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Info on contests rules, PLEASE READ

 
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Aislynn
Council Member


Joined: 03 Feb 2005
Posts: 35782
Location: Sawyerville, USA

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 7:38 am    Post subject: Info on contests rules, PLEASE READ Reply with quote

Since it's a brand new year, we thought it was time to give the contests a bit of a freshening up as well.

Our main concern is that we want to bring the fun and creativity back to the forefront of the contests instead of such worrying about how to interpret the rules. So our pledge to you is that if there's a specific thing we want to see or don't want to see in that particular contest, then it will be spelled out as clearly as possible in the initial rule post. Anything that is not mentioned either way then is fair game for you to interpret however you'd like. We want you to feel like you have your complete "arsenal" of creativity at your disposal during the contests, instead of feeling hemmed in by a ton of rules.

So let's look at a sample contest post (this is NOT the contest for this month ) and go through it so this will hopefully make a bit more sense when you see it in practice.

Quote:
Sample Contest: "Black and white comedy vids"

The Details:

This month we want to see some humorous vids but with one request, we want them to be in total black and white! So drain the color from our world and make us laugh!


The Rules

Specific Contest Rules:
• - Make a humorous vid, using only black and white footage.
• - Running time should be no longer than 5 minutes. We suggest the 3 - 5 minute range.
• -The more creative, the better. Don't be afraid to take risks.
• -When entering your video on the Submit page, you MUST enter "[month] [year] contest submission" exactly in your vid's description.

General Contest Rules:

• -Contest submissions should be entered through the Submit page.
• -All regular submissions rules apply.
• -Only one entry per vidder.
• -Videos already submitted and RELEVANT can be submitted again, but we would rather see something fresh. (Please contact a CM if you wish to enter a previously-submitted video)
• -Please do not use Megaupload, Rapidshare or Yousendit as your only link to host your files.
• -Keep in mind that however you choose to host your video, it must be available for viewing at least until the end of the contest. If we can not access your video at the time of judgment it will not be considered.
• -Have fun!


Let's look at that in more detail:

Quote:
Contest: "Black and white comedy vids"

The Details:

This month we want to see some humorous vids but with one request, we want them to be in total black and white! So drain the color from our world and make us laugh!

All we've specifically asked for is that you use total black and white footage. There's no need to ask if you can include footage that's in color or that's only 75% black and white. We asked for total, so that means 100% black and white, all the way through.

Humor is a subjective thing, of course, but this is where your part comes in at. Make something that YOU think is funny. You don't need to ask us what type of humor we mean, whether it's using a funny song or editing the dialogue so that a funny AU conversation takes place or the like. We want to see what you can come up with within the set boundaries, not what you think we want to see.

We only asked for black and white footage but did not specify whether you could use footage of the Losties in other roles, whether you could make it an AU, whether you had to use a specific type of song, whether you could use audio clips, etc. So that means then that you are not prohibited from any of that! As long as it doesn't violate something we've specifically asked you to do or not to do, then that means you're free to do it! In this case, you wouldn't want to make a serious, full color angsty vid, nor would you want to do a fluffy shipper vid that's tinted blue (well, not unless you thought angst or fluffy shipper vids are funny but you still will want to be aware of the "total black and white" restriction).


The Rules

Specific Contest Rules:
• - Make a humorous vid, using only black and white footage.
This is where we try to sum up the contest, focusing on what we do and don't want to see for this contest. Do want: humorous vids. Don't want: anything other than full black and white footage, so that would mean no colored textures, no gradients, no sepia tones, etc. Just full black and white.
• - If we're requesting no crossovers, AUs, trailers or the like, then that information will be here. If it's NOT here, then that means you're free to do them.
• - Running time should be no longer than 5 minutes. We suggest the 3 - 5 minute range.
If we have a minimum time, it will be mentioned here. Otherwise, we only are giving a maximum time, no longer than 5 minutes. The suggested range is only a suggestion. You don't need to make it a minimum of 3 minutes in this case. However long your vid needs to be to be the very best it can be, then that's what you should make it so long as it doesn't exceed the maximum time.
• -The more creative, the better. Don't be afraid to take risks.
A very important one.
• -When entering your video on the Submit page, you MUST enter "[month] [year] contest submission" exactly in your vid's description.
Without you using these exact words here, then you risk your vid not being entered into the contest. So if it says enter February 2010 contest submission, then that needs to be in your vid's description exactly like that. Saying anything else like "LVI contest submission for February 2010" won't get picked up properly by the site and then you might be accidentally overlooked and left out. You can add other things to your description if you'd like, just make sure that the submission phrase is there as well: "February 2010 contest submission - Sawyer and Claire have a tea party and Ben is jealous because he didn't get invited."

General Contest Rules:

• -Contest submissions should be entered through the Submit page.
• -All regular submissions rules apply.
• -Only one entry per vidder.
• -Videos already submitted and RELEVANT can be submitted again, but we would rather see something fresh. (Please contact a CM if you wish to enter a previously-submitted video)
• -Please do not use Megaupload, Rapidshare or Yousendit as your only link to host your files.
• -Keep in mind that however you choose to host your video, it must be available for viewing at least until the end of the contest. If we can not access your video at the time of judgment it will not be considered.
• -Have fun!
VERY IMPORTANT.


Now, this doesn't mean that you're not allowed to ask questions. If there's something that's not clear from the rules, always feel free to ask for clarification and we'll be glad to help! But if it's a matter of something like, "Can I do this in trailer format? Can I make it AU? Can I make it a crossover?" then hopefully this will help make things a bit more clear. If we don't want something, such as no trailers, no AU, etc., then we'll be sure to specify that in the rules. If there's no mention of it either way, then that means you're free to do your contest vid as you see fit!

For a contest where we've asked for a specific type of movie or song genre, then it will be up to you to determine if your movie or song choice fits what we're asking for. Our end goal is for you to wow us with a vid that fits the contest theme and does or doesn't do what we asked for. If, for example, we've asked for a crossover with a romantic movie set to a hip-hop song, then you'll just have to use your best judgment on what constitutes a romantic movie and a hip-hop song. You no longer need to clear either choice with us, just make the best vid that you can that you believe fits what we've asked for. (You probably wouldn't want to choose "Psycho" and a Barry Manilow song, in that case... UNLESS you do a fantastic job recutting "Psycho" into a romance movie and find an awesome hip-hop remix of Barry Manilow. Your vid is the final say in whether either choice was a proper one.)

The exception to this will be if we ask for a crossover with a specific set of movies (such as off of a list of the Top 50 Best Romantic Movies ever) or from a specific artist or band. Then you'll want to fit your vid within those specifics.

You may notice that occasionally Council Members enter the contests as well. When they do that, their vids receive no special privileges, no "head starts" and they aren't operating with any hidden or special knowledge that isn't available publicly. They DO NOT vote on their own vid nor do anything to sway the results in their own favor. Nor do the rest of the CMs automatically vote more favorably for them. All vids are treated completely equal as they pass through the judging process, it doesn't matter if the vidder is someone who is our personal friend, if they're a total stranger, or if they're a CM, we judge the vid, not the vidder.

Also, there is occasionally some confusion on the roles of the Viewer's Picks and the contest outcome. While contest vids are able to receive Viewer's Picks and Council Picks just like "regular" vids, the contest results themselves are decided in a separate session by the Council Members. The number or types of member votes or comments a contest vid receives has absolutely no bearing on the end results.

We hope that this sort of "reset" will help clear up a lot of the confusion that has been surrounding the contests for a while now. If you have any questions about any of this, don't hesitate to ask. Our goal is to make the contests simpler, more streamlined and as much fun as possible for everyone!
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