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

[Rider4Z]

There have been very vocal entrants in past years who will not watch an adult video because of it's content, no matter how deserving of an award it is. It is true any entrant could just not watch any video if they please and play favorites or what not if they also please. We really have no way to stop this, but it is expected as an entrant that you are taking every video seriously (and I would argue this is even for the 'troll' entries) and at the very least with adult entries there is a contingent group of entrants whom for whatever reason (religious, moral, ect.) will not take such entries seriously or even watch them. I'm not sure what can be done to resolve this issue, but it is something I think should be discussed if this is the direction we are going with this competition.

Since I'm one of the prudes I'll put in my two cents about it.

I simply can't appreciate the subject matter. It's not that I refuse because of religious or moral reasons (granted people who know me know I have a regular church I attend, but I don't believe watching a hentai video will send me to hell ), I just find it distracting and I can't appreciate a video that constantly shoves boobs and crotch in my face regardless if the video deserves an unbiased technical merit. It would never receive a Best Video vote from me because subject matter is key to deserve it. Am I saying "adult" videos don't deserve Best Video awards? No, if everyone else gives it a thumbs up then of course it deserves it.

Now just to be fair, I did watch 003 because Daric disclaimed in advance it's "not that bad". So I gave it a shot. Still didn't like it. It wasn't poorly edited, but if I don't like the subject then I simply don't like the video. Same if a song drops the f-bomb every other word. Pilk's "The Transcredible Exploits of Zapp Brannigan" is a very rare case where I highly enjoy the video as a whole, but even still I get slightly uncomfortable with all the T&A. But Rider, you're crazy about Deadpool! Well yeah who isn't? Deadpool's brilliant.

I could go a little deeper on this but then it would get too personal for me and it's really nobody's business. I don't really have a solution for this situation either.

[MaboroshiStudio]

Note on "Parody": There was basically one true parody video (in my opinion). I don't particularly object to an award being Best Trailer or Parody, but Best Parody (Including Trailers) sounds odd to me, especially since I don't consider trailer AMVs to be parodies by nature.

Last year this is what happened... and while I didn't agree with it last year I can see Daric's logic

Trailers / TV Openings / Commercials / Comedy Skits

These are usually parodies... rarely have I seen a legitimate serious trailer promoting the anime. I made one like this 3 years ago and I was actually asked by a AMV contest director if I actually thought it was a trailer when I entered it under trailer. I was like yes... I made it to promote the film and it has become the un-official trailer for the Captain Harlock 3D film.

If there is enough content for a stand alone Trailer and Parody categories that is perfect, but if not I can understand falling back to what the core category vs sacrificing videos.

I can see both sides to the argument... but I saw easily 3-4 parody videos this year.

[MaboroshiStudio]

I could go a little deeper on this but then it would get too personal for me and it's really nobody's business. I don't really have a solution for this situation either.

Quoted Image converted to link:
https://media.giphy.com/media/Ws7Eeh7wJsZZm/giphy.gif

[Rider4Z]

[AMV_4000]

Having the pro and expo videos due on the same day of the week would help a little, I thought they were both due on a Monday :/
As for categories, the main 5 then 2-3 add ons have worked in the past, so I say keep that. Some of us haven't had the free time to watch all of the videos and judge (some have had download issue) so not everyone will have their votes for categories. After I do watch them, I'll have to sort through the emails I've recieved about pro to find the link to vote.

[Dext3r]

Personally I didn't include a parody category because given there was the trailer category I figured we were putting all the AMV trailers in that category.

Meanwhile the only parody I came across IMO was the parody of that pooping commercial. All the trailers I thought were meant to be taken seriously, whereas I personally would consider a parody something that wasn't as serious. If the intention is to include the trailers in the parody category, then there should just be a parody category, with no trailers.

But then a funny parody like the pooping commercial might just win out over all the trailers because it's funny and the trailer makers complain.

So you see my issue...

[ChaosProjects]

On the "Adult" note..I agree this is a bit of a special category.

As a person that edits with hentai footage I am also one that speaks to include this category into Pro mostly because I have seen (not necessarily by me) good videos that use hentai source sometimes even with the combination of regular anime source to make an outstanding video. So I believe that these should be allow to compete side by side with all the other videos and not be excluded or pushed to another contest simply due to content.

I also agree that hentai is not every ones bag either so what ever reason you have for not wanting to watch it I can follow it. This is not a forced participation on any level. Hentai has been in Pro for years at this point from way back in the day where we have wavier forms and all that junk to cover it. So just like any other genre of animation (Action, Romance, Drama, etc.) hentai is a part of it.

Now I know is also is a logistical problem for VAT as they have to make sure that this stuff isn't slipping into underage hands or being shown during daylight hours at the con. That is a tough job, but they have always allowed editors the freedom to use what ever sources uncensored they want and I am happy that they do. You just always get that warning that it will not be played during daylight hours. I can respect that!

So should we close Pro to only 18+?

Nah, I wouldn't do that. There are many editors that may be currently editing or getting their start below 18 so I wouldn't say we need to lock them out of competing simply because they are younger. I know the hentai issue comes in here but frankly speaking the number of editors that produce hentai to extreme content on this level is very low compared to the production of normal con friendly AMV's. So even as an adult/hentai editor I would almost rather hentai be cut from pro than prevent someone from entering it that really wants to because they haven't reached a certain age requirement.

Will I still voice that it should be included in Pro?

Sure, I think that it should. The number of cons that accept the content is already pretty small on the over all scene itself so having a place enter it is still key. I don't think it should just float over to Expo as if it does then that logistically means to goes over the CBR to judge and we believe highly in not entering videos into contest that we are also judging. So then that eliminates us again from enter AWA with hentai content as if it is dropped from pro and not allowed in Masters then Expo is the only place it can go. While it is in Pro then it is peer judged across the spectrum of entrants (those of course who want to watch them).

So always between groups: Yes, let it stay/ No, Let it go.

[MaboroshiStudio]

Personally I didn't include a parody category because given there was the trailer category I figured we were putting all the AMV trailers in that category.

Meanwhile the only parody I came across IMO was the parody of that pooping commercial. All the trailers I thought were meant to be taken seriously, whereas I personally would consider a parody something that wasn't as serious. If the intention is to include the trailers in the parody category, then there should just be a parody category, with no trailers.

But then a funny parody like the pooping commercial might just win out over all the trailers because it's funny and the trailer makers complain.

So you see my issue...

I had a trailer last year like others and the category was parody.

[Shin-AMV]

I was divided on voting for a parody category or not. I wasn't sure if I should take into consideration whether trailers fell into them or not cause I feel like generally some people see it as obvious that trailers are parodies, while others do not and I assumed the voting towards the category would largely end up being kinda 50/50 with regards to how people see trailers fit in the scheme of things. Whether that ends up being a boon or a bust for trailers largely depends on how one categorizes them and defines parody I guess.

While I saw that a trailer category itself would be competitive, a parody category without trailers was really just a fight between 2 videos that would more than likely be contenders in comedy as well. Although if we're specifically suggesting to just assume trailers go to parody then I can see a competitive category, but don't want both a specific trailer only category and parody w/ trailers too, cause thats just double dipping and everyone would vote for more traditional parodies for parody and the trailers are more or less there to symbolically buffer the category since they have their own category anyways. Had the parody been more explicit in what would have been included in it or guidelines on how to approach the category I would have just been more inclined to vote the parody category over trailer as long as it felt like everyone was on the same page about it.

I recognize the need to metagame a little bit in terms of categories for videos that are exemplary and that most of us would like to see awarded something because it feels like it deserves something, but at the same time I don't like adding too many additional categories to cover the bases so it makes it easier to vote in one category because you can vote for the other contenders in a different one. The competitiveness and races largely become illusory at that point. Its hard to find that balance of keeping things competitive and recognizing quality work. I could suggest some alternatives, analyze the strengths and weaknesses of any implementation, and come up with exceptions for everything I just said, but all that is way more complex and way tangential then whats really being discussed right now so I'll skip all that.

Regardless, there were a lot of factors in how I approached it, and it felt like some videos would kinda get stuck in disadvantageous positions whichever way it went, which kinda sucked but its just kinda the nature of it. Sorry for the meandering ramble and any typo or grammar issues, didn't feel like proofreading <.<


TL;DR Semantic squabbles and genre purists make things hard to evaluate fair and equitable solutions to keep things meaningfully competitive while also recognizing quality work.

[Cyanna]

I don't have a hat in the Pro ring this year but regarding the subject of adult videos...what if the weight of the votes was adjusted? Like declare at the point of submission whether you are qualified/capable of judging adult content and agree that your vote may be worth slightly less if you don't/can't watch them all and slightly more if you do? By how much would have to depend on the number of entrants and the ratio of adult viewers to non-adult viewers.

Unfortunately I can't put my money where my mouth is. I can figure out the math but I can't create the tool.