Annual Members Competition Rules & Awards

Surrey Border Movie Makers 6-minute Members Competition First Friday in December.

1. General rules:

• The SBMM Club Members Competition is to be held on the first Friday in December unless delayed by circumstances beyond our control, such as bad weather.

• Due to possible time restrictions, the organisers reserve the right to limit the showing of your entries.

• Members are encouraged to submit one or more movies for this annual competition.

• There is no requirement for a clock or any header on your film, though two seconds or so of black before the film starts is helpful.

• All entries automatically qualify for any or all awards excepting; The first-time winner’s award is available only to members who have not won a movie trophy of any sort in the club before.

• Movies will be accepted from any member, including any committee member of SBMM, but they will not previously have been shown at a SBMM club night. (The competition sets out to encourage new material).

• Movies made on large commercial budgets for full-fee-paying-clients are not eligible for judging.

• Movies will not exceed 6 minutes in length and judges may mark adversely entries that exceed this time limit. Members may make a short-but-complete version of a longer movie, and thus conform to the 6-minute length rule.

• It is one movie per online submission, so, if you intend to enter more than one movie, please make multiple submissions. There is no entry fee!

• Closing date: the entry must be submitted via the online form by Friday 8th November

2. Technical specifications for files and useful tips

• Details of how to create a WeTransfer Link are HERE

• Our presentation laptop is set to output 50 frames per second. Film frame rates of 50 or 25 frames per second progressive (or interlaced) play the best. Videos with frame rates of 25p will appear less smooth than 50i or 50p films as projectors do not have frame smoothing built in like do TV’s.

NTSC formats such as 23.98, 24, 29.97, 30, 59.94i or 60p are not ideal and may play with motion judder, so try to stick to PAL format. 

• Encoding or exporting to make a file. Choose H264 and it should have an .mp4 file extension when completed. You can use constant or variable bit rate, variable gives a smaller file. Recommended constant bit rate settings for HD is 25 Mbits/sec, keeping frame rates as per your project. Variable bit rate should be between 9Mbits/sec average to 18Mbits/sec max.

• Please play your exported file to check it before submitting it to the competition.

• Checking the film with decent closed headphones is recommended to spot any sound anomalies, such as dialogue or SFX on only one speaker.

3. The Awards