The Main Event – Prizes!

Since the Launch Event, our Prize Package has solidified. As you probably know by now, the Winner of “Best Film” in our 21-Day Filmmaking Competition will be offered inclusion on this year’s compilation DVD, to be released commercially and internationally by Polychrome Pictures through Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Video. Considering most filmmakers spend months or years sending their films to festivals, setting up their own screenings, and pitching the project around to find a deal like this, we are thrilled to be able to offer this directly to our winners! For you filmmakers who want more information on this deal. For that, see our FAQ page or contact us directly. In addition to this deal, thanks to our friends at Toon Boom, Grand Prize Winners will also receive copies of Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, valued at $800, as well as the coveted Project Twenty1 2008 Trophy, and all the promotion, hype and networking contacts that will come with victory.

I hear what you’re saying: that’s all well and good for the winner, but what about the other awesome films that get turned in but miss the Grand Prize by one or two votes? Well, the Winners of the Categories “Best Writing” and “Best Directing” will receive copies of Toon Boom Storyboard, a $250 value, and winners of EVERY category will receive a suitable-for-framing Certificate to that extent. We are also beefing up our partnerships with various festivals around the country, and the individual category winners (who aren’t on the WB label by then) will still be promoted and sent to other festivals on the filmmakers’ behalf.  Just this week, we have added HollyShorts and The Austin Underground Film Festival to our list of festival partners who will be receiving the “Best of” 2008 Competition screener, and we are speaking to the heads of a half-dozen other festivals right now to ensure these films get seen nationwide! We’ll send you all the list after the Competition, so you don’t accidentally submit your film twice.

Saturday, August 9th: WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

Remember: your films are due THIS SATURDAY, August 9th, by 9:00pm. What we need from you, in person or by mail: 1) YOUR FILM (DVD, miniDV, or DVCam, formatted for 4:3 aspect), 2) the CERTIFICATION FORM, and 3) the PROMOTIONAL FORM (click to download these forms). We will have a videographer interviewing the filmmakers and learning more about some of the films coming in and some of the stories that went into their creations. So come on out and bring as much of your Team as you want! We will be there from 6:30pm until 10:00pm. See you there!

Before you send us your films, keep in mind the following: 1) The Secret Element, “Light,” MUST be somewhere in the film, even if it’s only implied or referred to offhandedly. BUT the better it is incorporated into the theme, story, or feel of the film, the better chance you have of winning it all!  2) The films MUST be, at their longest, 10:00 minutes EVEN. Any longer than that, and we cut it off at the knees! We’ve had several calls about this now, and we cannot make exceptions. You’ve got most of a week left, use it and edit, edit, edit until it works! We guarantee you can tell a successful story in under 10 minutes. If you need to expand it later for our festival screener, that is acceptable, but to be eligible for Awards and Prizes, you MUST meet the time requirements.

Several people have asked us what the categories are they are competing in. While this probably exists somewhere on our website, we figured we may as well fill you in.  The official categories are: Best Film, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Acting, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Soundtrack, Best Effects, Best Use of Element, Best Marketing, and the much-sought-after Audience Award. Our independent panel of judges will be judging your films in all of these categories save two: the Audience Award, which as you might imagine, rests with those in the audience, and the award for Best Marketing, which will be chosen by us, the Project Twenty1 Staff, as we have sort of the catch-all perspective on how well you are connecting with people, and we also have the best view of how many people come to us asking about your film pre-festival. So, even AFTER the Drop Event, you are allowed to work on marketing, and we’ll be watching for your websites, posters, and innovative guerrilla marketing techniques. Just don’t do anything that can get you arrested. 🙂

Good luck!!  You have 5 days left. Make them count!

Your friends, as always,
Stephanie Yuhas, Matt Conant & Everyone at Project Twenty1
www.ProjectTwenty1.com