2013 OFFICIAL RULES (Please Note:
Additional contest details can be found on the FAQ page, available here.)
1. ELIGIBILITY: The Weekend Shorts Challenge ("Contest”) is presented by
the Producers Guild of America Foundation ("PGA”) to support educational outreach for producers and emerging filmmakers; and is open to anyone who complies with the following rules
and standards. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following individuals are not
eligible: persons involved in the judging of the Contest and their immediate
family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of each) and
those living in their same households for at least three (3) months during the
twelve (12) month period preceding the start date of the Contest.
You do not need to be a PGA member in order to enter the contest.
Each person or team
submitting a film/video for the Contest is an "Entrant.” The submitted
film/video is the "Entry.” Each Entrant, or part thereof, is limited to
one Entry.
Entrants must have at least one member of its team be 18 years of age or older.
Each Entrant must designate one person, 18 years of age or older, as their
Entrant Representative ("ER”), and no Entrant may have more than one ER.
The ER will act for the Entrant in all communications with the PGA and
regarding the Contest.
ERs will be required to, and must, sign and submit the standard PGA Entry
Agreement with their Entry. A copy of this agreement is available below. The
Entry Agreement must be signed on behalf of all members of the Entrant, and
each member hereby authorizes, and by participating herein further authorizes,
the ER to so sign on their behalf. Upon submission of the Secure Online
Screener to Withoutabox ("WAB”) please email a copy of the signed agreements
directly to: shortscontest@producersguild.org.
All costs associated with the production of the Entry and participation in the
Contest are the sole responsibility of the Entrant.
Entrants need not be physically present at the designated times to participate.
2. CONTEST DATES:
» The Contest Entry Period will commence Saturday, June 1, 2013 and
end on Wednesday September4, 2013
» The Production Period commences Friday, September 6, 2013 (at 2:01
p.m. PDST/ 5:01 p.m. EDST) and ends Sunday, September 8, 2013 (at 5:00 p.m.
PDST/ 8:00 p.m. EDST).
3. TO ENTER: To register
for the Contest, follow these Official Rules and the instructions found on
www.pgaweekendshorts.com. Registration must be fully completed by 11:59
p.m. PDST on Wednesday, September 4, 2013.
Registration fees are as follows:
» EARLY BIRD ENTRY FEE: $50 per
Entrant (defined below) June 1, 2013 through June 30, 2013;
» $75 per Entrant from July 1, 2013 through July 31, 2013;
» $80 from August 1, 2013 through August 21, 2013; and
» $95 if received August 22, 2013 through September 4, 2013.
No registrations will be accepted after September 4, 2013. There will be NO
REFUNDS if an Entrant improperly registers or must withdraw.
4. FILMMAKING RULES: The following rules apply to each Entrant and
participating group/production team:
A. Assignment
All Entrants will be provided the
same assignment, and be given exactly 51 hours to make and submit an
"Entry”. The topic will be posted on the web site www.pgaweekendshorts.com
commencing at 5:01 p.m. EDST/ 2:01 p.m. PDST on Friday, September 6, 2013. As a
courtesy, the topic will also be posted at the PGA Facebook page and will be
sent to the Entrant’s email as identified on the Entry Agreement. PGA shall not
be responsible for any internet or communication malfunctions or problems or
any failure of any Entrant to receive any posted or emailed communication. (See
paragraph 10 below). To be considered eligible, all Entries must be properly
submitted by 8:00 p.m. EDST/ 5:00 p.m. PDST on September 8, 2013. See
www.pgaweekendshorts.com for details.
B. Times
The Entrant must fully complete submission of its completed Entry by 8:00 p.m.
EDST/ 5:00 p.m. PDST on Sunday, September 8, 2013.
Only works that meet the deadline will be officially part of the Contest. Please contact WAB with any and all technical questions about properly
uploading your completed project to insure completion by the posted deadline.
All creative work must take place from 5:01 p.m. EDST/ 2:01 p.m. PDST on
Friday, September 6, 2013 through 8:00 p.m. EDST/ 5:00 p.m. PDST on Sunday,
September 8, 2013 (the "Contest Weekend”). Any creative work in advance of
the Contest Weekend is prohibited. Creative work includes, but is not limited
to:
» Writing;
» Rehearsing;
» Costume/Set Design;
» Shooting;
» Editing;
» Sound Design;
» Rendering; and
» Outputting to tape or other media.
C. Footage
All footage must be shot within the Contest Weekend.
1) No stock footage or footage shot or created at another time may be used.
2) Animation and special effects are permitted, but must be created during the
Contest Weekend.
3) If the spoken language in the film is not English, film must have
English Subtitles.
Still photographs are permitted (so long as not used to create illusion of
motion), provided that the Entrant has the rights to them. The photos do not
need to be created during the Contest Weekend.
D. Volunteers
All cast and crew must be volunteers.
E. Length
The finished Entry must have a minimum duration of three (3) minutes and a
maximum duration of five (5) minutes—not including credits.
F. Title Card
Designation
Before the finished film/video begins, the media must have:
» 5 seconds of bars and tone;
» 5 seconds of black;
» A title card with: team name, title and date submitted;
» A title card with: "This film/video made for the Producers Guild of
America Weekend Shorts Challenge."
» 2 seconds of black, followed by;
» Your film/video.
G. Credits
» Credits at the end of each Entry are limited to a maximum of 60 seconds.
» End credits must include the words: "This film/video made for the
Producers Guild of America Weekend Shorts Challenge."
» Opening credits are considered to be part of the Entry, and therefore count
against the five (5)-minute maximum.
H. Forms & Formats
Your Entry must be submitted in Digital Upload format only. See
www.pgaweekendshorts.com for details.
In order to be showcased on the Producers Guild of America website, winning
Entries must be submitted or re-submitted in a format compatible with Vimeo
video hosting services. (see http://vimeo.com/help/compression for details.)
Upon submission of the Secure Online Screener to Withoutabox, please email a
copy of the signed Entry Form and Certification Statement directly to: shortscontest@producersguild.org.
Release agreements will be required from the winning Entries.
I. Sound
Maintain sound levels relatively even throughout your Entry. (Uneven sound may
be modified to protect the playback equipment.)
J. Contest Releases
Each Entrant must secure releases for talent, crew, music and locations and any
other applicable releases (collectively referred to as "Contest Releases”),
which must be submitted upon request to the Contest organizers. Contest
Releases must be submitted within 36 hours of request. (The Contest Release
forms can be found on www.pgaweekendshorts.com).
K. Certification Statements
The Entrant must submit a statement with his/her/its completed Entry,
certifying adherence to all Official Rules ("Certification Statement”). The
Certification Statement forms can be found on www.pgaweekendshorts.com.
L. Original/Non-Violating
To be eligible for the Project, Entries must be the original work of the
Entrant(s); must not infringe on third-party’s rights; must be suitable for
publication (i.e., may not be obscene or indecent); must not contain obscene or
pornographic material; may not contain defamatory statements about any person,
company, organization or entity; may not invade privacy or other rights of any
person, company or entity; may not in any other way violate applicable laws and
regulations; and may not contain any copyrighted elements (other than as owned
by the Entrant or in the public domain). Entries containing prohibited or
inappropriate content as determined by the PGA, in its sole discretion, to be
inappropriate, will be disqualified. The PGA reserves the right to make the
final determination as to which Entries are eligible. The PGA also reserves the
right to refuse to screen a film/video or to make an announcement regarding the
content of the Entry.
M. Notes on Submissions
Nothing other than the Entry, the Entry Agreement, the Contest Releases (when
requested) and the Certification Agreement may be submitted. No personal bios,
CVs, publicity materials, communications or other items or elements may be
submitted and may result in disqualification of your Entry.
Submitted Entries will NOT be returned to Entrant(s).
If your Entry does not conform to the submission requirements, it may be
disqualified. Also, if your Entry cannot be viewed on the PGA equipment, it may
be disqualified.
N. Lawful
No law may be broken in connection with the development, creation, filming or
submission of the Entry.
O. Compliance
Each Entry and each Entrant’s film/video production and participation must
follow all Official Rules.
P. Disqualification
The PGA may, in its sole discretion, disqualify Entries deemed by the PGA to be
inappropriate or otherwise non-compliant.
Q. Amendments
The PGA may add to or amend these Official Rules at any time prior to the
beginning of the Contest Weekend. All ERs, members and Entrants are advised to
repeatedly consult http://www.pgaweekendshorts.com to review the latest rules.
5.
SELECTION OF WINNERS: Eligible Entries will be judged based on the following
criteria:
A. Creative Merit – 40% - consisting
of:
- story/plot
- performances
- entertainment value
B. Technical Execution – 30% -
consisting of:
- picture quality
- sound quality
- editing & post-production quality
- production value & effects
C. Execution of the Assignment – 30%
The Contest will be characterized by a specific assignment,
requiring films to include a certain theme and a few specific elements. The
degree to which each film organically incorporates the elements of the assignment
will dictate judges’ evaluation of the films’ Execution of Assignment.
The Contest will award a first prize; second prize and third prize. See the web
site for prize details and updates. Entrants agree and acknowledge that the PGA
has the sole right to judge the Entries, select the winners and decide all
matters and disputes arising from this Contest in its sole discretion, and that
all decisions of the PGA are final and binding.
6. By submitting an Entry into this Contest,
each Entrant, and each of Entrant’s respective members, including the ER,
warrants and represents that the Entrant owns all rights to the Entry he/she/it
is entering in this Contest, including, without limitation, the written,
musical, video, audio or digital elements, and the performances contained in
each Entry. Each ER, member and Entrant further warrants and represents that
neither the Entry nor the making thereof will violate or infringe on the rights
of any person, and that Entrant has obtained permission from each person who
appears in the Entry (or owns any rights with respect thereto) to grant the
rights to enter into the Contest and submit the Entry thereto. ER and Entrant
each warrants that they have provided these Official Rules to every person
appearing in the Entry (or owns any rights with respect thereto), and secured
their written consent thereto, prior to submitting the Entry. ER and Entrant
each agrees to submit copies of such permissions to the PGA upon request. By
submitting an Entry, each of ER, members and Entrant expressly agrees to the
Official Rules, as they currently exist or as amended, and further agrees to
indemnify and hold the PGA and its affiliates, officers, directors, agents,
partners, and any of their employees (collectively, the "Contest Indemnitees”)
harmless from any and all claims, damages, expenses, costs (including
reasonable attorneys’ fees) and liabilities (including settlements), brought or
asserted by any third party against any of the Contest Indemnitees due to or
arising out of the Entrant’s Entry materials in the Contest, or the Entrant’s
conduct during and in connection with this Contest, including but not limited
to trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property rights, right of
publicity, right of privacy or defamation. Each of ER, members and Entrant
agrees to release, indemnify and hold harmless the Contest Indemnitees from any
and all claims that any advertising, presentation, web content or any other
material subsequently produced, presented, and/or prepared by or on behalf of
the Contest Indemnitees infringes on the rights of Entrant’s work as contained
in any Entry.
7. As a condition of entry, Entrants must agree to the Entry Agreement, which
sets forth the rights of Entrant and the PGA with respect to the use of Entries
by the PGA. Entries that do not include all required information, and adhere to
the foregoing and following requirements, will be considered void and will not
be considered in this Contest.
8. If any group of individuals (each a "member”) elects to collaborate on
an Entry, they are required to designate one (1) person as their ER (see
paragraph 1). The ER shall serve as the agent of the group to enter the
Contest, agree to these Official Rules, sign the Entry Agreement and accept the
prize on behalf of the group. Neither the PGA nor any of the Contest Indemnitees
are liable for any disputes between collaborators, members, vendors, talent or
any other persons arising out of or related to the Entry or the Contest. As a
condition for any Entry, and being allowed to participate, each member hereby
warrants and represents that they have authorized the ER to sign all documents
related hereto, and to make any statements made to the PGA or the Contest, on
behalf of each member and their respective agents, representatives, assigns and
successors, and will hold the PGA and the Contest Indemnitees fully indemnified
and harmless from any dispute with respect thereto.
9. GENERAL CONDITIONS: By participating, Entrants agree to these Official
Rules, which are final and binding in all respects. The Contest is governed by
the laws of the State of California, USA, and all claims must be resolved by
binding arbitration in Los Angeles County, State of California, under the then
applicable Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures of JAMS.
10. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY AND RELEASE:
No liability or responsibility is assumed by the PGA or affiliated entities or
persons resulting from any person’s participation in, or attempt to participate
in, the Contest, or ability or inability to upload or download any information
in connection with participating in the Contest. No responsibility or liability
is assumed by the PGA or affiliated entities or persons for technical problems
or technical malfunction arising in connection with any of the following
occurrences which may affect the operation of the Contest: hardware or software
failures or errors; faulty computer, telephone, cable, satellite, network,
electronic, wireless or internet connectivity or other online communication
problems; errors or limitations of any internet service providers, servers,
hosts or providers; garbled, jumbled or faulty data transmissions; failure of
any e-mail transmissions to be sent or received; lost, late, delayed or
intercepted email transmissions; inaccessibility of any web site in whole or in
part for any reason; traffic congestion on the internet or any web site;
unauthorized human or non-human intervention of the operation of the Contest,
including without limitation, unauthorized tampering, hacking, theft, virus,
bug, worm; or destruction of any aspect of the Contest, or loss, miscount,
misdirection, inaccessibility or unavailability of an email account used in
connection with the Contest. The PGA and affiliated entities or persons are not
responsible for any typographical errors in the announcement of prizes or these
Official Rules, or any inaccurate or incorrect data contained on any web site.
Use of any affiliated web site is at user’s own risk. The PGA and affiliated
entities or persons are not responsible for any personal injury, harm, property
damage or loss of any kind which may be sustained to any Entrant or any other
person’s person or property resulting from participation in the Contest, use of
any affiliated web site or the download of any information. By participating in
the Contest, Entrant agrees to, and hereby does, release, indemnify and hold
the PGA and the Contest Indemnitees harmless from any and all claims, damages
or liabilities arising from or relating to such Entrant’s participation or
involvement in the Contest.
11. WINNERS: Winners will be posted
online at www.pgaweekendshorts.com –after the awards show on Saturday, November
9, 2013, As a courtesy, winners
will also be sent an email to the Entrant’s email as identified on the Entry
Agreement. PGA shall not be responsible for any internet or communication
malfunctions or problems or any failure of any Entrant to receive any posted or
emailed communication. (See paragraph 16 above).
Void where prohibited by law.  | | | Certification Statement
| Release Agreement
| Entry Agreement |
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