AWA 2016 The Video Art Track - Deadlines SEP 4 & SEP 13 [EXTENDED]

[Rider4Z]

There are 2 major problems with the top 10:

The audience is not going to sit through 10 sappy sentimental videos. Most fans, as polling will confirm, come to be entertained. They want action, comedy or at minimum something upbeat they can groove to. Romance and sentimental categories often get sandwiched between these in award ceremonies because, as much as we love to edit them, come the 3rd slow, ooey gooey, cliched tract you're going to loose 2/3 or better of non-editors. Without randos butts in chairs there is no need for the show and no justification for the slot in general convention programming.

Also consider that many people have differing tastes. You're never going to get 2 editors to select the same 3 videos; let alone 50 editors picking 10. Many people have differing tastes and bias. You're going to have TONs of tie-breakers, likely even 3 to 4-way, with 2-3 votes each. From a logistical stance it only promises headache, and confusion throughout the community.

1: I would assume editors have a broader spectrum than just sentimental, but I see your point. Thing is we're talking about what's best for the editors here. Is this award show specifically for the participants or the audience? A happy medium may be impossible.

2: Actually I was thinking more that the editors could individually rank all the entries and the 10 (or whatever the number) videos with the highest scores get the wins. 10th place doesn't sound so bad out of 100 videos when you get screen time. It's more work for the participants but it's a lot less steps.

[Rider4Z]

derp post ignore

[Mr Pilkington]

There are 2 major problems with the top 10:

The audience is not going to sit through 10 sappy sentimental videos. Most fans, as polling will confirm, come to be entertained. They want action, comedy or at minimum something upbeat they can groove to. Romance and sentimental categories often get sandwiched between these in award ceremonies because, as much as we love to edit them, come the 3rd slow, ooey gooey, cliched tract you're going to loose 2/3 or better of non-editors. Without randos butts in chairs there is no need for the show and no justification for the slot in general convention programming.

Also consider that many people have differing tastes. You're never going to get 2 editors to select the same 3 videos; let alone 50 editors picking 10. Many people have differing tastes and bias. You're going to have TONs of tie-breakers, likely even 3 to 4-way, with 2-3 votes each. From a logistical stance it only promises headache, and confusion throughout the community.

1: I would assume editors have a broader spectrum than just sentimental, but I see your point. Thing is we're talking about what's best for the editors here. Is this award show specifically for the participants or the audience? A happy medium may be impossible.

Is said median not what we had prior? It sucks for us in some ways because, referring to the current contest, there is going to be a comedy winner. Period. There was not a single entry that was funny enough (in my opinion) to warrant the award, yet for the sake of the show someone is getting that prize. The audience will laugh and get their jollies while we sit there contemplating what humorous concept to throw into the mix next year to improve the pool. Meanwhile there is some poor soul who toiled for months on a masterful work of art that may not even get recognized since it was slightly outshined in its category. Frankly that is the level I personally have come to expect from this level of competition, in all categories. This year is a sad exception, but it's just a lesson for the next go around.

That's as much of a "happy medium" as I can imagine.

[jingoro]

If I don't fill seats, we don't have an awards ceremony... so yes, the view from the audience is of paramount concern.

[Rider4Z]

What about playing Expo and Pro together? One Expo award, then 10th place in Pro, etc. Daric can arrange an interesting order so playback doesn't get monotonous.

[jingoro]

Might avoid half the room leaving after the first event... it's something to consider.

[Mr Pilkington]

My legitimate concern, at least regarding this pro contest: if you take away the categories you'll quckly get to awarding some very polarizing videos. It takes away the implied professionalism and turns the entire competition into a least stinky turd contest.

At least with the categories you can legitimately say that X was voted as the best within that specific qualifier.

More to the point, look back at Golden Globes from earlier in the year. The Martian winning "Best Comedy" was that ultimate WTF moment for most of us. But if you compare the nominees, that film was legitimately the only quality film of the 4. Yes it's default win was a mistake, but what would be the response if they instead scrapped the categories and just gave all of the good films a participation award for doing thier job? Like, "Here's a statuette! congratulations on not waking up and shitting the bed this morning." Instead it should send a message to comedy films incoming to not be goddamned terrible.

[Rider4Z]

If all the categories are set in stone in advance so everyone knows what to aim for I'll agree with you.

[Mr Pilkington]

I'd sooner see us throw out a comedy award in that case, which is why it's so important for people to pay attention to phase 1 of voting.

I mean it's pretty much the option of giving everyone who tried a participation award, awarding Earnest Fellates Himself to Death (literally 90 minutes off the shambling corpse of Jim Varney being manipulated to do unspeakable things in the name of "comedy" [pretty much my feels on this year's entrants, but I digress]) an award for being the closest thing to comedy, or saying "no. I'm sorry no comedy award this year. Next time at least try."

[MaboroshiStudio]

I'd sooner see us throw out a comedy award in that case, which is why it's so important for people to pay attention to phase 1 of voting.

I mean it's pretty much the option of giving everyone who tried a participation award, awarding Earnest Fellates Himself to Death (literally 90 minutes off the shambling corpse of Jim Varney being manipulated to do unspeakable things in the name of "comedy" [pretty much my feels on this year's entrants, but I digress]) an award for being the closest thing to comedy, or saying "no. I'm sorry no comedy award this year. Next time at least try."

I disagree... if this is how stuff is going down can we get rid of half of the dramatic (Drama, Sentimental, Romance) based categories because I didn't feel many of the videos in those categories were exceptional? I would say we could get rid of Action as well then...