Great Lakes Film Association

2008 GLFA Video Competition

Printable PDF Entry Form Please read and sign the entry form

Pull out your video cameras, cell phones, animation tools and whatever inspires you. The Great Lakes Film Association is proud to announce the call for entries for our first annual Online Video Competition. We're looking for moments in time that capture “life” as you see it of all genres and any subject matter including music.

Videos on any subject will be accepted into the competition to be judged by an independent, professional panel. All you need is a video camera and your imagination.

The GLFA Online Video Competition was designed to encourage videographers, students and just the everyday person who picks up a video camera to take the first step in revealing their talent to the world, and giving them a chance to get the recognition they deserve.

The GLFA Online Video Competition is the only professional competition that gives both first time and veteran filmmakers and videographers a fair and equal opportunities to get their work looked at, and win great prizes and exposure.

We look forward to receiving works of creative expression and artistic imprint.

Competition Awards: (1 Grand Prize Winner)

Prizes for the winning video will include cash award of $500.00 and the winning video will be forwarded to agents and industry professionals for consideration.

Top 10 finalists will: (10 finalists from each category)

Be given exposure film studios and Hollywood producers.

Be contacted by November 1, 2008, and be given until January 31, 2009, to submit a reedited video.

Have names and contact information posted on GLFA Web site.

Included in a GLFA press release.

Posted on the GLFA Web site.

Given further opportunities by having their video reviewed by influential producers, agents and / or managers who play an active role in today’s industry.

Additional prizes will be announced as they are made available.

Fees and Deadlines:

$10.00 if postmarked by April 5, 2008 (U.S. Currency only)
$12.00 if postmarked by June 28, 2008 (U.S. Currency only)
$15.00 if postmarked by August 9, 2008 (U.S. Currency only)
$30.00 if postmarked by September 6, 2008 (U.S. Currency only) Withoutabox entries ONLY

Winner will be announced no later than October 11, 2008

ABSOLUTELY NO INTERNATIONAL CHECKS, WIRE TRANSFERS, OR MONEY GRAMS WILL BE ACCEPTED. For all entries submitted outside the United States, we will only accept payment for submission fees in the form of INTERNATIONAL POSTAL MONEY ORDERS

Category Description:

Short Films is for short movies of any type or length, such as drama or others.
Animation is for any animated pieces, whether simple stop-motion or frames put in order or 3D animation from a computer program.
Comedy is for any format of comedy sketch, parody, or other related work.
Cutting Edge is for trying new film styles, messages about public awareness, and the types of film and movie work that does not fit into other categories by its very nature.
Action Sports is for movies made by sportsmen of their stunts and endeavors, such as skateboarders, surfers, bikers, and more.
Trailers is for short introductory works to other longer movies or works, whether real movies or imagined.
Wacky and Weird is a category for all those humorous or strange short clips that you want to submit as that lighter side of life, but can't find the place for. Here's your shot to show off whatever you can, on camera.

Music Video Submission Categories:

Live performances are acceptable. Music Videos do not need to be professionally recorded. This means, if you happen to be out at a band show and happen to capture your favorite group, YES you can submit this video as a music video.

However, for your own protection, we do ask that you please make sure you have the approval and consent of the performers to submit the video.

The Acoustic category is for music that solely uses acoustic instruments, such as the acoustic guitar, banjo, violin, piano, cello, voice, and others.
The Country/Americana category is for the more traditional American styles of music, usually very centralized on a single or two guitars that are often acoustic, with a very strong emphasis on a vocal track with particular lyrical styling.
The Indie/Alternative category is for modern rock songs that often do not have a consistent beat throughout the song and feature sound patterns that change over the course of the song and often diverge from the standard rock or pop music sounds. Some of the recent indie musical efforts that gathered national attention have been The Postal Service, Interpol, and Modest Mouse.
The Pop category is for the mainstream popular styles of music, usually with a certain melody and a pattern of verse and chorus.
The Rock category is for music with a prominent vocal melody, usually accompanied by a guitar, drums, and bass. Many rock songs also involve pianos, synthesizers, or other instruments. Some of the mainstream bands that model the sound of rock music range from The Rolling Stones to The White Stripes.
The Hard Rock category is for rock music that usually involves heavy use of electric guitars, drums, and bass guitar. Hard rock is often characterized to the sound of Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin, or Pearl Jam.
Hip-Hop music category consists of rhythmic lyrics and an instrumental track or beat, often performed with a DJ or drum samples.
Experimental music category is any music that challenges the commonly accepted notions of what music is. There is an overlap with avant-garde music.
Electronic music category is a term that covers a wide range of electronic or electronic-influenced music. The term has been defined by some to mean modern electronic music that is not necessarily designed for the dance floor, but rather for home listening. Some of the archetypal electronic musicians include John Digweed, Orbital, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, and Paul Oakenfold.
Rhythm and Blues/Soul is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences, first performed by African American artists. Some famous R&B musicians include Chuck Berry, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and B.B. King.
Jazz Music and Blues Music category is use improvisation, blue notes, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and syncopation, and blends African American musical styles with Western music technique and theory. Jazz music usually focuses on a full set of brass and wind instruments with one or two vocalists, and blues music usually focuses on a single vocalist that is backed by one or more instruments with some kind of narrative expressed through the song.
The World Music category is for music that usually uses distinctive ethnic scales and usually non-Western styles in music, and is very frequently accompanied by classical ethnic instruments like steel drum, the sitar or the didgeridoo.
Punk Rock category often features one or more electric guitars, an electric bass and drums with vocals. Vocals are often accompanied by a shouting vocalist that backs them. It has been described as very anti-establishment music and very rebellious to the normal characteristics of rock music and other genres. The term rises out of 70s bands like The Clash and The Ramones, or the Sex Pistols.
Metal Rock category is a genre of rock that developed during the late 60s and early 70s, with a thick sound from drums and guitars, with fast paced guitar solos and heavily amplified. It is now characterized by heavy use of electric guitars, and electric bass with other accompanying instruments at times, with loud vocals that are often accompanied by crashing drums. Some famous metal bands include Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Motley Crue.
Solo Performance is a category for solo artists to show off their best pieces. All types of instrumentation are welcome here, but we strictly limit performances to a single instrument and vocalist. A song in this channel should be capable of being performed live by a single person. And no, a synthesizer doesn't count as a single instrument, since you can't program it to play five instruments live.
Latin music category is music featuring traditional Latin American instruments and rhythm. Particular percussion and instruments are commonly found in Latin music and not frequently seen elsewhere. It is also generally in Spanish or Portuguese.
Alternative Hip-Hop is a sub-genre of Hip-Hop that frequently includes more of the laid-back, groovy, conscious and lyrical music in the genre. It also frequently draws from funk, jazz, and other genres of music.
Gangsta/Club category is a style of Hip-Hop that became popular in the late 1980's and remains very popular today. Many of the long-standing important commercial artists in this genre are cited as being Ice-T, Snoop, and Dr Dre.
Reggae is a style of music developed in Jamaica. It is founded upon its rhythm style, which is frequently characterized by its regular chops on the backbeat, played by the rhythm guitarist and a bass drum often hitting on the third beat of each measure

RULES:

Only one title per entry form. Productions from 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 may be submitted. Do not submit works in progress.
Technical Requirements Any Video or Music entered into the Contest must be greater than 30 seconds and no more than 30 minutes in length, and be submitted in one of the formats allowed.
Videos from Livevideo, Youtube, Myspace, Yahoo, or Dailymotion will be acceptable.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND HTML code from any other site.
Entries must be submitted as Windows Media or QuickTime burned to CD or DVD, or a DVD-Video disc.
Do not send entries on videotape they will be disqualified.
You may enter as many videos as you like, but send each entry on its own individual disc, includes its own submission form, and submission fee.

Additional Requirements:

Entry must be primarily in English or subtitled in English.
No Entries will be returned. Contest Parties may, in their sole discretion, remove, delete and/or disqualify Entries deemed to be inappropriate or otherwise non-compliant.
If any group of individuals elects to collaborate on an Entry, they are required to designate one (1) person as the agent of the group to enter the Contest, agree to these rules and accept the prize on behalf of the group. Neither Sponsor nor any of the Contest Parties are liable for any disputes between collaborators arising under or related to the Contest.
Must be 18 years of age or older.
NO X-rated content will be considered.

How To Enter:

1) You can burn your videos on a DVD and submit the disc to:

2008 GLFA Online Video Competition
P.O. Box 346
Erie. Pa. 16512

Please send along a completed and signed entry form in hardcopy along with your submission and the entry fee.

2) Fill out the online entry application and include the embedding html code of your Livevideo, Youtube, Myspace, Yahoo, or Dailymotion video.

Entries must be submitted as Windows Media or QuickTime burned to CD or DVD, or a DVD-Video disc. Do not send entries on videotape they will be disqualified.

Rules and Terms of Entry

Online Entry Form

Printable PDF Entry Form Please read and sign the entry form