I'm not quite sure why, but we seem to get an awful lot of
e-mails from people about how to start/run an anime club at their school. Since we're a small club, our
organization is very...informal, and also, there may be various differences between any two clubs'
circumstances. However, if only so that I do not have to write this again every time I get
another e-mail, here are the meagre pearls of wisdom I have to offer.
Most anime clubs revolve around a showing. You'll need:
--a space and equipment to show
--things to show
Depending on your club, these can range from a classroom with a tv, to an auditorium with a projector. (Other activities like dinners, raffles, trips to movies, trips to bookstores etc, might grow out of members' desires, but... not necessarily. Many people are happy to just watch anime.) Don't charge for attendance unless you want to start getting rights from video companies.
If you do want to do some kind of big, elaborate (charging admission) showing that would require rights, you're going to need to contact the companies *well in advance* (as in months). Most companies have contact info and policies clearly stated on their webpage. You can probably expect a fee, a few rules about what trailers etc must be shown, and the need to badger them a bit to get back to you about permission.
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My 2 main pieces of advice:
1. Use whatever school/administrative help you can
2. Know your membership
1. Use whatever school/administrative help you can
The 1st piece of advice is probably something you've realized on your own, as you've put together (or want to put together) a club recognized by the school, rather than just watching stuff with a group of friends on your own. Realize that forming a school club may also put some restrictions on what you can do (ie no hentai, no banning people from your club just because they have lousy personalities...) Schools can provide rooms, tvs, vcrs etc...maybe even grants or food if you're lucky. Try to get as many benefits from the school as you can, even if they're just tiny perks. The same goes for your larger community; you might be able to get local comic book/anime etc stores to give members of your club a small discount or some other perk.
The Nitty-Gritty
Of course, forming a club also means a lot of other things (meeting people who share your interest, introducing new people to anime etc), but don't forget all the details that any club needs to pay attention to. Figure out some kind of organization, who's in charge of what. There's little glory in this, usually just (semi-thankless) work. Have fun!
Tapes etc and Money
If you want to buy tapes or snacks (or your own tv/vcr/dvd player), you're going to need income. And continuing income if you want to keep up with what's new and popular. We offer people incentives to pay dues (like getting access to the tape library) besides relying on the inherent generosity of any anime fan. Of course, not every club buys and owns tapes, some just use tapes from the members' personal collections. While being cheaper and easier, it does mean that future members won't be able to see a tape if its owner leaves.
Rules
It's a good idea to lay a few ground rules from the start, so that things run smoothly and you don't have to come down hard on people later (ie tell people from the start "no coming in late, no talking during showings, no making fun of the anime we're watching" if you want to have rules like these) If you want to go all-out, make a constitution with clear rules on officer roles, membership, voting etc. As for what types of general rules to have...
2. Know your membership: size, schedule, taste
Size
For example, if you have a really huge club, you can't let people talk, no one will be able to hear. But if only 5 people usually come, it really shouldn't be that big a deal (unless you get someone really annoying...). In general, the more members, the more explicit rules you need to stop people from behaving like idiots. Size will also affect what type of space you'll need for showings.
Schedule
When can people all meet? Conveniently
Taste
Find out what type of things members would like to watch, as well as what would be appropriate. If people want giant robots, don't feed them a steady diet of magical girls (and vice versa) just because you like it and you're in charge so there. If your club is a high-school one, don't show x-rated or otherwise inappropriate anime. However, I'd also say that people are also in the club to expand their horizons, so mix it up a bit; show old classics that newbies might not have seen, brand new series that casual fans might not know about, etc. We usually try to show things that the average fan might have trouble getting on their own. Finally, most anime clubs would rather dissolve than watch dubbed anime, but, again, know your members--or maybe yours are even willing to watch raw (ie unsubtitled) anime as I hear the ancients did in ages past.
For high-school clubs especially: Remember, Japan doesn't have that whole Judeo-Christian background that basically all Western cultures do. You'll find some very different ideas of what's appropriate and inappropriate for kids, and even for teenagers; and you won't necessarily find a reflection of western values either. Even in the most non-offensive anime, there may be elements that would offend certain people's sensibilities. You know what I'm saying; make sure the teachers don't catch you watching something they think will corrupt your little hearts.
As for anime I'd recommend...that's like asking what tv shows I like in the entire history of US tv! There's *tons* of anime out there (and I also tend to have weirdo tastes).
For US commercially released series, many stores on the web offer significant discounts. Look into the possibility of dvds as well, which are often cheaper. For non US commercially released series, many clubs tend to buy fansubs (ie subtitled by fans for fans and not sold for profit) I believe that a club is one of the best venues for a fansub, where it introduces a new series to fans without the possibility of replacing a possible commercial release, but be aware of the hazy legal issues that surround fansubs.
http://www.fansubs.net. Info on fansubs.
http://www.anipike.com. Links to almost every anime page on the web.
Good Luck!
Alice Past HAS President |
