety of otakudom, and so your complaints (however valid they may be) should be directed elsewhere.

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Post by ReligionX » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:01 pm

John 8:7

"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..."

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Post by BasharOfTheAges » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:41 pm

ReligionX wrote:John 8:7

"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..."
I loled. Honestly, It's quite apt to quote religious text in defence of authority. Especially since most are used to quell uprisings and keep people in subjugation. :lol:



Back on topic

Bitching about the problem raises awareness. That way, when droves of people stop attending you can't say you weren't warned and had no idea. If noone bitched about it, this problem would have gone unadressed.

You know, they's probably why cosplayers get the preferential treatment at Otakon and many other cons across the nation. The bitching. We all know and see the drama. They're just louder and more demanding than the rest of us.
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Post by Adv1sor » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:58 pm

ReligionX wrote:John 8:7

"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..."
Wow, makes you think. God help us AMV makers if we ever got what we really deserved. After all, the essence of what we do is, well, you know... Ever read those big warnings at the beginning of your anime DVDs? ;)

So, has the ship sailed on the laser/moon projector thingy?

Like I said somewhere before, this will be my first time at Otakon. I've been to a few other cons and I've seen the good, the bad, and the rest. At the good you have people who care working to fix things that inevitably go wrong. Judging by what I've seen posted here, I think Otakon is going to be a good time for all ;) Maybe we'll all be crowded in a small room, maybe we'll get a better venue. At least someone is trying.

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Post by ReligionX » Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:14 pm

BasharOfTheAges wrote:Back on topic

Bitching about the problem raises awareness. That way, when droves of people stop attending you can't say you weren't warned and had no idea. If noone bitched about it, this problem would have gone unadressed.

You know, they's probably why cosplayers get the preferential treatment at Otakon and many other cons across the nation. The bitching. We all know and see the drama. They're just louder and more demanding than the rest of us.
I agree completely. It's one thing to raise awareness, but it's another thing to badger people into submission. Naturally, the more people that voice out, the more of an impact it will have. They're working on it. Now, wait for them to finish working on it. There's no need for people to be nasty about it.

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