Wow, a year after our first DVC we have just wrapped up the biggest challenge yet. 31 completed entries is a pretty impressive number, and I'm proud to be a part of this with all the rest of you.
Just submitting a film is like winning. Talk is cheap and everyone and their uncle are filmmakers these days, so when you actually get something up on screen you are one huge step ahead of everyone else. So here's to you guys and girls!

Next, a big thanks to Guy Cochran at www.dvestore.com for putting up a VIDEO IPOD as a prize! Guy has been with us for a long time and while I still haven't figured out a way to enter and win my own competition, he keeps tempting me to do so with great prizes.

And of course to our own Mike Teutsch who has donated one of his custom made video dollies as a prize. A prize any filmmaker can use!

Also big thanks to Mark Aardsma of ATS Acoustics, a manufacturer of acoustic panels for studios, control rooms, home theater, etc. who has donated a $150 gift certificate to their online store, www.atsacoustics.com

Then there is a big personal thanks to everyone who has donated cash, bought t-shirts (new ones on sale now!) or volunteered in any other way. It is always appreciated!

One personal big thanks to Rob Lohman who has been a huge help both with running the website and with DVC5 as it expanded. Rob, you rock!

And finally to Chris Hurd for giving us a home here on DVinfo.net, the best darn video forum out there!


Ok, now on to the part you really care about... Who won the darn thing?


Well, there were some really fantastic entries. If it wasn't for the judging scheme I set up for this one, I would have drank myself stupid trying to decide. However, there was a pretty even consensus as to the winner... but first the finalists. I pick finalists based on a film recieving a certain number of votes. In this case, because there were so many votes, I set the minimum number of votes to be a finalist at 5. This means at least 5 people had to rank you in the top 5.

Finalists in no particular order:
Bill Hamell - Give Away
Dick Mays - Jeremy’s Letters
Scott Cozad - The Dream Stone
Sean McHenry - A Memory Of A Dream
Michael Fossenkemper- TheWrongTurn
Bradley Marlow- INTROSPECTACLE
Meryem Ersoz - Still Life
Robert Kirkpatrick - The Autumn Queen
Steve Shilson - Tracks of Reality
Bill Gardner - Love Bites
Mark Utley – Fruit Pursuit


In the past, I've announced some runner's up. This time there were several entries that recieved so many votes (and because there is no prize for runners up) that I will post the top five films (in no particular order). They are:

Final Five Finalists Films (not in order)
Michael Fossenkemper - TheWrongTurn
Bill Gardner - Love Bites
Robert Kirkpatrick - The Autumn Queen
Steve Shilson - Tracks of Reality
BradleyMarlow - INTROSPECTACLE

Congrats guys, these five were great!
And yet.... there can be only one champ...



AND THE WINNER OF THE DV CHALLENGE #5 IS:

BILL GARDNER - LOVE BITES

Three cheers for Bill, fantastic entry!
Shoot me an email to get your prizes hooked up, and I'll warm up the laser printer for the now famous cheap certificate!


Thanks you all and I hope to see you all back for DVC6!

Congratulations to Bill Gardner.

But you know what I really like about dvinfo? The folks here vote the best film the winner. No politics, Bill wasn't a long time dvinfoer, he just made a really great short that nailed the theme.

So I think we are alll winners, just being in the Company of such wonderful folks!

But I'm winning the next one... :)

Hip hip...hooray! Hip hip...hooray! Hip hip...hooray!

Heart felt props to you William and congratulations on winning DVC#5 with "Love Bites". Well done!

Also-congratulations to everyone who completed their film. This was one fun contest.

As always- thank you Dylan and DV Crew for hosting this incredible competition. It was a blast!

Best Wishes~
Bradley

Congrats Bill.

My congrats go out to Bill Gardner, you got my #1 vote. It was well deserved. And I'd like to thank everyone that voted for my short "Tracks of Reality", it's appreciated alot and I took all of your criticism very constructively which will only help me for next time around.

I'd like to thank Dylan for putting this challenge on, if it wasn't for this. . .there wouldn't be such thing as 'Tracks of Reality'. Again, congrats to Bill. . .I can't wait for the next one!!!!

Steve

casting votes for this was not easy! i would easily have voted for more than five, if i could have.

congratulations, bill. it's quite an achievement to win the top award in this batch of contenders.

Congratulations, Bill !!!!! You did such a great job on your movie--it was the complete package. And now that I got to meet you face-to-face last week it makes applauding you that much sweeter! Go out and celebrate!

Congratulations to everyone. I had a blast!

Way to go, Bill! I am glad you did it! You strike me as a laid back humble fellow and I'm always happy when the nice guy gets the prize! Besides, I loved your flick. Congrats! I am thrilled to have been part of this and happy that you've raised the bar for which to aspire!

Congratulations, Bill (and to the finalists, as well)!!!!! Very well deserved. Y'all have certainly raised the bar for what's to be expected of future DVC's. Excellent job.

I ended up buying a video iPod (cause I knew I was completely blown out of the competition) and am already working on some Podcasts. What a cool gizmo and you're gonna LOVE yours, Bill. Have fun!!!!

Since the beginning me and my wife agreed that this will be the winner, however I kept myself on saying that "wait, we have to see all before we could decide in such way" and here it is.

Congrats!!!

Congrates Bill on a well deserved victory. It was a tough vote which resorted to a couple of coin toss's on some of them. How much you wanna bet we see some dolly shots on Bill's next entry now that he's the proud owner of a nice dolly:-)

Wow! I just logged on for a brief moment (as I'm in the middle of crewing an all-day shoot for a friend's short film) and I'm astounded at this news. I am truly humbled and honored that our film won the competition with so many other excellent entries. Thanks everybody so much, I can't tell you how much this means to me and to the rest of the crew.

Looking forward to DVC6! When will that one be, Dylan?

Thanks again everybody,
Bill

Good job to everyone, esp. the winner, it was a good competition. DVC6? Guess we'll see.

I am truly humbled and honored that our film won the competition with so many other excellent entries.Major congratulations, man. Your win was well-deserved. That was a really fun film.

Congratulations. Great job. I look forward to the next challenge.

Congrats to the winner.

This was a very eye opening experience, and I look forward to the next round.

I forgot to mention, but the 4 runners up will also recieve the cheap certificate hot off my laser printer!

It's like an Oscar, but flatter and cheaper to ship.

Hello all. I have been mostly absent since sending in my entry but wanted to say a rousing WOW! for all the great work everyone did in this round. I must also appologize to the group as a whole. I was unable to cast any votes as I was dealing this past few weeks with several major family emergencies.

I feel I didn't uphold my end on this one very well. You all deserved a vote one way or another. I appologize to all involoved but promise to be completly focused on the next one, unless more family catastrophes get in the way there too. I'm hoping I have had my share of family emergencies for a few years. I have aged considederably this past month.

As for the results of this round, congrats to those fellow finalists and the winner. "Love Bites" was particularly good. I will say it's getting intimidating around here with all these great pieces. I am looking forward to the 1 week version coming back. A month almost killed me.

I said it elsewhere, give me a month and I'll think and drink about 29 days and shoot something that last day. Frankly, I don't need all that thinking (or drinking).

Congrats all around.

Sean McHenry (getting better and better every day)

I forgot to mention, but the 4 runners up will also recieve the cheap certificate hot off my laser printer!

It's like an Oscar, but flatter and cheaper to ship.


whoohooo, I'm clearing a space on my wall as I type.


One week turnaround time??? It takes me longer than that to put a sentence together, and that's WITH spell checking.

whoohooo, I'm clearing a space on my wall as I type.


One week turnaround time??? It takes me longer than that to put a sentence together, and that's WITH spell checking.

Me too! Thanks Dylan...you're the man!

Best Wishes~
Bradley

Congratulations to everyone. Love Bites rocked.