Larry Rutledge
Fest Master
It's not requirements, it's a guideline. We're not trying to burden you down with a bucket load of tasks.
This is something, that if you intend to develop a solid entry, you should already be doing anyway. All we're asking is that you present it to us before you submit your entry so we can ensure the final story meets the theme.
Remember, we have always done this anyway, just in the past we did it after you submitted your film. We watched your entry, tried to extract the theme from your story and then ensure it fit the theme of the fest. If it did, it went through, if it did not, it did not go through.
We're not looking for over the top, crazy creative ways for you to present this to us. We simply want you to be able to explain your story in a clear and concise manner. Again, this is something you should do anyway before you start working on your script, let alone the remainder of the production.
If you can't explain the heart of your story, what its theme is, what the main character wants, who/what is trying to stop him/her, and what happens if they fail then you will not be able to write your script, not be able to explain the story to potential investors, crew, cast and will have a difficult time promoting the story.
We're not saying people weren't doing this before, we just made it a part of the process to help people really think about what story they want to tell.
We have never been about disqualifying entries, in fact quite the contrary. I can count on one hand the number of disqualifications we've enacted and it was always for clear rule violations, not some esoteric reason or because the "mod's" didn't like the entry.
We, the mods, spend countless hours trying to make sure that every thing we do in these fests is for your benefit. We don't just throw out ideas and see what sticks, we discuss and debate every decision until we are sure it is the right decision. And that does not mean we do not evaluate it's success, or lack of success, once implemented. We do evaluate it and make adjustments; or, where necessary, remove it.
This is something, that if you intend to develop a solid entry, you should already be doing anyway. All we're asking is that you present it to us before you submit your entry so we can ensure the final story meets the theme.
Remember, we have always done this anyway, just in the past we did it after you submitted your film. We watched your entry, tried to extract the theme from your story and then ensure it fit the theme of the fest. If it did, it went through, if it did not, it did not go through.
We're not looking for over the top, crazy creative ways for you to present this to us. We simply want you to be able to explain your story in a clear and concise manner. Again, this is something you should do anyway before you start working on your script, let alone the remainder of the production.
If you can't explain the heart of your story, what its theme is, what the main character wants, who/what is trying to stop him/her, and what happens if they fail then you will not be able to write your script, not be able to explain the story to potential investors, crew, cast and will have a difficult time promoting the story.
We're not saying people weren't doing this before, we just made it a part of the process to help people really think about what story they want to tell.
We have never been about disqualifying entries, in fact quite the contrary. I can count on one hand the number of disqualifications we've enacted and it was always for clear rule violations, not some esoteric reason or because the "mod's" didn't like the entry.
We, the mods, spend countless hours trying to make sure that every thing we do in these fests is for your benefit. We don't just throw out ideas and see what sticks, we discuss and debate every decision until we are sure it is the right decision. And that does not mean we do not evaluate it's success, or lack of success, once implemented. We do evaluate it and make adjustments; or, where necessary, remove it.
thats my 5 pence 
