Starting an anime club

Feketelo

Alright, I was talking to a friend of mine and we decided we should start and anime club in our town. I'm just trying to get everything planed out at this point so we can be up and running by the time school starts back up. The club would be made up of mostly high school students, but I doubt we would be able to get the school to back us. Even if we could they would most likely sensor what we could watch. I was wondering what hints or clues anyone had to make starting this go smoother. I also know there will be some legality issues I may run into, any forewarning on that kind of stuff would also be greatly appreciated.

Cremlian

If your under a certain amount of people somewhere between 10 and 15 you tend not to have to worry about legality problems. Otherwise always E-mail the companies about what show you are going to show publicly. Also check with the location you meet at for any additional rules (specifically public buildings).

try looking around for an anime club near you before you start one (why start one if there is one already that you can take over), if not check the local geeky places (namely comic book stores or libraries or any place that might have a room or a area that you can meet in).

if you have specific questions send them to cremlian.wordpress.com. It's a work in progress of my fabled anime club FAQ site, that while doesn't have much on it. Should become more useful as people either submit questions or I write articles as I am inspired to do so.

Feketelo

Thank you, I appreciate your help.

Li_Akahi

I am going to be the vice president of my school's anime club this coming school year, and I need to know these things as well. At Otakon, Rym said that he had practically a book on how to run an anime club. He should be able to help us.

Sail

I have one year of experience being a co-founder under my belt, and I can tell you that the best piece of advice is to, first and foremost, vary what you show. Show a giant robot show next to a shoujo show. Show a shonen back-to-back with an over-the-top comedy. The more you vary, the more audience you will get and keep and the more fun it will be for everybody. The point of an anime club is to watch things you wouldn't normally watch.

Secondly, run it as a hierarchy. Screw democracy when it comes to an anime club. If you have the majority making decisions about what to watch, you will be stuck with the latest fansub of Bleach or Naruto each week.

Lastly, kick anyone out who is disruptive or obnoxious. It's tough to be so harsh, but if you don't, it will only become harder to get rid of them.

Li_Akahi

With the anime club at my school, it has been run in mostly the same way since it's debut four years ago. There is a council who makes the decisions (They are named President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer not because it's a democracy, only because it makes the titles clear as to what they do.) We do run it as a hierarchy.

As to how we run the showings, we have themed months. Each month centers around a separate theme or genre. We do kick people out if they do not change what the problem is, or they are constantly disruptive.

Your Mom

I am going to be the vice president of my school's anime club this coming school year, and I need to know these things as well. At Otakon, Rym said that he had practically a book on how to run an anime club. He should be able to help us.

Actually, Cremlian and Rym both have run the Anime Club Summit panels at multiple Otakons and Katsucons past. I know as I have sat in on the majority of them. Each of these guys was at one time a President of the RIT Anime Club, and Cremlian now runs part of a club that has branches on the Central East Coast. He also has a site, which Rym and Scott have mentioned...but he lacks for a bit of motivation. I'm sure if you ask a bunch of questions on here, he'll be inspired to add a lot of good content to that site.

*winkwinknudgenudge*

Erwin

You should listen to the podcast that Scrym made about this topic.

Li_Akahi

I had forgotten about that episode...

Rym

I had forgotten about that episode...

We've done far fewer anime club shows than Scott remembers. ;^)

GreatTeacherMacRoss

Also remember that there's a difference between an actual club and a bunch of friends getting together to watch some anime.
As for the school, what you'd need to do is find a teacher who is willing to help you out. I know that at every high school I substitute taught at that did have an anime club, there was always at least one teacher who was the club 'sponsor'.

Cremlian

Man another topic I can talk endlessly about.