The DV Challenge Official Rules

Here are the official rules of The DV Challenge.

These apply to all contests, unless specified otherwise by individual contest rules (ie. extended time limit, music, so on...)

GUIDELINES
The maximum duration of your film is three minutes, plus an additional 20 seconds for credits. You ARE allowed to use part of the additional 20 seconds for your film if you need it. There is no penalty for films shorter than 3 minutes, so you can enter with a 40 second film if you like.

Your film must open with a title reading "thedvchallenge.com presents" Please note the URL is "thedvchallenge.com" and not "dvchallenge.com" You may use any font, in order to make it congruent with the look and feel of your film.

All good stories need a good title! Your film must have a title which must show at the beginning of your film following "thedvchallenge.com presents"! Whenever you email us, please include the title. It makes life so much easier.
Please, do not make the title the same or similar to the theme. If the theme is “cats”, don’t call your movie “Cats”, “The Cats”, or “A Cat”.
Very descriptive titles are good as it helps your film stick out in the judges minds when trying to remember which film is which. Films titled “untitled” will be frowned upon.


WEB VERSIONS
You are entirely responsible for putting your film up on the web. If your film is not available for all to see at the scheduled time, it is not our responsibility and you are out of judging.

We strongly request that one version of the film you submit be on Youtube, for quick and repeated viewing, as well as long term archiving so that people will be able to watch it for a long time after the challenge is over.

You are welcome to host your own high resolution version of your film for people who prefer to watch a higher quality version.

We will post up to a total of three versions so the audience has several viewing options.

Please do not post links to your film publicly before we officially release it in the week following the deadline. After the deadline, we encourage you to promote it as much as you can.


DEADLINE
When the theme is announced on a Thursday, the deadline is 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time the following Sunday night (10 days later). We often grant a few extra hours of leeway to those who submit it late into Sunday night, as long as the link is in our inbox by Monday morning.


CONTENT
YOUR FILM MUST BE ALL YOUR OWN MATERIAL, or you must have legal right to use it, such as copyright free music or properly licensed music. You must credit any other artists in your credit roll.

YOUR FILM MUST BE NEW AS OF THE START DATE. You cannot use video shot before the start date of the challenge. You may not submit a film that you shot previously. Some exceptions may be made for royalty free stock footage on a case by case basis. Royalty free music is excluded from this rule.

Photo montages and animation (including stop-motion) are not acceptable as submissions. Films may include photo montages and animation in limited quantity if it is critical to the story.

Visual effects of all types are allowed.

You retain 100% ownership of your film, and are 100% responsible for its content.