Deadline: All entries and completed Entry Forms must be submitted to the official collection point on the second floor lobby of Chafee on April 7th and 8th. Entries will be accepted on April 7th, 12 noon to 4 p.m., and April 8th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SUBMISSION FORMAT—All Film and Video entries for Visualizations 2009 may originate in any visual motion media format from Standard or Digital Video and/or computer-based media, but all entries must be submitted on 2 DVDs. Each DVD must be individually labeled with information including name of applicant, category, title, running time and copy number.
Entries for the Critical Essay and Film Treatment categories must be in printed form and must meet the specific guidelines for their chosen category.
Each entry in all categories must be accompanied by a properly completed and signed entry form or it will not be accepted. Detailed criteria for each category are listed below and all entries should conform to the following category-specific guidelines.
Please do not submit the original/master copies of your work, as entries will not be returned.
ANIMATION—Films or videos entered in this category must use some form of animation as an integral part of the work. The entire entry need not be animated, but the animation should be a main feature of the work as it will be judged on the basis of the animated sequences. All types and genres of animation are acceptable, including—but not limited to—stop motion, cell, multi-plane, illustrations, live action, and computer generated. The film must be written, animated/shot, directed, edited and produced by the student(s) listed on the entry form. Entries will be judged on creativity, filming, editing, appropriateness of animation style and overall integrity.
Entries may not exceed 10 minutes excluding titles and credits.
EXPERIMENTAL—This category is for films and videos created as fine art, formal experimentation, or for personal expression. Experimental film often expands or critiques the medium, its forms, approaches, techniques and content. The student(s) listed on the entry form must be the creative force behind the work (writing, cinematography, editing, or directing). Entries will be judged on creativity, use of medium, editing, exploration of central idea/theme and artistic integrity.
Entries may not exceed 15 minutes excluding titles and credits.
DOCUMENTARY—Films or videos entered in this category should effectively chronicle an event(s), person(s) or process in an objective and factual/non-fictional manner. The documentary should have a well developed theme and structure, appropriate lighting and camera work, editing suitable for the subject matter and a clear sound track. Any use of archival or non-original footage, materials, or sound must be properly noted in the entry’s end credits and must have been legally obtained and utilized with the appropriate release/permission for said material. At least 50% of all footage utilized must be original material shot by the student(s) listed on the entry form. The documentary must be written, edited, directed and produced by the student(s) listed on the entry form. Entries will be judged on creativity, cinematography, editing, development of central theme and overall integrity.
Entries may not exceed 15 minutes excluding titles and credits.
NARRATIVE / OPEN—Entries to this category may be either narrative/fictional films or open format pieces, i.e., entries that do not easily fit into any other listed category - for example, a film that mixes mediums such as live action and animation or documentary and experimental computer-generated imagery. The film must be written, shot, edited, directed and produced by the student(s) listed on the entry form. Entries to this category will be judged on the following three criteria equally weighted: Conceptual Originality - (clarity and innovation in expressing the central original concept and/or theme); Coherent Development - (intelligible and appropriate structuring, creative editing which serves the concept and/or theme, effective dramatic development of main concept and/or theme); Technical Ability - (skillful use of cinematography, editing and sound).
Entries may not exceed 15 minutes excluding titles and credits.
NEWS SEGMENT—Entries for this category should reflect the highest levels of broadcast journalism and be: 1 - objective, 2 - properly attributed, 3 – balanced, 4 - well written, 5 – interesting, and 6 – newsworthy. News stories should be shot and edited well with attention to sound quality and visual integrity. Entries should include complete scripts (anchor lead, reporter tracks and transcriptions of all sound bites). The news segment must be written, shot, edited and produced by the student(s) listed on the entry form. Entries will be judged on journalistic ability, videography, editing and appropriate use of visual elements to tell the story.
Entries may not exceed five minutes excluding titles and credits.
COMMERCIAL / PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT—Entries to this category should promote a specific product, organization or corporate image, or provide a useful public service announcement. The product, organization or corporation need not be known or real, but may be a fictional construct. PSAs should be concerned with a real public service issue or an issue for which no PSAs are currently produced. Commercials/PSAs should be creative and reflect innovative strategies of good copy, sound, and visual utilization. Entries should be effectively shot and well edited with quality sound mixing. The Commercial/PSA must be written, shot, edited, directed and produced by the student(s) listed on the entry form. Entries will be judged on creativity, filming, editing and effective use of visual and audio elements to promote the product, organization, corporate image, or public service issue.
Entries may not exceed one minute excluding titles and credits.
CRITICAL ESSAY—Entries to this category must be in essay form and may cover any aspect of film or television criticism (history, style, comparative analysis, genres, theory, etc). The essay may be scholarly or personal in style, but it must be an original work of non-fiction prose, and it must be addressed to a general reader. All quotations, sources, works cited and the bibliography must be properly documented and listed using the MLA standard or another academically accepted citation format where applicable. All essay submissions must meet the following technical requirements:
The essay must be typed and double-spaced with standard margins;
The essay should be from 5 to 20 typed pages, but preferably not more than 7500 words of main text;
The author's name(s) should not appear on any page of the work other than the entry form;
All pages should be numbered, including all works cited and bibliography pages;
The essay must have a suitable title that appears on the first page of the essay and on the entry form;
If the essay was written for a course, you must identify the course number/title, the faculty member for the course, and the year/semester you took the class. This information should appear on the entry form;
Collaborative essays will be accepted, provided that there are no more than 3 authors and all are properly identified on the entry form;
Entrants must submit four (4) printed copies of the essay. No email submissions will be accepted. A completed entry form must be attached to each of the 4 copies of the entry;
Your signature(s) on the entry form constitutes an honor pledge that the essay is your original work.
Evaluation Criteria: Judges will look for lucid, critical arguments supported by compelling evidence, honesty of expression, a good command of the English language, a solid understanding of the cinematic themes and/or concepts being critiqued, originality of ideas, and freshness in the articulation of those ideas.
FILM TREATMENT—Entries to this category must consist of an original written film treatment for your film project idea. This is a treatment of your original feature-length film concept and/or screenplay, not the screenplay itself. The treatment should provide a brief, but compelling summary of your idea for a film. This is your pitch, which you could give to a studio, producer, investor, etc. It is important to be as specific as possible. Clearly describe the film you would want to make using the following format:
Page 1
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Evaluation Criteria: Judging will be based on creativity, originality, and the compelling nature of your Logline, Purpose, and Plot Description. You should pay close attention to the assigned lengths of each. Be concise, yet complete.