(Ken, if this post is a problem, feel free to delete it).


For those interested in an online short film competition, SixtySecondFilms.com is now accepting entries.

You can visit the website at: http://sixtysecondfilms.com


Thanks....

Looks like a very interesting competition to get the creative juices thawed in the winter! Thanks very much for this, Terry.

Thanks Ken, hopefully we can get a few folks interested enough to brave the weather...... LOL

With respect to matters of disclosure I should add that Terry is one of the judges of the SixtySecondFilms competition.

I think that is a great idea.
I don't mean to be a pest, but encoding for both Windows and Mac would probably be a bit more versatile. It looks like you're organizing this on a Windows machine which, fortunately, can easily export Quicktime's .mov as well as .wmv.
I have read that you will only be offering .wmv and apologize for discussing a point that you've most likely heard numerous times (the subject was touched in the FAQ's), but I think this is a great idea and feel that the more viewers can be reached, the better.

Need some creative inspiration? Try these ultra-condensed Movie-a-minute scripts (http://rinkworks.com/movieaminute/). Good for a laugh. (The condensed scripts for "Vertical Limit," "Notting Hill," and "The films of David Lynch" are a hoot.)

Along the same lines as SixtySecondFilms, there's a UK site that had people submit comedies that were one minute or less. The winner of one group was a guy who rotates a globe on his desk, causing mayhem in the process. I've been trying to relocate this site for a long time. Does anyone know it? In addition to helping me find it, it would be good research material for anyone planning to enter the SixtySecondFilms online festival.

I really appreciate all the feedback about the competition. We are trying to make this a really fun thing for everyone interested.

Nicholi, we are considering making it available in other formats other than .wmv, but are waiting to see what the overall response is.

Hopefully this can turn into an ongoing competition if it sparks enough interest and participation. We are talking with a few local sponsors about donations to use as prizes to give some incentive to the film makers.


Again, thanks for the feedback....


Terry

Terry,

Many Mac users won't be able to view .wmv files. That would cull out about half of the wranglers here at DVInfo.net.

I recommend Flash...that would solve all your platform/player/browser/connection speed problems in one fell swoop.

More questions for Terry...

I understand, from reading the website, that all of the qualified submissions will be viewable on sixtysecondfilms.com to be judged/rated by the viewing audience before the final awards. Is this correct? And if so, how will the videos be showcased and ratings organized?
My concern with submitting would be that, if the videos have a viewable time window (lets say 2 weeks) then I will want to submit mine closer to the deadline when more people will be viewing and I can recieve a more reliable rating. On the other hand, if the video will be available from the premiere until the deadline, I will want to get it in as soon as possible in order to maximize viewers.
Will the awards be based on number of views and ratings, or a percentage? Either way, I'd like to get more viewers :).
I also noticed that an email address is required to enter, but free (yahoo, hotmail, etc.) email addresses aren't accepted. I'm sure this is for security purposes, but it might alienate quite a few potentials.

One more... You also mention, in the legal stuff, that I retain my full copyright and have to give sixtysecondsfilms.com royalty-free permission to use my video. I understand that completely, but wondered how else the videos will be used/showcased besides just on the site, especially if you planned on using it for profit.

It probably sounds like I'm being nit-picky, but that's not my intention at all. I think this is a wonderful idea. I'm just weary of submitting any of my work to anyone who isn't me, and just want to be confident in the whole process.

Thanks for answering so quickly.

Nicholi, answers to your questions:

Starting February 1st, 2004, films selected for viewing will be posted to the website and can be rated by the viewers, and posting will continue through May 30, 2004. Films can be audience rated for a period of thirty (30) days or a minimum of 100 ratings, at which time the rating script will be removed from the viewing page. The film will remain on the website but can no longer be rated. The ratings are on a curved percentage scale. Audience ratings will determine the 25 top films to be judged for the overall competition.

Security is the reason for requiring a regular ISP email account. We have to open our FTP servers to film makers to upload their film, and can not risk the possibility of attack from someone with a non-traceable email account.

As far as the legal stuff..... Other than featuring the winning films on the website to help promote the site and hopefully the film maker, we have no intentions of using your films to profit us monetarily. The reference in the "terms" is basically to cover us if we use your film or film name to help promote the site. The "terms" also state that the "license" may be revoked by the film maker at any time for any reason. If you submit your film to the competition and are unhappy or unsure about how things are being done, just contact us and we will remove your film promptly.

Overall, the competition is geared to be fun and hopefully promote a few films and film makers along the way. I don't think you sound nit-picky and can understand your concerns.

Thanks again.....

Terry

Thanks for replying so quickly. It sounds like you guys have really thought this though and are very organized. That's very reassuring. The only question I have left, at least for now ;), is... does the email account (the traceable one) have to be in my name or can it be a family member/friend's account? I'm not too concerned about it considering that I have 4 months to work something out, but I just figured I'd ask.

This one's for John Locke, John the website you're looking for with the short about the globe is http://www.depict.org/

It's in last years entries I think.

John.

Nice, that competition is supported by Aardman (http://www.aardman.com/)! Wow!

I've been trying to refind that forever...thanks, John!

You guys check it out if you have time...it's in the 2002 winners short list and is titled "The End."

FYI, Microsoft now has a Windows Media Player 9 available for Mac OS X. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/software/Macintosh/osx/default.aspx
Of course this won't help those still running OS 9.

Christopher,

I think most of us Macsters here have the most recent update of Windows Media... it just doesn't always work properly. Sometimes image with no sound, sometimes sound with no image, sometimes nothing... and on rare occasions, it works.

Thanks for letting me know. It's been a little while since I last used a Mac.

That's a great movie indeed John! Thanks.

To enable a better viewing experience for MAC users, we will now be showcasing all selected films in .WMV and .MOV format.

Some restructuring of the competition and guidelines have changed to help us keep within acceptable bandwidth and storage requirements.

Changes are as follows.

The overall competition has been extended to six months. Each month, a new batch of selected films will be posted to the website for viewing and audience rating.

The top 5 audience rated films each month, will go on to compete in the overall competition._

For the overall competition, the monthly winners will be showcased and rated by viewers for a period of 30 days.
_
The judges will then review the top 10 viewer rated films and determine the three winners of the overall competition.


We will run two competitions per year, Jan. to June and July to Dec.

We can only select a limited number of films each month for viewing on the website. It will be to the film makers advantage not to wait until the last month of the competition to enter a film.




Thanks.....

http://sixtysecondfilms.com

February's films are online and available for viewing and rating. Only a few determined film makers braved the cold and snow and got their submissions in for our first months competition.

Check them out and don't forget to rate each film after viewing.

Film makers, you have until the end of the month to get your films submitted for the next comp.

Thanks and enjoy....

Terry

Sixty Second Films
http://sixtysecondfilms.com

The March line-up is online....

Thanks...

Terry