Timeline:

The competition will officially start on Friday, March 24th at 9p.m and end on Sunday, March 26th at 9p.m. The award ceremony & screening of the films will be on Tuesday, April 4th at 7p.m. in Carver 101.

Teams will promptly receive an email on Friday, March 24th at 9pm. The email will include specific prompts that must be included in each film. The prompts will consist of:

• A catch-phrase or line that must be incorporated into the film’s dialogue, either verbally or in written form

• An object (Note: The object cannot be limited to background scenery. It must be in use or incorporated as a subject of conversation. In both cases, the object must be fully visible at some point during the film)

Completed films are due by 10p.m. on Sunday, March 26th to Cyclone Cinema, in Carver 101. Please drop off a DVD of completed film between 6:15 p.m. and 10 p.m. to a volunteer at Cyclone Cinema. Individuals from the ISU Film Producers Club will be there as well. Additionally, teams have until 10 pm, March 26th to upload their films to YouTube and send the link to cyclonecinema@iastate.edu.

Entries that do not make the deadline will be removed from competition.

Rules & Restrictions:

Any type, quantity or quality of recording equipment is permissible.

The length of the film must be between a minimum of 2 minutes to a maximum of 10 minutes long. Only this length of time is allowed, any film entry that does not meet these time requirements will be disqualified from judging and not be shown at the screening.

All steps of the creative process must take place during the allotted 48 hours. This includes: writing the script, rehearsal, costume/set-design, shooting and editing.

No stock footage or footage created before the allotted 48 hours is permissible.

All non-original music (diegetic and nondiegetic) must be royalty-free and properly cited in the credits of the film. Pre-recorded original music is permitted.

Any original special effects or computer graphics are permitted, as long as they were created during the allotted 48 hours.
Excessive profanity, nudity, and drugs or alcohol content are prohibited. Videos containing these items will not be shown or judged for the Cyclone Cinema Film Festival on March 28th. The judgement of these restrictions will be under the discretion of the judges.

Judging:

Films will be assessed by a panel of judges based on cinematography, editing, script, acting and additional elements (music, graphics, etc.).

Prizes:

There are cash prizes for the top three overall films.

• First place: $150
• Second place: $100
• Third place: $75

There will also be secondary recognition for:

• Best Director
• Best Screenwriter
• Best Leading Actor/Actress

Each winner will receive $25 gift card or cash prize.

Credits:

Before the beginning of your film, please include 6-10 seconds of a black slate with white text. Please include the following:

• Cyclone Cinema Film Festival

• Name(s) of group members

• Title of Film

Following this, please add 2 seconds more of black slate before beginning your film for a total of 8-12 seconds. This time will not be included in the total duration of your film.

Please be sure to credit all contributors to your film and their roles for the selection of secondary awards.

Resources:

Royalty free music: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/

Recording equipment available for check-out: https://www.it.iastate.edu/services/laptops

Disclosure:

Student Union Board and ISU Film Producers Club have the right to deny any films they see unfit or inappropriate at our sole discretion. These films will not be judged or shown for the Cyclone Cinema Film Festival. Student Union Board and ISU Film Producers Club also have the rights to the films and may be shown at future events.