Vote for the new DVXuser Contest Guidelines

[Dan_Lahav]

Please only vote once for BOTH categories (contest interval and duration). Also, give some feedback on how YOU would like to see the contest run. Thanks,
-Dan

[J.R. Hudson]

I voted for EVERY 2 MONTHS and no more than TEN. Id also like to see some more description in the contest category other than "Summer" or "DOG". More direction as to see what a filmmakers interpretation of a given set of rules are other than "Watch and Dog" must be in it.

[theos]

Short is sweet . . . remeber the slowbies

[ecoloco]

I halfway agree with John in having the contest every two months. Giving more time to people to make a 2 minute film is giving them more time to procastrinate (and I know we all have jobs and families to support).To me it's better to have a deadline and stick to it. A little bit of urgency can help the creative juices flow.
I also think that for this contest, the movies shouldn't be longer than 5 minutes (3 to me is plenty of time).
I do agree with John in being more specific for the themes. Last month's subject was more focused and that gives better direction to make a movie. I think that by giving a Genre and a subject is more than enough info to make a short ( A romantic comedy about a Guy in Death row and the prison's priest would be interesting)
That's all I have to say.

Eco

[Barry_Green]

I vote for the shortest possible length. 3 minutes is an eternity! Especially if, when it comes voting time, you're supposed to watch ALL the entries, ALL the way through... 10 entries at 20 minutes each would mean nobody's gonna watch 'em or they won't cast fair votes or something. Keep it as short as possible, 2 minutes should be plenty, 3 minutes is way long for an internet movie.

As for interval, it seems like every month isn't working out, when we only get 2 or 3 entries for a contest then that's not much of a contest. So every two months?

I don't know that I agree with the idea on restricting the theme: my favorite contest we've had yet was the "a watch and a picture" one. We got the most entries (I think), and the biggest variety of types of entries. I was gonna enter that one but ran out of time to get it shot. I'd like to see more of those kinds of themes... to me those were the most creative.

[Dan_Lahav]

Ecoloco- I'd just like to mention that you will be picking the next theme for the contest since you got screwed with the last one.

[J.R. Hudson]

( A romantic comedy about a Guy in Death row and the prison's priest would be interesting)
Eco

Exactly what I mean! :)

[hemophilia]

3 minutes IS an eternity... I agree with Barry on that one. But maybe "shoot for 3, definitely under 5" is a solid guideline.

I think people have done well with the topics. A little variety never hurt, not just in the topics, but in the types of topics (really specific once, not so much so another time.... a genre one time, a plot device or object or line another).

Leave it open I'd say. Everyone I think is putting thought into the topics; everyone is doing their best to present something interesting an enticing. Have faith in the DVXusers in that regard... I don't think they've disappointed yet.

This of course, all comes from someone that every month says "ooh this sounds like fun I have to do that." (But nothing gets done.)

So ignore everything I say. :P

[watson]

hey my DVX is in the mail and i'm really looking forward to entering the next contest as a way to test out the camera. I hope some new guildlines are set up and a contest gets going so that i give it a try. I think the shorter the better. More then 3 minutes is to long. I think 2 months is good. ALso the better the prizes, the more i think would do it. How about a matte box? haha just kidding. In either case, i'll def enter the next one.

[Barry_S]

So if we end up with a contest every 2 months, that's 6 contests a year. How about three themed and three open--alternating every contest. Also, another vote for very broad themes that allow a wide variety of interpretations.

[J.R. Hudson]

I support that!

[ecoloco]

Thanks Dan. So this means we will have a romantic comedy about our guy and the priest? ;D

[Bischofftep]

I'll second the vote for 2 months: eases the load on the staff here and also lets us (procrastinate) plan more & make arrangements as needed.

As for length? 5 minutes ought to be more than enough to allow for good story development if it's needed. I found 2 minutes to be far too short to really do much (but that may just be my inexperience: YMMV).

Lastly, I'm not sure about how specific/vague to make the topics. Getting too specific will at times immediately disqualify some folks because they don't have access to (say) a jail cell. :) On the other hand, too vague and you find yourself comparing apples & oranges.

Middle ground might be to suggest a genre (Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Drama) and a theme ("For Love of Country," for example, or "Life on Death Row") and leave it at that?

[Neil Rowe]

..i put mine in for 2 months.. and 3 min.

2 months is waaaay more than enough to make a short film.. espescially one thats under 3 min long. people make 10 minute + short films all the time in under 48 hours..

i put in for 3 min cause 3 min is actually pretty long for a smaller contest like this... they dont have to be sundance quality.. its just for fun and to exercise our minds, and be creative while learning and being involved in something. if someone wants to showcase a work thats very deep and expansive, and needs more time, then i dont know why they would constrain themsleves into putting so much effort into the guidlines of a small contest and making a great film for it.. write your own idea and script plot, and send it into sundance or other film festival.. your not going to make your debut through the DVX user contest.. but i can relate.. i dont like to do things without depth..

DVD sales could be non profit or any profit going towards hosting/bandwidth costs. and IMHO the winner of the contest should have the film showcased on this site.. as a part of the articles section, or better yet in a small banner on the site untill the next film winner replaces it.. they should write a directors/DPS editorial sort of thing that takes us behind the scenes, and is interesting to read.. while the placement of the film on the sit will draw new attention to the festival, and hopefully more films will come in next time.

sponsorship would be nice.. anyone donating prizes should have to send them into the proper personnel BEFORE the prize is announced so that it is IN HAND at the time of any prize announcement.. (a while back a memeber here was left empty handed when someone had promised an additional 500.00 to the winner)


Id prefer not to have the genre as a requirment.. its likely to have less entries since people usually only make one sort of genre, and wouldnt be interested if the one required is not their own, but the requirements for the film should be a bit more constrictive than simply including a few objects..
IT would be nice to have a set formulaic method for contiving film topics.. imho usually a topic of action works well.. things like : camping trip- sports game- tv show, music video, dance recital, and the films are about these "open ended" topics.. basically ideas about things that happen or take place.. instead of things that simply are. anyway .. im excited to see the contest go to a ne level.. and not have no entries like this month.. :-/

[Barry_Green]

... and I want to see IAL entering the contest more!

How about DVD profits going in part to making some nice little trophies, some sort of etched crystal thing or something with the DVXUser logo on it... winner gets a trophy for their wall. Or a plaque or something. What does engraving cost? Can't be much, right? Then the winner could legitimately call themselves an "award-winning filmmaker"!

[Neil Rowe]

... i really love the award idea. ..people have recieved awards which they can tout for much less than whats been exemplified here. it would be awsome to be able to try and win an actual trophy that you have forever.. something to show people, and draw inspiration from when your in the middle of that feature, and your actors call in sick, and your lights started on fire in the building you borrowed, and you find out you acidentally shot the first 1/2 of the film in 60i.

[Barry_Green]

http://store1.yimg.com/I/sandcarved_1805_10141487
$24.00, with free engraving...

http://www.sdtrophy.com/acatalog/B_B.gif
$30... with free engraving...

http://www.sdtrophy.com/acatalog/quartz.gif
$84 each...

Actually the price should be up to the contestant, I think, so as not to put the burden on DVXUSER. Lots of contests have a "trophy acceptance" charge... I believe the Telly is that way, for example, where if you win they give you a free certificate and you have the option of paying to get a statue, and the statues are typically $135 or so.

So if you win, you'd have the option of getting a free certificate (which would of course be some inkjet-printed fancy thing, maybe Kai would design for us) or you could pay for a trophy, and Jarred could then send the info to the trophy house and they'd engrave it and send it straight to your house.

[Dan_Lahav]

pretty good deals on this site... Saw some decent ones for around $10-$20 with free engravings

https://www.crownawards.com/

[J.R. Hudson]

Now we're talking. I still wonder if we cant somehow get some SPONSORSHIP :P

[theos]

I love the forst ones . . the flat ones I mean, and sorry guys . . . so were there any august entries?????

[watson]

well i just got my camera in the mail, so lets figure out this contest thing so i can get working on one, even know i got a ton of other projects starting, i was really looking forward to entering a DVXuser.com contets

[CaptainMench]

Ditto Mathew!!!!

Where are the films???

CaptM

[Dan_Lahav]

pretty soon guys. im just waiting until a few more votes come in.

[theos]

so dan re you saying that august comp may become aug/sept comp?

[Michael Summers]

thats stupid, 3 minutes is like, nothing, how can you make a film in 3 minutes? i tried to make a 5 minute film for a local festival and i came up with 15 minutes, a good movie too. i voted for 20 minutes because it was the more possible, and it does say "no more than" so it can be 3-20 minutes.

[CaptainMench]

thats stupid, 3 minutes is like, nothing, how can you make a film in 3 minutes? i tried to make a 5 minute film for a local festival and i came up with 15 minutes, a good movie too. i voted for 20 minutes because it was the more possible, and it does say "no more than" so it can be 3-20 minutes.

Here's how --

"3 minutes, yuk. My 5 minute film turned into 15, plus 20 minutes means you can use all or none of it."

;)

CaptM

PS -- your vote counts the same as mine.

[Bischofftep]

thats stupid, 3 minutes is like, nothing, how can you make a film in 3 minutes?

Interestingly enough, my winning entry "Photocomposition" originally edited down to 5:25ish. I swore up and down that I couldn't cut a thing to get it back to around 3:00, and was gnashing my teeth the whole time I edited it so it'd fit the 3:00 mark.

Now, when I go back and watch both versions, I find the 5:25 version to be too stretched out and poorly paced, while the 3:00 has good motion and pacing.

Go figure. ;D

YMMV of course, but I think a limit like 5 minutes would be more than adequate, keeps more viewers involved (since 5+ mins of good quality video takes time to download!), and lessens the burden on whoever's providing the hard drive space for these bad boys.

Eagerly awaiting the next contest...

[Michael Summers]

Here's how --

"3 minutes, yuk. *My 5 minute film turned into 15, plus 20 minutes means you can use all or none of it."

;)

CaptM

PS -- your vote counts the same as mine.

? i don't.. get it...

[kitsu]

So whats going on? We gonna get a decision soon, and new topic?

BTW, Michael, how'd you like the shirts?

[J.R. Hudson]

Id like to see EVERYONE have to shoot from the SAME EXACT SCRIPT. *I think it woul be fascinating to see EVERY indivual vision on the same thing. *Say for instance, how each person shoots action or how each person visually handles a scene. *A 2 page script can be a 2 to 5 minute movie.

[Dan_Lahav]

Okay people, it looks like the votes are in and the rules have been slightly updated. Films should be no more than 3 minutes long and will be held every two months. The contest will resume shortly

[J.R. Hudson]

Thanks for thinking about though.

[Michael Summers]

i would like to make a special request to change the rules. as i respect everyones vote here, i think the votes were neck and neck for 3-5 minutes. i think even though it lost the popular vote, we should change it to five minutes. so much more can be done with that extra two minutes. you can decide to use all of 5 minutes or none of it.

eh?

[J.R. Hudson]

I agree. There is nothing wrong with a 5 minute short. It DOES NOT HAVE TO BE 5 minutes but lets have the option.

[ecoloco]

I still think that 3 minutes is plenty of time to tell a story, it's up to you Dan, but if we're going to have a 5 minute movie, we should also think about how heavy these files will be. We should have a limit for the weight when you compress and that should also be considered in order for your movie to be elegible. Let's say a maximum ox X ammount of megs, for example.
And we should really stick to these rules, If someone screwed up in a little detail, too bad, you can still screen your movie, but it won't be elegible to win. People tend to not read them. I'm not trying to be a hardass, but we have to be disciplined, even in contests like this.

Ecoloco

[Barry_Green]

I'll go along with whatever the group decides, but I'm 99% certain that after a month or two of voting on 5-minute movies, *everyone* will be clamoring to get the limit cut back to three minutes or less... ;)

[Michael Summers]

i have plenty of server space until next year. plenty as in 23 gigs a month.

[Dan_Lahav]

I'd have to agree with Barry on this one. I think 3 minutes is good for a nice tight short. Besides, 3 minutes is a guideline. If you go under or over by 15-30 seconds or so, i think it'll be alright :)

[Michael Summers]

...darn...

[Dan_Lahav]

Eco, you're up. We're eagerly awaiting the next theme ;D

[ecoloco]

I'll get back to you guys later tonight or tomorrow morning.

[TC]

Damn it, I just took my DVX in for servicing today. They said it could take anywhere from a week to 2 months, depending on what parts they have to order, and if they have to get them from Japan. So I might not be able to do this one. CRUEL FATE!

[Dan_Lahav]

what happened TC ???

[TC]

Broken CCD chip :(

OR possibly just a loose connection. If it's that, then they can sodder it and have it to me by the end of the week. Fingers crossed everybody!

[Dan_Lahav]

:o

*crosses fingers*