AMVs are short, artistic, fan-made videos that involve the combination of an audio track with video footage from Japanese animation. These AMVs can vary from being emotional, heart-racing, humourous or fun! The SMASH! AMV Competition involves individuals from around the world, competing against each other to win the top prize, as well as showcasing a variety of AMVs to other AMV enthusiasts!

When you submit your AMV, you will be up against other competitors where we will judge your AMV based on the concept, creativity, originality, and technical ability. We will then choose our finalists, which will be screened and announced at the SMASH! Convention.

The categories we have this year that you can win in include:

• Action – From gunfights to battles on the basketball court, from warriors clashing with each other to high-paced races of any kind, AMVs such as these are surely to make the viewer go on an adrenaline rush or be part of the action!
• Comedy/Parody – Fights and swipes in action may break our bones, but turning them into jokes and gags can make the audience laugh! Use your skills to make the funniest AMV out there that is guaranteed to make people laugh!
• Drama/Romance/Serious – Sometimes, we have to show the serious side of things and there are many animes out there that makes us think, appreciate or question about life, as well as getting in the moment when we see a couple in a series confess to each other. The best AMV is the one that creatively makes us, but pulls us in emotionally (to the point where we may get caught up in the moment).
• Dance/Upbeat/Fun – Love the idols? Or love mixing music and using to make an epic Dance AMV? How about showing about the great things in life in an upbeat way? Or how about just showing how to have fun? This is your ideal category where you can use your skills to make the viewer feel like having a great time and be a part of the upbeat mood.
• Horror/Psychological/Thriller – Do what it takes to make an AMV that can either scare the viewer, show the scary side of life, or show how really strange and intense the mind is, whether it is in the anime, or you deliver the psychological treatment to the viewer. Make that AMV to the point it thrills people and chills people!

Special Awards

Additionally you can also have the chance to win our Special Awards:

• People’s Choice Award – This award will be voted for online on a predetermined date. You got the touch, you got the power (so you can vote your favourite AMV), yeah?
• Judges’ Choice Award – The people have the say, but the judges’ also have their personal say too. This is given to the AMV that the judges like without being bounded by the judging criteria.
• True Blue Award – Award given to the best AMV made by an Aussie editor. This comp be like when a dropbear and a roo met at Maccas and started a fight. So don’t chuck any sickies and be a hard yakka and win to be a fully sick… um… editor… yeah nah? Nah yeah?
• Best Technical Award – Given to the AMV that has shown outstanding technical editing using a variety of effects while keeping a ‘flow’ in the AMV.

AMV Showcase!

Along with your favourite AMV Competition, we’re going to premiere a new feature this year – the SMASH! AMV Showcase! The AMV Showcase is strictly not competitive (that is, if you submit your AMV to the showcase, it will be not eligible to compete for any of the AMV Competition awards). Not a competitive type? First AMV? But proud of your awesome AMV and want to show it off? Then this might be for you!

By introducing the showcase, we want to allow individuals to submit AMVs that they are proud of and willing to give exposure to, without feeling the pressure of the competition. If you choose to submit your AMV to the showcase, we will go through a small selection process. And if your AMV made the cut, we will then screen your AMV(s) at our AMV Showcase screenings, where hundreds of AMV fans will get the chance to see your amazing work!  Please read and follow the rules and guidelines below for more information!

So, if you think you have what it takes to enter this year’s Competition, or show off your work in the Showcase then why wait?