Imagine Cup. Short Film Competition.

We all love to go to the movies but some of us love to make movies! Filmmaking is a technical craft combined with the art of storytelling using moving images. A short film has the difficulty of conveying a message in a brief period of time while also being visually stimulating. In this competition, students will be challenged to create an original short film and also demonstrate excellence in filmmaking at all levels from concept art to polished editing.

Short Film

A message from the Short Film Captain:

I am excited to be involved again in the Imagine Cup competition. Last year’s event was extraordinary and I was blown away by the imagination, creativity and resourcefulness of the Short Film competitors. With the popularity of short form user-generated content exploding on a multitude of sites around the world, now is the perfect time to showcase your talents in competition such as this. This year’s theme, affords you nearly limitless possibilities for subject matter. That, coupled with the challenge of conveying your message effectively within a 3 minute film, lends itself to some serious imagination and creativity. I and my fellow judges are chomping at the bit to see what you all have in store. Paramount is also pleased to be offering this year’s Short Film winner the opportunity to digitally distribute their film globally via our digital partnerships. We know that a lot of blood, sweat and tears go into the making of any film and being able to offer distribution is just a small token of our appreciation for all your effort.

Additionally, it is wonderful to see so much interaction on the Short Film forum. I’d like to encourage your continued participation and thank all those who are helping their fellow competitors out. As a reminder, please be sure to follow the competition guidelines closely and remember that the Round 1 submission deadline is now April 1st. Now get back to work!

– Michael Johnstone

Competition Guidelines

**The deadlines for Round 1 and Round 2 have been updated to reflect a date change for the end of Round 1 to April 1, 2009 and beginning of Round 2 to April 20, 2009. Please read the revised details below for full details. Updated on 02/15/2009.**

The Short Film Competition Details have been revised to show a change in the amount of prizing available. Please read the Imagine Cup Rules and Regulations below for full details. Updated on September 2, 2008.

This year’s theme is "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today." The United Nations has identified some of the hardest challenges in the world today in its Millennium Goals. This year the Imagine Cup uses these ambitious challenges as a guiding light to inspire change all over the world. Learn more about the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals. We know you are ready to meet this amazing challenge, and we can’t wait to hear about the innovative solutions you create!

PLEASE NOTE: If you choose to submit an entry in this Competition, then you agree that your participation in this Competition is subject to the following:

· The Imagine Cup Rules and Regulations.

· The Imagine Cup Short Film Competition Details described below

If there are any inconsistencies between the Imagine Cup Rules and Regulations, the Imagine Cup Terms of Use, the Imagine Cup Code of Conduct and/or these Competition Details, the Imagine Cup Rules and Regulations will govern.

WHAT ARE THE START AND END DATES?

This Competition started at 12:01 AM Greenwich Mean Time (“GMT”) on August 29, 2008, and ends in July 2009 (“Entry Period”). The Entry Period consists of the three (3) Rounds described below. Each Round has unique entry requirements. All required entry deliverables must be received within the designated Round in order for your entry to be eligible for judging. At the end of Round 2, up to six (6) of the top Teams will be selected to advance to compete in Round 3 on-site at the Worldwide Finals in Cairo, Egypt on July 3-9, 2009.

ROUND START DATE

(all times 12:01 AM GMT) END DATE

(all times 11:59 PM GMT)

Round 1

August 29, 2008

April 1, 2009*

Round 2

April 20, 2009

May 20, 2009

Worldwide Finals

July 3, 2009

July 9, 2009

* Round 1 winners will be announced on April 20, 2009.

HOW DO I REGISTER?

The Registration Period began on August 29, 2008 at 12:01 AM GMT, and ends on April 1, 2009, at 11:59 PM GMT (“Registration Period”).

If you wish to participate in this Competition, you must register as instructed during the Registration Period either individually, or as a member of a Team. If you wish to register as an individual, at time of registration, you will need to create a Team and join it as an individual. If you wish to register as a member of a Team, at time of registration, you must identify your Team. You cannot change Teams or otherwise remove yourself or anyone else from you Team after the close of the Registration Period.

A Team may consist up to three (3) eligible students (each a “Team”). Your Team does not need to consist of members who are legal residents of the same country/region, or students at the same school, but your Team can only represent one (1) country/region. It is recommended, but not required that you have one (1) mentor for your Team, in addition to your (3) Team members. Limit one (1) mentor per Team.

WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ELIGIBILE ENTRY?

Each Round has unique entry requirements, as described below. All required entry deliverables must be received within the designated Round in order for your entry to be eligible for judging.

Round 1 – Qualifying

During Round 1, your Team must create and submit the materials described below:

A description of your short film idea (at least 50 words, but not more than 500 words) and how it addresses the 2009 Imagine Cup Theme submitted as an electronic file in the .txt format.

EITHER: A digital storyboard of your short film idea that incorporates the planned technical execution and techniques such as focus, lighting, composition, special effects, etc. The digital storyboard must be submitted as an electronic file less than 25 MB in size in the Microsoft PowerPoint format, or other standard image display format (.jpeg, .gif, etc)

OR: A first cut of your short film (3 minutes maximum), submitted as an electronic file with standard install codecs less than 100 MB in size (zipped) in the Windows Media player format.

Round 2 – Semi-Finals

During Round 2, your Team (if you are invited to advance to compete in Round 2) must create and submit the materials described below:

A final version of the short film (3 minutes maximum) described and/or depicted in your Round 1 entry materials, submitted as an electronic file with standard install codecs less than 100 MB in size (zipped) in the Windows Media player format.

Round 3 - Worldwide Finals

During Round 3, your Team (if you are invited to advance to compete in Round 3) will compete in a Round 3 Challenge. Your participation in the Round 3 Challenge will be subject to the Round 3 Challenge Details that we will establish and provide to you on-site at the Worldwide Finals.

CONTENT AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the unique entry requirements for each Round described above, during all Rounds of this Competition, your entry / entry materials must meet the following content and technical requirements:

Your entry must address a social cause connected to the Imagine Cup 2009 Theme: “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today”

The actual entry (i.e., short film) can be in any language, but if the short film is not substantially in the English language, then you must provide a transcript of the short film in the English language, or submit the film with English subtitle.

If you are required to make an oral presentation or provide supporting entry materials these presentations and materials must be presented and/or submitted in the English language.

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY ENTRY?

To submit your entry for Round 1 navigate to, register for the Short Film Competition as an individual, or as a member of a Team, and then submit the required entry materials as instructed before the close of the Round 1 deadline

To submit your entry for Round 2, navigate to and submit the required entry materials as instructed before the close of the Round 2 deadline.

We will provide instructions for how to submit your required entry materials for Round 3.

ENTRY LIMIT

We will only accept one (1) entry per Team.

HOW WILL ENTRIES BE JUDGED?

Round 1 – Qualifying

At the conclusion of the Round 1 Entry Period, all eligible entries received will be reviewed by a panel (or panels) of qualified judges based on the judging criteria set forth below to determine up to two hundred (200) of the top Teams (each, a “Semi-Finalist”) that will advance to compete in Round 2 of the Competition.

Round 1 Judging Criteria

· 30% Theme: Is the entry relevant to the 2009 Imagine CupTheme?

· 25 Originality: Does the entry either use new concepts, or use old concepts created via different techniques?

· 25 Power of Communication: How well does the entry convey its message and the relevancy of its message?

· 20% Technical Execution and Techniques: How well does the entry use (or plan to use) focus, lighting, composition, special effects, etc.?

Round 2 – Semi-Finals

At the conclusion of the Round 2 Entry Period, all eligible entries received will be reviewed by a panel (or panels) of qualified judges based on the judging criteria set forth below to determine up to six (6) of the top Teams (each, a “Finalist”) that will advance to compete in the Worldwide Finals.

Round 2 Judging Criteria

· 30% Theme: Is the entry relevant to the2009 Imagine Cup Theme?

· 20% Originality: Does the entry either use new concepts, or use old concepts created via different techniques?

· 20% Power of Communication: How well does the entry convey its message and the relevancy of its message?

· 30% Technical Execution and Techniques: How well does the entry use focus, lighting, composition, special effects, etc.?

Round 3 - Worldwide Finals

At the conclusion of Round 3, all eligible entries received will be reviewed by a panel (or panels) of qualified judges based on the judging criteria set forth in the Round 3 Challenge Details that we will establish and provide to you on-site at the Worldwide Finals to determine the First, Second and Third Places Teams.

PRIZES

• Six (6) Finalist Prizes. All Finalists will receive a trip to Cairo, Egypt to compete in the Worldwide Imagine Cup 2009 Finals. Trip includes round trip air travel, hotel accommodations and select meals.

• One (1) First Place Prize: $8,000 USD and;

An opportunity for a global digital distribution deal with Paramount Pictures Digital Entertainment and it's distribution partners. Proof of rights and other legal criteria will be required.

• One (1) Second Place Prize: $4,000 USD

• One (1) Third Place Prize: $3,000 USD

All prizes will be awarded provided a qualified number of entries are received