TheAX AMV Contest 2009 Finalists are...

[RolltheStampede]

“Fate/ Eternal Inferno” by Millenium Strife - Not only was this just a poor video but it is a total troll. The friends I was attending the con with had seen it multiple times YEARS before in their local AMV contest. Now, I know that judging through piles of videos isn't exactly fun or easy, but I believe the least you could do is double check your finalists to make sure they haven't been submitted to every damn con on the circuit for years and years.

Has it ever been sent to AX? No? Then there's no problem, and there's no rule against it.

A video having participated in a contest at another con should have zero bearing over its qualifications to participate in another convention elsewhere, nor should it ever. I hold zero respect for conventions that have such a ridiculous rule. Heck, I'm even thinking of retouching an AMV I made back in 1999 and sending it to a few east coast conventions.

As for your disappointment with the quality of submissions in some categories (particularly AMTV), the only solution is for more people to submit more videos to those categories. Please.

Trolling is bad, it is if the video has had time in the spotlight it should step down and let other people get some attention. If not you would be looking at the same handful of videos all years. IF someone wants to hold a tournament of champions thats fine but once you have won at so many contests you should gracefully step down.

[XStylus]

Trolling is bad, it is if the video has had time in the spotlight it should step down and let other people get some attention.

It's called competition. Just because a vid won at one competition doesn't mean it's guaranteed to win at another. The spirit of competition is to drive others to make a better video. What these "trolling" rules do is artificially hobble competition. Such events are mere "exhibitions", not "competitions".

[Rider4Z]

Now if you do EVERYTHING you can and still have your entry fucked up, that's when I'll have sympathy for you, until then you're just lazy.

I just thought you were being a little quick to bag on creators without knowing the whole story. Don't just assume that everyone whose video screened stretched was being "lazy." Since I have always submitted 4:3, I don't know the circumstances. Perhaps Michael and/or Rider can shed some light on the subject, people who would actually know what happened, before anybody speculates.

well, brad you mentioned that it played back wrong at fanime as well. unfortunately the only copies i have of the LOTA are in x264 format and i'm currently unable to fix (add letterboxes) to make sure this doesn't happen again. (i had a huffy version saved to a disc, unfortunately this disc was corrupted and i lost the data.)

i don't know how Michael put together the dvd of videos. you'd have to ask him, cuz i have no idea how it got stretched.

as far as "Pro" i intended for LOTA to be entered into drama, i didn't see it as how michael described the Pro category as refined and polished. however, stryyder insisted that it was good enough for pro, so i circled both categories with an emphasis on drama. Michael/judges put it into Pro.

i really appreciate all your support, brad. and i appreciate all the creators for awarding me your favorite. i don't think i'll be entering LOTA into anything else tho. at least not for a while, or unless i can export a version letterboxed. (i know there are programs that'll let me convert x264 but i guess i'm to lazy to bother with it, when i should just save a large xvid version for safe keeping)

[Radical_Yue]

Excuse me for being quick to rag on videos and such. Once again, I just believe on doing everything possible to make sure that it'll playback correctly and give less problems for the staff who are already working hard to make an enjoyable contest. I'm also not totally writing off the video due to technical reasons. At least not "Lord Of the Anime" in specific. If you really care to know, I don't like the video. Are the technical reasons why? No. And it's not the only video I'm complaining about, so I don't really see a reason to continuously single this video out considering I never did in the first place But whatevs~


As for old entries being sent around, if you want to send in something from 1999 that you've touched up, go for it. But I just think there are multiple aspects to take into consideration.
Are you sending this around just to see how many awards you can rack up to inflate your ego?
How many times are you going to make the audience sit through an old video they've possibly seen multiple times at other contests?
How do you feel with yourself after sending in a video that has made it into/won at other contests (possibly a 'ringer' video) and kicking out other hopeful entries that had edited something fresh just for this contest.
Ever edit something for a contest you're about to attend just to find out you were beaten out by something old that has won everywhere else? I have. It's not a nice feeling.

I'm a person who edits because I love the sources I work with, I don't edit for deadlines or to win things, so maybe these aspects are messing with my views? Who knows. Like I said, I plan on entering next year, but only if I have a new video made that I'm happy with. If not, I'll try to poke others I know to enter. This contest deserves some good entries for that audience.

i really appreciate all your support, brad. and i appreciate all the creators for awarding me your favorite. i don't think i'll be entering LOTA into anything else tho. at least not for a while, or unless i can export a version letterboxed. (i know there are programs that'll let me convert x264 but i guess i'm to lazy to bother with it, when i should just save a large xvid version for safe keeping)

Virtual Dub Mod>File>Open Video via AVI Synth
Direct Show Source for the template.
Change File Type to "All Files"

You can now render it out as a huffy, uncompressed, whatever you want.
Add letterboxing.
Done.

[milkmandan]

5 Categories: Action, Drama/Romance, Comedy, Upbeat(fun), AMtvPro

this is a nice idea as well...
though i think we should have creators favorite for each category. maybe not have nice trophies but at least acknowledge the creator winners.

Audience Vote:
==========
Action
Drama/Romance
Comedy
Upbeat
AMTvPro
Best in Show


Creator Vote:
==========
Action
Drama/Romance
Comedy
Upbeat
AMTvPro
Best in Show

Perhaps now that the category is called "Pro", it should be judged by the creators, as AWA does with its pro contest.

if creators had judged the contest this year i am sure the death note rhapsody video would not have won drama.
i am kinda in support of such methods. i like my videos to be enjoyed by attendees who know nothing of video editing, but to decide such awards and titles such as best of show; should be done by people of skill (creators). but just my feeling for this year, it may change next year.

=====

In discussion of resubmitting videos. It is totally up to the creator if the convention contest coordinator does not stop it. Otakon AMV contest already does something similar. Any video that has won a major award before its submission date is DQed automatically. (something along those lines)

I personally would prefer not to resubmit winning videos it kinda shows how uncreative i am, and how i can't produce anything else in a reasonable time frame. If i do happen to win big with a video and i keep resubmitting, people will then know me as the guy who could ever do ONE video and that is it. One hit wonders are great, but in the end it is mostly just luck. Win multiple times and that is just flat out skill.

Create AMVs for the sake of creating because you like video editing and you want to show people your skill. You want to make something to draw people into your music, the anime you used. If you create to win, you are going to be very very miserable.

Virtual Dub Mod>File>Open Video via AVI Synth
Direct Show Source for the template.
Change File Type to "All Files"

You can now render it out as a huffy, uncompressed, whatever you want.
Add letterboxing.
Done.

I think Rider is just feeling a bit lazy at this point.

(i know there are programs that'll let me convert x264 but i guess i'm to lazy to bother with it, when i should just save a large xvid version for safe keeping)

[RolltheStampede]

Trolling is bad, it is if the video has had time in the spotlight it should step down and let other people get some attention.

It's called competition. Just because a vid won at one competition doesn't mean it's guaranteed to win at another. The spirit of competition is to drive others to make a better video. What these "trolling" rules do is artificially hobble competition. Such events are mere "exhibitions", not "competitions".

This is true but once you have won 2 or 3 big ones your video has already proven itself to be worthy so why step on the lil guys.
You are competing for a few after so many you are just being a troll and seeing what extra swag you can get.

It also isnt fair to your fans, they want to see something new and fresh from you not the same stuff they have already seen.

[Radical_Yue]

Trolling is bad, it is if the video has had time in the spotlight it should step down and let other people get some attention.

It's called competition. Just because a vid won at one competition doesn't mean it's guaranteed to win at another. The spirit of competition is to drive others to make a better video. What these "trolling" rules do is artificially hobble competition. Such events are mere "exhibitions", not "competitions".

This is true but once you have won 2 or 3 big ones your video has already proven itself to be worthy so why step on the lil guys.
You are competing for a few after so many you are just being a troll and seeing what extra swag you can get.

It also isnt fair to your fans, they want to see something new and fresh from you not the same stuff they have already seen.

YES! Thank you :3

Virtual Dub Mod>File>Open Video via AVI Synth
Direct Show Source for the template.
Change File Type to "All Files"

You can now render it out as a huffy, uncompressed, whatever you want.
Add letterboxing.
Done.

I think Rider is just feeling a bit lazy at this point.

(i know there are programs that'll let me convert x264 but i guess i'm to lazy to bother with it, when i should just save a large xvid version for safe keeping)

I won't lie, that just made me laugh.

[milkmandan]

I won't lie, that just made me laugh.

There are NO limits to being lazy

[Rider4Z]

Virtual Dub Mod>File>Open Video via AVI Synth
Direct Show Source for the template.
Change File Type to "All Files"

You can now render it out as a huffy, uncompressed, whatever you want.
Add letterboxing.
Done.

i think i tried something like that but it didn't work. it's x264 in mp4 container. i've asked around but never got an answer that works: is it possible for me to import an mp4 into premiere pro 7.0?

(please don't all jump on my ignorance here, i'd really like to know)

[Radical_Yue]

Virtual Dub Mod>File>Open Video via AVI Synth
Direct Show Source for the template.
Change File Type to "All Files"

You can now render it out as a huffy, uncompressed, whatever you want.
Add letterboxing.
Done.

i think i tried something like that but it didn't work. it's x264 in mp4 container. i've asked around but never got an answer that works: is it possible for me to import an mp4 into premiere pro 7.0?

(please don't all jump on my ignorance here, i'd really like to know)

I'd say try it again. I was just able to open every single x264 mp4 in my folder like that.