• How many vids can I submit for the Premieres show?
• What about collaborations?
• How many vids will be shown in Premieres?
• If you have more vids than you can show, how do you select priority?

Where and how do I submit my vids?
For detailed technical and practical instructions on submitting your vids, please see the MPEG-2 Encoding Tips and submission instructions . When you have filled out the submit form, follow the link at the bottom to the instructions for delivering your vid to us.

How do I get a vid shown at VividCon?
At each VividCon, we show at least 16 or more hours of vids, so there are lots of opportunities to get your vids shown. We plan different vidshows at different times in the months leading up to the con. Some of the shows are purely vidder submissions, while others consist of vids chosen by a VJ to fit a particular theme. The best way to share in the decision process and keep track of which shows are currently seeking submissions is to participate as much as possible in the con-planning process.

What are the different kinds of vidshows?
An excellent question. There are a number of them, and each has its own submission and playlist design process.

• Premieres Vidshow
• Nearly New
• Club Vivid
• Challenge Vidshow
• Auction Vidshow
• Themed Vidshows

Premieres show
The Premieres vidshow is one of the few shows at VividCon made up entirely of vidder submissions. The VJs for this show do not choose the vids, except for limiting the size of the playlist to the time allowed and deciding the play order. This show is for vids that have never been shown at a con, released in a collection, or released publicly online. (See the rules for Premieres submissions and priorities for more info about how space limitations may affect your submissions.)

Nearly New
This show is also made up entirely of vidder submissions. Like the name says, it's for vids that are new since the last VividCon, but that have been shown at a previous con, or have been released publicly in a collection or online. It also serves as the overflow show for vids that cannot be shown in Premieres for space reasons. If you submit a vid to Premieres, and it can't be shown there for space reasons, we may show it in the Nearly New show. If this happens, your vid will be marked in the program book as a Premiering Vid, and it will still be eligible to be included on the VividCon DVDs if space allows. (See Which vids end up on the VividCon DVD set? for more info.)

Club Vivid
Club Vivid is our Friday night dance party. The vids shown at this event are a mix of old and new vids set to danceable music. A concom member will serve as VJ, as the playlist for this event is three hours long, and requires more advance prep than the other shows. In past years, vids submitted directly to Club Vivid were generally accepted, but with a larger pool of danceable vids available, we continue to refine our methods for designing this playlist.

In 2005, we initiated a challenge for encouraging new Club Vivid vids: the Club Vivid Challenge, and it has become a yearly event. We take suggestions for dance songs from the vid community at large, andthe concom then pares down the list to a manageable size. This is done purely on the merits of the songs, trying to keep danceability, balance, and variety in mind. Some of these songs were pre-claimed by the vidders who suggested them. The remaining list is then posted to the vividcon LiveJournal along with a deadline for uploading.. Vidders who want to play chose a song from the list, and comment to claim it.

In addition to new vids, the Club Vivid playlist includes past favorites.

Challenge vidshow
Each year at the Dead Dog Panel, we discuss ideas for the theme which will become next year's Vid Challenge. Past challenge themes have been "Dreams," "Luck," "Milestones," and " Faith."  2008's Challenge theme is "Fuck You!"

The Challenge show is a double-blind show. To submit a vid for this show, you must agree to remain anonymous, and submit your vid without any vidder credits. You may use a beta, of course, but should otherwise keep your identity as secret as possible. This means also keeping it a secret that you are submitting a vid -- in other words, we ask that you please share in the spirit of the anonymous entry nature of the show, and refrain from talking about your vid even in general terms until after the show.

Following the vidshow, the audience will have open discussion and critique of the vids. You may choose to reveal yourself as the vidder after this discussion takes place, if you choose, but it's up to you. Collaborations are allowed. The vids for this show are not chosen by a VJ; all challenge vids will be shown.

Auction vidshow
This vidshow is for the VividCon auction vids, which are created by volunteer vidders for a specific winning bidder in an online auction. The funds are donated to the con, to help pay for things like extra catering, glowsticks at Club Vivid, equipment upgrades, and other benefits for the membership. You do not have to be a member to bid or to auction off a vid, however. A different group of volunteer vidders are chosen each year, and if we have more volunteers than we need, the choice is made based on the number of different fandoms a vidder can offer. The auction winners and vidders will each receive a DVD of the auction vids.

Themed vidshows
All the other vidshows follow the same vid selection, deadlines, and technical procedures. The specific vidshows vary from year to year, and while certain themed shows may repeat, others may not. The themes are chosen through discussions on the VividCon mailing list and in IRC chat sessions, usually announced on-list and in the LiveJournal community around mid-February. Some preference is given to those themed shows where we already have a VJ who has volunteered specifically for that show; in other words, if you have an idea for a show, and are willing to VJ it, you should make that known to the concom when this discussion is taking place.

Past vidshows
2002 Retrospective Experimental Constructed Reality Recruiter Comedy Character Study Whitman's Sampler Multimedia Viewer's Choice	2003 Retrospective Instrumental Rarely Vidded Vidpairs Character Study Comedy Special Effects Narrative Ensemble Cast Con Vids	2004 Wayback Machine Audio Rarities No Effects Saturday Morning Cartoons Unexpected Levels Illustrating Relationships Literalism vs. Metaphor Breaking the Rules Movie Vids World Domination

2005 Wayback Machine Action Vids Anime Character Study: Women Comedy Cops and Robbers High-Definition Theater Horror Instrumentals Vidding History	2006 Wayback Machine Color Explosion Spies Like Us Symbol & Metaphor God, the Devil & Bob Vid as Collage Novelty Songs & TV Themes Digital Axes for Stone-Age TV Lord King Bad Vid War is Hell Pimp My (Small) Fandom	2007 Geneology of Vidding Can't Live with 'Em... Life, the Universe & Everything Saturday Morning Cartoons Newbies Rock Daughter of Experimental Vids Movie Vids Relationships between Women Death & Dying Best of Media West Live Action/Anime Vidpairs

How are the themed vidshows chosen for each VividCon?
As mentioned above, the vidshow planning process starts with free for all discussion on the VividCon mailing list and in IRC chat sessions, usually announced on-list and in the LiveJournal community around mid-February. This generates a huge list of brainstormed ideas, which is narrowed down by a brave and intrepid member of the concom. This is where we begin looking at whether the people who suggested show ideas also volunteered to VJ. If certain ideas showed a lot of interest in discussion, and no one has yet volunteered to VJ, we will ask for volunteers, or choose someone from those who have already offered their services in VJ capacity. We try to have some variety from year to year.

How are the vids chosen for each themed show?
After the vidshows are determined, the con will put out a call for suggestions. We will beg and plead for everyone to contribute their ideas about vids that would help make a great themed show. These suggestions are made via an online suggestion form, and that information is given to the VJ to use in creating their vidshow playlist. However, these are suggestions only, and the VJ ultimately chooses the vids for variety and show pacing.

Can I suggest vids that are only available online?
All vids shown at VividCon must be high enough quality that they can be shown on a projector. Many vidders may have small versions of their vids online, but be able to provide us with larger versions, so, yes, you can suggest online vids. If you're not sure about whether the vidder has better quality files available, just give us as much information as you can about where to find the vid and how to contact the vidder.

Can I suggest my own vids?
You are highly encouraged to suggest your own vids for themed shows (as well as vids by other people, of course)! However, please be aware that the VJs have final say over their show playlists, and there is only room for 10-12 vids per show -- the VJs always have a lot of tough choices to make, so please don't take it personally if your suggestion doesn't get used.

Please feel free to suggest premiering vids to themed vidshows; we mark all premiering vids shown in the program book, and we try and fit as many of them as we can onto the con DVD set. You may also suggest a new vid that you haven't finished yet, provided that you are confident you can get it done in time.

But please note: playlists will not be determined until sometime after June 1, and the deadline for all submitted vids, including Premieres, but excluding Club Vivid, is 11:59 pm the night of July 1. See the front page under "The Club Vivid Challenge" for the Club Vivid deadline. Presumably you will have to start work on the vid without knowing whether or not it will be included in the show. However, you will know if it isn't going to be included by mid-June, in time to decide if you want to submit the vid to the Nearly New or Premieres shows instead. (You can submit a vid to Nearly New or Premieres up until the day vids are due, July 1.)

What are the rules for submitting a vid to a Premieres show?
Premiering vids must never have been shown at any previous con, released in a collection, or posted publicly online. They must be in our hands by the deadline, which in 2008 is Friday, June 27th, 11:59 US Eastern time . (See the VividCon Vid Delivery Instructions for more details on formats and where to send it.)

How many vids can I submit for the Premieres show?
You may submit up to two vids for Premieres. If you are an attending vidder, you are guaranteed that at least your first priority vid will be shown; for this reason, it's important that you label your submissions with the number 1 or 2 so we know which is your first choice.

What about collaborations?
A collaboration counts toward one of the two vids allowed for one of the vidders in the collaboration team. It's up to you which vidder.

How many vids will be shown?
The Premieres show is 2 hours long, with a 15-minute intermission. The number of vids varies, but we will not go over the time allotted.

If you have more vids than you can show, how do you select priority?
Attending members get first priority, and are guaranteed to see their first choice vid in the show. After that, we will try our best to find room for first priority vids by supporting members and nonmembers, and second priority vids. The VJs may exercise discretion in selecting for variety and balance of vidders and fandoms. If you submit a vid to Premieres, and it can't be shown there for space reasons, we may show it in the Nearly New or one of the themed shows. If this happens, your vid will be marked in the program book as a Premiering Vid, and it will still be eligible to be included on the VividCon DVDs if space allows. (See Which vids end up on the VividCon DVD set? for more info.)

My vid is potentially offensive/sexually explicit/graphically violent/some other variety of controversial. Do you decide which vids can be shown based on content?
VividCon is an equal opportunity con. Our goal is to give vidders and vid fans a place where they can share and see a wide range of vids. We do not judge or discriminate against vids for genre, sexual orientation, source, fandom, age, technique, or even if we think they're in poor taste or badly made. Because adult material is accepted, VividCon is intended for adults only, and attendees must be over 18. Please be aware that you may, and most likely will, see such material in various vidshows and panels. You may also (horrors!) see vids that you don't like. It's all part of the deal.

Boring legalese: the concom officially reserves the right to not show any vid for any reason whatsoever. In practice, we will actually only use this to avoid showing vids that we think are going to create serious liability issues for us, and if we do have to use it, we will discuss our concerns privately with the vidder first.

What are the deadlines for vid submissions for each show?

• The 2008 deadline for themed vidshows and Nearly New is Sunday, June 1, 11:59 p.m. US Eastern time.
• The 2008 deadline for Premieres/Non-attending Premieres/Challenge/Auction vids is Friday, June 27th, 11:59 US Eastern time.

Which vids end up on the VividCon DVD set?
Important change as of 2007: Submitting a premiering vid to the con (for any show) constitutes permission for inclusion on the DVD. If you do not want your vid to possibly be on the con DVD, then it should not be submitted for play at the con.

The final playlist for the con DVDs is entirely dependent on space available. All premiering vids are eligible to be included, and vids from the Premieres show get first priority. After that, we will do our best to represent the widest variety of vidders and fandoms possible.

Panel Basics

• How can I become a panel moderator?
• How are the panels chosen for each VividCon?
• What panels has VividCon offered in the past?
• What are vidshow/panel pairs?
• Can I volunteer to help with only the vidshow or panel of a paired show/panel?

How can I become a panel moderator?
As our schedule takes shape, usually between the months of February and May, we will be looking for panelists. The best way to become a VividCon panelist is to participate as much as possible in the con-planning process. You can either:

• Suggest your own topic
  When the discussions and brainstorming sessions start (around mid-February), write up a short description of the panel you'd like to lead. We'll add it to the list of panel ideas brainstormed on list and in chat. Keep in mind that there are a limited number of panel slots, and we want to do our best to give everyone a chance to moderate or VJ, so if we don't have room for your panel this year, we may next year.
  
  
• Volunteer for open panels
  When we send out a call for VJs and moderators to the VividCon mailing list and LiveJournal community (around early April), drop us a line letting us know that you'd like to moderate a panel. We often have more volunteers than spots, so again, we will be seeking to give everyone a chance to help. Someone else may have offered in a previous year, so please don't take it personally if we ask you to wait and volunteer again in the future.

How are the panels chosen for each VividCon?
We start talking about panel ideas for next year at the Dead Dog panel on Sunday afternoon. Ideas discussed there are written down, and will be brought into the discussion that happens in the spring. As with the vidshows, the planning process for panels starts with free for all discussion on the VividCon mailing list and in IRC chat sessions, usually announced on-list and in the LiveJournal community around mid-March. When the list has been narrowed down and consolidated, we begin looking at whether the people who suggested panel ideas also volunteered to moderate. If certain ideas showed a lot of interest in discussion, and no one has yet volunteered to moderate, around early April we will ask for volunteers, or choose someone from those who have previously offered their services in moderator capacity. We try to have some variety from year to year.

What panels has VividCon offered in the past?

What are vidshow/panel pairs?
We've discovered that having a common frame of reference can really maximize the valuable discussion a topic generates. Toward this end, we have several vidshow/panel pairs during the weekend, where a vidshow (for example, Comedy Vids) is followed by a discussion of that theme (i.e., What makes a comedy vid successful?) The vidshow and panel may or may not have the same VJ/moderator(s). If you have an idea for a vidshow/panel combination that you think would generate good discussion, please suggest it, either at the Dead Dog panel or during our brainstorming phase.

Can I volunteer to help with only the vidshow or panel of a paired show/panel?
Yes, you can. You don't have to VJ to help moderate one of the paired panels, or vice versa.

Still have questions? e-mail us at vividcon@vividcon.com, or return to the top of the page.