FAQ
About the Con
What is VidUKon?
VidUKon is a fan-run vidding convention based both physically in Cardiff, UK and virtually here on Conline. It's a weekend for vid watchers and vidders to gather together, in person and online, and watch vids, talk about vids, and have fun.
The physical portion of the con takes place in the Future Inn hotel, Cardiff Bay, where we have two large rooms set aside for watching vids together and other activities.
The online portion of the con is based here on Conline, and also uses a Discord server so that attendees can talk to each other, and video conferencing software for things like panels and workshops.
What is vidding, and what is a vid?
A vid is a fan-made music video that takes visuals from one source and audio from another and puts them together in a new way. You might also see them called fanvids, edits, tributes, fancams, MVs, etc. Vidding is the art of making these videos.
Do I need to have made vids to attend the convention?
Not at all! Most of the programming is accessible to anyone who enjoys watching vids. The most common programme items are vidshows - that is, curated playlists of vids. Depending on the year, there may also be panels or roundtables that explore vids from a viewer's perspective.
The occasional programme item might be more technical and geared to vidders in particular, but non-vidders are welcome to attend and listen in if they're curious, or spend those timeslots relaxing elsewhere.
There are also lots of opportunities to socialise with other fans between programme items.
Be warned though, plenty of people come to the con as non-vidders and come back next year having made their first vid! VidUKon is a great way to learn more about vidding in a low-pressure way, if it's something you think you might be interested to try.
What happens at VidUKon?
A ton of things! The con begins on Friday afternoon. On Friday evening we break the ice with a quiz, followed by a couple of vidshows. For the rest of the weekend, programming is a mix of vidshows, discussion, talks, workshops and social time.
There’s only one stream of programming, so attendees can attend every programme item if they choose to (and if they have the stamina!).
What are vidshows like?
Each vidshow is a playlist (usually about 45-60 minutes long) of vids on a particular theme. If you're in Cardiff, you can watch the vidshow together with the other Cardiff Attendees in the designated space at the hotel (usually a cinema-style set-up with a big projector). All registered attendees (Cardiff or Conline) can also watch each vidshow through Conline by navigating to it via the Schedule.
What vids are shown?
All fannish vids are fair game - in all genres and styles. Which means that some panels and shows may not be suitable for people under 18.
We prefer to have the vidders' permission to show vids, but the transitory nature of the internet means that can be difficult sometimes. If we are contacted by a vidder and asked not to show a vid, we will not show it.
Watching Vidshows Through Conline
How can I watch a vidshow in Conline?
Navigate to the Schedule and find the vidshow you want to see. If the vidshow hasn't started yet, you will see a countdown. Once it reaches zero, the page should reload and the first vid should start playing. If the reload doesn't happen, please reload the page yourself.
If it's an old vidshow (i.e. a vidshow that has already run in the con it belongs to), you can start the vidshow by simply playing the first vid.
I have to start each vid in the show manually. What can I do?
Conline is configured to autoplay vids in a vidshow. This only works, though, if you have allowed autoplay from Conline in your browser. If you're having to start all vids manually, consider checking your browser's autoplay settings. In Firefox, you can find those under "Privacy & Security" > "Permissions" > "Autoplay". In Safari on Mac, look in the main menu under "Settings for this website" while on the VidUKon Conline page. Chrome doesn't offer an option to disable autoplay anymore -- if you're having this issue in Chrome, consider updating your browser.
Vidshows don't fullscreen properly/ my fullscreen disengages whenever a new vid starts. What can I do?
To watch a vidshow in fullscreen, don't use the fullscreen button in the player to set the vid to fullscreen. Instead, use the fullscreen button above the player next to the Day/Night toggle. It will set the show to fullscreen within the constraints of your browser (meaning you'll still see your taskbar and your browser menu bar). You can now set your entire browser to fullscreen by pressing F11 (on Windows) or Fn+F (on newer Macs) or Ctrl + Command + F (on older Macs). Most browsers also allow you to select fullscreen view in the menu, usually under "View".
Can I reload during a vidshow?
You can reload your browser during a vidshow to, for example, catch up with the other viewers if you've fallen behind due to connection issues. The browser will reload on the appropriate vid and the appropriate timecode according to the time zone you've set in Conline. When you're watching a vidshow after the fact (i.e. after it has already run in the con), reloading will reset the show to the start of the vidshow. You can then use the arrow buttons below the player to return to the place in the show where you had to reload.
Registration
What is my display name?
Your display name is the name that you will be known by at the con. You can amend this in your account details after you register if needed, but once that's done you should use the same name in all virtual con spaces, including on Conline and the con Discord server.
I have a question about my registration, who should I contact?
For any question, please email vidukon@gmail.com.
Vid Shows and Uploading Vids
What is a premiere?
A premiere is a vid that hasn't been shown in any previous convention or event and has not been released online prior the con. It will be shown for the first time ever at the Premieres show on Saturday night at the con, and will also be included on the Premieres physical media that some attendees receive after the con. Anyone is welcome to submit a premiere as long as you are registered as either a Conline or a Cardiff attendee. Vids can be any fandom, theme, or style, and there is no minimum level of experience required.
What is Vidder's Choice?
Vidder's Choice is a show where con attendees can choose an existing vid from their back catalogue to be shown. This can be absolutely any vid as long as it won't be showing for the first time at VidUKon. You might want to submit a crowd-pleasing favourite, or highlight a deep cut that you wish got more love!
What is the themed submission vidshow?
The themed submission vidshow is a show with a specific theme that changes each year, for which con attendees can submit a premiere or a vid from their back catalogue. The theme for 2024 has not been decided yet and will be announced in due time.
What is the deadline to submit a vid?
The Premieres deadline for VidUKon 2023 is May 6.
The Vidder's Choice deadline for VidUKon 2023 is April 1.
The themed vidshow deadline (theme TBA) for VidUKon 2024 is May 6.
The deadline for premieres that will be shown in curated vidshows (i.e. not Premieres, Vidders Choice, or the themed vidshow) is also May 6.
Should I inform you about the premiere I'm doing?
No, you don't have to. We might poll about it just to get a rough idea of how many vids we'll have and to check if we can fill them all in, but you don't have to inform us, just submit your vid on time for it to be included in the show.
If I'm submitting a vid, how do I get it to you and what format should it be in?
Video submissions are not open yet. Once they are, you can submit a streaming copy through your Conline Dashboard in the "Submit Vid" tab. You will also have to submit a video file. Where and how to do that will be announced as soon as video submissions open.
Convention
What is your Refund Policy?
We offer full refunds until the close of registration of your tier (please note that some tiers close earlier than others). After that date, all refunds are discretionary. We do not want to be jerks about this, so please do contact us, and we may be able to assist, however, after the close of registration, our financial commitments are firm and we have bills to pay. As a non-profit voluntary association with very little surplus cash, we may not have the luxury of refunding tickets at that late stage.
What is your Accessibility Policy?
Vidukon is committed to making the con environment an accessible and enjoyable place for all attendees. If you have specific access needs that you'd like to discuss with us, please contact us at vidukon@gmail.com, and we'll do our best to help.
For in-person attendees, the con rooms are on the ground floor with step-free access from the lobby, and hotel rooms on higher floors are accessible by lift or by stairs.
The con programme has regular breaks scheduled into the main programming.
We are going to be asking VJs, panelists, and vidders submitting premieres to include content information about their vids. We ask to warn for the following:
Animal Harm; Auditory Triggers; Blackface/Brownface/Redface; Blood/Gore [significant amounts]; Depictions of Colonialism/Imperialism; Depictions of Police; Holocaust and/or Nazi Imagery; Fast cuts (more frequent than about 8 frames); Flashing/Flickering lights; Incest; Queerphobia; Racism; Physical Triggers [in addition to fast cuts or flashing lights], Self-harm; Sexual violence; Suicide; Transphobia.
We ask to warn for depictions of things even if the vid is critical of them, e.g. a vid that is critical of racism and includes depictions of racist violence will be expected to warn for racism.
If any attendee would like further detail about the content of vids being shown at the con (eg you have a specific trigger that is not included in that standardised list), please get in touch with the ConCom and we'll do our best to help. Anonymous queries welcome. The more notice we have the more thorough we can be in getting content information for you, so ideally email us at least a couple of weeks before the con, but if we get less notice than that we'll do our best to accommodate you.
The content information we collate will be available in the Conbook and on the website for ease of reference of attendees.