mneme | Draft Best Dramatic Presentation: Fan proposal

I'm planning on submitting something like the following to the LoneStarCon 3 (the quickly upcoming Worldcon) Business Meeting, as an attempt to create a Hugo that would be a better place for outstanding filk albums and shows, masquerade presentations, fannish videos and amateur movies, etc than where they currently end up being nominated -- Best Related Work or as doomed contenders for Best Dramatic Presentation: Short Form.

So, a few questions:

1. Any suggestions for wording changes?

2. Anyone (who is a Supporting or Attending Member of LoneStarCon 3) interested in co-sponsoring?

3. When I raised the idea earlier this year on the SMOFS lists, one of the cogent requests I didn't have time to look into was for a list of works that would have been valid and worthy contenders for such an award over the last 5 (ish) years. I could probably compose such a list specifically for filk, but given that a filk category failed in the not-too-distant-to-be-remembered past, it's worth having a better populated list if one can.

Short Title: Best Dramatic Presentation (Fan)

Moved, to amend section 3.3 of the WSFS Constitution as follows:

Section 3.3.8: Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form:

Any television program or other production, with a complete running time of 90 minutes or less, in any medium of dramatized science fiction, fantasy or related subjects that has been publicly presented for the first time in its present dramatic form during the previous calendar year, and does not qualify for Best Dramatic Presentation, Fan."

Section 3.3.7: Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form:

Any theatrical feature or other production, with a complete running time of more than 90 minutes, in any medium of dramatized science fiction, fantasy or related subjects that has been publicly presented for the first time in its present dramatic form during the previous calendar year, and does not qualify for Best Dramatic Presentation, Fan.

Add a new section to 3.3 as follows:

Section 3.3.X: Best Dramatic Presentation, Fan: Any single work or collection of dramatic science fiction, fantasy, or related subjects, in any medium (including audio or musical collections), which is either non-commercial or made by fans primarily for other fans, and that has been publicly presented for the first time in its present dramatic form during the previous calendar year.

Provided that unless this amendment is re-ratified by the 2018 Business Meeting, Section 3.3.X and the changes to 3.3.8 and 3.3.9 shall be repealed, and
Provided that the question of re-ratification shall be automatically placed on the agenda of the 2018 Business Meeting with any constitutional amendments awaiting ratification.

Submitted by: Joshua Kronengold, Lisa Padol

Comments: Filk, and more recently, other geeky music, is a a core part of fandom deserving recognition, but has until now been unable to support a Hugo due to only a few standout albums being produced each year. In addition, the adoption of the Best Fancast category has highlighted a significant gap in the Hugos -- we now recognize fan audio-visual efforts (which are easier and easier to produce and make available to a wide audience) that appear in a series -- but we have no way to recognize (except for nominating them to non-fan categories) fan dramatic presentations that are, instead, a single work -- such as masquerade presentations, filk albums, free online videos, fannish theatrical productions, and particularly dramatic bits of the Hugo Award ceremony itself.

Creating this award would also encourage the creators of such things to distribute recordings of their efforts, where possible -- which can only serve to benefit all of fandom.