Official Rules

Rick Rock said:
Don't forget that this includes those of us using 24P cameras of a different brand.
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Yes, although I first came to this site because I had just purchased a DVX100, I've now come to think of this site as more the, "24p budget filmmakers'" site. Although the site has generally been DVX/HVX-centric, Jarred and Barry have always been welcoming of users of all cameras.
 
If this is open to all cameras, I don't see why they would limit it to 1/3 chip cameras. I think it's great that it's open to, and encourages, all cameras. Finally that high schooler who may have an INCREDIBLE story idea & edgy editing, may be encouraged to enter (hopefully the do age appropriate casting!). And the bar may be blown out of the water by some guy who's got access to a Cine alta camera, etc.

Bottom line, however, if the images are mind blowingly gorgeous, but the story doesn't make sense, or the performances can't hold up, etc. ... it won't matter. At the end of the day, the peers seem to put the most judgement where it's best suited; on what makes a film a great film, which usually boils down to story as the primary, and then everything else from there follows & has impact (how it's written, the direction, the talent, the editing, the camera, the lighting, etc.).

It's also a smart move on their part to open this up to all cameras, as it'll help to expand the entries from what would otherwise be 'possibly' the smallest fest yet, as I think the 'spy' genre, as most folks see it, would have the least attraction to the main DVX/HVX crowd. This will help to even out the numbers, or lift the numbers to higher than what they may have been.

I'm also excited to see some new blood in the fest! :thumbsup:

Lastly, since there will now be a screening process, of sorts, I wonder if this fest would meet what IMDB is looking for with regards to getting something on their board?
 
I was also wondering about the screening process. since this is open to all cameras, will "joke" entries not be shown, because who knows who will find out about the competition and people might want to goof off. hehe.
 
Envision said:
If this is open to all cameras, I don't see why they would limit it to 1/3 chip cameras. I think it's great that it's open to, and encourages, all cameras. Finally that high schooler who may have an INCREDIBLE story idea & edgy editing, may be encouraged to enter (hopefully the do age appropriate casting!).
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Thank you.
 
Envision said:
If this is open to all cameras, I don't see why they would limit it to 1/3 chip cameras. I think it's great that it's open to, and encourages, all cameras.
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Obviously, I couldn't agree more! More to the point, it really shouldn't matter what you shoot with, since by the time we see the compressed file, you can't really tell a whole lot about the camera's quality anyway!
 
Elton said:
Agreed. Lots of people who don't own a Panasonic cam come here for the community and the emphasis on filmmaking . . . I love the inclusiveness. It's a great move.
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I agree. This is still my favorite "filmmaking" site because of the high traffic, frequent posting activity, and great sense of community. Sure, it's officially DVX/HVX-centric, but as many of you already know, DVXUSER is much, much more than that. It's just a great place to hang out and talk about filmmaking!
 
For those who like to question everything, and generally cause confusion, we do our best to make the contest rules as clear as possible.

So, as said in the official post: SpyFest is open to ALL cameras. Period. No '1/3" only' requirement, no '3ccd only', no '24p only', no ifs ands or buts.

We really can't say it any clearer: You can shoot SpyFest with any camera.


Our contests purposly have very few, very clear, rules. We state them simply at face value and we mean it. Any camera means any camera. No Copyright infringrment is preaty clear. As is the name requirement. Don't think you can substitue a banana for Rob. It's prety clear.


More details, including a brand new site for running the fest, will be annouced as we progress.

If anyone has any questions that have not been covered, please ASK us and we'll answer best we can.

- Mikko
 
Wow, first chance I've had time this weekend to check the site and immediately I see the Spyfest launch. Awesome!
 
Geoff_R said:
Wow, first chance I've had time this weekend to check the site and immediately I see the Spyfest launch. Awesome!
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Are you in Geoff? I'm really looking forward to your entry if you are!
 
Rezfactor said:
Are you in Geoff? I'm really looking forward to your entry if you are!
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I really want to...but I have to finish shooting another film first, it's not a spy film, more of a dark, violent crime story, about 10-15 mins. If I can wrap production on that film by the end of March, I'll try and get a story together for Spyfest.
 
Nah, don't stress yourself, Geoff, you should just sit this one out & be a spectator. :evil: Really, you've already proven yourself & deserve the break! :grin:

Actually, if you DO enter, yours would be one of the first, if not THE first, that I'd want to watch. And, if you could kill two birds with one stone, maybe there's a story within a story of that larger project, and you could shoot an alternate scene to suddenly make it a spyfilm worthy of a six minute or less cut?
 
From Cafe ala DVX:
Barry_Green said:
Barry_S and Jarred are the ones who ultimately set the rules as to what qualifies. It is my understanding currently that as long as the film somehow involves some covert information gathering, you're good. It could be a dead-serious documentary on phone wiretapping. It could be a slapstick comedy. It could be a teenage see-if-she-likes-me-could-you-ask-her-no-you-ask-her type of cutesy romance thing. It could be an extramarital affair drama. It could be a corporate training film on the proper use of "secret shopper" techniques.

It does *not* have to involve governments or politics. Or guns. Or anyone saying "shaken, not stirred."

Just make sure that someone is gathering information on someone else without that someone else knowing it.
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Jack_Daniel_Stanley said:
assasin could be considered spy if stalking and surveilance is involved

It must be Spy-ish.

It need not be someone infiltrating an enemy organization under false pretenses and gaining their confidence - being a spy.

It muts have spy-ing.

Seems like almost any espionage would qualify.

As always they are not looking for some slavish adherence to a genre.

Merely a unifying theme and label to put on the Fest and DVD which would in someway describe the showcased films.
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From this thread:

deedive said:
i am also concerned about the strictness of the james bond thing?:(
this is scaring me...
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So is spy theme is expandable beyond a James Bond-type style? I agree that it would get pretty repetitive otherwise.

But if films like documentaries, comedies, etc. are allowed, even if they have a "spy" or covert information gathering theme to it, they're still not "spy genre" films, they're docs and comedies, right?

Hopefully we can get some clarification here...it would really be helpful.
 
Jarred Land said:
dont worry BarryS will address the requirements.
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I'd just wait for Barry_S to come 'round to address the details on cameras, qualifications, etc.
 
Spy is simply a sub-genre, like love story, construction workers, etc. Meaning, the block genres are things like Comedy, Drama, Action, Suspense/Thriller, Horror, Romance, etc. .... then the film would be further defined by the sub-genre, in this case Spy.

At least that's how I see it.

And since Jarred is looking to sell these DVD's (ideally), I'm not sure how viable a DVD would be with nothing but Bond styled shorts .... but a WIDE variety of shorts, all under the same theme, may have more appeal, IMO. So I think he was just trying to give an idea/interpretation vs. a hard direction of 'Bond'.
 
Envision said:
Actually, if you DO enter, yours would be one of the first, if not THE first, that I'd want to watch. And, if you could kill two birds with one stone, maybe there's a story within a story of that larger project, and you could shoot an alternate scene to suddenly make it a spyfilm worthy of a six minute or less cut?
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Thanks Norm! I actually came up with a story last week that I'd want to do for spyfest. I haven't written anything yet, it's just a yellow post-it with a few lines but I really like the idea. Even if I can't make the spyfest deadline, I'll still end up making this film someday.
 
Would a theme of stalking/"peeping" be considered spying? The story that I'm working out in my head is less of a covert type spying, and more of a stalker theme.

Would that be eligible?
 
Stalking not so much, but 'peeping' probably would. I guess it depends on how they're stalking the subject, really. I tend to think of the definition of spying as watching something without others knowing about it.
 
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