Anime Boston 2016 - Winners Announced!

[MaboroshiStudio]

Nice job to the Comedy winner, you're really great at copying a video that was already made but adding additional sources.

(Original)


(Winner)



Couldn't even come up with a different title though? Damn.

I'd like to be as transparent as possible with the issue at hand since there's no denying some scenes/ideas in my version are beyond coincidental. About halfway through editing my video it had occurred to me to double-check YouTube to see if anyone had beaten me to the punch. I had checked about a year ago when the idea 1st came to me while watching a scene with a bear-trap in Psycho-Pass. To my dismay I found Ojive02's version uploaded back in September and got disheartened.

Already having asked my friend to photoshop the Shia LaBeouf faces and having dumped a significant portion of my time into editing it, I decided to dismiss it and carry on with mine thinking it was different enough. It's not until now that I realize how closely our "Higurashi When They Cry" scenes match. I should have taken note which scenes he had used instead of pretending his version didn't exist and barreling forward to meet the deadline.

The inspiration for mine stemmed from the original video in 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSO0lCO3TIg
hence why I had used the superimposed cut outs of Shia LaBeouf's head and a circle similar to the YouTube anon avatar in place of the Tumblr icon.

I've been in contact with Ojive02 to see if there's anything more on my end I can do to remedy the situation. It was not my intention to rip off his version for a quick and easy comedy entry. I have nothing but respect and admiration towards the AMV community and I had a blast at Anime Boston this year thanks to the organizers that made this happen.

The fault lies entirely with me for not checking if the idea was used and then proceeding to follow through with it anyways. By no means did I want to make a mockery of the contests we all take seriously and for that I'm truly sorry. It's not my intention here to convince you I didn't steal Ojive02's idea, but rather explain my side of the story and let you draw your own conclusions.

If you have any questions for me on the matter I'll happily answer them here. I'm well aware of how incredibly suspicious this comes across and I can't blame you guys for assuming I copied an idea.

I did hate how you were called out here and for plagiarizing another video. This is a pretty major claim if you ask me and one that should not be made lightly. I made a video for AWA pro last year with a song I had for over a year I wanted to do. After I finished it I asked a friend to watch it and he was like that was great but ummm... I knew what he was going to say. Thankfully my Attack on Titan Louder than Words was completely different from the Russian version.

Guess what bleep happens... LOL but I would agree with Victoria on maybe not entering it at cons.

[Pathos Prime]

Thankfully my Attack on Titan Louder than Words was completely different from the Russian version.

Yeah, after you won ACA last year, we had one person message us and be like "OMG THAT BEST DRAMA WAS TOTALLY PLAGIARIZED" and we responded with "We've found five instances of 'Louder than Words' set to Attack on Titan on YouTube. Please tell us exactly which video was plagiarized and we'll look into it." And never heard from her again. Heh. Not sure if we ever mentioned this.

Also, how many people have set "Uptown Funk" to Space Dandy now?

Point is, it's totally possible for two people to come up with the same idea. I mean, listen to "Louder than Words." It was made for Attack on Titan.

[Rider4Z]

Yeah, after you won ACA last year, we had one person message us and be like "OMG THAT BEST DRAMA WAS TOTALLY PLAGIARIZED" and we responded with "We've found five instances of 'Louder than Words' set to Attack on Titan on YouTube. Please tell us exactly which video was plagiarized and we'll look into it." And never heard from her again.

[MaboroshiStudio]

Yeah, after you won ACA last year, we had one person message us and be like "OMG THAT BEST DRAMA WAS TOTALLY PLAGIARIZED" and we responded with "We've found five instances of 'Louder than Words' set to Attack on Titan on YouTube. Please tell us exactly which video was plagiarized and we'll look into it." And never heard from her again.

Quoted Image converted to link:
http://data.whicdn.com/images/47936497/large.gif

Awesome gif!

[Rider4Z]

Yeah google is practically a genie

[DNubsPro]

I always say if you come up with an idea you want to do then just do it. I hate when I hear about people dropping an idea because someone else released a similar theme first. I've had people ask me permission to use songs I've used for their own videos and i'm like DUDE you don't need my permission! just make it! and some have even said the were going to use a song but then changed their mind. i'm like NOOO! make your video!!

The fact you came forward to explain yourself and messaged the other creator after that blunt accusation shows real class Good on ya. Besides, your videos were similar because you were both parodying the same thing.

On the other hand tho, it'd probably be a good idea to take your win and not enter anymore competitions with it in case the issue comes up again.

Thanks for sharing your insight on the matter man. I'll be sure to take your advice to heart. Besides, gives me an excuse to edit all the comedy AMVs stuck in my head a bit sooner

[Rider4Z]

we needs moar comedy

[davenfonet]

I remember this happening last year as well with a In the Rain - a Garden of words video. It makes sense to be diligent, but lets tone back the accusations a bit.

I had the same thing happen to me 2 years after entering a video into the AB contest. Some youtube user commented on not my video saying I loved seeing this at Anime Boston. They contacted Anime Boston being like I didn't send this to AB. Anime Boston clarified the situation and told me about it later.

I've stopped looking to see if someone has done my idea, its not plagiarism if my head is in the sand and I edit in a vacuum.

[KiddTheManiac]

Yeah, I had pretty much the same thing happen to me. I spent about a week or so making a Garden of Words AMV for Anime Blues Con in Memphis, managed to get Best in Show, and after the awards, I ran into a dude who told me something about how he'd also been working on a similar AMV for another con, to which I said "oh, ok".

Then a couple of weeks back, I decided to search for my video on YouTube, only to find another GoW AMV, but this time set to the exact same song as my Anime Blues Con video, and using about 80% of the exact same footage. Granted, this person'd cut out about a minute of the original audio, but aside from that, the videos were creepily similar. Mine'd been uploaded to YouTube first, but the video description claimed to have put the video together about a year prior. I was kinda weirded out at first, but then I remembered that it's a forty minute movie, and pretty much every Makoto Shinkai AMV that gets submitted to AMV League uses the exact same scenes everyone else does. And then I just kinda shrugged my shoulders and said "Who cares?"


I used to freak out a lot over "has this idea been done before", but nowadays I just try and focus on making the best video I can, regardless of if the idea's a little obvious.

[KeiichiFace]

Whoah, people are firing shots it seems!

I think the people enjoyed it at the con. That's probably what was most important. And DNubs always seems like a pretty chill guy every time I see him irl.

But why would anyone intentionally copy a video? Like...what do you gain...? We're all nerds playing on computers anyway.