The DV Challenge Rules... in case you forgot. ;)
 

The maximum duration of your film is three minutes, however we allow you some additional time in case you need to run a little over, or have longer credits or titles. How much extra time? We won't say, but don't push your luck much past 20-30 seconds. There is no penalty for films shorter than 3 minutes, so you can enter with a 40 second film if you like.

You are entirely responsible for putting your film up on the web. We cannot help you with this, but we will provide some info to help you. If your film is not available for us to see at the scheduled time, it is not our responsibility and you are out of judging. You may not show your film publicly before we post it on our website.

Your movie must be able to be viewed by all judges. We suggest you use Quicktime, but be aware that not all judges may have the latest version, so cutting edge is not always best. See this thread for rendering tips.

When the theme is announced on a Thursday morning, the deadline is 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time, the following Sunday (10 days later) night. Sometimes we go to bed early, which makes us slightly flexible on the deadline but if it isn’t there when we check email Monday morning, you are definitely out.

You must begin your film with a title. Please, do not make the title the same or similar to the theme. If the theme is “cats”, don’t call your movie “Cats”, “The Cats”, or “A Cat”. Films titles “untitled” will be frowned upon. Very descriptive titles are good as it helps your film stick out in the judges minds when trying to remember which film is which.

You must have credits at the end. These do not count in your time limit, but be conservative with them, please.

YOUR FILM MUST BE ALL NEW MATERIAL.

Photo montages and animation are not acceptable as a film. It must be live video. 50% of your score will be on the use of the theme. If you cheat and shoot ahead of time, and ditch the theme, you will lose.

All levels of competition are welcome, from high school to Hollywood. We don’t care what you shoot your movie on.

You retain 100% ownership of your film, and are 100% responsible for its content.

If you plan on using copyright music or material, be prepared to provide proof that you have the rights to use it. If you cannot provide proof, we will either disqualify you, or judge your film with the volume turned off depending on how the music is used.

so I cant use any footage shot before thursday? even if it were my footage and I used it sparingly?

Dylan,

You initial post of the theme said that we can use old footage. I'm guessing because of the theme?!?!?!?!

See rule #3 from your post. Is this changed?


A few things will change on this challenge, one time only!
1) You can join in even AFTER the theme has been posted!
2) The time limit will be more flexible.
3) The rules on using previously shot footage will be waived!
4) Possibly one other one will be changed, but I'm not telling which.


Mike

Dylan,

I know photo montages count as video, but is it acceptable to have a photo in your movie. Kind of goes with Memories theme. I do have one photo that I would like to use.

Mike

I'm also hoping that the time limit is a little more flexible as well.
As per the change listed under 2)

I'll try not to go crazy though... :)

I made a new opening since the original opening I made was titled "Memories", and breaks one of the rules. It's all good, I prefer the new opening over the first one. The new title/opening relates much better to the meaning of the film.

This of course should say the photo montages DO NOT count as veideo, but the queston still remains.

Mike

Oops, I should have revamped those rules, just for DVC7.
Thanks for picking that up Mike!

Yes, you can use old footage in this competition only!
Also, photo montages DO NOT count as video.

Good luck everyone!

Absolutely!

What about rule number 2)?

"2) The time limit will be more flexible."

How flexible are we talking? :)

Can I get an answer on rule number 2?

Are we talking a few extra seconds, or up to a minute?

Just curious... :)

Thanks,


Mike

Usually you can have another 30 seconds, including titles.

Thanks Dylan!

That might be perfect for me...


Mike

UGH!

I'm stuck at 3 Minutes 45 Seconds! My opening title is only about 8 seconds...

I understand that closing credits don't count as time. I only have 4 names anyway...

Any advice on how to trim the fat? I've gone over it twice and I can't seem to get it any shorter without hurting the story.

I'm new at this so any advice will be helpful!

Thanks,

Mike

well you could get rid of the opening title, that buys you 8 seconds. you could also speed up the end credits for a second more time.

I think my first edit is clocking in at 5 min. So I've got a LOT of trimming to do.

One thing you can to is to have some people look at it and tell you what parts aren't necessary. might help you find a bit here or there that you can cut out.

Personally, I think that the time limit should just be set at a hard limit, say 5 minutes and make it permanant. If you go over 5 minutes you're out PERIOD,
but anything under that is acceptable.

Soft limits are just too subjective and have caused problems in the past. How much extra is too much????? Do the credits count?? Gets asked every time.

It may be too late for this round, maybe, but how about for the next one at least we have a hard limit of 5 minutes to include all credits, titles and etc. and make it firm. You don't make it your film is disqualified.

All of us kids need firm boundries and limits set by our parents, so how about it Dylan----ahh---Dad?

Mike

Actually, I think the original rule was "3 minutes, if you need a couple extra seconds, it's Ok." I'd interpret that as 15 seconds. You could probably have another 10 for credits, but if you went over 3:30 for BOTH you'd really bepushing your luck!

Get what I'm talking about? Let's set a HARD limit that everyone has no problem understanding. No more problem!

Mike

I've always beat the drum for keeping the Challenge as close to three minutes as possible. Sometimes it just pains us to cut stuff; for instance, I'm having to axe a scene of which I spoke earlier in the week. (Probably just as well, but now it's so boring!) And a couple times all my cutting has led to even more confusion about my messages. But it should teach us to choose a tighter, less complex story, I suppose.

When we're all watching the entries we will be glad for the current time limit! :)

@ Mike Horrigan: My writing prof used to say, "You have to kill your babies."

Essentially it means 'cut till hurts.' But there are some sneaky ways you could fix it up some.

Make a 3 frame overlap between every cut.

If you have awkward pauses where an actor is thinking, waiting for a reaction or just took too much time, you can cut to an isolation shot then cut back to the actor and delete a little time that way.

Make your opening credits a two second fade in and out of the title only.

Bonus points if you can 'establish the theme,' 'establish your protagonist' or 'set up the inciting incident' by FADING IN on action going on behind your title.

Don't look at having to kill, delete, remove 45 seconds. Just cut tight.

Sorry if these things are obvious to you but it's all I can think of at the moment.

Great advice. Like I said, this is my first shot at this contest so I was just seeing what the boundaries were. Now that I know that 3:30 is the breaking point I'll have to do my best to come in at 3:29! Title and credits included. ;)

Thanks for all the advice, I'll trim the fat and streamline this baby. I love a challenge. :)

BTW, a 5 minute "hard" limit with everything included would suit me fine.

If most seem to want them shorter then how about a 3:30 hard limit?

Just keeps it simple.

Mike

Can I sell some of my seconds, I am going to run short.... :)

LOL!

I'm now down to 3:30

Looking good for time now...