SUBMISSION WINDOW IS CLOSEDSubmission Guidelines
How to Submit
Prizes
Important Dates
Judging
Categories
Documentary: Research and produce a documentary on an issue/topic or person of importance to the community in general or sub groups of the community (skaters, Teens, seniors, etc.) The documentary should bring in new information, identify unrecognized problems, identify unique solutions, or offer a unique perspective. If a biography, it should emphasize the central theme of the person's life. Films in this category must be 5 minutes or less.
View the scoring sheet
Commercial/PSA: Create an advertisement for a local business or public service announcement. Videos should be the product of a collaboration between the students and business owner or public service. Ads should be sensitive to the purpose and targeted to specific demographic. Films in this category must be exactly 30 seconds, or exactly 60 seconds.
View the scoring sheet
EECU Commercial: Create an advertisement for Educational Employees Credit Union, our funding partner. Films should be the product of a collaboration between students and the EECU marketing department. Contact Marketing Director Jim Huff by phone (559) 437-7713 or by email JimH[at]myeecu.org. Films in this category must be exactly 30 seconds. Special $250 prize for this category!
View the scoring sheet
Feature Short: Tell an exciting story with appropriate time devoted to the three crucial parts of a short film: setup, conflict and resolution. Films in this category must be 5 minutes or less.
View the scoring sheet
Music Video: In this category entrants will submit a music video based upon an original, student created song or poem. The video will reflect the poem's or song's sensory, affective (emotional) content, and cognitive (meaning) content. Films in this category must be 3 minutes or less.
View the scoring sheet
Animation: All animated films will compete in this category. While their purposes may be different, they will be evaluated upon their technical merit. Films in this category must be 5 minutes or less.
View the scoring sheet
Submission Guidelines
Films must adhere to the following guidelines in order to qualify for consideration:
-Entrants will compete within one of two age groups for most categories--the 13-17 year-old group OR the 18-22 year-old group.
-Films must be no longer than 5 minutes in length, though some categories have specific time lengths.
-Title page and credits should be included in film.
-ALL films which feature human actors must be accompanied with a release form, included in the application packet.
-Production of the film must have started no earlier than one year prior to the submission deadline.
-Films may be on any topic, but must be G or PG rated in language and subject matter or they will be disqualified. (No profanity, displays of criminal activity, sexual innuendo, racial slurs.)
-At the festival director’s discretion, anything deemed inappropriate will not be admitted into the festival.
-Music and/or visuals must be a) original, b) from the public domain, c) used with permission from the copyright owner, royalty free, OR d) used within the parameters of fair use (parody, criticism, etc.). A copy of the written permission must accompany your application packet. Original material will be judged more favorably. For more info on copyright, click here.
-Each person/group may submit a limit of one film per category. A separate application packet must be submitted for each film.
How to Submit
There are two steps to the submission process:
1) Participants must submit an application packet plus a hard copy of their film on a CD or data DVD in .mov, .avi or MP4 formats to any Fresno County Public Library branch labeled:
Fresno County Public Library
Youth Services Department
2420 Mariposa Street
Fresno, California 93721
Attn: Faythe Arredondo
2) Participants must also upload their films to YouTube.com.
Important: You must create an account or sign in. Be sure to tag your video getreel2009 and use the exact title of your film as it appears on your application. Feel free to disable comments, use additional tags, make your film private, or upload multiple films under one username. We are only concerned that we have an embeddable copy of your film. Contact gina.becker [at] fresnolibrary.org with questions.
Prizes
$100 Visa Gift Card: First Place in each age group in each of the following categories: Documentary, Commercial/PSA, Music Video, Animation, Feature Short
$250 Visa Gift Card: Audience Choice Award
$250 Visa Gift Card, Chance for ad to be aired on TV: Best EECU Ad Award
$500 Visa Gift Card: Best of Show
Important Dates
Submission Deadline: Friday, October 16, 2009 5pm
Screening and Award Ceremony: Saturday, December 5, 2009 (time to be determined)
Judging
Judges announced! Judges will use the same judging sheets found in the category descriptions above and these judging sheets will be snail-mailed to the person listed as the main contact on December 7. Entrants will compete within their age group--ages 13-17 OR ages 18-22. If a group of filmmakers is made up of students from both age groups, they will compete in the 18-22 year-old group. The Audience Choice, EECU ad and the Best of Show awards are NOT by age group, so only one of each will be awarded.
*Category descriptions and scoring sheets adapted with permission from the Slick Rock Festival.
