Larry Rutledge
07-29-2009, 12:18 PM
http://www.dvxfest.com/monsterfest/monsterfest1.jpg
DVXuser Announces ...
Monster Fest coming October 31th, 2009
What is Monster Fest?
A monster is any of a large number of creatures which usually appear in legend or horror fiction. The word monster derives from Latin monstrum, meaning "omen", from the root of monere ("to warn").
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster)
The term "Monster" as defined for this fest refers to a being that is a gross exception to the norms of some ecosystem.
This includes the traditional monsters: physically altered creatures (e.g. Godzilla, Mothra, etc), mythical beings (e.g. zombie, werewolf, vampire, etc), and unnatural creations (e.g. blob, smog monster, frankenstein, the fly, etc).
For this fest we are not allowing standard serial killers or mass murderers, but that's not to say a serial killer film wouldn't work. There would need to be some other qualifying factor beyond just "serial killer" or "bad person". Having the monster be a psychosis in the mind of your character is acceptable, but it needs to manifest in some physical, monstrous form to the main character. We need to see the monster, not just experience it through the angst of the main character.
Your "monster" must be a monster because of it's physical makeup not because of a psychological break down.
If you are unsure if your "monster" fits the criteria be sure to submit a query to one of the Mod's early so you can get approval before you complete your film.)
SHOOTING DATES
DVXuser has set July 27th, 2009 - October 30th, 2009 as the designated shooting dates for all Monster Fest films.
Films MUST be made between this time. Deadline for entries is October 30th, 2009 at 11 AM Pacific Daylight Time
ADD'L GUIDELINES, LIMITATIONS, & REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMITTED FILMS
Required Element - There is no required element, however you are required to create and submit a poster.
Poster must be equivalent dimensions to a standard one-sheet (26"x40"). An example, equivalent dimension would be 3.25" x 5" (same dimensions as standard one-sheet, but 8 times smaller). Can also be portrait (26"x40") or landscape (40"x26").
Poster must not exceed 5MB
Each Filmmaker may submit a maximum of TWO (2) films. However, there is no limit to the number of films you may collaborate on, and you are encouraged to do so. Films MUST be separate, and not two halves of a whole film.
Films may be any Genre, provided they meet the required theme.
Your total film, including all opening titles and credits, may not exceed six minutes. PERIOD.
Film Title - you must include the title of your film in your film. This may be in any format and may appear anywhere within the 6 minutes of the film.
Credits - You must include AT LEAST ONE (1) FRAME of credits at the END of your film. A MAXIMUM of FIFTEEN (15) SECONDS of credits will be permitted at the END of your film. This does NOT include any additional credits you place at the beginning of (or elsewhere in) your film.
You will also be required to attach a DVXuser leader to the beginning of your film. The running time of the leader does not count against your six minutes. (Note: If the length of the entry exceeds 6 Minutes plus the length of the leader, it will be disqualified. NO EXCEPTIONS.)
Must be one of the leaders provided here: http://www.dvxfest.com/leaders/
No visual modifications to the leader without the express written permission of the DVXFest moderators
You are free to alter the leader's audio in any way. If audio is provided with the leader you may use it, omit it, or replace it (examples include, but are not limited to: overdubbed narration, V.O., music, etc)
Films may be shot with any camera and may be delivered in any aspect ratio. Depending on the viewing process this time around, if you have an unorthodox aspect ratio (such as "Again to Return" from LossFest), you may be required to submit a letter/pillarboxed version. Please just keep this in the back of your head as we move forward.
Films must be Rated "R" or lower... This is a hard R. If you are unsure, please ask first. Do NOT assume.
Absolutely NO Copyright Violations. Your material must be original, licensed, or royalty free. This includes (but is not limited to) Your script, music, sound effects, etc. DVXuser assumes no liability for copyright violations in your submitted entry.
All Filmmakers agree to grant DVXuser a NON-exclusive license to use your film for promotional purposes, for it to appear on a future DVXFest DVD (should there be one) or at a DVXuser Sanctioned Public Screening. We will make every attempt to contact you first if any of the above situations should apply to your film. If we cannot make contact, or you request us not to, we will not include your film.
You may NOT publicly exhibit any footage from your film entry, or shot for your film entry (this includes outtakes, alternate takes, etc) prior to the conclusion of the festival, or your participation in the festival. At such time you publicly exhibit any footage from your film, this will be seen as a forfeiture of any rights to prizes, awards, or acknowledgments. You will cease to be in competition at this point.
EXCEPTION: If you have submitted your film to a LIVE Film Festival and been accepted (Slamdance for example) and your film will air before the conclusion of our festival, this is an acceptable exception, BUT you must notify us that you are utilizing this exemption. This exception applies ONLY to LIVE festivals. Screening in any other online festival prior to the conclusion of MonsterFest, will render your film invalid for competition in MonsterFest. However, NO films may be publicly exhibited in any form prior to October 30th, 2009.
EXCEPTION: You may post screen grabs from your footage
The Festival is open to every country and every language. However, if your film's dialogue is in a language other than English, you must include English subtitles in your film.
There is NO Entry Fee. As always, our festivals are free and open to the public.
Anonymous entries are permitted with pre-approval from the DVXFest staff.
DVXuser Moderators, and DVXFest staff, are free to enter films, and have them rated by the viewers. However, they will NOT be eligible for prizes.
OUTSIDE PROMOTION
You may promote your individual entry outside of DVXuser for the purposes of drawing attention to the festival and to let people know the work you are involved in.
This is NOT to include any kind of vote begging whatsoever. The purpose is to draw attention to the festival and to your individual entry, not to garner votes.
You must also include a direct link to the Monster Fest forum, not just your own thread.
DVXuser will not tolerate any kind of spammish behavior.
Any outside activities deemed by the festival staff to be considered "spammy" or "vote beggy" may lead to your immediate disqualification from the festival.
Outside promotion is part of the filmmaking process, so we encourage you to take full advantage of it and enjoy spreading the word about your film. Be creative and have fun with it :)
UPLOAD INFORMATION
Upload information will be made available by Monday, October 12th, 2009 and will remain open until the upload deadline passes. Upload as early as possible in order to have time to adjust if you have a rule compliance violation.
CONCERNING TRAILERS/TEASERS
If you wish to make a teaser/trailer for your film, you may BUT... It may NOT contain any live action footage of any kind WHATSOEVER. Whether from your film or not. Absolutely NO live action footage. So, think of it more as a teaser than a trailer.
You MAY make teasers/promotionals promoting DVXFest on the whole, and these may be displayed at anytime. The NO Footage rule, still applies of course. You MAY use footage from previous festivals, but please obtain the filmmaker's permission for any clips you would like to use in this manner.
IF you are not absolutely sure that your teaser would be legal, then you need to ASK FIRST.
VIEWING AND VOTING PERIOD
The films will go live on October 31st, 2009. There will be two rounds of rating, and the rating system will be much the same as it has been for the past several fests... a 10 star rating system. We will have an additional sticky thread that will post as a FAQ/Q&A for the rating period.
The first round of Rating will take place from October 31st, 2009 (at the time the viewing officially opens) until 11 AM Pacific Daylight Time, November 10th, 2009.
Once the first round of rating closes, we will review and verify the results and in the same day announce a to be determined number of films that will be designated "Finalists". The 2nd round of rating will run from November 10th, 2009 until November 20th, 2009.
Anyone who is a registered DVXuser Member will be eligible to rate the films. However, only those persons ratings with 50 posts or more, (or if you are a submitting filmmaker) will determine the Finalists and the Winners of the festival acknowledgments and prizes (if any).
All other ratings will be for the benefit of the filmmakers to receive data on the how good the audience thought their film was, and we will also announce an "Audience Favorite" that will reflect the highest overall rated film, including ALL ratings.
-----
DVXuser reserves the right to make alterations, clarifications, and/or modifications to the rules until August 15th, 2009. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates.
-----
If you have any questions at all please feel free to ask away here in the rules thread, or, if you prefer, PM a moderator. But, let's all try to remain calm and civil as it will help the flow of information and ensure that as many people as possible have the most enjoyable festival experience possible. Please do not assume anything. If you are not absolutely certain, ask us first so we can clarify, and also make any changes necessary to the rules in the even that any confusion is caused by a lack of clarity within them.
Good Luck, and Enjoy MonsterFest!
DVXuser Announces ...
Monster Fest coming October 31th, 2009
What is Monster Fest?
A monster is any of a large number of creatures which usually appear in legend or horror fiction. The word monster derives from Latin monstrum, meaning "omen", from the root of monere ("to warn").
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster)
The term "Monster" as defined for this fest refers to a being that is a gross exception to the norms of some ecosystem.
This includes the traditional monsters: physically altered creatures (e.g. Godzilla, Mothra, etc), mythical beings (e.g. zombie, werewolf, vampire, etc), and unnatural creations (e.g. blob, smog monster, frankenstein, the fly, etc).
For this fest we are not allowing standard serial killers or mass murderers, but that's not to say a serial killer film wouldn't work. There would need to be some other qualifying factor beyond just "serial killer" or "bad person". Having the monster be a psychosis in the mind of your character is acceptable, but it needs to manifest in some physical, monstrous form to the main character. We need to see the monster, not just experience it through the angst of the main character.
Your "monster" must be a monster because of it's physical makeup not because of a psychological break down.
If you are unsure if your "monster" fits the criteria be sure to submit a query to one of the Mod's early so you can get approval before you complete your film.)
SHOOTING DATES
DVXuser has set July 27th, 2009 - October 30th, 2009 as the designated shooting dates for all Monster Fest films.
Films MUST be made between this time. Deadline for entries is October 30th, 2009 at 11 AM Pacific Daylight Time
ADD'L GUIDELINES, LIMITATIONS, & REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMITTED FILMS
Required Element - There is no required element, however you are required to create and submit a poster.
Poster must be equivalent dimensions to a standard one-sheet (26"x40"). An example, equivalent dimension would be 3.25" x 5" (same dimensions as standard one-sheet, but 8 times smaller). Can also be portrait (26"x40") or landscape (40"x26").
Poster must not exceed 5MB
Each Filmmaker may submit a maximum of TWO (2) films. However, there is no limit to the number of films you may collaborate on, and you are encouraged to do so. Films MUST be separate, and not two halves of a whole film.
Films may be any Genre, provided they meet the required theme.
Your total film, including all opening titles and credits, may not exceed six minutes. PERIOD.
Film Title - you must include the title of your film in your film. This may be in any format and may appear anywhere within the 6 minutes of the film.
Credits - You must include AT LEAST ONE (1) FRAME of credits at the END of your film. A MAXIMUM of FIFTEEN (15) SECONDS of credits will be permitted at the END of your film. This does NOT include any additional credits you place at the beginning of (or elsewhere in) your film.
You will also be required to attach a DVXuser leader to the beginning of your film. The running time of the leader does not count against your six minutes. (Note: If the length of the entry exceeds 6 Minutes plus the length of the leader, it will be disqualified. NO EXCEPTIONS.)
Must be one of the leaders provided here: http://www.dvxfest.com/leaders/
No visual modifications to the leader without the express written permission of the DVXFest moderators
You are free to alter the leader's audio in any way. If audio is provided with the leader you may use it, omit it, or replace it (examples include, but are not limited to: overdubbed narration, V.O., music, etc)
Films may be shot with any camera and may be delivered in any aspect ratio. Depending on the viewing process this time around, if you have an unorthodox aspect ratio (such as "Again to Return" from LossFest), you may be required to submit a letter/pillarboxed version. Please just keep this in the back of your head as we move forward.
Films must be Rated "R" or lower... This is a hard R. If you are unsure, please ask first. Do NOT assume.
Absolutely NO Copyright Violations. Your material must be original, licensed, or royalty free. This includes (but is not limited to) Your script, music, sound effects, etc. DVXuser assumes no liability for copyright violations in your submitted entry.
All Filmmakers agree to grant DVXuser a NON-exclusive license to use your film for promotional purposes, for it to appear on a future DVXFest DVD (should there be one) or at a DVXuser Sanctioned Public Screening. We will make every attempt to contact you first if any of the above situations should apply to your film. If we cannot make contact, or you request us not to, we will not include your film.
You may NOT publicly exhibit any footage from your film entry, or shot for your film entry (this includes outtakes, alternate takes, etc) prior to the conclusion of the festival, or your participation in the festival. At such time you publicly exhibit any footage from your film, this will be seen as a forfeiture of any rights to prizes, awards, or acknowledgments. You will cease to be in competition at this point.
EXCEPTION: If you have submitted your film to a LIVE Film Festival and been accepted (Slamdance for example) and your film will air before the conclusion of our festival, this is an acceptable exception, BUT you must notify us that you are utilizing this exemption. This exception applies ONLY to LIVE festivals. Screening in any other online festival prior to the conclusion of MonsterFest, will render your film invalid for competition in MonsterFest. However, NO films may be publicly exhibited in any form prior to October 30th, 2009.
EXCEPTION: You may post screen grabs from your footage
The Festival is open to every country and every language. However, if your film's dialogue is in a language other than English, you must include English subtitles in your film.
There is NO Entry Fee. As always, our festivals are free and open to the public.
Anonymous entries are permitted with pre-approval from the DVXFest staff.
DVXuser Moderators, and DVXFest staff, are free to enter films, and have them rated by the viewers. However, they will NOT be eligible for prizes.
OUTSIDE PROMOTION
You may promote your individual entry outside of DVXuser for the purposes of drawing attention to the festival and to let people know the work you are involved in.
This is NOT to include any kind of vote begging whatsoever. The purpose is to draw attention to the festival and to your individual entry, not to garner votes.
You must also include a direct link to the Monster Fest forum, not just your own thread.
DVXuser will not tolerate any kind of spammish behavior.
Any outside activities deemed by the festival staff to be considered "spammy" or "vote beggy" may lead to your immediate disqualification from the festival.
Outside promotion is part of the filmmaking process, so we encourage you to take full advantage of it and enjoy spreading the word about your film. Be creative and have fun with it :)
UPLOAD INFORMATION
Upload information will be made available by Monday, October 12th, 2009 and will remain open until the upload deadline passes. Upload as early as possible in order to have time to adjust if you have a rule compliance violation.
CONCERNING TRAILERS/TEASERS
If you wish to make a teaser/trailer for your film, you may BUT... It may NOT contain any live action footage of any kind WHATSOEVER. Whether from your film or not. Absolutely NO live action footage. So, think of it more as a teaser than a trailer.
You MAY make teasers/promotionals promoting DVXFest on the whole, and these may be displayed at anytime. The NO Footage rule, still applies of course. You MAY use footage from previous festivals, but please obtain the filmmaker's permission for any clips you would like to use in this manner.
IF you are not absolutely sure that your teaser would be legal, then you need to ASK FIRST.
VIEWING AND VOTING PERIOD
The films will go live on October 31st, 2009. There will be two rounds of rating, and the rating system will be much the same as it has been for the past several fests... a 10 star rating system. We will have an additional sticky thread that will post as a FAQ/Q&A for the rating period.
The first round of Rating will take place from October 31st, 2009 (at the time the viewing officially opens) until 11 AM Pacific Daylight Time, November 10th, 2009.
Once the first round of rating closes, we will review and verify the results and in the same day announce a to be determined number of films that will be designated "Finalists". The 2nd round of rating will run from November 10th, 2009 until November 20th, 2009.
Anyone who is a registered DVXuser Member will be eligible to rate the films. However, only those persons ratings with 50 posts or more, (or if you are a submitting filmmaker) will determine the Finalists and the Winners of the festival acknowledgments and prizes (if any).
All other ratings will be for the benefit of the filmmakers to receive data on the how good the audience thought their film was, and we will also announce an "Audience Favorite" that will reflect the highest overall rated film, including ALL ratings.
-----
DVXuser reserves the right to make alterations, clarifications, and/or modifications to the rules until August 15th, 2009. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates.
-----
If you have any questions at all please feel free to ask away here in the rules thread, or, if you prefer, PM a moderator. But, let's all try to remain calm and civil as it will help the flow of information and ensure that as many people as possible have the most enjoyable festival experience possible. Please do not assume anything. If you are not absolutely certain, ask us first so we can clarify, and also make any changes necessary to the rules in the even that any confusion is caused by a lack of clarity within them.
Good Luck, and Enjoy MonsterFest!