Welcome to the
US Short Film Invitational (Viewer’s Choice)
IMAGINE CUP 2008
UNITED STATES SHORT
FILM INVITATIONAL
OFFICIAL RULES
PLEASE REVIEW UPDATED OFFICIAL RULES BELOW.
TO HELP ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS ENOUGH TIME TO SUBMIT THE BEST ROUND 1 ENTRY POSSIBLE, WE’VE EXTENDED THE ROUND 1 ENTRY SUBMISSION DEADLINE TO March 10th, 2008 AT 11:59 P.M. PT.
COMMON TERMS USED IN THESE RULES:
These are the Official Rules that govern
how the Imagine Cup 2008 United States Short Film contest promotion
will operate. This promotion will be simply referred to as the
“Contest” throughout the rest of these rules.
In these rules, “we,” “our,” and “us”
refer to Microsoft Corporation, the sponsor of the Contest. “You,”
“yourself” refers to an eligible Contest entrant.
Round 1
Round 1 of this Contest begins at 12:01
AM Pacific Time (PT) on September 1, 2007, and ends at 11:59 PM PT
on March 10th, 2008, (“Round 1 Entry Period”).
Round 2
Round 2 of this Contest begins at 12:01
AM PT on [February 15, 2008, and ends at 11:59 PM PT on March 16,
2008(“Round 2 Entry Period”).
Public Voting Period
The Public Voting Period begins at 12:01
AM PT on March 23, 2008, and ends at 11:59 PM PT on April 4, 2008
(“Public Voting Period”).
United States Grand Prize Winner
Announcement
United States Grand Prize Winner will be
announced on or around April 6, 2008.
3. CAN
YOU ENTER?
You are eligible to enter this Contest if
you meet the following requirements:
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You are at least eighteen (18) years of age or older at time of entry; and
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You are a legal resident of the fifty (50) United States (including the District of Columbia) and
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You are actively enrolled as a student (including as a graduate or doctoral student) at an accredited 2 year, 4 year, or advanced degree granting educational institution located in the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia) and
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If you are a Microsoft campus
representative, such as a Microsoft Student Partner (see
http://student-partners.com), and you meet the
eligibility criteria described above, you may enter this Contest,
but you are prohibited from using Microsoft property or resources,
including without limitation, Microsoft networks, hardware tools and
technology resources and/or the counsel of Microsoft employees in
connection with the creation of your entry.
This Contest is void wherever prohibited
by law.
Round 1
During Round 1, your Team must create and
submit the materials described below:
- An abstract that is less than 500
words, in English.
- A digital storyboard that is less
than 25 MB, in Microsoft PowerPoint or other standard image
display format (jpeg, gif, etc)
Round 2
During Round 2, your Team must create and submit the
materials described below
- Short Film that in a Windows Media
player compatible format with standard install codecs, less than
200 MB zipped, and no longer than 15 minutes in duration.
Content and Technical Requirements
To be eligible for this Contest, your entry must meet the
following content and technical requirements.
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The content of your entry must be suitable for all viewing audiences. Any material containing text, sound or images that the Contest Judges, in their sole opinion, determine to be vulgar, offensive or otherwise inappropriate for public viewing or content that would present Microsoft or other companies in a negative light will be disqualified.
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your entry only includes material (including music, video or images) that you own, or that you have permission from the copyright / trademark owner to use; and
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you have obtained permission from any recognizable person (parent/guardian, if a minor) that appears in your entry to submit your entry in this Contest and to use their personal data in the entry for the purposes of the Contest (if applicable); and
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your entry has not been selected as a prize winner in any other contest; and
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Your entry complies with the Windows Live Spaces Terms of Use. In the event of a conflict between the terms of use and these Official Rules, these Official Rules will govern.
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are granting us an irrevocable, worldwide right and license to: (i) reproduce, copy, modify or alter your entry with all known all later developed means; (ii) use, review, assess, test and otherwise analyze your entry and all its content in connection with this Contest and (ii) feature your entry and all its content in connection with the promotion of this Contest in all media (now known or later developed);
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agree to sign any necessary documentation that may be required for us and our designees to make use of the rights you granted above;
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understand and acknowledge that that Microsoft and other entrants may have developed or commissioned materials similar or identical to your submission and you waive any claims you may have resulting from any similarities to your entry;
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understand that we cannot control the incoming information you will disclose to our representatives in the course of entering, or what our representatives will remember about your entry. You also understand that we will not restrict work assignments of representatives who have had access to your entry. By entering this Contest, you agree that use of information in our representatives’ unaided memories in the development or deployment of our products or services does not create liability for us under this agreement or copyright or trade secret law;
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understand that you will not receive any compensation or credit for use of your entry, other than what is described in these Official Rules.
Please note that your entry may be
posted on a website selected by us for viewing by visitors to that
website. We are not responsible for any unauthorized use of
your entry by visitors to this website. While we reserve these
rights, we are not obligated to use your entry for any purpose, even
if it has been selected as a winning entry.
7. HOW DO I REGISTER?
If you wish to participate in this
Contest, you must register at
www.imaginecup.com
as instructed during the Registration Period, either individually,
or as a member of a Team. Registration opens September 1, 2007
at 12:01 AM PT and closes on February 1, 2008 at 11:59 PM PT
(“Registration Period”)
8. HOW
DO I SUBMIT MY ENTRY?
Round 1
To submit your entry for Round 1, you must
navigate to
www.imaginecup.com and submit your entry
materials as instructed.
Round 2
We will automatically disqualify:
(1)
Incomplete or illegible entries; and
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 the top thirty (30) entries (each, a
“Semi-Finalist”).
Round 1 - Judging Criteria
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50% Story idea (through abstract and storyboard)
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50% Expressiveness/Artistry (storyboard)
Round 2
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 the top twenty (20) entries (each, a
“Finalist”) based upon the Judging Criteria described below.
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50% Technique
- 55% Judge’s Scores Round 2
- 45% Public Voting
All decisions of the Contest Judges are
final and binding. If we do not receive a sufficient number of
entries meeting the entry requirements, we may, at our discretion
based on the above Judging Criteria, select fewer than the number of
winner stated. In the event of a tie between any eligible
entries, the tie will be broken by an additional judge who will the
judge the tied entries based on the criteria listed above.
Three (3) Finalist Prizes:
A two (2) night /three (3) day round trip for each
member of the Team to Los Angeles, CA, and an opportunity to attend
the Los Angeles Digital Arts Festival, April 20, 22, 2008. Trip
includes roundtrip airfare and lodging (Approximate Retail Value
(ARV), US$1600.00).
One (1) First Prize.
US$3,000 cash to be distributed equally among each member of the
Team.
Specifics of travel prize package and travel dates are
subject to availability, and may change at any time.
Therefore, you must have flexible travel plans. You are solely
responsible for obtaining any and all travel documentation
(including but not limited to a valid passport and any required
travel visas) necessary for travel.
Any expenses not explicitly listed herein, are your sole
responsibility. No cancellation of your reservations or
transfer of your reservations to another date after reservations
have been made will be allowed. If the Los Angeles Digital Arts
Festival, or Seattle International Arts Film Festival, is canceled,
for any reason, we shall have no further obligation to you other
than to supply the stated prize minus the opportunity to attend the
Los Angeles Digital Arts Festival, or the Seattle International Arts
Film Festival, as applicable. Your travel must be completed on
the dates we specify or the prize will be forfeited and awarded to
an alternate winner. You must sign and return a declaration of
eligibility, use, indemnity and, where legal, a publicity release
before any travel prize will be delivered.
If for any reason the advertised prize is
unavailable, unless to do so would be prohibited by law, we reserve
the right to substitute a prize(s) of equal or greater value, as
permitted. If you are selected as a prize winner in this
Contest:
(1)
You may not exchange your prize for cash or
any other merchandise or services.
(2)
You may not designate someone else as the
winner. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize,
we may award it to an alternate winner.
(3)
If you accept a prize, you will be solely
responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize.
(4)
If you are a minor in your place of
residence, we may award the prize to your parent/legal guardian on
your behalf.
12.
HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE A WINNER?
If you are a potential winner, we will
notify you by sending a message to the e-mail address, the phone
number, or mailing address (if any) listed on your entry within
seven (7) days following the determination of winners. If the
notification that we send is returned as undeliverable, or you are
otherwise unreachable for any reason, we may award the prize to an
alternate winner.
If there is a dispute as to who is the
potential winner, we will consider the potential winner to be the
authorized account holder of the e-mail address used to enter the
Contest.
If you are a potential winner, we may require you to sign a declaration of eligibility, use, indemnity and liability/publicity release. If you are a potential winner and are a minor in your place of residence, and we require that your parent or legal guardian accept the prize pursuant to clause 11(4) above, we may require that they sign a declaration of eligibility, use, indemnity and liability/publicity release on your behalf. If you, (or your parent/legal guardian if applicable), do not sign and return these required forms within the time period listed on the winner notification message, we may disqualify you and select an alternate selected winner.
13. WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS
ARE YOU ARE AGREEING TO BY ENTERING THIS CONTEST?
By entering this Contest you agree:
(1.) To abide by these
Official Rules; and
(2.) To the extent
allowable under applicable law, to release and hold harmless
Microsoft and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates,
employees and agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss,
damage, right, claim or action of any kind arising from or in
connection with this Contest or any prize won; and
(3.) That Microsoft’s
decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to this
Contest; and
(4.) That by accepting
a prize, Microsoft may use your name and place of residence online
and in print, or in any other media, in connection with this
Contest, without payment or compensation to you. The declaration of
eligibility, use, indemnity and liability/publicity release provided
to the potential winner (pursuant to clause 12 above) will make
reference to obtaining his/her free consent to use his/her name and
place of residence. In any case, the lack of such consent does not
prevent the winner from receiving the prize.
This Contest will be governed by the laws
of the State of Washington, and you consent to the exclusive
jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for
any disputes arising out of this Contest.
11.
WHAT IF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AND THE CONTEST CAN’T RUN AS
PLANNED?
If someone cheats, or a virus, bug,
catastrophic event, or any other unforeseen or unexpected event that
cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled, (also referred to as
force majeure) affects the fairness and / or integrity of
this Contest, we reserve the right to cancel, change or suspend this
Contest. This right is reserved whether the event is due to
human or technical error. If a solution cannot be found to restore
the integrity of the Contest, we reserve the right to select winners
based on the criteria specified above from among all eligible
entries received before we had to cancel, change or suspend the
Contest.
If you attempt to compromise the
integrity or the legitimate operation of this Contest by hacking or
by cheating or committing fraud in ANY way, we may seek damages from
you to the fullest extent permitted by law. Further, we may
ban you from participating in any of our future Contests, so please
play fairly.
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
USA
14. PRIVACY
Microsoft’s Privacy Policy will apply to
this Contest and to all information that we receive from your entry.
Please read the Privacy Policy on the Contest entry page before
accepting the Official Rules and submitting your entry. Please note
that by accepting the Official Rules you are also accepting the
terms of the Privacy Policy