Submitting to festivals.
 

Are there standards or requirements as far as using intro test patterns, tones, countdowns, black screen time, etc when you submit to a festival on DV? Are they even required?
My first full length doc is done http://www.flatbrokeproductions.com/journal-news.htm and am submitting to our first festival...just want to make sure I am not missing something that is the basics of movie making 101

I've never heard of them being required. Most festivals will spell out their requirements loud and clear. Sounds like a cool documentary. Best of luck. Do you have a festival plan, or are you doing the basic seat-of-your-pants routine that most of us do?

ENTIRELY seat of the pants. I've never done anything of this magnitude that was festival worthy, but I feel this one is. I wouldn't even know where to begin to have a festival plan. I'm sure I will on the next one, and hope I dont screw something up on this one in the meantime because unfortunatley, experience is something you never have until after you need it.

Check out www.withoutabox.com Registration is free, and it's a great way to research and submit to festivals.

Most festivals will specify what format they will accept submissions in, and what format they require for screening. These may not be one and the same. Additionally, if you are submitting FILM, they will have requirements on how they want the film spooled. Most festivals will also indicated if they need a slate or leader on your submission. I typically label any discs with the Total Run Time (TRT) and whether or not there is bars, tones or slate at the lead.

Good luck!

You should be submitting to sales agents as well. Getting into a big festival is well nigh impossible on your own. Sundance got 7500 submissions last years for 60-something slots. If a sales agents picks up your feature, they will place copies of it with the programmers at the festivals that think are most likely to like the project. That's how they get you in. That, and the festivals like it when a film can afford to throw a big party, and that's the other thing the sales agents do.

If a sales agent doesn't pick your film up, start submitting to smaller festivals first. If you get into those, and you're well-received, you'll get invited to the bigger festivals.

Check with the Film Sales Corporation, and Emerging Features in New York.