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MIPA Film Challenge

MIPA Film Challenge
  • Submission Deadline: 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, 2024
  • Topic Announced: 9 a.m. Monday, April 15
  • Official Contest Period: April 15-April 30, 2024

2024 Contest Information

Create a short film no longer than 5 minutes related to the contest theme. Your film must include the following required elements:

  • 2024 contest theme: “Offbeat”
  • Required prop: A green balloon
  • Required dialogue: “I knew I was forgetting something.”

Film Challenge Rules

  • All creative work must take place during the “Official Contest Period.” See “Creative Work” below for additional information
  • Entries must be submitted by the contest deadline using the entry submission form.
  • Cost: Free for MIPA member programs!
  • This contest is only open to students who participate in MIPA member student media programs. Renew or Join
  • There is no limit on the number of teams per school, but each team can have a maximum of four students. (On-screen actors do not count toward the team limit.) Each team may submit 1 entry.
  • Entries should be uploaded to a video hosting service or website. Submit a URL to your entry using the contest entry form.
    • Entries that cannot be accessed by the judges will be disqualified. This means that if your website or third-party file sharing service goes down, or if your content is locked behind a password or is not otherwise set to be publicly viewable, we cannot judge your entries.
  • Entries may be published by MIPA in its newsletter, online or via social media and may be selected for broadcast on MSU’s campus cable TV channel.
    • Please keep access to your original files until judging for this contest is complete! Work selected for broadcast on the MSU campus cable TV channel must be available to MIPA with a resolution of 1920×1080 and should be encoded using h.264.
  • Use of copyrighted music, artwork, videos or other materials without written permission of the copyright holder may violate U.S. law and MIPA’s Copyright & Plagiarism Policy. Entries that violate MIPA’s Copyright & Plagiarism Policy will be disqualified.
  • If music is used in the entry, you must submit a list of track titles used along with the name of the library/collection from which you obtained the music. You may provide this information either in a name-slate/title card in the video or via the entry form.

Creative Work Restrictions

Any creative work in advance of the competition weeks is prohibited. Creative work includes, but is not limited to:

  • Writing the script
  • Rehearsing
  • Shooting
  • Editing
  • Sound
  • Rendering

The only work to begin prior to the “Official Contest Period” is:

  • Organizing Crew
  • Organizing Talent

All footage must be shot within the contest time period of the project. No stock footage or footage shot or created at another time may be used.

Animation and special effects are permitted, but must be created during the official contest period, (Note: Stock footage as part of a special effect in a third party special effects program is permissible if you own the copyright or have the required license to use it.)

Still photographs are permitted, provided that the team has the rights to them. The photos do need to be created during the official contest period.

You may use pre-produced music tracks as long as you own the copyright or have the required license to use them AND you properly cite track titles and sources as required in the Film Challenge Rules.

Past Winners

Entry Form

Are you ready to submit an entry for this contest? (Don’t forget to also pay entry fee. You’ll get a chance to do so when you submit your entry. But you can also pay the entry fee at any time from this page below.)

Submit Your Entry

Pay Entry Fee

You may pay entry fees by check, purchase order or credit card. Payment by checks or purchase orders should be postmarked by the submission deadline. Credit card payments should be completed by the deadline. If your school is slow to process checks or purchase orders, plan ahead. You can always pay fees before you submit your entries. Entry fees are waived for the 2023 contest!

Judging Criteria

Judges will use MIPA’s Video Best Practices, in addition to the below criteria in evaluating Film Challenge entries.

Creativity & Story

  • Does the film have a clear beginning, middle and end? Is the story entertaining and engaging? How well does the film fit the theme? How well does the film maker integrate the required contest elements (prop, dialogue)?

Audio

  • Is it clear? Is there any audio distortion? Does the background music, if used, enhance the story or distract the viewer? Is natural sound or sound effects properly utilized with to enhance the story?

Video

  • Is there obvious use of a tripod or is the video shaky? If no tripod was used, was it appropriate to shoot handheld? Is the color consistent? Have the shots been white-balanced? Is proper shot sequencing utilized to enhance the story? Are the shots framed well without cutting out important information? Do the shots have good lighting? Do shots “cross the line/axis”?

Editing

  • Is there an overuse of transitions? Does the piece have a good pace & flow? Are there any errors in continuity and/or screen direction? Are there any lagging lulls and/or jump cuts? Are any of your shots/scenes unnecessary?

Automatic Disqualifications

  • If the film uses material created outside of the contest period in violation of the rules.
  • If the film exceeds 5 minutes in length (not including any black/slates before or after the film itself).
  • If the film does not meet follow all other contest rules.
  • If the film includes copyrighted music or graphics used without permission