2011 August | Video Contest News - Featuring News about Video Contests!

Know Your Tropes: Lemonade Stands

Posted by Dan L. on August 27th, 2011

New and low-budget filmmakers often limit their ideas to things they can shoot cheaply and easily. So in all video contests, you often see the same gimmicks used over and over and over in very similar ways. Writers refer to to these types of common ideas as “tropes” And tropes are bad my friends…very bad. A trope is a thing that is played out. A trope is something that has been seen a thousand times before. Companies run commercial and video contests because they want fresh, off-the-wall ideas. They’re not going to get excited by something that almost anyone, anywhere could have come up with.

And that’s why it’s important to know your tropes. If you know them, you can avoid them. As a refresher, here’s a quick explanation from tvtropes.org of what a trope actually is:

Merriam-Webster gives a definition of “trope” as a “figure of speech.” In storytelling, a trope is just that — a conceptual figure of speech, a storytelling shorthand for a concept that the audience will recognize and understand instantly.

Above all, a trope is a convention. It can be a plot trick, a setup, a narrative structure, a character type, a linguistic idiom… you know it when you see it.

In this installment of Know Your Tropes, we’ll be looking at what may be the most common video contest trope of all; LEMONADE STANDS. Let’s start by taking a look at a few lemonade stand-themed contest videos I found on youtube:

Submitted to: Godaddy commercial contest:

Submitted to: Doritos’ Crash the Super Bowl contest:

Submitted to: Careerbuilder’s Commercial contest:

Submitted to: Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Quality Video Contest:

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I swear, over the years I have probably seen at least 100 video contest entries about lemonade stands. Hell….I’ve probably seen 100 Crash the Super Bowl entries about lemonade stands! This particular trope has become common for a few, simple reasons. The biggest is that it’s just an easy gimmick to pull off. As I said, inexperienced filmmakers often work backwards. Instead of coming up with an idea and then figuring out what they need to make that idea work, they think of what they have at their disposal and then write a script that utilizes those resources. And a heck of a lot of people in this country have houses, driveways, card tables and kids they happen to think are adorable. And shooting inside is a hassle if you don’t have any lighting equipment so that means a lot of video contest entrants will be limited to filming outside.

Once a writer decides that their video will feature their kids and take place in their yard, it’s a pretty short leap to a story about lemonade stands. And since many video contests are about snack foods or beverages, scripts about lemonade stands pretty much write themselves. Here’s a hypothetical conversation that a lot of filmmakers will probably be having next month if Pepsi Max is part of the Crash the Super Bowl contest again this year:

Filmmaker: So for our Pepsi Max video, what if we had the kids set up a lemonade stand….

Filmmaker’s Buddy: Oh but instead of lemonade, they sell Pepsi Max!

Filmmaker: Right! But maybe first they try and sell lemonade but they don’t get any business…

Filmmaker’s Buddy: So they switch to Pepsi Max and make a fortune! That’s great! And I’ve got some plywood in the garage so I can make a an awesome Pepsi Max Stand.

Filmmaker: Superbowl 46, here we come!

But there is one other reason why lemonade stands appear in so many contest entries. You see, lemonade stands are a perfect and simple metaphor for capitalism. Kids that work hard and sell lemonade make money and kids who don’t work hard don’t make money. These days there are a ton of video contests with weird, right-wing agendas. So whenever you see a video contest about “stopping bailouts” or “the evils of socialism” you’re going to see a shit-load of videos about lemonade stands. Here’s a shit-load of examples of what I’m talking about:

Submitted to: Right.org’s Anti-Bailout Contest:

Submitted to: The Kudlow Creed video contest:

Submitted to: National Federation of Independent Small business video contest:

Submitted to: Atlas Shrugged Video Contest

Now I should acknowledge the fact that some of the lemonade stand videos I featured in this post are actually decent contest entries. But that’s because I made an effort to find videos that were entertaining and well-made. (If you want to see some not-so-great videos, just go to youtube and search “lemonade stand video contest entry.”) I guess it just goes to show you that a good filmmaker can turn any idea into something special. So while I advise you to avoid common video contest tropes, I wouldn’t say that concepts like “lemonade stands” should be totally off limits. Because when you turn a familiar trope on its head you can actually create something really surprising and fun. But….”playing with tropes” is another topic for another day.

How to remove a facebook contest app

Posted by Dan L. on August 24th, 2011

Companies run video contests on Facebook for one reason and one reason only; it’s an easy and fast way to get tons of new people to “like” their page. That’s why almost all Facebook contests include a public vote phase. To win, a contestant has to beg all their “friends” to like the sponsor’s page, allow the contest “app” and then vote for their video. Then after the contest ends, all those people that voted will continue to see updates from the sponsor in their news feed. Plus, if a voter had to allow the contest app, the sponsor has access to some of their private data. I know that sounds kind of scary but facebook apps are usually harmless. The basic ones just collect general data so the sponsor knows the demographics of the people that are interested in their products.

But once a contest is over, there’s no reason for you and your facebook friends to keep seeing the contest sponsor’s goofy updates about how awesome and fun their product is. Getting rid of a facebook app is a little tricky though. So here’s a step by step explanation of how you turn off the spam:

STEP 1: Go to your Account tab and click on Privacy Preferences:

This will be in the upper right-hand corner of the screen

STEP 2: Look for the Apps and Websites option on the bottom of the page. Click Edit Your Settings:

This will be in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen

STEP 3: The apps you have allowed will come up. Click the Edit Settings button:

This will be right in front of your face

STEP 4: Find the app you want to delete and click the little x to get rid of it for good.

This will also be right in front of your face

Step 5: If you want to stop seeing posts from the contest sponsor you may have to also “unlike” their page. Just go to the sponsor’s facebook page and look down the colum on the left. Click on the unlike button. And that’s it, you’re done. That mean old company will never bother you again!

Tongal’s amazing “Stuck on Duct Tape” winner

Posted by Dan L. on August 19th, 2011

Duct Tape brand Duct Tape?

Sweet jumping Jesus!! I just randomly checked a random video contest website (Tongal) and randomly picked a random, expired contest (Stuck on Duct Tape) and figured I’d check out the video that came in first. Turns out the ad that won is like one of the greatest freaking video contest entries of all freaking time! It’s easily the best contest video I’ve seen all year. It was shot by a filmmaker named David Brashear and I actually recognize his name. Last year he won a quiznos assignment sponsored by poptent and his commercial was so good the sponsor decided to air it on TV. (Click here to view David’s Quizno’s spot.) Tongal is a little different from most video contest-hosting sites because they run their contests in phases. In the first phase, people submit ideas and the sponsor picks their favorites. Then in the second phase, filmmakers go out and shoot the winning ideas. Technically you can come up with a whole new concept but most people choose to play it safe and shoot the pre-approved ideas. But in this case, the filmmaker submitted something totally out of left field. Not only is it visually amazing, it has a shocking twist ending. Watch and be amazed:

First Place Winner. Prize: $4,750:

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT S&*% OR WHAT? All I can say is that $4,750 is NOT enough for a video like that! Couldn’t they at least round the prize up to an even $5K? The ad is simply amazing but I do have one criticism. The actress cast to play the wife of the “guy” is way too hot! The producer should have tried to cast someone that was at least slightly plausible. Or hey, maybe she’s not supposed to be the “guy’s” wife. Maybe she’s like his therapist or live in caretaker or something. He does kind of treat her like he’s a stubborn mental patient and she’s his frustrated nurse.

To see all the winning Duct Tape videos, head here. But be warned, after seeing that Tron video everything else is going to be a let down: http://tongal.com/project/ducktape

Want to write a Guest Post for VCN?

Posted by Dan L. on August 17th, 2011

Brought to you by the US Dept. of Video Contests

I don’t know what’s changed but the amount of people who visit this website on a daily basis has just been going up and up all summer! And that’s weird because usually the summer is VCN’s slowest time of the year. But as far as traffic goes, July was our 3rd biggest month of 2011 and it looks like August’s numbers are going to crush July’s. Maybe we moved up the google rankings a bit or maybe this is just another sign of how popular video contests in general are getting. But I think one thing that’s happening is that the number of “regular readers” we get really shot up this year. So if you’re one of those people who have us bookmarked and who check the site every week (or even every day!) thank you for your support!

We’re now getting so much traffic that I feel like I’m not really keeping up with the demand for new content. This used to be a “2 posts a week” type of blog. But lately I’ve been trying to do 3 posts a week. For future reference, new posts will usually go up on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Because VCN will be doing more posts per week, I’ve decided that it might be cool if I let someone else stand on my soapbox every once in a while.

So for the first time ever, Video Contest News will be accepting submissions for “Guest Blog Posts.” If you care about video contests enough to read this blog, you probably have some strong thoughts and opinions about this growing micro-genre of filmmaking. I’ll consider all types of articles as long as what you write is true and won’t get me sued. So if you want to brag about your latest big win or if you want to share your secret strategies or if you just want to bitch about some crappy contest where you got screwed over somehow, let me know. Hell…I might even let you plug your contest-related website or post a vote requests if those plugs and requests are part of an article that someone would actually want to read.

I’m kind of psyched about this idea and I’m looking forward to hearing what you folks have to say. I think adding other voices to this site will give it a little more depth and variety, if you know what I mean. For now, my plan is to ease into this and run just 2 guest posts a month. But if things work out, I might start running a guest blog every wednesday. So if you have an idea for a guest post, e-mail me your suggestion: . Thanks!

A look at Poptent’s new Creator Code of Conduct

Posted by Dan L. on August 14th, 2011

Out of all the video contest/spec assignment-type sites on the web, Poptent.net has managed to set themselves apart from the crowd by establishing an elaborate and well designed online community where members can easily interact and communicate with each other. I always describe Poptent as being the Facebook of video contest sites. Every member has a profile page where they can post information about themselves and they also have a “wall” where other members can see what they’ve been up to and leave comments. There’s a messaging system in place so members can talk to each other and there’s a pretty active forum where users can talk about filmmaking or even other contests. But what really brings people together on Poptent are the site’s “social” functions. Everyone can see everyone else’s videos and members can “like” or comment on each other’s submissions. And if you think someone is doing especially good work, you can even “follow” them to keep track of their on-site activities.

All of these opportunities for interaction yield a fun, social experience for the user. Even if your submission isn’t purchased by the brand, it’s still kind of nice when a bunch of people “like” your work and leave supportive comments.

However….there is simply is no such thing as a “drama free” online community. That’s just the reality of the Internet. And Poptent is no exception to that rule. After all, filmmakers tend to be a pretty passionate bunch. And when you stir the pot by tossing money and competition into the mix, things can get pretty gruesome. Most Poptent users are pretty cool people who understand that if they cause trouble they’ll be wrecking their on-site reputation. But Poptent now boasts more than 36,000 members. Statistically speaking, there are inevitably going to be some major league jerks in that bunch. And a few random jerks can have a significant impact on the tranquility of an online community.

The number of random jerks who are gleefully and intentionally trying to wreck the Poptent experience for the rest of the people who use the site is still pretty small. But a few motivated and angry people can do a lot of damage. Because Poptent doesn’t have any blocking software, there is no way for one member to block unwanted and harassing messages, comments or wall posts from another. And because the staff doesn’t really moderate the forum, trolls are free to pick fights and high-jack otherwise bland discussions.

But the number one way members abuse the site is by creating fake accounts. Some desperate filmmakers create multiple fake accounts to “like” and compliment their own work. I guess they do it because they think the brand managers will see how “popular” their video is and want to purchase it. If a video has a ton of “likes” that came from accounts that were all created on the same day and have generic profile photos, you can bet they were all created by one person. These fake accounts are so easy to spot I’ve always wondered why Poptent allowed people to create and use them. I’ve even seen cases where Poptent actually awarded “Most Popular” medals to submissions that were clearly only “popular” because the creator “liked” their own video a bunch of times.

While that type of behavior is kind of harmless, other members create fake accounts for more nefarious reasons. If someone is too much of a coward to say something under their real name, they create a fake “person” to do their talking for them. For example, earlier this year Trident ran a commercial assignment on Poptent and one filmmaker who co-produced a submission created a fake account to bash his competition. Motivated by pure greed, this person posed as an impartial observer and left scathing reviews on all of the best videos in the assignment. He listed every “flaw” he could find and explained why it would be a bad idea for Trident to purchase those particular spots. That was pretty low, but he didn’t stop there. This person just couldn’t resit the urge to use his fake account to lavish praise on his own entry. The flaw that he found in his own work was that it was too slick and too professional. And guess what? That person’s despicable tactics may have actually worked. His video was purchased for $7,500! Did the Trident judges see those “impartial” comments? Probably, yes. Did he make the sale because of what he did? There’s no way to know. Either way, it’s really unfortunate that Poptent allowed a member to pull such an under-handed scam.

But Poptent is finally, thankfully putting their foot down. Though the website’s Terms of Service have always said they could suspend the account of someone who was causing problems, the site was lacking a hard, enforceable set of rules regarding on-site behavior. So a few weeks ago, Poptent debuted their new “Creator Code of Conduct.” The Code outlines what is expected of members and explains what type of behavior is forbidden. Most importantly, it defines what will happen to a member that breaks the code:

“Anyone who repeatedly ignores the principles of this code will be subject to permanent removal from the Poptent community.”

I think that kind of statement is awesome and long overdue. Here are a few of the most important points of the new code:

Be Positive: Positive feedback is highly encouraged. Please be conscientious in your comments. Don’t spam, troll, taunt, flame, belittle, bully, attack, sabotage, embarrass, threaten, harass, intimidate, demean, or insult other creators or their work. Not in town halls; not in media comments; not in public or private messages or emails. Not on Poptent. Keep outside beefs out of Poptent. This is a professional community and there is no need for friction or animosity.

Be Honest: Be yourself. The creation or utilization of false accounts, either to bolster one’s likes, karma, or general community standing or used to negatively affect another creator’s profile or media will not be condoned.

Be Constructive: Keep all criticism or feedback constructive and respectful. If you wouldn’t say it at the family dinner table, don’t say it here. Remember, some people want feedback while others may not.

All I can say to that is “Hell yes, it’s about damn time.” Being a filmmaker that works on spec is hard enough as it is. There is simply mo reasons that the people who use Poptent should be forced to put up with liars, bullies and trolls. The company has a moral obligation to provide an artistically “safe” place where filmmakers can feel free to express themselves and share their work in a “hater-free” environment. So I’m very happy to see that Poptent finally stepped up and created measures that protect their members from the few bad apples that are our there. If you want to read the entire Code of Conduct for yourself, follow this link. You really should take a look at it. It’s short, well-written and even has some pretty colors in it: http://www.poptent.net/code-of-conduct

DSLR FRIDAY: (China) Balls of Fury

Posted by Dan L. on August 12th, 2011

Made in China, I assume.

I shoot my video contest entries with a DSLR for one reason and one reason only: It’s cheap. My Canon T2i cost me about $900 and shoots full 1080 HD footage. Compared to a $5,500 Panasonic HVX200, that’s a ridiculous deal. Yeah, you lose a ton of features (like decent audio capabilities) when you don’t shoot with a real “video camera” but unless you’re a well-stocked pro, a DSLR is the best, most affordable option around.

So if your only video camera is a DSLR, you’re probably doing your filmmaking on the cheap. Which means you need to come up with some low-cost solutions to the challenges that DSLR shooting presents. One weird thing I’ve noticed about my DSLR is that it hates shadows. It’s really unforgiving if you use a strong light source. If you don’t diffuse your lights (including the sun) you’re going to get some stark shadows, especially under your subject’s eyes. I’ve found that a great, cheap way to soften the look of a video is with one of the oldest tricks in the book: China Balls.

It seems like at least one a year I talk to a filmmaker or read a film book that recommends lighting a scene with a China Ball. You know what China balls are right? Those big white, paper balls that you put a light into? (By the time you read this I probably will have added a giant picture of a china ball to this post) For some reason I never heeded the advice of those China Ball evangelists. But now I am a convert! I started using them a few months ago and the results are pretty sweet. Check out this video I shot for the Insinkerator assignment that Poptent ran back in the spring. This entire video was lit with China Balls and natural room light. Oh actually, the shot of the happy baby was done by my long distance collaborator, HappyJoel. He did the adorable song for this too. But the rest was done by me and my big, white balls:

Is that some even lighting or what? Check out the shots of the “snacks” at the 19 second mark. There isn’t a hint of shadow on that table. That’s the magic of the china ball. You can find a lot of tutorials online that explain how to build a China Ball light but here’s how I built mine:

Also probably made in china

Step 1: You can order a china ball online here but I just went to Pier One Imports. I bought 2 decent sized balls for like 16 bucks.

Step 2: Head to Home Depot (ok, I prefer Menards but I think that’s a mid-western chain) and buy a cheap clamp light like the one in this picture.

Step 3: While you’re at Menards (or wherever) pick up a 300 Watt clear or white light bulb.

Step 5: The rest is pretty self-explanatory. Rip that silver dish part off your light. Pop open your China ball and put it’s metal support in. Then put the socket into the ball and shove the cord into the ball’s cord holder bracket thing.

And that’s that. Now the disclaimer. BE CAREFUL! The thing you just built is really goddamn dangerous!! Most China Ball tutorials will tell you to use a 100 Watt bulb max. But 100 Watts will only be enough if you want “moody” lighting. You want to light up the night!! But if that 300 Watt bulb touches that paper ball you’re fucked. It’ll start smoking in a few seconds if the bulb has been on for a while. So if you’re stupid enough to actual build this ball of death, here are the precautions you will need to take:

1. Always make sure the bulb is hanging in the dead center of the ball.

2. Always turn the light off when not filming.

3. Always have a fire extinguisher on set. (You should always have one whenever you’re setting up hot lights, actually)

So now that you’ve got your ball you’ll need to hang it from something. A pro or semi-pro would probably stick it on a a “C-Stand” like this one. But one of those suckers will run you $165!! Screw that noise. I just hang my China Ball from this a simple boom mic stand. Here’s a picture of the exact mic stand I use. Guess how much it cost? Less than 30 bucks! You can even buy one at Best Buy. And let me tell you, this thing is perfect for hanging china balls. It can extend really high so you can get the ball all the way to the ceiling (to mimic a room’s actual light source.) Plus, the thing is super light weight and can fold up and fit in your car trunk. A old fashioned C-Stand is so awkward and weighs so much that if you knocked one over you could break somebody’s nose. So these mic stands are 500 million times better for suspending china balls then a big ass metal stand.

You know what? I’ve been thinking about it and my version of the China Ball is just too dangerous to actually attempt to build and use. So please do not build the lighting device I just explained how to make. For the record, this post is intended for entertainment purposes only and if you burn your house down, it’s not my fault.

When will the 2012 Crash the Super Bowl contest be announced?

Posted by Dan L. on August 9th, 2011

It might still be early August but it’s already starting to feel a little bit like Fall. Every year, as the summer starts to wind down I see a steady climb in traffic to this website and it can always be attributed to one thing; filmmakers looking for news about Doritos’ upcoming Crash the Super Bowl contest. I can even tell what search terms readers put into google to get here and already I’m seeing lots of “keyword phrases” like: will doritos do crash the superbowl 2012, doritos superbowl contest, super bowl commercial contest 2012 and crash the superbowl XLVI. And those are just from the last 12 hours!

So video contest filmmakers are certainly ready to “Crash” the Super Bowl. But is Fritolay? Will the contest even be brought back for 2012? The answer is YES. I have confirmation that the CTSB contest will be run again for the 2011/2012 season. In fact, Fritolay and Pepsico have been planning for this installment since before the last Crash was even finished. Here’s a little blurb about the 2012 contest from an article that ran in USA Today right after Super Bowl 35 in February. The story was about how some companies were trying to get extra mileage out of their Super Bowl ads by releasing them online before the big game:

The brands are “rethinking” the Crash the Super Bowl promo for the 2012 game in a way that will involve more social media, says Rudy Wilson, marketing vice president at Frito-Lay.

Really it’s no surprise that Doritos would bring the contest back for 2012 since the last installment was such a big hit. But the “social media” stuff worries me a bit. I hope to God it doesn’t mean people will be voting for entries on facebook!

So now that you know the Crash is on for sure, the new question is, when can you start filming? Well, not for a few more weeks. The full details of the contest should be announced in mid-September and the submission period will probably begin about 2 weeks later and run until early November Oh but there is one detail I can mention. From what I have read, it looks like once again the Crash will have two categories and you can shoot an ad for Doritos And/or an ad for a Pepsi product. (I suspect it will be Pepsi Max again.)

If you’ve stumbled across this website while looking for details about this year’s CTSB contest, be sure to bookmark us and check back often for updates. VideoContestNews.com is the ONLY site on the web that actively covers the Crash as it unfolds. Also, if you’re too anxious to wait to get to work, maybe you should check out the details of Chevy’s new consumer-generated Super Bowl commercial contest:

9/7/2011 UPDATE: Yesterday the NFL announced the details of some of the long term deals they had struck with advertisers. And they confirmed that Fritolay will once again be running the crash the Super Bowl contest this year. So you can expect the contest to be officially announced very soon! Here’s the full (but brief) story: http://goo.gl/Jt3WM

TMBG’s Can’t Keep Johnny Down winner

Posted by Dan L. on August 8th, 2011

John Hodegman has spoken. As the sole judge in They Might Be Giant’s “” music video contest, Hodgeman got to pick the winning submission all by himself. Here’s the video he selected:

Winner. Prize: $1,000 and a pizza from the pizzeria of the winner’s choice:

Yes, the prize was a thousand bucks and a Pizza. So how did John Hodgeman do as a judge? Pretty goddamn good if you ask me. That video kept me mesmerized from beginning to end. And you know what? I like the song too. TMBGs is one of my favorite bands and thanks to this video contest, I’m gonna go out and buy their new album. By “go out and buy their new album” I mean I’ll buy it off iTunes. But you get my point. So I tip my hat to whoever came up with this video contest. It will probably, actually result in increased sales.