FAQ
Q: Can I submit more than
one short video?
A: Absolutely, feel free
to submit as many as you like. Just fill out the online form for each submission.
Q: What does 'link to video' on the submission form mean?
A: We ask that you put
your submission up on Vimeo, YouTube, etc. first so that our selection
committee can review it. If you're selected for the next round, you will be
notified by email regarding screening guidelines.
Q: What video formats are
you using for the screening?
A: You can use whatever
format and camera you want to create your film/video. But, for the screening we
are only showing digital formats: High Definition and Standard Definition must be compressed
as an H.264 quicktime movie or mpeg4 file.
Q: How are submissions
judged? What is your selection criteria?
Submissions will be
watched online by the full jury who will rate the work based on the inventive
and experimental use of the media as well as the content of the film.
Q: What happens if I get
selected?
A: If your film is chosen
by the selection committee, you'll be sent an email which describes how to get
us the desired uncompressed format. The reason we ask for this is because most
'save for web' exports from video editing software result in an often highly
compressed format. These kinds of videos can have severe quality problems when
projected on a large screen (and we'll be projecting your films on a rather
large wall). If your film is selected, you'll be sent a full set of guidelines
on how to export an uncompressed file.
Q: Are there awards or
prizes?
A: We’re working on it! We
are looking for sponsors who are interested in supporting creative talent from
the mid-atlantic region. As the
funds come rolling in, we’ll announce awards on our site. Check the submission
page for the most up to date information.
Q: I've paid for a song on
iTunes, does that mean that I have a license to use it in my film?
A: No, paying for a copy
of a song and acquiring a license are very different. Music licensing is a
complicated thing, and UGC's submission agreement leaves getting the proper
license up to you. But there are a lot of great resources for video makers.
Check out Vimeo's music store to find free or very inexpensive licensed music.
Vimeo's MusicStore FAQ is also full of great information about music licensing.
Some other good places to look are the audio selections on the CreativeCommons site, and Jamendo,
a music site that uses Creative Commons and the Internet Archive, a non-profit Internet library that encourages access to moving images and audio. You can also contact up and coming
bands on sites like Facebook, ReverbNation or Myspace to see if they would be
interested in letting you use their music. Be sure to get their permission in
writing!
It’s a confusing world out
there for film and video makers. We encourage you to read further to better
understand the hows and whys of copyright. Here are some recommendations:
http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/cid/copyrightbay/
http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/cid/copyrightbay/
Good interview with
author of “CopyRights and CopyWrongs” http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/20/siva_vaidhyanathan.html
