Anime Los Angeles 2015 – AMV Contest Rules
World of Animation – Something new we’re trying out this year - we have a brand new bonus category featuring animation from all over the world. Free yourself to an endless library of new sources and possibilities!
Open to All – You are no longer required to attend ALA in order to submit to the AMV Contest! (There will be merriment and fun awaiting you if you can, though.)
Let's get started, shall we?
Main Categories
- Action / Adrenaline – “Go beyond the impossible and kick reason to the curb!” – Kamina, Gurren Laguna
- Heart pounding excitement and adventure. Show us what you’ve got!
- We love, we cry, we cling to the edge of our seats in suspense. What journey will you take us on?
- Make us smile, make us sing, move our souls to the beat!
- For the laughs, of course!
- World of Animation – “Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it.” – Rapunzel, Tangled
- Celebrating animation from all over the globe. What new ideas will you come up with?
- The greatest films that were never made. Leave your audience wanting more!
Entry Guidelines
Please make sure to read all of the rules before submitting an entry. Your entry may be disqualified or rejected if it does not follow all of the guidelines.
Guidelines for the Main Categories
- Must be at least 90 seconds long and cannot exceed 7 minutes.
You may enter one (1) video per category.
You may enter a maximum of three (3) videos in the Main Categories.
Your video source material must include at least 70% anime footage. This is loosely defined as animation produced by a Japanese studio that airs to a Japanese audience. Video game footage is allowed if it is produced by a Japanese-based studio.
- You may enter one (1) video for the bonus category World of Animation. This does not count towards your maximum for the main categories.
The animation requirement is reversed – your video source material must include at least 70% animation footage produced by a non-Japanese based studio. (Examples: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Thundercats, Gargoyles, films from that corporation with the mouse mascot…)
- You may enter one (1) video for the bonus category Trailer & Parody. This does not count towards your maximum for the main categories.
Must be at least 30 seconds long and cannot exceed 2 minutes, 30 seconds.
- Video sources for all categories must not include any trademarks or logos associated with any North American studio or distributor. Examples include Disney, CBS, Fox, MPAA, etc.
Video sources must not have any watermarks from broadcast or streaming services. Examples include Crunchyroll, Netflix, Cartoon Network, [adult swim], etc.
Audio sources must be at least 90% music and must be considered one continuous track. This can either be a single produced track, a remix of a produced track or a “mash-up” of many audio samples to produce a new single track. Entries with a string of separate, non-continuous tracks, such as “AMV Hell” style clip shows, will not be accepted. Contact the coordinator if you have any questions or concerns.
Trailer / Parody entries are exempt from the 90% music rule, but the audio source must be considered one continuous track or story. “AMV Hell” style clip shows will not be accepted.
If your entry can play on an unmodified Windows PC or OS X Mac without installing additional codecs, it is acceptable.
The following formats are preferred:
- Video: H.264
Audio: MP3, AAC or lossless
Framerate: 23.97/24p, 29.97/30p NTSC or 59.97/60p NTSC
Resolution: 640x480 minimum, 1920x1080 maximum
Entries will be screened and tested ahead of the contest for compatibility.
Disqualification Rules
Disqualified entries will not be considered for judging. However, you may still be granted early access to the AMV Contest event. You may resubmit a disqualified entry at any time before the deadline.
Your entry may be disqualified for the following reasons (subject to change, not limited to…):
- Poor quality – Low bitrate, lots of compression artifacts, and excessive audio peaking or compressed levels may lead to disqualification.
Adult Content – Anime Los Angeles invites fans of all ages to attend, and all content must adhere to this. Excessive violence, course language, adult situations or innuendo may lead to disqualification. This is a PG-13 / TV-14 event.
Title screens, bumpers, subtitles or watermarks – Your entry must not have any opening intros, credits, watermarks or your own logo unless it is deemed artistically relevant to the video. Finalist entries will be presented with a uniform title and credit slide during the contest.
Previously submitted to past Anime Los Angeles AMV Contests – You may not submit any AMV entry that has been submitted to previous years’ events. This includes entries that were submitted and did not make the finalists. Exceptions may be considered if a significant amount of changes have been made. This is solely at the discretion of the Contest Coordinator and AMV Staff. Prior notice must be given first, so contact us well before the deadline.
Zero Edit – The AMV Coordinator and ALA Staff may disqualify any entry that is deemed to have little to no editing of original sources, also known as “zero edit.”
Rejected entries will not be considered for judging. Rejected entries may not be resubmitted. A rejection may result in a temporary or permanent ban from future AMV events.
Your entry may be rejected for the following reasons (subject to change, not limited to…):
- Plagiarism – You may not submit an AMV that you did not make. You may not use parts of someone else’s AMV without the original creator’s explicit permission to do so. Don’t steal.
Dishonorable Behavior – You may not engage in a way that causes grief, harm, or in any way violates the rules of the convention with AMV Contest creators, ALA Staff or ALA attendees. This includes conduct on the A-M-V.org forums, social media sites and private encounters. Don’t be a jerk.
Dishonesty – You may not submit false, inaccurate or misleading information when submitting or discussing with the AMV Contest Coordinator or AMV Staff. This includes stating you have read all of the rules before submitting. Don’t lie.
Entries must be submitted no later than 11:59pm PST on Saturday, November 29, 2014. You must fill out the online submission form and include a working download link to your entry by this date.
Entry Submission
Entries must be submitted digitally – no physical media or entry forms will be accepted. Please use an appropriate file sharing service, like Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, Mediafire, etc. Please do not link to video sharing sites like YouTube, Vimeo, etc.
Submission Form: Anime Los Angeles 2015 - AMV Contest Submission Form
Contact Information
Please email any questions, comments or concerns to: amvala2015@gmail.com
very clear and easy to understand.