FAQs
GETTING THE WORDING RIGHT
1. What does the theme mean?
2. Do I need to be a New Zealander?
3. Is there an age limit?
4. Can I enter as an individual or do I need a team?
5. Why are there three categories?
6. What if our team is a mixture of people from different categories?r
7. Why is there a film duration limit?
8. Can I enter more than one film?
9. Why is there an entry fee?
10. Does the film need to be in English?
PAPERWORK STUFF
11. What is a Release Form and why do I need to sign one?
12. Do Release Forms need to be signed by everyone involved?
13. What about music – how do I find some I can use?
14. How can I convince people to sign a Release Form?
PROMOTION
15. What will happen to my film after the competition?
16. Can I promote my own film?
SUBMISSIONS & AWARDS
17. When can I submit a film?
18. I have finished my film, what do I do now?
19. How do I create a Vimeo account?
20. Why use Vimeo.com and not YouTube.com?
21. Can I alter my film once I have submitted it?
22. Can I submit a film that I made previously for another event, competition or festival?
23. When will we know who the finalists are and when will we know who has won an award?
24. What will happen if I am a finalist?
25. Where is the Awards Ceremony?
26. If I am not a Finalist, can I still attend the Awards Ceremony?
GETTING THE WORDING RIGHT
1. What does the theme mean?
“Young Kiwis making a difference” should act as a guide for your film. Whether it’s cleaning up a local beach, volunteering in the community, or any thing that in some way is about young New Zealanders making a difference – whether in their personal lives or for the benefit of others and/or the environment. The judges will be looking for films relevant to the theme.
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2. Do I need to be a New Zealander?
Not necessarily. We are more interested in stories of change-makers and communities in New Zealand.
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3. Is there an age limit?
Yes – you need to be 13 or older to enter the competition, there is no upper age limit. The reason you need to be 13 or older, is because Vimeo.com states so in their terms and conditions and that is the platform we use for submissions. If you fall outside of the age restriction and still wish to be a part of the competition, please contact us.
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4. Can I enter as an individual or do I need a team?
You can make a film by yourself or in a team, up to you. There is no limit to the number of people in your team, but each member needs to sign the right paperwork.
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5. Why are there three categories?
It is a rough way of dividing the different skill levels as well as stories. By having three categories there are more chances for more people to win awards. We can also focus on promoting films within their categories after the competition.
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6. What if our team is a mixture of people from different categories?
You will need to choose one of the categories that best represents your team, keeping in mind who else will be entering in that category from around New Zealand. If it is too difficult, we recommend you enter in the ‘Open’ category.
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7. Why is there a film duration limit?
Shorter films are perfect for web distribution and can spread a message easily. They can get to the point faster and have more impact for people with short attentions spans or limited time. Longer films have a chance to give a bigger picture and a more detailed story. You do not to use the entire time limit – a 30-second film could be just as effective. Think about giving yourself time to trim your final version down to something even shorter for a punchier storytelling approach. The 4-minute limit means that your film can be up to exactly 4″00 (4-minutes) including credits but not longer. Entries submitted that are longer than 4-minutes will not be accepted.
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8. Can I enter more than one film?
Yes. Each film needs to be registered separately, and there is a $40 Fee for each film when it comes to Submitting.
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9. Why is there an entry fee?
The $40 entry fee per film goes towards Inspiring Stories Trust to help cover the coordination costs of running the Film Competition, as well as providing more opportunities for young filmmakers.
10. Does the film need to be in English?
No, it can be in any language, or any combination of languages, but you will need English subtitles where it is not in English. This will help you to share your story with a larger audience.
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PAPERWORK STUFF
11. What is a Release Form and why do I need to sign one?
It is a legal thing and very common in the filmmaking world. These films will be seen by many people – at film screenings and online – and you need to be sure that everyone involved is OK with that, even if it is for a good cause. We recommend you have these forms filled out as you go and don’t leave them until the last minute. It might be annoying but it is all a part of the filmmaking process.
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12. Do Release Forms need to be signed by everyone involved?
Yes. You can download these release forms from the website here. They are for all key people involved in the filmmaking; the filmmakers, those in front of the camera, the musicians and owners of locations. If you don’t get the right forms filled in, there is a chance we will not be able to screen your film for you. Send your relevant release forms in all together when you submit your final film, but make sure you have a copy of them all for safe-keeping, in case they get lost in the mail to us.
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13. What about music – how do I find some I can use?
Music can be one of the most influential parts of your film. I can create a mood and transform your audience’s emotions. Feel free to make your own soundtracks and music. If you find a song you want to use, ask if the musician will give you permission to use it and sign the Musician Release Form (downloadable from our website). Consider offering the musician a Koha for their work. Also try searching the internet for Royalty Free Music. We will list links to tracks that musicians have donated to Inspiring Stories Film Competition on our website. Keep checking for updates.
If you cannot get permission for the soundtrack/music used in your film, you can still submit it for the competition but we may not be able to screen it publicly or online. Check out our PDF on tips for music, such as getting a Festival Licence for you film, where to look for Royalty Free music and sites for more info.
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14. How can I convince people to sign a Release Form?
Explain what your goal for the film is. Give them an idea of what your story is and how it will help your community, New Zealand and its young people. Explain if you do not intend on making a profit from your film, and that it will be used to help inspire and share stories of young New Zealand Change-Makers and filmmakers. It often helps to say Inspiring Stories Trust is a non-profit organisation, and to get them to check our website and see what we are all about. Most of the time a musician is more than happy to help a good cause, with the promise that they will be credited and that their music could be heard by heaps of people through your film.
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PROMOTION
15. What will happen to my film after the competition?
Selected films will be showcased at the Festival of the Future at Te Papa this November. Inspiring Stories will also help you to enter your film into other festivals in New Zealand and around the world, spreading your change-makers story.
Also, selected films will be uploaded onto the Inspiring Stories website for visitors to view.
Be sure to do the right thing and thank everyone who helped you out during the making of your film. You might not realise how much it means to them.
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16. Can I promote my own film?
Share your film with as many people as possible! Get in touch with local papers or radio stations to let them know what you are working on and help to get yourself more community support. By the end of the competition we will have tips and guidelines on how to host your own community film screening. Check out our website for tips on how you can help yourself, and Inspiring Stories.
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SUBMISSIONS & AWARDS
17. When can I submit a film?
Instructions and Submission Forms for your final film will be ready to fill in on our website from May 31st onwards. Submissions close 6pm, July 31st, 2013.
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181. I have finished my film, what do I do now?
Once you have finished your film, upload it to your vimeo.com account and complete the online Submission Form found on our website, and pay the $40 Submission Fee. Be sure to have all of the correct documents signed ready to send to us before July 31st, and have copies for safe-keeping.
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19. How do I create a Vimeo account?
Easy. Go to www.vimeo.com and sign up for an account. You will need to be over 13 years of age.
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20. Why use Vimeo.com and not YouTube.com?
Vimeo has nice privacy settings so you can keep your film a secret from the public, and save it just for this competition. Vimeo has no length-limit, whereas Youtube does, which is useful if you want us to watch a rough cut that is longer than 10 minutes to give you feedback. If you are a finalist or an award-winner, we may use YouTube to help promote your film and Inspiring Stories, since it is a more popular site.
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21. Can I alter my film once I have submitted it?
Only up until 6pm on the 31st of July. Any submissions or changes to submissions after this closing time will not be accepted. We can tell if your film has been altered since there is a time stamp on vimeo.com for when it was uploaded, also on the actual film’s final export and file-modified time.
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22. Can I submit a film that I made previously for another event, competition or festival?
Absolutely, so long as it is within the guidelines and restrictions and is somehow linked to our theme. Be sure to mention your films history when you fill out the submission form. Feel free to mention that your film is a part of the 2012 Inspiring Stories Film Competition in your opening or closing credits.
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23. When will we know who the finalists are and when will we know who has won an award?
Three finalists for each award will be announced on August 31st, 2012, online and by email. The Awards Ceremony is November 17th, and is a part of the Festival For the Future in Wellington, so try to keep that weekend free. The winner of each award be announced at the Awards Ceremony, then online on November 18th.
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24. What will happen if I am a finalist?
We will get in touch with you and let you know the next steps to prepare for the Awards Ceremony. You will be asked to send us a copy of your film on USB stick, so make sure you save a high-quality version of the film you submitted through vimeo.com. This MUST be the same as the version you submitted for the competition. We will also ask you to send us some photos to use for publicity, so keep a record of your filmmaking process.
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25. Where is the Awards Ceremony?
It will be at Te Papa, in Wellington.
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26. If I am not a Finalist, can I still attend the Awards Ceremony?
Absolutely! More information on the Ceremony will be online closer to the time.
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If you have any questions or if some things still don’t make sense, please contact us by email. You probably are not the only one with questions, so help us to make things clearer for everyone.
Our website: www.inspiringstories.org.nz
Email Us: filmcompetition@inspiringstories.org.nz
Our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/InspiringStoriesTrust
