The original plan for AMV viewer content communication was to have three variations of content notifications: a single-value indicator (like G, PG, PG13, etc.), a list of specific standardized content descriptors (blood, nudity, violence, etc.), and a specific warnings pool as needed (free-text words or phrases specifically meant as a warning). While the original proposal for the first single-value indicator was (putting it lightly) somewhat controversial (and still in flux), the second indicator of content descriptors seems to be more desired and anticipated.
This second system is meant to provide standardized content descriptors that most people would want to be informed about in the AMV, so that the viewer could include/exclude related AMVs from search results, or at a minimum inform the potential viewer that they may need to read the specific warnings or full AMV description carefully before proceeding.
One longstanding and fairly well-known content description standard is the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) ratings guide. This guide has eight categories of thirty descriptors that are each weighed using frequency, intensity, and severity. Using the ESRB guide as a guide, we have come up with a list of five categories and ten total subcategory types that should cover the vast majority of our needs here.
The system will work by displaying a checkbox list of the ten types with the option of a “none, low, medium, high” severity selector for that type. If a type severity greater than “none” is selected for that content type, two additional qualifiers of “frequency” (how often the type occurs in the AMV) and “intensity” of that type become available with similar “low, medium, high” selectors.
Let’s say your video is fine except for “Alcohol” content, you would check “None” for all other types, click the corresponding “low, medium, high” severity indicator, select the qualifier value for “Frequency” (one or few, several, frequent) and “Intensity” (hinted or glancing, clearly depicted, intense / dramatic).
For example, the AMV “Trigun - Beer” by Hakura of Otaku Productions would absolutely have an “Alcohol” indication of “high severity, high frequency, and high intensity”.
So without further ado, here are the ten proposed required standardized content descriptors based on the ESRB and our own specific needs.
- Blood/Gore
- Violence
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Humor
- Language
- Nudity
- Sexual Behavior
- Sexual Themes
- Flashing
These roughly correlate to ESRB, except they have “gambling” while we have “flashing” as our less-obvious indicator.
NOTE: Words and phrases found in the “Severity Level Tooltip” are benignly intended; any word or phrase that may be considered ‘loaded’ is purely unintentional and due to my own personal dumbness and lack of education. Tooltip words and phrases are open to revision for better clarity, acceptance, and inclusion.
Those few will be the required feedback; clicking through them should be quick and painless.
In addition to the required feedback, there will be many potential “other considerations” that can be attached to the AMV. This feedback will be at your discretion.
- Audible Screeching (distorted or disturbing noises)
- Audible Volume (jumpscare audio, sudden volume spikes)
- Bodily fluids
- Bullying
- Clowns
- Cohersion
- Emotional abuse
- Exploitation
- Explosives
- Gambling
- Hate speech
- Insects
- Occult (Witchcraft)
- Orientation
- Religious
- Reptiles
- Supernatural
- Tone
- Torture, emotional
- Torture, physical
- Transformations (grotesque body deformation)
- Undead
We can easily add more to the list of “other considerations” at any time. However, any creator can add any word or phrase in the “specific warning” section of content communication (details coming next). If we see a specific word or phrase frequently appearing as a “specific warning”, we may add it here as a standardized content descriptor.
Much like in the previous thread, I greatly encourage your feedback, perspective, and guidance in this proposal.
Thanks again and have a great day!
Phade.