HD Shorts 2 Winners

[koolpenguin89]

I would like to announce the winners of the HD Shorts 2 Contest.

The results are:

1st place: Fried (AlanK)
2nd place: Cafe Heat (jaket)
3rd place: Green Army (hubrisincarnate)
Audience Choice: Fried (AlanK)

Thanks to all who entered (except for Mohabitar, screw that guy). Because i got so few entries, this will most likely be the last time i host this competiton. IMO, it isn't worth it to the sponsors for them to spend hundreds of dollars for the prizes if only 4 people are going to enter.

Anyways, congratulations to the winners, and good luck with your filmmaking careers.

Dylan

[CycleWriter]

Hey KP, don't sweat it. I enjoyed the effort (although there were a few minutes of my life I'd like back). Thanks for handling all the particulars.:hv20-smilie77:

[1]

Now we got rotating banners, we can always drum up support with a nice banner; that should drive some traffic to the HD Shorts.

[Dodgy Nick]

I really appreciate you running these penguino, you've done a pretty good job of it so far. I also enjoy seeing the results of the efforts everyone makes to enter these competitions, they're fun to watch and I learn as much 'how to do it' as 'how not to do it'!

I will throw my hat in the ring if there's another competition with a theme that resonates with me or even better yet, NO restriction on the theme, just to see what everyone's capable of. That might also equate to more entries. Just a thought. Don't give up, you're onto something :hv20-smilie77:

[koolpenguin89]

Maybe you guys are right. Ill think about it some more. Mal, did you get my PM?

Dylan

[1]

Yeah, koolpenguin89, just don't measure the degree of success by the number of entries. The fact that you managed to pull this off, and TWICE, should be commendable all by itself!

Edit: got your PM will reply [my] tomorrow morning.

[Kyleman]

Yeah good job KP! :) I agree with SW, try a competition without a theme. I think you will have a lot more entrees that way.



-Kyle

[AlanK]

I must admit the toughest part in the whole process of making my movie was coming up with some idea related to the theme - but after all it was great fun and very interesting experience for me.
If there will be another contest, I definetely want to be part of it! I think some invitations posted in other filmmaking forums could attract much more contestants.
Anyway, I really appreciate your votes and comments to Fried, thank you guys!

[orchidsofwrath]

Awsome everyone. I really enjoyed watching these. I apologize for not entering myself. Its just the theme was a little uninspiring compared to the DVXfest's theme that's going on right now (twilight). The sponsors are awsome for contributing prizes, but to be honest I think the competitions would be great fun even without prizes!

[Erik Bien]

I'd also like to again offer my thanks to Dylan for putting this together (and my apologies for not putting together an entry for this round). I hope the HD Shorts contest can continue on: either way, it's been fun!

One thing the results of the voting and judging make clear is it's possible to make an effective film armed with little more than a camera and a (good) concept; I hope it inspires a lot more people to try their hand at making a movie.

[zephyrnoid]

Too much trouble to actually link to the movies ???

[koolpenguin89]

Vimeo.com/HDShorts2
This thread was just to announce the winners. The voting thread had a link in it. Also, one user had already taken their film down.

Dylan

[whtnova]

:hv20-smilie77:

Congrats to all who entered, and the winner!!! :hv20-smilie70:

I hope these continue it's like our own little gleeming light in the universe.

[Chicken Warrior]

With the great prizes up I REALLY wanted to enter this one, but I was working on two feature films and somehow couldn't find it in my schedule (I had a themed idea and everything). I still love seeing the entries though, and if it's any help to the contest it certainly keeps me coming back to hv20.com and makes it a more lively forum.

[electro]

dang, I completely missed this one! (along with many others)
I need to check this side of the forum more often.
I really believe we should have more of these contests.

I thing that there should be one that begins at the beginning of october, and ends at the end of that october.
Most fall sports are finished by then, and students are settled into school.
(And there is still a bit of daylight left in most places)

Who ever heads it up should make sure it is advertised extremely well.

[1]

BTW, koolP: if you do do a next one, I'd call it film festival, not competition or contest.
A festival has a nicer, less competitive ring to it, don't ya think?

[tcindie]

I would agree with that Mal... Additionally it may be worthwhile to open it to other cameras, rather than solely the HV20/30.. I believe that's a good part of the reason the DVXUser contests do as well as they do, they're not restricted to just DVX users. ;)

I think the best way to go (for the most entries) would be to only have a few required elements (line of dialogue and a prop for instance) that way you ensure the film was shot during the competition duration, but nobody feels like their creativity is stifled --- though I still maintain that's not the case with a given "theme" requirement, and contrary to belief of stifling creativity those people simply aren't as creative as they might think they are. But I digress....

[AAA]

Well a few considerations:

1. A submission minimum. For example an open submission period of 30 days at which point you may submit your film at any time within the thirty day period. Quite simply if the contest minimum is 10 films (for example), and that is not achieved within the 30 day submission period then you may allow for an extension of another 30 days for which to receive more entries. The logic here is that the judging (contest) is characterized by a minimum entry requirement rather that a calendar date. The judging starts when 10 films (for example) have been submitted by the end of so and so entry period with one possible extension. If 10 films have not been submitted by the end of the extended period then the competition is scratched. I think this covers wasting generous prizes and promises a robustness to the contest. EDIT: I suggested a 30 period with a possible extension rather than a 60 day period because we all know everyone waits till the last minute to submit. 30 days might get the job done more efficiently, if not there's room for another period while 60 might be just a lot of wasted days.

2. I vote still calling it a contest. I'd rather submit to a contest (where an there is an implication of tested skill vs my peers) rather than a simple festival. Its semantics but there's something challenging about a "contest".

3. I hear ya about opening up the contest beyond this forum in order to increase entries. I'll only say that this board is a community of sorts, and this contest is really should (as much as possible) be maintained as a community activity. Lots of us come here and push and pull with each other on a daily basis. There are several relationships, friendly and even adversarial but productive, on these boards and it would blow donkey balls to watch say a semi-pro, or worse pro submit to the contest from an outside forum using a 10 times better cam (DVX, HVX) and basically smoke everyone here and make off with prizes offered by longtime HV20.com members. Id much rather see hv20.com members slugging it out.

4. My final comment would be on voting. I vote that there should be a restriction on commentary during the voting period, especially in reference to saying who you voted for. I think a string of "I voted for Fried" down the thread really robs the objectivity from the contest. Unfortunately, the several minions of the more well known posters are more than likely to vote in line with popular opinion than judge for themselves. Or at the very least be biased because so and so voted for this one. After a while it was pretty obvious there was nothing stopping Fried from running away with it when almost the entire thread was boasting about it. I dont know what the solution is to this but once you get a guy like a Mod comment on who he voted for the minions will come out and support his vote if only just to align themselves with him .....it happens all over these boards ....sometimes I dont think people have there own opinions but rather just regurgitate someone elses. It happens.

[koolpenguin89]

Wow, thanks for all that input AAA, especially the parts about the minimum entry reserve and the part about the posting in the thread (i had never even thought about that aspect of it).

Dylan

[koolpenguin89]

By the way, what did everyone think about the way the voting worked this time around? The way the judges picked the top 3 and the community picked the audience choice. Did everyone think that worked out okay? I'd love to get some feedback on that.

Dylan

[Erik Bien]

it would blow donkey balls to watch say a semi-pro, or worse pro submit to the contest from an outside forum using a 10 times better cam (DVX, HVX) and basically smoke everyone here and make off with prizes offered by longtime HV20.com members.

While I agree with everything else you wrote, if you want a Panasonic camera that's "10 times better" than an HV20, you'll need to go much further up their product line! :hv20-smilie81:

[AAA]

I stand corrected. ; )

[tcindie]

By the way, what did everyone think about the way the voting worked this time around? The way the judges picked the top 3 and the community picked the audience choice. Did everyone think that worked out okay? I'd love to get some feedback on that.

Dylan

I think it's the best way to run this sort of competition, and it seems to have worked out quite well... though given the small amount of films entered, I'd guess the results in this case would have been pretty similar either way.

[Whipsmack]

I hope theres another contest soon!

[koolpenguin89]

Im thinking about maybe doing an october contest. Im still going over different ideas and plans though.

Dylan

[CycleWriter]

4. My final comment would be on voting. I vote that there should be a restriction on commentary during the voting period, especially in reference to saying who you voted for. I think a string of "I voted for Fried" down the thread really robs the objectivity from the contest. Unfortunately, the several minions of the more well known posters are more than likely to vote in line with popular opinion than judge for themselves. Or at the very least be biased because so and so voted for this one. After a while it was pretty obvious there was nothing stopping Fried from running away with it when almost the entire thread was boasting about it. I dont know what the solution is to this but once you get a guy like a Mod comment on who he voted for the minions will come out and support his vote if only just to align themselves with him .....it happens all over these boards ....sometimes I dont think people have there own opinions but rather just regurgitate someone elses. It happens.I have to say, I was somewhat sensitive to that and purposely said nothing about my votes or that I was even a judge. And my top pick didn't win, so I wasn't influenced by the public ballots. Good observation, AAA.:hv20-smilie77:

[Kyleman]

Either way congrats to the winner! :) Next time I think it should not include a theme, seriously, I think you will get more entrees. And if you do that, then I might even enter the competition.



-Kyle

[Mr Film Maker]

Too bad I have missed it! I would have loved to enter. Next time ..
A few comments:
- Should be open theme to get more entries: Horror, drama, Action .. etc.
- Allow 30days period and like someone said have a minmum # of movies (10 is good #)
- No comments about movies - just voting.
- Certainly restrict it to HV20/30 Cams.
- Advertise it more aggressivly.

Thanks for running it and I hope to join the many others in the next one!

[orchidsofwrath]

You guys the contest never had a genre restriction. Its open to anything. Horror? A movie about a psycho pyromaniac. Drama? A story where some dude's girl friend gets burned. Action? Every action movie is fiery.
All that koolpenguin specified was a heat theme not a genre theme. Its still incredibly open. I personally don't think it limits at all. I think i'd find an easy time adapting any script to incorporate heat.
I think perhaps heat wouldn't have been my first choice for a theme, but if i couldn't think of a pitch it wouldn't be the theme stopping me. It would just be my brain. Like TCindy said, the theme is not limiting creativity.
With that being said, I think I still might prefer an open theme contest, and to ensure the film was created for this contest make an object or line of dialogue a requirement.

[Chicken Warrior]

make an object or line of dialogue a requirement.

I second the notion. Lines of dialogue keep people on track in 48hr/24hr film contests/festivals and are fun to watch out for. A good film will make them seem unnoticable, no matter what genre/theme.

[Mr Film Maker]

I second the notion. Lines of dialogue keep people on track in 48hr/24hr film contests/festivals and are fun to watch out for. A good film will make them seem unnoticable, no matter what genre/theme.

Unless it is a silent movie.. :hv20-smilie64:

[net]

By the way, what did everyone think about the way the voting worked this time around? The way the judges picked the top 3 and the community picked the audience choice. Did everyone think that worked out okay? I'd love to get some feedback on that.

I think it's important to allow the HV20 community to vote, on more than the audience choice, because it allows for participation whether you have a video entered or not.

I saw a video contest on another site, which had about fifty entries, they allowed registered users to vote on the videos. This didn't determine the winners, yet determined who would stay in/out of the bottom eight. The bottom eight entries didn't continue on to the final judging round - where the judges, not the audience, decided the winners.

[koolpenguin89]

Net, this process would only work for sites that got a lot of entries. For some reason, i don't get a lot of entries for these things. Maybe with some more advertising i could. Thats one thing Im working on right now.

Dylan

[Ivan Fuentes]

Too bad, I really wanted to be part of it. As jury or contestant. But I just came back from filming in an isolated island. Next time!

[tcindie]

Unless it is a silent movie.. :hv20-smilie64:

Even if you wind up with the Silent Film genre in the 48hr film project, you have to use the require line of dialogue. ;)

Of course it would have to appear written rather than be spoken, but yeah..

[1]

....isolated island...

Which one?

[Chicken Warrior]

I think community voting is preferable generally, although given the relatively small participation numbers I think the election system is corrupt to the 'you're my friend, vote for me' plague.

[EssentialParadox]

Yes, more advertising. I only just found out about this contest, I would love to enter the next one :)

Also, I think one of the reasons you wanted a theme was to ensure the person was creating the film specifically for the contest? Why not have a rule that a particular word or phrase or object has to appear in the film in some way, whether through dialog or within the scenery.

[APXIAC]

I would love to do any type of contest whenever its ready.
If help is needed im here to support as well so just let me know.
I get my HV30 this coming monday, which i purchased because of reading THIS forum.
So I will deffidentally be sticking around.

[garrettgibbons]

I missed the deadline by what, a month plus? But I FINISHED IT last night! Yay! Better late than never. I'll pimp my short here:

http://vimeo.com/1846005

Watch it if you have 5 minutes--turn up the volume on those speakers, too!

[Philafront]

garrettgibbons that dancing video was awesome!

[jill_alcher]

That was a great contest. :)