• Please do not include extra black space at the beginning or end of your vid. Llamaenc will put this in for you. Trim the vid as close to the beginning and end as you can.
  
  
• Accepted formats:
  
  
  • MPEG-2 video file plus a separate audio file - we strongly prefer this format. In fact, we prefer this format so much that we made a windows program called LlamaEnc for encoding your video into this format, and we ask that all Windows users encode their vids using this program. You can read about LlamaEnc here. For more instructions on how to encode your files in this format, please see the MPEG2 Encoding Tips page.
  • At a stretch we can accept Quicktime MOV files or a DIVX file.
    
    
• Specs for accepted formats:

• MPEG-2 video file: MPEG-2 video, 720x480 resolution, NTSC format, encoded at 5500-6500 kpbs bitrate*, with an "m2v" suffix. *IMPORTANT: Do NOT encode your vid at a higher bitrate. If you do, you increase the filesize without noticably improving video quality and increase the likelihood of jerky playback. Vids at higher bitrates may be left off the con DVD if space is an issue. We withhold the right to re-encode your video if size or format is a problem.
• Audio file: WAV or AIFF format (48 kHz). Please do NOT use AC-3 or mp3.
• Quicktime MOV file: 29.97 frames per second, 720x480 resolution, highest quality.
• DIVX file: 29.97 frames per second, 720x480 resolution, high bitrate.
  
  

• For the attending members Premieres show, please name the files as follows:
  
  vidpriority_yourname_vidtitle.{wav,m2v,mov}
  Delete any spaces, apostrophes, special characters, etc.
  
  Example: the video track for the first-priority vid submitted by vidder Super-Amazing Vidder!! to the song I'm A Little Teapot would be named:
  
  1_superamazingvidder_imalittleteapot.m2v
  
  Please use the submitting vidder's name, NOT the name of the vidding group or collaboration.

• For the Non-attending Premieres show, name the files as follows:
  
  nap_vidpriority_yourname_vidtitle.{wav,m2v,mov}
  Delete any spaces, apostrophes, special characters, etc.
  
  Example: nap_1_superamazingvidder_luckbealady.m2v
  

• For the Nearly New show, name the files as follows:
  
  nn_vidpriority_yourname_vidtitle.{wav,m2v,mov}
  
  Example: nn_1_superamazingvidder_luckbealady.m2v
  

• For the Challenge show, omit your name, and name the files as follows:
  
  challenge_vidtitle.{wav,m2v,mov}
  
  Example: challenge_route66.m2v

• For the Auction show, omit your name, and name the files as follows:
  
  auction_vidtitle.{wav,m2v,mov}
  
  Example: auction_route66.m2v

• For all other vidshows, including Club Vivid: please include an abbreviation that indicates which show the vid is being submitted to, and name the files as follows:
  
  vidshow_yourname_vidtitle.{wav,m2v,mov}
  
  Example: vidhist_superamazingvidder_edmundfitzgerald.m2v

• When your files are ready, fill out the vid submission form for each file.

Uploading Files To VVC Via sFTP/FTP Instructions:

• After you have filled out the form, you are ready to upload your files. We strongly prefer you use our server space, if possible.
  

There are currently two ways to upload files to vvc. sFTP is more reliable, as we've been having major troubles with anonymous FTP, our previous standard, recently.

sFTP

• We've made a new account for people to use for the purpose of sFTP uploading but you will need an sFTP client. Here are some suggestions:
  
  
  • Windows or Mac: Filezilla
  • Windows only: SmartFTP v3
  • Mac only: Cyberduck
  
  
• To connect via sFTP, use the following details:
  
  host name/address: www.vividcon.com
  login/username/ID: vvcvids
  password: uploads
  port: 22
  transfer type: binary

Note: You will receive permissions errors when connecting to this account but they will not affect your ability to upload files. We've disabled read access on this account, so the sFTP client will bitch and moan at you because it can't see any files but you will be able to upload to the account. This is to keep secret any files that others are uploading at the same time.


• Once you are logged in: Make sure you are using the BINARY setting on your client. Double-check this before you start -- there's nothing like slowly uploading a 200 MB file and then discovering that you did it in ASCII format and have to redo the whole thing.
  
  
• Upload your vid files. When they're done, please send e-mail to elynross@gmail.com and vvctech@gmail.com with subject "VividCon vid uploaded" and the name of the files you've put up.
  

Anonymous FTP

The second way to upload files is with regular FTP but our host has been having significant disconnection problems with this protocol recently and it is much less reliable.

You can use FTP client you like (Fetch/Cyberduck/Filezilla on Mac, WS_FTP LE/SmartFTP v3/Filezilla on PC are good)


• To connect via FTP, use the following details:
  
  host name/address: ftp.vividcon.com
  login/username/ID: anonymous
  password: your e-mail address
  port: 21
  transfer type: binary
  


• Once you are logged in: Make sure you are using the BINARY setting on your client. Double-check this before you start -- there's nothing like slowly uploading a 200 MB file and then discovering that you did it in ASCII format and have to redo the whole thing.
  
  
• When your files are uploaded done, please send e-mail to elynross@gmail.com and vvctech@gmail.com with subject "VividCon vid uploaded" and the name of the files you've put up.
  
  

• You will not be able to see the vid files once they have uploaded. Don't worry, that doesn't mean they're not there.
  
  If you want to make sure that the upload wasn't interrupted or incomplete, you can either use our handy Video Upload Check or use an FTP client that has a log window or something similar that will let you see how much data was transferred. You can then compare the filesize we received to the size of your vid files.
  
  

• If you make a mistake (like uploading on ASCII setting), you will not be able to delete or upload over the first file. If this happens, please just rename your file slightly (for example, you could add "_good" to the end, etc), upload the renamed version, and then explain in your e-mail which is the right file.
  
  
• If for some reason you are unable to upload to our server, please contact vvctech@gmail.com to discuss alternatives. Again, we strongly prefer that you submit electronically and that you use our server if at all possible.