The Goal: Write, shoot and edit a short film in a weekend.
With teamwork and complete focus you can make a cohesive and entertaining movie in a exceptionally short time frame.
The following rules apply to each participating group/production team:
1. Times:The Film Challenge will occur between a Friday, October 24, 2008 at 7 p.m. and Monday, October 27, 2008. (Local time)
2. The participating group must complete its film/video work in time to ship via FedEx or Priority Mail, with the mailing date documented, on Monday, October 27. Shipping Documents or labels must be store generated. No home/office created shipping documents or labels will be accepted. Only works that meet the deadline will be eligible for awards. Films postmarked after October 27, are not eligible.
3. The National Film Challenge is open to filmmakers across the world.
4. National Film Challenge entrants are accepted on a first come, first served basis. The Film Challenge organizers reserve the right to limit the total number of teams to 300.
5. During the official competition period, all creativity will take place, including but not limited to:
7. All footage must be shot within the weekend time period of the project-Oct. 24, 2008 at 7 p.m. local time and ending Oct. 27, 2008 (local time). No stock footage or footage shot or created at another time may be used. Animation and special effects are permitted, but must be created during the weekend time period. Still photographs are permitted, provided that the team has the rights to them. The photos do not need to be created during the competition time period.
8. Each participating group must provide the National Film Challenge organizers with two e-mail addresses. At registration, an NFC username and password will be emailed to the team leader. On Friday, October 24, at 7 p.m. local time, the team leader will log into a secure site to receive two randomly generated genres (from which you must choose one to produce), as well as a list of required elements-a character, prop and a line of dialogue-that must appear in the film. To qualify as an official "National Film Challenge Film," each group's film must be in the genre it receives and must contain all required elements.
9. All cast and crew
must be volunteers.
10. The finished film must be a minimum of four (4) minutes in duration, and a maximum of seven (7) minutes in duration.
11. Any type of video
or film camera may be used, however,
a maximum of only two cameras may be used.
12. The finished film/video must be submitted on a SD miniDV tape, DVD or self-contained, SD, Quicktime file with no proprietary codecs on a data DVD or USB Flash Drive (preferred). You must read this page before giving us a data DVD or flash drive.)
13. Tape preparation: Finished film should have a minimum of 5 seconds of bars and tone (use your own or downlaod bars and tone here) and 5 seconds of black, then the following slate-Team Name, City, Genre, Film Title--before the film begins.
14. If shot in a
16:9 ratio and/or anomorphic, your
film must be letter-boxed.
15. Each team must
secure talent releases and location releases, which must be mailed to the project organizers with the finished film/video. The film/video will not be eligible for awards until the National Film Challenge organizers receive the signed releases.
16. Content of the
movie/film/video is at the discretion
of the participating groups. The organizers reserve the right
to disqualify any film that contains images of graphic sex.
There is no prohibition on nudity or foul language, however,
either could limit distribution outlets.
17. Music: Participating group must have the rights to any music used in its film. Groups are encouraged to work with local composer and/or musicians to write and record music for the films. It is permissible for a participating group to use pre-recorded music (e.g., royalty-free music, a friend's band's music) but the group must have a signed release. If you use software like Soundtrack or Garageband the owner of the software needs to sign a release.
18. Credits at the end of each film are limited to a maximum of 60 seconds. This is in addition to the 7 minute maximum time limit. (For example, you may have an 7 minute film plus 1 minute of credits for a total running time of 8:00:00.) Films longer than 8:00:00 are not eligible.
19. Films must include the following credit: "This film made as part of the National Film Challenge 2008."
20. To be certified as a "National Film Challenge Film,"each participating group's film/video production must follow all rules herein. The National Film Challenge Organizers reserve the right to judge only certified "National Film Challenge Films."
21. All certified "National Film Challenge Films" are eligible for judging. A panel of independent judges will select fifteen National Film Challenge Finalists from which one Grand Prize winner will be selected.
22. Teams will submit the following documents with its completed film/video: Signed Team Leader Agreement, Statement Certifying Compliance, Team Roster, Wrap-Up Questionnaire, and Talent/Location/Music Releases.
23. The National Film Challenge Organizers reserve the right
to amend these rules up until the beginning of the Challenge.
