1) In your own words, what is "Abridging" and what does it entail?
-Abridging in the literal sense means "shortening without losing meaningful content." However, abridged series' vary from this traditional meaning because they have a more comedic focus. Therefore, an abridged series is currently understood to be a condensed story (usually of an anime) that loosely follows basic plot points, while parodying the characters and universe in which the story takes place.
2) What are some "essential" aspects of the abridging genre? What makes an "Abridged Series" a true "Abridged Series"? What do you look for and enjoy when making/watching episodes?
-Although I cannot speak to the process of making an abridged series, I do enjoy watching several. First, I really enjoy it when abridgers take the basic characters in a story and alter them just a fraction, keeping their key characteristics but amplifying them or tweaking them slightly to create a unique, cohesive personality of its own. I also enjoy it when abridgers mercilessly mock any flaws in the original story. I watch abridged series' of stories that I already love, so chances are I have already spotted those plot holes or weak spots, and having my opinion verified and corroborated is a good feeling as a viewer.
3) Do you think "Abridging" is, in fact, a new genre? If so, what separates it from other genres? If it is not, why?
-I do believe that abridging is a new genre. Although related to the parody, it is not quite the same, because it has the added qualifier of being chronological in nature. Also, because most abridged videos are made as a series, it is different from a one-shot comedy piece.
4) How do you feel about the copyright "issues" associated with abridging? Do they have legitimacy? Should someone be allowed to use another's material without their permission and in ways never intended?
-I honestly do not think that the copyright issues have much ground to stand on. Parody and comic mocking have always been an allowed genre of expression, most copyright holders glad to get any free advertisement for their product. As long as the abridger properly sites the owners and creators of the material, they should be free to riff on it and deal with that material creatively in their own way.
5) What about merchandising? Should an abridged series maker be able to make money off of products that bear the likeness of characters they do not own?
-I think that merchandise that is based on the creative additions of an abridger is fine to sell. However, they should not be selling things that have no alterations from the original work (such as just a picture of a character). Websites like Qwertee, BustedTees, and Threadless all sell designs that have copyright characters on them as long as they are altered in some way (for example, drawn by a different artist, mish-mashed with other characters, etc.)
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