• Please do not send any video files with a bitrate of over 9000kbps (insert DBZ joke here) or anything encoded with AC3 audio. Please do not send videotape, VCD, SVCD or DVD-video formatted media, as we will not accept it.

• All video submissions should be about five minutes or less. While we will accept videos that go over the five minute mark, the longer it goes the less likely it will be accepted.

• Video entries are limited to two per contestant.

• Any anime source used which contains more than twenty seconds total of dialog from the anime itself cannot be considered for a submission, due to copyright entanglements we’d like to avoid. This includes both original Japanese dialogue and English dubbed dialogue.

• Please refrain from using bumpers where possible. Custom bumpers will be added at the beginning of each entry, displaying the competitor’s information including name, entry title, song title, and other general information.

• Any videos with watermarks (such as a TV channel’s logo) will not be accepted.

• Any anime source used which contains subtitles will not be accepted.

• Video entries that were entered in the previous year’s contest will not be accepted.

• By request of the following bands we will not accept any submissions that use music from the bands Evanescence, Seether or Creed.

CATEGORIES:

This year there will be 3 standard categories and 2 special categories. The standard categories for this year’s contest are as follows:

• ACTION
• DRAMA & ROMANCE
• COMEDY & UPBEAT

This year’s special categories will be:

• FAN FAVORITE
• NON-COMPETING

All videos will be automatically entered in the FAN FAVORITE category except for those marked as NON-COMPETING. Please indicate which of the standard categories (ACTION, DRAMA & ROMANCE or COMEDY & UPBEAT) you are submitting your video in. Submissions that arrive un-categorized will have a category selected by the AMV Staff.

DISQUALIFICATIONS:

All submissions will be reviewed by AMV Contest staff to determine the submission’s qualification status. Any video found to have overly explicit language, sexual situations or nudity will be removed from the contest and the contestant will be notified. We reserve the right to refuse your video for any reason, be it nudity, foul language/subject matter, copyright infringement or anything else. Please be tasteful and remember, if we can only show your video after midnight, it’s not going to appear in the contest.

VOTING:

Once qualification status has been verified, a panel of judges will review the AMV submissions to determine its placement in the ACTION, DRAMA & ROMANCE or COMEDY & UPBEAT categories.

All videos submitted will then be automatically entered into the FAN FAVORITE category, which will be determined by audience participation at the convention during the AMV Contest showings. All FAN FAVORITE votes will be collected at the end of each showing and tabulated after the final showing.

All winners will be announced during the convention and posted on our website & forums, including our Facebook & Twitter feeds. Please refer to the Nekocon Convention Schedule for announcement times. If a winner is not present, we will mail their prize to them. Due to rising costs, we will no longer mail prizes to addresses outside of the United States.

SUBMITTING:

Should you wish to submit your video digitally, please send an email to [email protected] with the following information:

• Your name (this will appear on the voting ballot)
• Your address (This will be used to send you any prize you may win)
• Your E-mail address (this is critical if we need to contact you for anything)
• Title of your work (what you would like your video to be called, this will appear on the voting ballot)
• Name of the source video (if multiple sources were used, say “VARIOUS”)
• Name of the soundtrack
• Name of the performing artist
• The category you are entering. (Only one category per entry, please)

Once we have an email with this information, we will reply with further instructions on how to digitally submit to us.

Should you choose to submit your entry via standard mail, please include all the above submission information and mail to this address:

NekoCon
Attn: AMV Contest
26 Towne Center Way #803
Hampton, VA 23666

Please do not mail your entry with a signature required method as we often pick up our mail after operating hours. It will slow down our ability to pick up your entry.

We cannot accept any video submissions via email or YouTube!

If you want your video returned, email us at [email protected] to make arrangements with us before the convention. Any videos submisions not claimed by the end of the convention will become property of Nekocon.

All entries must be postmarked by October 1st, 2012. Digital submissions must be uploaded no later than October 5th, 2012. Late entries or at-the-door entries will not be accepted. Nekocon cannot be held responsible for damaged, lost, or misdirected mail, or corrupted file transfers.