AMV competition
Heroes Comic Con Finland 2025 AMV competition
What are AMV’s?
Anime (or animation) Music Videos are forms of video art, made by combining elements from an animated series or movie with a song. The goal is to edit a video, where the chosen music track blends in seamlessly with the video material in the style of a music video. The videos are not locked to any given genre. In the end, there are as many interpretations as there are source material combinations. An AMV creator may, based on personal preferences, choose to focus for example on storytelling, visual aspects, comedic value or technical editing quality. In addition to the most common video sources, like animated series and movies, we are also allowing material from games and live action movies or series to be used in this competition.
Competition schedule
- Entry opens on December 9th 2024
Entry closes on March 31st 2025 at 11:59 PM
Possibility for corrections to previously sent videos until April 2nd 2025, 11:59 PM
Preliminary judging rounds on April 3rd through 24th 2025
Results for preliminary judging sent to the competitors no later than April 25th 2025
Competition finals at Heroes Comic Con
The competition is open for everyone to submit animation, game or live action music videos. A preliminary judging round will be held in case the amount of entries is high enough. Send your entries no later than March 31st 2025 by 11:59 PM, and you will take part in the competition and possible preliminary round. All competitors whose entries are approved for the finals will receive free entry to the event and we warmly recommend attending the event in person. Should a competitor not be able to attend, awards will be sent via mail after the event. The competitor may also name another person to accept the award for delivery on their behalf.
The entry videos must be sent via our Xfer file transfer service, with detailed instructions below. Videos sent by any other means will not be accepted. Videos that have been featured in any other AMV competition finals previously will not be accepted. You may publish the video before the event if you so wish, however we recommend delaying this until after the event, to help maintain the moment of surprise.
Every competitor may send a maximum of three (3) entries to the competition. Videos made in cooperation with multiple people are allowed and encouraged, but these will count as one entry for every person in the group.
The competitor may include additional pictures, videos or descriptions of the editing process. These may contain details on any parts of the edit which the competitor feels deserve additional attention. This material will be provided to the judges alongside the video. The AMV manager reserves the right to make changes to these attachments if deemed necessary.
Should the AMV manager notice any problems with the entry video or other details, we will contact the competitor with a possibility to make corrections to the entry.
The competitor must provide their real name for the organizers. The entry itself can be submitted with a nickname.
Organizers of the competition, or their family members, may not take part in the competition.
The entry videos must be sent via our Xfer file transfer service, with detailed instructions below. Videos sent by any other means will not be accepted. Videos that have been featured in any other AMV competition finals previously will not be accepted. You may publish the video before the event if you so wish, however we recommend delaying this until after the event, to help maintain the moment of surprise.
Every competitor may send a maximum of three (3) entries to the competition. Videos made in cooperation with multiple people are allowed and encouraged, but these will count as one entry for every person in the group.
The competitor may include additional pictures, videos or descriptions of the editing process. These may contain details on any parts of the edit which the competitor feels deserve additional attention. This material will be provided to the judges alongside the video. The AMV manager reserves the right to make changes to these attachments if deemed necessary.
Should the AMV manager notice any problems with the entry video or other details, we will contact the competitor with a possibility to make corrections to the entry.
The competitor must provide their real name for the organizers. The entry itself can be submitted with a nickname.
Organizers of the competition, or their family members, may not take part in the competition.
REQUIREMENTS
The majority of video content (60%) must be material from an animation, game or live action series or movie. The material may originate from any country. Original and self-made animated material is also allowed, but it will be evaluated from the same perspective as other videos. Using multiple different original video sources is allowed.
The majority of audio content (60%) must be music, but adding short parts of dialogue or other audio material is accepted. Audio material cannot be entirely based on, for example, trailers, commercials or dubs, as these do not fit the definition of a music video.
To clarify, 40% of the video and audio content may be, for example, dialogue between characters or trailer-like storytelling.
The video may not contain extra logos or subtitles. Also, do not add text to the video that contains the name of the video, the competitor(s) name or source materials. Automatic watermarks from editing software are also not allowed. The competitor may add custom subtitles for use in cases such as dialogue between characters or song lyrics. The organizers will create separate intro videos for each entry. These intros will include details on the name of the video and the competitor’s name or nickname, as per their preference.
Adult material (K-18 Finnish standard) is not allowed in the competition. Should the video contain unsuitable elements, the AMV manager will inform the competitor. If you are uncertain about the suitability of any material you plan to use, you may contact us beforehand to check. The organizers may add content warnings to videos when deemed necessary.
The length of each video must be a minimum of one minute 30 seconds (1:30) and a maximum of five minutes (5:00).
The majority of audio content (60%) must be music, but adding short parts of dialogue or other audio material is accepted. Audio material cannot be entirely based on, for example, trailers, commercials or dubs, as these do not fit the definition of a music video.
To clarify, 40% of the video and audio content may be, for example, dialogue between characters or trailer-like storytelling.
The video may not contain extra logos or subtitles. Also, do not add text to the video that contains the name of the video, the competitor(s) name or source materials. Automatic watermarks from editing software are also not allowed. The competitor may add custom subtitles for use in cases such as dialogue between characters or song lyrics. The organizers will create separate intro videos for each entry. These intros will include details on the name of the video and the competitor’s name or nickname, as per their preference.
Adult material (K-18 Finnish standard) is not allowed in the competition. Should the video contain unsuitable elements, the AMV manager will inform the competitor. If you are uncertain about the suitability of any material you plan to use, you may contact us beforehand to check. The organizers may add content warnings to videos when deemed necessary.
The length of each video must be a minimum of one minute 30 seconds (1:30) and a maximum of five minutes (5:00).
Please use the best possible source materials available. We will accept most common file types, with mp4 being the recommended type. The organizers may convert the video to mp4 format if deemed necessary to ensure functionality. Should this be necessary, the organizers can not be held responsible for potential loss of fidelity. Recommended resolutions for videos are 1920×1080 (widescreen) or 1920×800 (cinematic widescreen). The smallest acceptable resolution is 480×360. The refresh rate of videos should be either 24, 25 or 30 fps. Please also make sure that the audio material is of sufficiently high quality.
We recommend sending entries as early as possible. The AMV manager will check each video upon arrival to verify compliance with the rules and technical functionality. We will inform the competitor upon any problems found during this verification process. The competitor has a chance to make any required corrections to their entry until April 2nd, 11:59 PM. If these required corrections are not made and sent by this time, the entry will be discarded from the competition. Entries that have been featured in any previous AMV competition finals are automatically discarded, and may not be corrected for compliance.
JUDGING, AWARDS AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONS
After April 2nd, all videos will be sent to the team of judges for scoring and if necessary, sent to preliminary rounds. All entries will be provided to the judges without information on the competitor’s name or nickname. The judges will not know the identity of the competitors until all of their results are final. During preliminary rounds, judges will choose which entries will be featured in the finals at Comic Con. All competitors will receive information on their personal preliminary round results by April 25th, whether they have been selected into the finals or not.
The judges will provide scoring points in three categories:
Music video concept / mood; rhythm, internal sync, matching of music and video material; relevance of song lyrics in video scenes, harmony between music and video, selection of scenes, matching scenery selections for differing musical elements within the song, and effectiveness of the work as whole; 0-5 points
Storytelling / concept; clarity and comprehensibility of the concept or story, originality of the story, concept or idea, narrative process, use of linear or non-linear storytelling, dynamic elements of faster paced videos, importance and functionality of possible voice-overs or sound effects, 0-5 points
Editing; transitions between scenes, color grading, cuts, effects in relation to source material and music (eg. slow / fast), flow between scenes, possible use of masking, quality and cleanliness of combining source materials, and quality of possible typographies, 0-5 points
Ties in point scores are quite possible. The points are used solely for choosing entries for the finals and not for choosing individual awards. Judges will create separate evaluation lists for each award.
The judges will provide scoring points in three categories:
Music video concept / mood; rhythm, internal sync, matching of music and video material; relevance of song lyrics in video scenes, harmony between music and video, selection of scenes, matching scenery selections for differing musical elements within the song, and effectiveness of the work as whole; 0-5 points
Storytelling / concept; clarity and comprehensibility of the concept or story, originality of the story, concept or idea, narrative process, use of linear or non-linear storytelling, dynamic elements of faster paced videos, importance and functionality of possible voice-overs or sound effects, 0-5 points
Editing; transitions between scenes, color grading, cuts, effects in relation to source material and music (eg. slow / fast), flow between scenes, possible use of masking, quality and cleanliness of combining source materials, and quality of possible typographies, 0-5 points
Ties in point scores are quite possible. The points are used solely for choosing entries for the finals and not for choosing individual awards. Judges will create separate evaluation lists for each award.
The judges will choose winners of each award from the finalists. These will be awarded at the end of the finals ceremony. The same video cannot receive two judges’ awards.
Judges’ awards
- Best in show
- Best mom
- Best child
- Best protagonist (hero)
- Best deuteragonist (sidekick)
- Best antagonist (villain)
Special awards
- Audience choice
- AMV manager’s choice
Best in show
The best in show award belongs to the video which shines in every way and has clearly been crafted to perfection better than any other entry. Effectiveness, topicality, rewatch value, memorability, as well as concept, and story are all key factors. We’re looking for the video which touches the closest to perfection, with very little room for improvement.
Best mom
As Heroes Comic Con is held during the Mothers’ Day weekend, we’d like to challenge all artists to help us find the best mom. Tell us the story of a mother, be it Mother Nature, a biological mother or something else. Create a story in your own style about a mother’s care, sorrows, worries, joys, everyday occurrences and unconditional love or just generally about the meaning of mothers and motherhood.
Best child
Create a video where children, childhood and children’s life stories are present. It may be an adult’s viewpoint on childhood memories and innocence, or perhaps the editor might choose to tell a story about many children in the big world. The video may be full of joy, a collection of wistful moments or perhaps something in between. The starting point of your interpretation may really be anything, as long as it clearly reflects a child’s view of the world.
Best protagonist (hero)
The protagonist, usually the hero of the story, receives their own spotlight in the competition. The protagonist is the key character of their own story. While often this implies being on the side of good, there are situations where this is not the case. Show us a video where your favorite protagonist’s character and motivation are presented clearly, in a way that makes the viewer understand it perfectly. Your way of interpreting the viewpoint can really be quite anything. The main thing is that the end result shares a tasteful view on the protagonists’ escapades.
Best deuteragonist (sidekick)
The deuteragonist, often the second main character, is the second most important person in the narrative of the story. Often they’re a partner for the protagonist, helping to move the storyline alongside them. The role of the deuteragonist may change during the story from supporter to challenger, depending on the motivations and backgrounds of the character, eventually pushing the protagonist’s decisions one way or the other. The interpretation of a deuteragonist requires a net cast widely, and the same applies to the video. Show us a work sharing the character next to the protagonist, with their own motivations and clear role.
Best antagonist (villain)
The antagonist is traditionally the main opponent of the protagonist, but in some cases not necessarily the representation of evil. Your video may tell the story of a classic antagonist, but it may also focus on an atypical setting. Perhaps this antagonist’s moral compass is pointed towards the middle ground, or perhaps they’re on the side of good, in cases where the protagonist is clearly on the evil side. Show us the antagonist’s motives and exactly why your work brings the greatest justice for their story.
AMV manager’s choice
The award is given to a video which the AMV manager finds to be particularly impressive and deserving relating to the theme of the competition, but which has not received an award from the judges. The coordinator pays special attention to the video’s clear narrative, mastery of desired themes, and overall coherence.
Additional award information
For all awards, we will look at the complete work as a whole, as well as matching the chosen theme into the concept successfully. Naturally the cleanliness of editing, rhythm, and other classical elements of good music videos will also be looked at.
All awards will be awarded at the end of the finals show. The finals will also feature an audience choice award, in which people attending the live event can take part with their mobile device. The results of this award will also be presented at the end of the show.
The organizers reserve the right to make necessary changes as needed.
The list of judges will be presented at a later date.
The best in show award belongs to the video which shines in every way and has clearly been crafted to perfection better than any other entry. Effectiveness, topicality, rewatch value, memorability, as well as concept, and story are all key factors. We’re looking for the video which touches the closest to perfection, with very little room for improvement.
Best mom
As Heroes Comic Con is held during the Mothers’ Day weekend, we’d like to challenge all artists to help us find the best mom. Tell us the story of a mother, be it Mother Nature, a biological mother or something else. Create a story in your own style about a mother’s care, sorrows, worries, joys, everyday occurrences and unconditional love or just generally about the meaning of mothers and motherhood.
Best child
Create a video where children, childhood and children’s life stories are present. It may be an adult’s viewpoint on childhood memories and innocence, or perhaps the editor might choose to tell a story about many children in the big world. The video may be full of joy, a collection of wistful moments or perhaps something in between. The starting point of your interpretation may really be anything, as long as it clearly reflects a child’s view of the world.
Best protagonist (hero)
The protagonist, usually the hero of the story, receives their own spotlight in the competition. The protagonist is the key character of their own story. While often this implies being on the side of good, there are situations where this is not the case. Show us a video where your favorite protagonist’s character and motivation are presented clearly, in a way that makes the viewer understand it perfectly. Your way of interpreting the viewpoint can really be quite anything. The main thing is that the end result shares a tasteful view on the protagonists’ escapades.
Best deuteragonist (sidekick)
The deuteragonist, often the second main character, is the second most important person in the narrative of the story. Often they’re a partner for the protagonist, helping to move the storyline alongside them. The role of the deuteragonist may change during the story from supporter to challenger, depending on the motivations and backgrounds of the character, eventually pushing the protagonist’s decisions one way or the other. The interpretation of a deuteragonist requires a net cast widely, and the same applies to the video. Show us a work sharing the character next to the protagonist, with their own motivations and clear role.
Best antagonist (villain)
The antagonist is traditionally the main opponent of the protagonist, but in some cases not necessarily the representation of evil. Your video may tell the story of a classic antagonist, but it may also focus on an atypical setting. Perhaps this antagonist’s moral compass is pointed towards the middle ground, or perhaps they’re on the side of good, in cases where the protagonist is clearly on the evil side. Show us the antagonist’s motives and exactly why your work brings the greatest justice for their story.
AMV manager’s choice
The award is given to a video which the AMV manager finds to be particularly impressive and deserving relating to the theme of the competition, but which has not received an award from the judges. The coordinator pays special attention to the video’s clear narrative, mastery of desired themes, and overall coherence.
Additional award information
For all awards, we will look at the complete work as a whole, as well as matching the chosen theme into the concept successfully. Naturally the cleanliness of editing, rhythm, and other classical elements of good music videos will also be looked at.
All awards will be awarded at the end of the finals show. The finals will also feature an audience choice award, in which people attending the live event can take part with their mobile device. The results of this award will also be presented at the end of the show.
The organizers reserve the right to make necessary changes as needed.
The list of judges will be presented at a later date.
The file transfer service for the AMV competition may be found at https://xfer.velhosto.fi
- ·Use the transfer code: comiccon25-amv
- Write your email address
- In the sender name field, write your own name and nickname. For example, Firstname (nick) Lastname
- In the sender reference field, write the following: name of the video, list of source video and audio materials used, any additional information you wish to provide us, and information whether you will be able to attend the finals in person
- If you cannot fit all the information necessary in the reference field, you may provide additional information in an attached text file. This is especially prudent in cases where you’re sending multiple videos at once.
- When you’ve filled all the information, you can move to the next page to upload your competition video as well as any other materials. You can drag the files directly into the window or use “Add files” to select them from your computer. You may send multiple files at once.
- Please use the following file name convention in competition entries: Nickname – Video name
- Remember to click the Finish button to finalize sending the files.
- Should you have trouble with sending files, please try to use another browser first.
Personal information of competitors will be used solely by the organizers of the competition and only within the scope necessary for organizing the competition. Personal data will not be stored permanently. The legal entity for handling personal data is Easyfairs Nordic AB (Finnish business ID 2170200-1). The transfer service is operated by Pahalammen Verkot (Finnish business ID 2621053-2).
By taking part in the competition the competitor accepts the rules in this document. The competitor may not place additional demands on their participation or require changes to the rules. Should the competitor place unreasonable demands on their entry, the entry will be discarded. An entry may also be discarded on the basis of inappropriate or unsportsmanlike behavior. The coordinators cannot be held responsible for damages based on incorrect contact information provided, or technical communication issues beyond our control.
By taking part in the competition the competitor accepts the rules in this document. The competitor may not place additional demands on their participation or require changes to the rules. Should the competitor place unreasonable demands on their entry, the entry will be discarded. An entry may also be discarded on the basis of inappropriate or unsportsmanlike behavior. The coordinators cannot be held responsible for damages based on incorrect contact information provided, or technical communication issues beyond our control.
Should you have any questions about the competition, please contact our AMV manager at comicconamv@gmail.com
You may also send questions via the social media channels of Heroes Comic Con Finland.
