Thank you for your interest in competing in the AMV Contest at PopCult Anime Con 2023!
AMV Contest Rules
1. The deadline is July 31, 2023, at 11:59pm EST. No deadline extensions will be given.
2. Minimum specifications:
a. All video submissions must be at least 720p. Anything lower resolution will not be accepted. Your footage quality may affect your overall chances of getting into the contest. Make sure you check for artifacting, stray frames, etc.
b. Please try to keep your video file size smaller than 350mb. Zarx264gui is a free and straightforward program used to compress large file sizes; please search for tutorials should you need any. (Google is your friend!).
c. Your entry should be at least 75% animation or video game footage that originated in Japan. If your multi-anime video features a few seconds of Korra, that’s fine. If your video is entirely Avatar the Last Airbender, that’s not fine (but I’m sure it’s a great vid).
d. Videos must be in a format that can be read by VLC Media Player.
3. If possible, title your entry file names as follows: “Editor Name – Video Title – Song – Artist.mp4”
a. Editor name: Your name as you would like it to appear on the ballot.
b. Video title: Your video title as you would like it to appear on the ballot.
c. Song: The name of the song.
d. Artist: The name of who sings the song/where you got the audio from.
4. Acceptable framerates are 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, and 30. If your video does not meet these specifications, it may/will be converted to the nearest acceptable framerate.
5. Please check over your submission form before sending it in. Do not send in a submission form without a video link!
UPDATE: As of 2019, we will no longer be “hunting down” information that was not included in the initial entry. This means that if your video wins but you fail to provide an accurate or complete address, you will not receive your award.
6. All submissions must be made over a cloud-based file sharing service that is accessible to the public (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.).
7. No studio bumpers or credits before or after your video. Your video may be disqualified for containing these.
8. The following are grounds for immediate disqualification:
a. Subtitles (including “fansubs”) of any nature (if the subtitles are added by the editor for the video, it will be considered on a case-by-case basis);
b. Audio from a commercial English-language dub;
c. Studio logos, TV watermarks, video encoder watermarks—pretty much any logo or watermark that you did not put for parody purposes;
d. Sexually explicit lyrics, excessive curse words (keep it PG-13), or otherwise explicit lyrics;
***Nudity, sexual content, or excessive gore/violence will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but it will usually get you disqualified.
9. Freshness Rule: AMVs must have premiered on or after July 1st, 2022. This includes online and at-convention premieres.
10. The categories this year are:
a. Drama
b. Action
c. Romance/Sentimental
d. Upbeat/Fun
e. Comedy
f. Con Theme: ISEKAI*
g. Should any of these categories fail to receive an adequate number of submissions, quality or quantity, the AMV Judge Panel reserves the right to alter video category specifications. *ISEKAI videos are videos that feature a source that is considered an “isekai” anime. Find out more about Isekai here!
11. Finalists will be determined by a panel of judges. It is a blind selection; please do not put anything in your AMV that includes your studio, name, etc.
12. PopCult Anime Convention staff, as well as any editor contributing to judging, are not permitted to be considered in the contest.
13. By submitting to the PopCult Anime Convention AMV contest, you agree to your video being shown at future PopCult Anime Conventions.
14. The AMV Contest Coordinator reserves the right to reject a video on any basis without warning.