Book those travel arrangements, charge those batteries, because it's time to get committed for real.

Sign up here!

Sign up time: Dec. 22 - Dec. 31
Challenge begins: January 1st - the theme will be posted
Challenge closes: January 22 noon MST
Videos must be uploaded to our UWOL Challenge website. See the website for contest rules and upload details:

www.uwolchallenge.com

Extra special props to Mat Thompson for the web and logo design and to Kevin Railsback for hosting and development.

You will have three weeks to come up with the most stunning nature and outdoor footage ever!

And who is more fitting to serve as our guest judge than our local Emmy-winning producers? Your co-judges this month will be Jacques Mersereau and his co-producer Christie Vedejs:

Jacques Mersereau runs The University of Michigan's Digital Media Commons Video Studio; a black-box, experimental performance and television art theater, where he collaborates with a wide variety of artists developing innovative ideas and concepts. From there original live performances are staged and new media is created, but
his real passion is documenting the wonders of nature.


Christi Vedejs is a writer, videographer and video editor as well as an enthusiastic outdoorswoman and "bird nut". Her first feature-length documentary, "An Osprey Homecoming", aired on PBS in 2005 and garnered a Finalist Award at the 2005 International Wildlife Film Festival. Christi and her husband, Jacques Mersereau, recently received an Emmy Award for Best Photography in the Program category for their videography work in the film. Christi also received an Emmy Nomination in the Writer-Program category for "An Osprey Homecoming".

Winning an award judged by these two Emmy winners will really give you something to brag about! Nice!

*Note: the judges' special interest areas don't give any clues about the forthcoming theme!

Meryem, I'm in, looking forward to the theme on January 1.!

Going to charge all my batteries and get my gear ready...

Count me in, although I'm stuck on this island until February. Be kind with the theme ;-)

Add my name to the list!

Count me in too!

Meryem,

Are you kidding. I'm leaving for a month on January 8th. Do you know how busy I am during that last week.

I'm in. I couldn't miss the first ever UWOL Challenge!

Don't expect much though! It may be a 3-minute shot of one of those singing bass mounted on a plaque.

Great Logo and site BTW!

Sign me up! :)

Is there a punishment for not getting a film in in-time?

If there is not one, then you can count me in. But if there is, then I might not enter. Due to the lack of transportation to actually SEE wildlife.

~Gabriel

I'm always in. Do ants on my sink board count as wildlife ??

gabriel, isn't the essence of filmmaking getting a bunch of reluctant people to do what you want? if you can't get the parents to do your bidding, how do you expect to order a crew around?

the only punishment is if you *don't* sign up! let me know your preferred form of punishment, and i'll be happy to administer it.

and what makes you think that the first prompt has anything to do with wildlife, hmm? take a chance, lad!

you got a good point Meryem! Thanks. You can count me in!

As for the punishment, I was just afraid that if I did not submit my video this time, that I would not be able to enter next time. That would not be cool.

Thanks!
~Gabriel

Count me in!

and me, God help us!

I'll have a go. Just bought an XL2 and dont have a clue how to work it.

Count me in :-)

Can't wait. Sounds like fun.

Well I suppose you better count me in as well.

I am definitely in for the challenge. Thanks to everyone for welcoming me when I posted here recently. I haven't been back on because I lost power where I live in WA state, and now here in NY visiting my mom, her aging computer has been very unreliable. So I will sign up quickly while I'm on the internet. I look forward to being an active part of this group, and look forward to the upcoming challenge. Thanks again!

Ruth

Count me in, although I'm stuck on this island until February. Be kind with the theme ;-)
you and me both, bloody england!

anyway, i'm in.

Hey, I'm stuck in Iowa. I'd trade you guys in a heartbeat! :)

Why not? Count me in!!

Hey Meryem!
Count me in! I hope the UWOL Challenge is ready for my particular brand of humour. And nudity.


:)

Hi Meryem,

Please count me in as well. I will definitely give it a go!

Best wishes~
Bradley

uh-oh, dylan wants to get naked again. i think i will save that "macro" theme for some other time....heh.

Count me in.

Count me in as well. Maybe I'll have better luck than I do in the DV Challenge. Never can seem to submit anything.

Well......count me in too! I am trying to add another page with uploading instructions this side of the new year, If not it will be there well before the end date.

have fun people, looking foward to seeing the results :)

mat

OK, I'm in. This should be very interesting. Can't wait to see the topic. Bob

I'll have a go at it so count me in. Won't be the first time I've fell flat on my face, even when I was sober.


Gordon Hoffman

Gordon,
You won't fall flat on your face.
While many look at this as a competition among the people that signup, it's really a challenge against yourself.
Can you create something that you may not have even though about?
It's a push to get out and try to put something creative together.
It's the motivation to go out and film something when you might otherwise be content to sit and watch Holiday bowls on TV.

It's also an opportunity to learn. With a common theme you can see how other people approach the theme in ways you may not have even though of.
It helps expand you ways of seeing the world through other filmmakers eyes.

I look forward to all the entries and to open up my eyes to new ways of seeing a common theme.

And above all have fun!

I'll give it a try!

Rick

I like the "have fun" part.

This is a great idea and I'm looking forward to the first subject.

I'm in.

Bruce Foreman

Sign me up, This sounds interesting.
Barb

I'd like in as well...

-f
fletcherkasmer@gmail.com

Something new for me, so I'll try it too.

Mike

Im in


Steve Hoffman
Leg Up Marketing and Productions
Contact@legupmktg.com

I'm there!

Jim

I'm in. This should be a good challenge for me.

Well since I can not seem to get a film done in 1 week, why not try 3.

Count me in.

Randy

Im in , but I have limited wildlife around my parts.

Joey,
We don;t know what the theme is yet. I t may not have anything to do with wildflife.
It's a Under Water, Over land challenge. That can cover allot more than wildlife.
Heck, I'm here in Iowa, what am I gonna shoot pigs and cows? :)

Well, I missed out on DVC7, I'll give this one a try.

Jim

I'm in...

I really don't have time for this, but I'll do it anyway. :-D

I'll give it a go......Meryem be kind with the theme, I'm up to my arm pits in snow here.

Hey Meryem..
I'm in too....its gonna be funnnnnn!

Count me in, too! I have no time or money, but I'm always up for a challenge.

Meryom,

I guess i will have a go at this, I am all for the idea.

I only hope the topic is something I can actually make a shot at without embarassing myself to badly.

what a great way to learn!!! Hope the winners wont mind being enudated with posts about the work!!

you and me both, bloody england!

anyway, i'm in.

Ha, I only have on more day (29th) -- have been "stuck" in lovely old Bristol for a week!

*ding ding ding*

*thunderous applause*

dale, you're our fortieth sign-up, so we're giving you a million dollars, a washer-dryer, and showering you with confetti.

heh. just kidding about the million dollars and the washer-dryer. the confetti's real, though!

my mind is blown, y'all...thanks for all your input, feedback, and enthusiasm. i'm so excited to see what you produce. bring on january 1, already!

p.s. due to the overwhelming response, i'm going to request that greg, our go-to wrangler, lock this thread at noon Dec. 31 on whatever time he is on--or whenever he can get around to it...or if he's not available whenever i can track someone down!....so if you're still on the fence or thinking about it, there will be a mid-day deadline to sign up.

40 sign-ups but what happens to those of us who fail to produce?

The DVC has a wall of shame. We will need something like that.

I realize I'm tempting fate here because I'm leaving the country on the 9th. So if mine ain't done by then... I'll be the very first (ever) to fail the UWOL Challenge... Oh my God!!!

BTW: I'll be logging in at 12:01 am on the first, and I expect to see a topic posted :)