Beta Awards 08 - Guidelines & Submissions

[klet]

After some feedback and moderator permission(thanks Goldknight!), I'm starting a new thread for the 2008 Beta Awards.

Thank you! That's what I was subtley hinting at in the other thread. No point in having a big, long discussion at the end of a thread that is long enough already.

2) 'Seperate but equal'? - By creating two different catagories, in essence you're saying that one media can't fairly compete with the other and therefore, deserves special compensation. Based on 2007's awards, I do not feel this to be the case. I trust my fellow partipants to look at it each piece individually and analyze each piece for its appropriate theme rather than vote for their media preference.

The thing is, I like cels and sketches for different reasons, and I judge their beauty differently. Comparing that judgement to racial segregation is a bit . . . harsh, even though it was obviously meant as a joke. Frankly, it isn't that much more work (I'm positive that Z can come up with some scripts to make the whole contest that much easier!) and it's a lot more fun to have more to look at.

Should the forum vote in favor of having a cel and a sketch side to each category, I propose that each member be allowed 5 entries to each side.

Also, to cut down on the amount of work requiered by the people in charge, you should force entrants to make their own changes to artwork should they submit something that doesn't have the right size/dimensions. Simply send them an email back stating: "Your entry for XXXX will not be accepted unless the longest side is XXX pixels. Please resize and resend. Thank you." Or maybe even: "None of your entries will be accepted unless your entry for XXXX has the correct dimensions. Please resize it so that the longest side is XXX pixels, then resend all of your entries. Thank you." Then, if the categories fill up before they make the correction, it's their own fault. As long as you list requirements and consequences in the rules, I'd totally support you for throwing out entries.

Or, if you want to be really strict, and cut out a lot of work, simpley throw out any entries that don't meet the size/dimensions requierements. People need to show you guys the proper respect by reading the requierements. You shouldn't have to do the entrants' work.

The fact that eliminated entries can be re-submited into a more popular catagory is hardly a comfort, because if it was best-suited to that catagory, it'd have ended up there in the first place.

I've participated in this competition for three years, and only once have I seen a category disappear after people sent entries in. I believe that might have been the "worst cel" category. All the rest have managed to fill up in time. I suppose the threat of deleting categories is just a way to get people to enter them. After all, you have a better chance against 4 cels than against 34.

[D123]

Or, if you want to be really strict, and cut out a lot of work, simpley throw out any entries that don't meet the size/dimensions requierements. People need to show you guys the proper respect by reading the requierements. You shouldn't have to do the entrants' work.

Maybe we should start talking about the rules and requirements

[wELCOME cONSUMER]

Leedz, I think CB already said somewhere that a category would be eliminated only if it received less than 3 entries. That kind of situation is extremely rare and will most likely not happen this year because everyone seems to agree on the categories (which is why these things are discussed prior).

CB, I'm curious about the submission time frame. How long will we have to submit entries? Will it be like last year? Or will there be category caps, where only a certain number of entries will be accepted per category (first come first served)?

I agree that entrants should have to comply with submission standards when it comes to things like size and it sounds like Zerospace has a great solution for that (the entry being rejected if it's not the right dimensions). That makes things easier for those running the event and for the voters.

[duotrouble]

I just have one piece of advice and then I'll back out of your thread. You can take it or leave it. Just keep it simple and fun.

I joined the 2004 beta awards. While I had fun, there was some contraversy and hurt feelings. The following year some of those feelings bled into discussion threads such as this one. Although I joined in on the fun again that year, I personally didn't have as much fun and have never returned to playing along. (I also never visit sections labeled "beta awards" in people's galleries as I'm more interested in going straight to the series I want to see than anything else.)

Remember, you can't please everyone. Put some hard fast rules down. Be flexible about other rules and listen to comments from everyone. But as with my comment, you don't have to follow their "help". Just keep it simple, fun and light and you might get users like me to play along again in the future. With that being said though, I'm out again this year . . . for now.

[Belldandy16]

thats really good advice, DT!

i hope we all keep it in perspective and have fun!

[cutiebunny]

Leedz, I think CB already said somewhere that a category would be eliminated only if it received less than 3 entries. That kind of situation is extremely rare and will most likely not happen this year because everyone seems to agree on the categories (which is why these things are discussed prior).

Correct. In previous years, a catagory was only eliminated if it received less than three entries. I've only seen it happen once as well.

CB, I'm curious about the submission time frame. How long will we have to submit entries? Will it be like last year? Or will there be category caps, where only a certain number of entries will be accepted per category (first come first served)?

I really liked how you organized it last year, WC, so I'd like to keep it the same way. Ideally, I'm looking at opening the submission process around mid-November. It gives everyone around a month to look at their stuff, analyze it, scan it, etc. I'd like to avoid having anything due the few days before/prior to Thanksgiving due to the amount of US members here. But, as with previous contests, if for some reason a participant can't get their entries in time due to family emergencies, vacation, etc., just drop us a line and we'll try to work with you on it.

I also liked last year that there was no cap on any of the catagories and I'd like to impose that rule again this year. I'd ideally like to post daily nummerical tallies to catagories in the hopes of avoiding a risk of a catagory elimination due to not having enough entries.

Duo, as with everyone else who has posted on this topic, I really appreciate your comments. As I mentioned earlier, for me, the Beta Awards have always been a competition for the members, by the members and hopefully, by asking for everyone's input, I'm doing just that. Yes, I understand that there will always be some members that will take the awards seriously, and be upset if they do not win first prize. I don't think that any award process can ever really prevent that. All I can hope for is that people will enjoy the entry process and voting process, and, seeing some really neat artwork.

[zerospace]

I just wanted to pop back in here again and say this: every year these awards lead to hurt feelings -- it seems to be inevitable. There does have to be some balance though, between doing what the organizer(s) have the ability and time for and meeting the desires of the participants.

So, I'm just going to say this once.... roll with the punches, folks. You may not get what you want 100% of the time, but remember, when you don't get what you want, someone else might be getting what they want. It's give and take. For example: I fully expect to be outnumbered on the CG/cel splitting idea, and that's OK with me. I'll get over it--this IS supposed to be fun after all .

Perhaps we should hand out trophies for sorest losers ... (this IS a joke, everyone... so please, don't flog me!)

On a side note -- I'm working with cutiebunny to make the best site that I can for everyone, and one major thing I'm trying to do is to automate the entry process more than previous years. The technology exists, so its probably about time we use it!

[duotrouble]

Perhaps we should hand out trophies for sorest losers ... (this IS a joke, everyone... so please, don't flog me!)

Awesome!

What I found funny was I never heard of hurt feelings because someone "lost" in a catagory. All the hurt feelings I'm aware of were in the discussion threads leading up to the awards. That's why I tend to shy away from them and rarely post in them. But yours seems to be going fairly well so far so who knows? Maybe . . . just maybe . . . you'll turn me back to the darkside.

[Leedz]

I'm glad to see that the elimination rule is only for less than 3, which at least seems reasonable to me. @_@ I had seen someone mention in the previous thread that it should be for catagories with less than 10, and that's when I started getting uppity.

[cutiebunny]

Perhaps we should hand out trophies for sorest losers ... (this IS a joke, everyone... so please, don't flog me!)

Awesome!

8th place medals!

[beatrush]

Perhaps we should hand out trophies for sorest losers ... (this IS a joke, everyone... so please, don't flog me!)

Awesome!

8th place medals!

Red Participation Ribbons

[cutiebunny]

I'm glad to see that the elimination rule is only for less than 3, which at least seems reasonable to me. @_@ I had seen someone mention in the previous thread that it should be for catagories with less than 10, and that's when I started getting uppity.

Yeah, there was some mention in the earlier thread about eliminating topics that last year did not have many entries. However, as no one as of yet expressed any strong discontentment over the previous catagories, I think that they should stay as is.

Either way, ideally, I'd like to update with a running tally of current submissions and update it as often as possible during the submission timeframe in order to prevent any catagory from not having enough submissions. Though, assuming everyone who voted will end up participating, that's over 30 people...meaning that, the chances of a catagory being eliminated will be slim.

[Cloud]

Do you mean your name is no one as of yet expressed any strong discontentment over the previous catagories he or she think that they should stay as is ?

[moonrabitt]

Separating sketches and cels would just be too much ^^;
There are some sketches that are more GORGEOUS than some of the cels I have seen....
A cel does not just win because it has more color than the sketch, maybe it's because of the scene, or what it stands for....
-----------------------------

What I found funny was I never heard of hurt feelings because someone "lost" in a category.

People come out with hurt feelings?
I mean you can't win every single time. So a tip:
If you lose, don't take it personally....You don't lose because your artwork is any less than another, it's just that people vote on how they feel about it, or if they've seen the anime.....

[cutiebunny]

I figured that I'd ask the question, since I'm wondering as to how I would phrase it for submission and voting purposes.

What exactly will be our voting criteria for layouts? Because, other than the fact that the item is a layout, what exactly will a voter possibly judge on? Execution of art? Colors, if any, used? Emotion? Whichever piece of arse looks the hottest? All of the above?

It may be more feasible to allow layouts in all pertinent catagories. I don't remember seeing any layouts in previous years, but, depending on the layout, it may be more complete than the sketches used for that cut. Without toucing on the paper/plastic arguments, would this ease some of the tension regarding the 'finished' look that cels have but many sketches do not?

And Klet, I apologize if I offended you(or anyone else) with the 'seperate but equal' comment. It was not meant to offend, I was just simply at a loss of words as to how to convey the underlying theme.