UWOL X Theme Announcement! - XXX LIVE NUDE FURRY CREATURES XXX

[Meryem Ersoz]

Originally Posted by John Dennis Robertson

If they dont have a web site I may have to help them create one...failing that I might have to do it on a DVD for them to use in fundraising presentations...would that still qualify?

yes absolutely, the only requirement is that it is received by them on a distributable form with *the intent* of distribution (whether they actually use it in that capacity is entirely at their discretion)....a trade show video or fund-raising video, those are great ways to help other people out...

i think there is a big concern about the level of professionalism required to do something like this...but keep in mind that it's not about doing a national TV campaign for the World Wildlife Federation. there are probably many tiny little organizations operating on a shoestring budget by a handful of volunteers that would love to have people pitch in and lend a hand.

after all, if it weren't for people like that, there would not be a UWOL -- some of you seem to be overlooking the obvious....this thing primarily, runs on the energy of 3 people who care about it, it is self-funded, and it reaches people all over the world.

think of UWOL as prototype of the people that we are trying to help you to reach out to...and then maybe you won't feel quite so daunted...that is who runs these little non-profit type of grass-roots movements, people who care about something that means something to them. it's typically not their day job....

[Kevin Railsback]

There's no doubt that we have two groups of shooters here. Those that do it just to get out and shoot and those that would like to turn it into something more.

I think this is a good opportunity for those who would want to try and go beyond hobby shooting while those that want to shoot as a hobby can still do a 30-60 second PSA on their own just to see if they can do it.

I think if you still want to participate, you should make a non-competing entry just to see if you can do a 30-60 second spot.

One of the other forums has non-competing entries in their contests all the time.

Doesn't mean you can't get feedback etc on it if it's non-compete.

I probably work more than most of you. I either work 19 days in a row or 45 days in a row in the Summer usually. Fifty-six hours is usually my normal work week up to over 80 hours sometimes in the Summer. I've got a wife at home that complains she doesn't see me as much as she's like now. So, I know what that is like. Sometimes it's why I don't get challenges done. Sometimes I don't like the result of what I'm working on and I trash it.

So, if you're not happy with the 2nd part of the challenge, shoot a non-compete PSA. There's no one saying you can't.

I just look at it as an opportunity to find new places to shoot. I know the Iowa Heritage Foundation has been great to me. I asked this Spring where to find skunk cabbage.
They sent out emails all over the state and within hours I had areas with skunk cabbage plants, contacts to call that would take me to where they were etc.

In fact, the reason I talked to them about doing a PSA is that they followed up with me recently to see if the weird weather had thwarted my shooting and they wanted to know if there were other things I was looking to shoot that they could help with.

I know there are a lot of grass root organizations like that around the state.

Tomorrow I'm going to drive 2 1/2 hours to an areas I've never been but there are all kinds of organizations and parks there with staff that I will talk to in order to find new areas etc.

I always take my iPod Touch with me to show them some of my work. Usually it's past UWOL films. :)

David,
I would love to see you do a PSA in NZ. What's at risk there? Why can't you do a PSA to see if you can do it?

Just because I didn't enter a film for "Night" doesn't mean I didn't do one. :) Can you do a 30 second spot on the planet in peril?

I think everyone is getting to hung up on the 2nd part of the challenge. If you don't want to get involved with a group and see if you can help them by doing a PSA for them, there's nothing stopping you from doing a PSA on your own. Don't throw in the towel because you don't want to work with a group.

Just because I have two contacts that seem eager to work with me doesn't means that they're going to use it. But I will still submit what I put together as a non-compete.

These people that work with these groups are a wealth of information. It's worth meeting them just to learn from them even if you never bring up doing a PSA.

I met a master gardener here in Iowa while I was looking for woodland wildflowers to film. He told me about a few spots and invited me to his house where he had over 20 acres of native woodland wildflowers.
I earned his respect over time and then he opened up a huge world of wildflowers to me. He took me to areas that virtually no one knew about, introduced me to the people that owned the land and gave me free run of his land to film whenever I like.

Sadly, my work hours have changed and I've haven;t been able to get out and film them in the short few weeks they bloom. Even sadder was that Ken passed away a couple years ago and the knowledge he had is lost but to the few that were smart enough to learn from him. Called every plant by its latin name. I'd say Ken, can I find some Prairie Trillium to film and he'd say oh, you mean you want to film Trillium recurvatum? :)

Anyway, I'm kind of getting off track here. I think everyone should try to do a PSA. If you want to work with a group great. If you just want to do it as a challenge to see if you can tell a story in 30-60 seconds, that's great too.

Just get out and shoot something!!!!

[Meryem Ersoz]

let me just address one persistent mis-perception...that this round somehow favors pros.

we had 53 sign-ups. to the best of my knowledge, 5 of these are pros -- for 3 of these pros, making video is an occasional side job, not their day job. there are 2 full time pros who participate in this contest regularly, both of whom have told me that their steady participation has helped them realize that dream--they were not working professionals before UWOL.

less than 10% of the participants would begin to qualify as video professionals. of the pros who play this game, only 2 of them have actually won the contest.

this round--and this entire contest, for that matter-- favors the players who understand the spirit of each particular challenge round and are willing to take it on, period.

for everyone else, there's the party over at the shark tank! and many more easy, comfortable themes to come, like WATER and WILDLIFE.

i throw a curveball once a year and this is it. but hey, at least i announced it (several times) in advance, this time. i call that progress....

just as a reminder, NIGHT, as a theme, knocked out half the participants and generated a ton of complaints. but those who played reaped big benefits and learned a lot about their craft.

i'd rather have 10 people finish and maybe, just maybe, be an agent for change in their tiny corner of the universe, because i believe in the benefits of this theme, not just for the finishers but also for their communities.

[David Gemmell]

Hi Kevin & Dale,

I see you point about shooting a non entry version.

Better get started......good luck guys, and thanks for the clarification and encouragement.

[Eric Gulbransen]

Maybe this isn't a perfect analogy but then, I'm not a perfect person.

Most of my racing is done in regional series - running against guys from hundreds of miles around, not thousands. It's very challenging but it's also comfortable. We are a family. Every once in a while though, one of our local guys heads out to run on the national level - traveling all over the country and running against the pros. 99% of the time these guys get completely pounced, humiliated, passed by the pros so fast it makes them question why they even race. I know, because more than once that guy has been me.

What's most interesting here is what happens after the nationals. After you've tirelessly chased these pros who ride at levels you've never understood. After you lose at tracks where you're used to winning. After you go from being one second off the leading regional pace, to being four seconds slower than anyone on the track - PER LAP. What happens, because you put yourself out there, is you return as a faster racer. A better racer.


For me, stepping up to this challenge will be JUST like running the nationals - only without the concrete barrier walls and twisted metal.

Good luck to all

[Sam Mendolia]

....Nope, not the video.

My GL2, has gone to the shop, for repairs. So depending on when it gets back, I may still be able to pull this off.

My Optura, should be on it's way back from the shop soon, so hopefully, one of them will do the job for me.

Figures, my first challenge, only to be waylayed by equipment issues.

I even emailed a local organization, still waiting on them too!

fingers and toes are crossed.

[Marj Atkins]

This is an amazing theme Meryem. Just one quick question - is the file size limit still 60MB - even for this 30/60second commercial?

[Meryem Ersoz]

good question. yep. that means you can go to town on the quality and the bit rate. if we knock too many folks into the tank, i may even allow for bigger file dimensions, just for this round. let me think about it. it would be nice to have a little extra reward to the finishers and seeing their amazing work in a bigger size would be a good one.

[Mat Thompson]

Hey everyone.

I've just got back from a weeks diving in the red sea....wow, wow, wow! No video but lots of pictures to come. I'll put up a separate thread soon.

Anyway just wanted to chime in a say I think this is an excellent curve ball for the contest. Meryem...you were sent from above to bamboozle and educate. I just hope I can find the time to put a film together. I think I'll have to get a few emails out there pretty sharpish!

[Ryan Farnes]

So did I read right on the UWOL website that the deadline is the 22nd? :-(

For some reason I had thought it was the entire month...am I mistaken? If it's the 22nd I'm most likely going not to have mine done in time for judging.

[Meryem Ersoz]

deadline is the 30th - we'll change that, it's a mistake on the website...

[Ryan Farnes]

That is a relief.

Funny thing is, the group I am trying to film something for won't be able to do something until the 30th. Just a small group they do these hike things...yada yada scheduling.

I don't have a problem editing through the night if I have to, but I am wondering...as long as it is midnight in Hawaii even though I'm in Utah is that cool? :-)

I don't want to miss the deadline by a few hours....

[Meryem Ersoz]

let's just say i'm usually heading to bed at 10 pm MST, and i don't look at these until the next morning....closely tracking "midnight anywhere in the world" means I would have miss my beauty rest...