[SailorDeath]

Anime Music Video & Parody Contest Rules

Basic Entry Requirements:
• Entries made after January 1st, 2006 are eligible for competition.

• Entries sent to previous Anime Central competitions are not eligible.

• All entries must be in the hands of the contest coordinators by April 20th, 2007.

• Entries may not contain bumpers, title screens, credits, or any other forms of creator and/or footage/audio identification.

• Entries may be disqualified for the following reasons: Objectionable content of video or lyrics, bad audio or video quality, or irrelevant subtitles. Objectionable content includes excessive profanity, excessive violence, or sexually explicit footage or lyrics. If you are not sure if the above rule means your entry will be disqualified, e-mail musicvideo@acen.org and we can view the content in question and make a decision.

• 50% of the video must contain anime footage.

• Each entry must include a copy of the entry form and media must be labeled in some manner to identify the owner and its contents. Entries submitted without identification and entry forms will be disqualified.

• By submitting your video to this contest you authorize Anime Central staff to screen and distribute it under the Anime Central Music Video and Parody Contest title. Any physical media that entries are submitted on becomes the property of Anime Central and will not be returned.

• Anime Central staff reserve the right to disqualify a video or limit the number of entries within a contest category for any reason they see necessary.

• There is no limit to the number of entries you may submit.

• Music Video Contest Categories available: Action, Comedy, Dance/Upbeat, Drama, Romance, and Staff.

• The theme for this year's theme contest is "Faux Anime Intro" Take the opening intro from one anime, and then clone the intro using a different anime series.

• You may submit entries to our archive which do not conform to contest rules. Check the non-competing mark on the entry form. Please keep in mind there is no guarantee we will play such entries during other AMV programming blocks.

• Information about this year’s AMV contest, AMV programming, and other related topics can be found and discussed at the Video Programming forum: http://www.acen.org/...showtopic=15202

• Entrants must supply a working e-mail address. If you do not supply an e-mail address on your entry form then staff will be unable to contact you and your entry may be disqualified.

File Format Requirements:
• Mail entries will only be accepted as MPEG-2 or AVI files. Files will be accepted on the following media: CD-R, DVD-R, and DVD+R.

• FTP entries must be in MPEG-2 format and the wav file of your audio should be compressed into a rar file ( http://www.rarlabs.com/ ) or a zip file. Anime Central AMV staff recommends that you include a method to check file integrity such as a par2 file, sfv file, or a md5 checksum.

• MPEG-2 and AVI files must conform to rigid specifications outlined below or your entry will be disqualified. Please read the technical requirements carefully. If you have any doubts about your entry conforming to our specifications please e-mail musicvideo@acen.org.
• AVI and MPEG-2 files must have 1 second of black before the video starts and after.
• The only AVI codec accepted is HUFFYUV.
• Digital video file formatting requirements:
- 720x480 Frame Size
- 23.97 or 24 Frames per Second (Progressive)
- 29.97 Frames per Second (Interlaced)
- 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz 16 bit stereo uncompressed PCM audio (as a wav file)
- MPEG-2 bitrate must not exceed 15 Mbps

• If submitting MPEG-2, you may include layer-II stereo audio at 224 kbps or better muxed inside your MPEG-2 program stream but you still are required to send a copy of your audio in uncompressed form as a separate wav file.

Entry Submission Instructions:
• Mail entries should be sent to:

Dan Milliken
1044 Roxboro St.
West Lafayette, IN 47906-7228

• FTP entries:

The address is 208.66.172.243. Use anonymous login on port 21. Go into the pub folder. Unfortunately the account is a bit overly locked down so you cannot create a directory. This means upload your entry form and label your video with your name and video title! This will help me sort things out.

When raring (or zipping) the file be sure to include a text file with your name and video information. This will help us sort your entries easily. If you have already uploaded and have not included the text file don't worry about it, this is just for future uploads.

• Anime Central 2007 Contest Entry Form

http://www.acen.org/..._Entry_Form.pdf

Fill out a separate entry for EACH Amv you are submitting

[Isildur]

Is there any possibility that the rules could be modified to permit dvd entries?

[SailorDeath]

Isildur, on Feb 27 2007, 04:44 AM, said:

Is there any possibility that the rules could be modified to permit dvd entries?

If you mean compiled dvd we'd prefer not to. Mostly because we've had some really bad problems in the past trying to rip the data. If you mean just the mpeg2 video burned as a datafile to a DVD that is acceptable.

[DTurner]

My quick question is that I have 10 seconds of black before my AMV and 2 sec after. Should I trim that to 1 sec both ways or is the requirement AT LEAST 1 second? Thanks.

[SailorDeath]

DTurner, on Mar 8 2007, 06:43 PM, said:

My quick question is that I have 10 seconds of black before my AMV and 2 sec after. Should I trim that to 1 sec both ways or is the requirement AT LEAST 1 second? Thanks.

If you can trim it to 1 second that'd help us, otherwise we'd have to do it.

[Outlawed]

DTurner, on Mar 8 2007, 02:43 PM, said:

My quick question is that I have 10 seconds of black before my AMV and 2 sec after. Should I trim that to 1 sec both ways or is the requirement AT LEAST 1 second? Thanks.

Yes please do. Especially if you are sending us an MPEG-2.

[shonen_jidai]

For submitting to the ftp site, can I bundle up everything, video, forms, soundtrack, into one big zip file or is it preferable to group these in another fashion? Thanks.

[Outlawed]

shonen_jidai, on Mar 21 2007, 11:55 AM, said:

For submitting to the ftp site, can I bundle up everything, video, forms, soundtrack, into one big zip file or is it preferable to group these in another fashion? Thanks.

Zip them up together.

[princess_punker84]

"The theme for this year's theme contest is "Faux Anime Intro" Take the opening intro from one anime, and then clone the intro using a different anime series."

Does that mean taking the audio from one opening and using another anime to animate it? Or does it mean you should use effects to imitate the opening sequence from the original (use scenes that look similar to the original opening)?

Also, do you have to use the entire song as it's published or just what's used in the original anime? (The like :30 to 1:00 of audio)

[Outlawed]

princess_punker84, on Mar 22 2007, 05:27 AM, said:

Does that mean taking the audio from one opening and using another anime to animate it? Or does it mean you should use effects to imitate the opening sequence from the original (use scenes that look similar to the original opening)?

Either way is up to you. Basically you are making a false alternate opening in one way or another. Either by using the audio with different footage whether to be similar to it or different.

princess_punker84, on Mar 22 2007, 05:27 AM, said:

Also, do you have to use the entire song as it's published or just what's used in the original anime? (The like :30 to 1:00 of audio)

Length is entirely up to you.

[shonen_jidai]

Got some more n00b questions about submissions.

Should AVI's be submitted with audio in the AVI along with the separate WAV file or should the AVI be without audio with the separate WAV file?

I also have the video in MPEG-2 format with audio. On the whole, which format is the preferred one for submission? That is, which one is the least hassle to deal with for convention showings, etc.? Thanks again!

[Outlawed]

shonen_jidai, on Mar 22 2007, 08:21 PM, said:

Should AVI's be submitted with audio in the AVI along with the separate WAV file or should the AVI be without audio with the separate WAV file?

If the uncompressed PCM is inside the AVI that is good enough and you don't need to send a wav file. The wav file is basically for the MPEG-2 submissions because of all the issue s that might come up with people sending me PCM muxed in the MPEG-2 program stream.

shonen_jidai, on Mar 22 2007, 08:21 PM, said:

I also have the video in MPEG-2 format with audio. On the whole, which format is the preferred one for submission? That is, which one is the least hassle to deal with for convention showings, etc.? Thanks again!

MPEG-2 is what we display at the con so it is easier as far as handling. Also remember that if you are using the FTP we only take MPEG-2 on it of course.

[Animexcel]

can i put 2 AMVs on 1 CD?

[SailorDeath]

Animexcel, on Mar 25 2007, 05:03 AM, said:

can i put 2 AMVs on 1 CD?

Yes

[princess_punker84]

Are credits at the end of the video prohitibited? I.E. Info for the song, the artist, etc.

[Outlawed]

princess_punker84, on Mar 27 2007, 03:21 PM, said:

Are credits at the end of the video prohitibited? I.E. Info for the song, the artist, etc.

Correct. We want no credits whatsoever.

[Animexcel]

Outlawed, on Mar 27 2007, 07:30 PM, said:

Correct. We want no credits whatsoever.

Speaking of credits, not that I'm doing any. How about parody credits that have nothing to do with the real information?

[Outlawed]

Animexcel, on Mar 27 2007, 04:09 PM, said:

Speaking of credits, not that I'm doing any. How about parody credits that have nothing to do with the real information?

No. Credits are not part of the AMV. We only want the AMV.

[shonen_jidai]

I uploaded my entry last night, along with MD5 checksums for the mpgeg-2 and wav files. Will there be any confirmation that the entry was received, or should I only expect to be contacted if there was a problem? Thanks!

BTW, this is minor, but the full name of the song in my submission is "Never Stop My Heart ~Kimi To Iu Kiseki Ni (For You, My Miracle)~". On the form I put "Never Stop My Heart", didn't notice that until after I'd uploaded the video, oops.

[Outlawed]

shonen_jidai, on Apr 2 2007, 11:02 AM, said:

I uploaded my entry last night, along with MD5 checksums for the mpgeg-2 and wav files. Will there be any confirmation that the entry was received

I'll send confirmations after I process entries. So they will go out in batches.

[dhalgran]

My AMV uses part of the textless opening of the series 08th MS team as well as the title to one particular episode. The former is to ID the series being used and the latter is because it ties into the song (Episode 02: Gundams in the Jungle.) The song is CCR's "Run through the Jungle." I just wanted to see if that is acceptable or if they need to be cut. My own personal credits can be easily removed. Thank you for your time and I'll see you at the con!

[firegirl26]

how long does it have to be

[Outlawed]

dhalgran, on Apr 3 2007, 11:03 PM, said:

My AMV uses part of the textless opening of the series 08th MS team as well as the title to one particular episode. The former is to ID the series being used and the latter is because it ties into the song (Episode 02: Gundams in the Jungle.) The song is CCR's "Run through the Jungle." I just wanted to see if that is acceptable or if they need to be cut. My own personal credits can be easily removed. Thank you for your time and I'll see you at the con!

The concept of the no credits is that so we can limit runtime and at the same time be fair to all. It would be unfair if we allowed them and creator A made some 30 second badass CG logo and credits sequence compositing anime characters from the video in while creator B just had some MTV style text in the lower left corner when the video starts. Another reason is that with our title cards there is a very large font to maximize legibility for our judges.

We don't want credits in the video but if what you are talking about is a sequence that is required for the AMV to work then it is not just some credits. Obviously faux anime intro is a bit different in regards to this rule because the very category itself kind of requires you to make credits =p.

I hope this helps in determining if your sequence may be in violation of that rule. If you still have doubts then make sure to send us 2 version (one with and one without).

firegirl26, on Apr 5 2007, 06:49 PM, said:

how long does it have to be

There is no rule for a required minimum length.

[Animexcel]

hmmm..Not sure if you got a "Jason Dai" folder, but my FTP failed on me. I guess I'll send mine in the mail

[Outlawed]

Animexcel, on Apr 7 2007, 03:48 PM, said:

hmmm..Not sure if you got a "Jason Dai" folder, but my FTP failed on me. I guess I'll send mine in the mail

I see a 1.2 MB zip file from you. Try uploading again. Don't try to create a directory just upload the file.

[Outlawed]

The first batch of tech confirmations have been sent out. If you do not receive one I do not have your entry as of 4-08-07 11:00 (GMT -5).

[Animexcel]

I didn't create a directory. My modem keeps timing-out every 10 minutes or so, I tried resuming but keep getting errors.

[princess_punker84]

I thought I submitted my file via FTP, and when I and someone else checked the FTP address after it uploaded it was there, but I didn't get a confirmation email. The name on the .rar file should be Karen Tiplady.

[Outlawed]

princess_punker84, on Apr 9 2007, 09:35 PM, said:

I thought I submitted my file via FTP, and when I and someone else checked the FTP address after it uploaded it was there, but I didn't get a confirmation email. The name on the .rar file should be Karen Tiplady.

You supplied princess_punker84@yahoo.com as your e-mail. A confirmation was sent to it.

[princess_punker84]

K thanks for letting me know.