2. Who must be officially registered?
4. Can I use copyrighted material in my film?
5. Please explain "Film Genres."
1. We don't have any hard and fast "ratings rules," but generally speaking we won't screen/show anything we feel would compromise the integrity of the festival. We can't promise that there won't be any nudity/sex, violence, or foul language, but we reserve the right to remove any submissions that we deem "obscene." This is a community event, and we want it to be family friendly; yet we also must allow the filmmakers their right to express stories without fear of censorship. As a precautionary measure, we'll take care to announce any concerns or warnings about the films before they are screened.
2. The entry form requires that you register all members of your team—including actors—and that they each sign a document that clears Festival organizers of responsibility for any unforeseen accidents or circumstances that may occur on the day of the Festival (once you have left Market Square to go make your film). If you are under 18 years of age, you'll need a legal guardian or parent must sign. This applies mostly to teams in the student category.
3. Again, we rely on the common sense of our competitors to not produce films that would be considered obscene; however, as artists ourselves, we cannot in good conscience censor our entries. We strongly believe that censorship kills art. What constitutes obscenity? That's a complicated question! For instance, the Supreme Court defined obscenity as unprotected speech due to its being "utterly without redeeming social importance." While that's a vague definition, we find that it provides good precedent for defending the content of film (and art) against censorship. Needless to say, interpretation of what constitutes obscenity is highly subjective, and more often than not, we'll defend the right of "our" filmmakers to present their vision as they see fit.
If we identify potential concerns with the content of a film, we might place a warning before it is screened—but only in extreme cases. On the other hand, frontal nudity is not allowed, simply because it isn't needed in a 3 minute short. However, a legally responsible "covering," by today's standards, doesn't really cover much.
Outrageous entries? I sure hope we get a couple!
Language? We think our audience is mature and responsible, so they can handle what are, after all, just words. However, as always, we do reserve the right to disqualify an entry if language is determined to be obscene (i.e., "utterly without redeeming social importance").
4. The short answer is a resounding NO. You must agree to not use any copyrighted materials in your video without a release form signed by the coypright owner. This includes published music and original works of art. Anyone featured on screen solo or in close-up must also sign a release form. Any entry using copyrighted music (without the express written consent of the copyright holder) will be disqualified and ineligible for prizes.
While we realize this makes your job more challenging, we can't legally reward people for stealing music or images that belong to others. Further, it presents a great opportunity to get a friend some exposure by playing their music, or using a software program to create a music bed. That's the route I took on Rose, an entry from 2006. The idea is to come mentally prepared for anything, to be unscripted and flexible, and to rely on your creativity to create a compelling story under hectic conditions. That's what makes this festival fun, and what keeps people coming back year after year!
5. A good question for budding filmmakers! This answer is going to be somewhat lengthy, so prepare yourself. For the record, we've taken much of our answer to this question from the entries on film genre at Wikipedia and filmsite.org.
"In film theory, genre refers to the primary method of film categorization based on similarities in the narrative elements from which films are constructed... Film genres can be categorized according to their setting, theme topic, mood, and format." (Wikipedia)
Further, film genres have "similar, familiar or instantly recognizable patterns, syntax, filmic techniques or conventions - that include one or more of the following:
(filmsite)
An additional way of categorizing film genres is by the target audience. Still with us?
You should also know that a single film can straddle several film genres. For your edification, here are summaries of a few of the most common genres (again, according to filmsite.org):
Action
Subcategories:
• War
• Disaster
• Spy
• Adventure
Action films usually include high energy, big-budget physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles, fights, escapes, destructive crises (floods, explosions, natural disasters, fires, etc.), non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous, often two-dimensional 'good-guy' heroes (or recently, heroines) battling 'bad guys' - all designed for pure audience escapism. Includes the James Bond 'fantasy' spy/espionage series, martial arts films, and so-called 'blaxploitation' films. A major sub-genre of the action film is the disaster film.
Another sub-genre of the action film is the adventure film. Adventure films are exciting stories featuring new experiences or exotic locales. Rather than the predominant emphasis on violence and fighting that is found in action films, however, the viewer of adventure films can live vicariously through the travels, conquests, explorations, creation of empires, struggles and situations that confront the main characters, actual historical figures or protagonists.
Crime
Subcategories:
• Film noir
• Detective
• Mystery
• Serial Killer
Crime (gangster) films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or mobsters/gangsters, particularly bankrobbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and murdering their way through life. Criminal and gangster films are often categorized as film noir or detective-mystery films - because of underlying similarities between these cinematic forms. This category includes a description of various 'serial killer' films.
Horror
Subcategories:
• Slasher
• Serial killer
• Satanic
• Monster (Dracula, Frankenstein type)
Horror films are designed to frighten and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films feature a wide range of styles, from the earliest silent Nosferatu classic, to today's CGI monsters and deranged humans. They are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. There are many sub-genres of horror: slasher, teen terror, serial killers, satanic, Dracula, Frankenstein, etc.
Science Fiction
Subcategories:
• Fantasy
• Supernatural
Sci-fi films are often quasi-scientific, visionary and imaginative - complete with heroes, aliens, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology, unknown and unknowable forces, and extraordinary monsters ('things or creatures from space'), either created by mad scientists or by nuclear havoc. They are sometimes an offshoot of fantasy films, or they share some similarities with action/adventure films. Science fiction often expresses the potential of technology to destroy humankind and easily overlaps with horror films, particularly when technology or alien life forms become malevolent, as in the "Atomic Age" of sci-fi films in the 1950s.
Supernatural Films are films that have themes including gods or goddesses, ghosts, apparitions, spirits, miracles, and other similar ideas or depictions of extraordinary phenomena. They may be combined with other genres, including comedy, sci-fi, fantasy or horror. There are also many hybrids that have combinations of fear, fantasy, horror, romance and comedy.
Western
Westerns are the major defining genre of the American film industry - a eulogy to the early days of the expansive American frontier. They are one of the oldest, most enduring genres with very recognizable plots, elements, and characters (six-guns, horses, dusty towns and trails, cowboys, Indians, etc.). Over time, westerns have been re-defined, re-invented and expanded, dismissed, re-discovered, and spoofed.
Documentary/Mockumentary
Subcategories
• Biographical
Documentary Films, strictly speaking, are non-fictional, "slice of life" factual works of art - and sometimes known as cinema verite. For many years, as films became more narrative-based, documentaries branched out and took many forms since their early beginnings - some of which have been termed propagandistic or non-objective.
Mockumentary films are done in the same vein as a documentary, but done tongue-in-cheek on a factual subject, or on a fictional one.