Digital Cinema Production – Contest Overview Purpose This is a 24 hour film festival style video competition. Teams of 2 students will produce a 1 ½ to 3 minute narrative video on location at the competition. All shooting and editing will be done on site. No stock or pre-made video footage will be allowed. Only royalty free music or music for which the school owns the copyright, is allowed. Students can create their own original music if desired. Teams will be given approximately 12 hours to complete the video.

Equipment Teams are allowed basic video production equipment consisting of cameras/lenses, microphone(s), tripods, and editing software installed on a computer. Basic lighting is allowed (on camera and clamp on lights – no lights on stands). Jibs, cranes, and dollies are not allowed. Handheld support rigs are allowed at the contest (shoulder mounts, Steadicam/Glidecam, etc.). Portable audio mixers are also allowed. Students may provide any props and costumes they may want to use for their productions (no weapons).

Prompt The video will use as a theme a single word or simple phrase that will be given out at the contest briefing. The submission is to be a creative narrative video built around the prompt. It is not in the form of PSA, news story or promotional work (advertisement). It is not required for the prompt to be spoken verbatim, but it must be evident that the narrative is based on the prompt.

Final Product Each team will export their final product as an .mp4, Windows Media, or QuickTime file. Once complete (or when time runs out), the videos will be collected on a flash drive for judging. Each team must turn in any and all preproduction. This will be judged and included in the scoring. Storyboarding is strongly encouraged. Please bring pens, paper, storyboard templates, etc. for preproduction. Students must also turn in a resume and short project evaluation consisting of 3 or 4 questions. They will be given this at the end of the contest day.

Competition Procedures and Schedule Thursday - Teams will set up computer stations from 3-5pm in the Multi-Purpose Center on Lamar’s campus (across from the L.I.T. building). At 4pm, orientation will begin. At this time, the prompt (a word or simple phrase) will be given and the contest explained in detail. Students will turn in a paper copy of their resume at this time. When the briefing is done, teams will be allowed to plan and shoot video from 5-10:30pm that evening, but must stop at 10:30pm. Any shooting that is completed on Thursday must be completed on the property of the team’s hotel. No shooting may be done at the hotel after 10:30pm on Thursday (including Friday morning). Friday – Teams will begin the second day of the contest at 9am Friday morning at the Multi-Purpose Center. Teams who are not able to set up computers/equipment on Thursday should set up from 8-9am Friday morning. After 9am, teams may resume shooting, editing, writing, etc. Teams may shoot anywhere they receive access to on Lamar University’s campus, but may not leave the campus. The team’s final product must be exporting/encoding by 4pm Friday afternoon.

Teams may use props and other actors. Official skills dress is not required for this contest so that students may dress for their acting roles.

***Locations and times are subject to change.