Why just these fandoms? – These shows are watched by one or both judges and we feel that our familiarity with these shows will allow us to judge your vids the best. New fandoms will be added as we start watching new shows!

What about Crossovers? – You may submit vids that have crossovers with other shows not listed in our fandoms, BUT at least half the vid material should come from one of our selected fandoms.

What about Movies? – We are not currently accepting movies. We hold Special Theme Rounds on a regular basis and movies are often allowed in those rounds, depending on the theme.

Do you offer reviews? – We no longer have the time to offer reviews.

How long do the rounds last? – Rounds stay open until 35 nominations are received. We expect to be able to post awards once a month.

Can you hold a spot for me? – Sorry, we do not hold spots. There is always next round!

Why was there no award for that category? – In order to judge a category, there must be at least two nominees, preferably three. If there are not three nominees, the category may be carried forward to the next round. If the vid is nominated in other categories which do have sufficient entries, then they will be judged as usual.

Your Judges - brighette, obsessive24 and wolfpup. wolfpup will judge every round. The remaining two judges will alternate every other round.

General Points:

Basic techniques we will be watching for in our solo judging are:

• Editing: Cuts and transitions should be clean. Effects should be for just that - effect. They should be used to enhance the vid.
• Music Use: Shifts in the music should be acknowledged. Does clip speed match the pace and beat?
• Concept: Vids should have a concept - a theme or story you are trying to tell. A bunch of mismatched clips thrown together without a coherent storyline will not win an award.
• Clip Choice: Clip choice should follow your concept. They should marry the song to your story.

Please try to avoid some common pitfalls when vidding.

• "Talking Heads": In other words, excessive clips with lip-movement for no reason will detract from your chances at winning an award.
• Stray frames: The occasional stray frame will not exclude you from winning an award, but too many of them will.
• Credit clips: These should be avoided at all costs, they pull your viewer out of the vid and break up the flow. If you still really want to use one, try to pan/zoom/crop to remove the credit portion.
• Voiceovers: When done well, these aren’t a bad thing. But when done poorly, it can impact your whole vid. Voiceovers should typically not be done over lyrics - let us hear one or the other, not both at the same time. Watch the volume; don’t make us strain to make out the VO, but don’t blast our eardrums! And try to use them for punch; too many VO’s can detract from your overall storyline.
• Music Use: So you’ve chosen an awesome song, now use it! There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but long drawn out clips during a fast paced song, or vice versa, tends to stick out like a sore thumb. Great beats? Some nice clip changes or in clip action tend to go nicely. Be aware of your music!
• Clip Editing: You may love that minute long scene in your favorite show, but rarely does it fit well in its entirety in a vid. Edit it down to the meat, or cut it up to use throughout your vid. A clip that runs too long can begin to feel static.
• Vid Length: For the most part, try to keep your vid length under five minutes. If it’s longer than that, maybe look for places to edit down your song; does the chorus need to be repeated 3 times here, or can you get away with just one? A two minute bridge might be just as effective at one minute.

These are just guidelines, of course, there are always exceptions, but hopefully they help you in the future!

Part One – Solo Judging:

The judges will first download and watch the vids individually. We will be watching for basic understanding of the above vidding techniques. Vids that display a good grasp of technique will move into our collaborative judging.

Part Two – Collaborative Judging:

Once we have reviewed the vids separately and made initial cuts, we will discuss the remaining entries to come to our decision for winners and runner-ups. If a vid made an especially strong impact on both judges, but did not place under any of the categories, that vid may receive an Award of Excellence. Awards of Excellence are set at a very high standard and are not awarded lightly.