Contest Rules & FAQ

• DATE OF CONTEST

The date of the contest is Oct 13/14, 2023

• DAY BY DAY UPDATES:

For up to date updates please join the Facebook Group

• REGISTRATION:

Registration Deadline is Wednesday Oct 11, 2023 11:59pm PST. See the Equipment & Registration page for more information or click this link to go straight to the  registration form. 

• USE OF SCHOOL NAME FOR SOCIAL MEDIA:

24 HOURS will be announcing participating school names during the live broadcast and posting on social media. We also have the list of past/current participating schools on the Equipment & Registration page. If you have any concerns or would like us to remove your school name from the list of participants please send an email to: 24hourscontest@gmail.com

• VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON?

The prompt will be announced virtually and teams will submit their films virtually but where you make the films during the contest is up to your school and their policies. We recommend in person because for the most effective team experience.

When do we find out the theme for the contest?

Look above for this answer! The theme will be also be streamed live via a link which will be posted on the Facebook page. 

• EQUIPMENT FOR STUDENTS:

A special 24HOURS Equipment Request Form for any participant to request equipment to be shipped to your home (Webcam and/or Ring Light). These are donations from our generous sponsors and are in limited supply so if you are in need apply ASAP! Please refer to the Equiptment & Registration page for more information, or click this link to go directly to the online form. 

• SHOW US YOUR EXPERIENCE! #24HOURScontest :

Post your experience on the 24 HOURS FB group or other socials using the #24HOURScontest with pics, artwork, videos of you and your team throughout the event. These pics are enjoyable for all of us and it’s great to see teams from around the world experiencing the same excitement, fears and freakouts. Sponsors like to see it too so post away!!

• The teachers should be there to kick off the event and make sure all of the students are put in teams and have the necessary equipment/facilities. 

• Teachers do not have to stay 24 hours, unless you really want to, but we recommend you check in until each team has a story idea. 

• The teacher may NOT give any answers in any way (no drawing, whispering, passing notes, charades etc.), …BUT teachers may help students by asking questions to help them come up with their own answer. (Think Tim Gunn from Project Runway, “I’m not sure that is reading, is there another way?”, “Is this idea too complicated for 30 seconds”, “Make it work”, etc. ) 

• Teachers cannot help students complete their films in any way (i.e no technical troubleshooting). Part of the challenge is for students to learn how to troubleshoot their problems. If they do not meet their deadline, this is part of the lesson. 

• Teachers should find ways to motivate students throughout production. If you see students taking too long in one area, feel free to suggest they move on to the next step. Keeping them on schedule with reminders is encouraged 

• Teachers can also remind students to stay well-nourished with food, water, snacks, energy drinks etc. We would like all of our participants to not only complete their films, but also live through this experience! 

• Teachers can also post on the 24 HOURS FACEBOOK group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/24hourscontest/ Use the #24HOURScontest 

• ARTWORK: 

Teams can create their films in any medium they choose (traditional, CG, stop motion, experimental, rotoscope etc. as long as there is frame by frame manipulation). They are advised to think about the strengths of their team and how they might execute their films. 

Teams may NOT create any artwork ahead of time. They should arrive to the contest prepared with supplies/programs etc. and/or supplement any equipment the school may not have. 

Teams cannot download any rigs/models etc. as everything must be created from scratch during the contest. This will force you to think on your toes and work within constraints.

Teams are allowed to download raw textures as long as they are not UV maps for characters or models. 

• MUSIC:

Music and sound MAY be sourced. Team members are not expected to create their own from scratch but may do so if they have the ability/desire. Music/Sound must be royalty/copyright free (this is important as you do not want YouTube to remove your film).  

• HEALTH: 

HAVE FUN!! It’s a challenging competition and you may get stressed out at times. Just remember that it’s just a contest and although it is meant to help prepare you for the real world, it is NOT the real world. So enjoy the experience! 

Take care of eachother – even if you are on different teams. We want everyone to live through this 

• Who is eligible to compete?

Students enrolled in a college/university or high school and middle school anywhere on planet Earth that have permission from their (current, active) faculty to compete at their school are eligible.

• Can alumni compete?

Sorry no – only current students may compete.

• Do I need to be enrolled in Animation classes at my college to participate?

No, as long as you are currently taking SOME classes, have a team of 5, and a faculty supervisor!

• When does the contest start?

This year’s theme and 24 HOURS announcements will start at 3pm Pacific Time (California time), Friday, October 13, 2023. The contest will begin at 4pm and teams will have 24 hours to submit their 30 second films.

• What is the registration deadline?

DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS Wednesday Oct 11, 2023 11:59pm PT.

• Can teams contain members from more than one school?

We do encourage teams to form with members all from the SAME SCHOOL. However, if the school gives you permission one member from a different university MAY join your team if they can’t find enough participants at their school.

• TEAM NAME CARD:

FILMS MUST HAVE A TEAM NAME CARD AT THE START OF EACH FILM

(Use the template found on this site under the Templates & Resources page). USE THE TEAM NAME YOU REGISTERED WITH found on the official list of schools/teams with your team name – this is the only way we can identify your film.

Teams must NOT use any of their personal or school names anywhere on the film. Teams must not create their own name card – only use template white letters and black background. Please make sure there is NO MUSIC OR SOUND OR ARTWORK on the Team Name Card.

The TEAM NAME CARD will NOT count towards the length of the film. You may (or may not) have a separate title for your film WHICH WILL count towards the length of your film but TEAM NAME CARD will not.

• How do we submit our finished film?

1. 1. • Create a NEW public YouTube account and upload your film to it. Use your TEAM NAME not your personal names. DO NOT USE YOUR PERSONAL YOUTUBE ACCOUNT. That way the judges do not see the team members name. 
   2. • After it has uploaded, paste your link into the online form; link will be provided before the countdown starts
      • All links must be submitted by 4 p.m. Pacific Time (California time), Saturday, October 14, 2023.  NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED – even if it’s at 4:01p.m.
      • Friendly advice: Plan to be rendering/exporting your film no later than two hours before the contest deadline in order to troubleshoot for technical errors so that you will upload and deliver the link on time.

       

      • More friendly advice: It is best to create your YouTube channel well in advance of the contest so you don’t have to waste time on this step while working hard to complete your film under the time pressure. Double check that your link is working BEFORE submitting it and that it is public. Broken links will not be accepted and you will not have a chance to resubmit after the deadline.
   3. • Do not share your film with anyone until the winners are announced.

• What if we submit our film late, but only a LITTLE late?

AGAIN – NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED – even if it’s at 4:01p.m. Any submission received later than 4 p.m. Pacific Time, Saturday, October 14, 2023 will have to be disqualified from the competition. So manage your time well!

• How long can the film be?

All films must be 30 seconds long exactly. Simple title slates should appear at the start of the film for 3 seconds (which will be allowed extra time) but must not have any color or artwork on them. A template will be provided prior to the start of the contest.

• Does this include titles?

All teams must use the official title slate (details to come) and use their official team name. The title slate must be three seconds long and edited onto the beginning of your film and will not count towards the 30 second film time. Teams may NOT have any members’ or school’s names in the title slate or film.

• What about end credits?

Please do not include end credits in your film as filmmakers must remain anonymous to the judges.

• What if our film is 31 seconds long?

Any film that is not exactly 30 seconds long (not including title slate) will be disqualified, no matter how awesome that extra second might be.

• What frame rate do we have to work at?

There is no restriction about your frame rate as long as you can successfully upload the film to YouTube and it is 30 seconds long.

• What if I do not have equipment to participate from home?

A special 24HOURS Equipment Request Form for any participant to request equipment to be shipped to your home (Webcam and/or Ring Light). These are donations from our generous sponsors and are in limited supply so if you are in need apply ASAP! Please refer to the Equipment and Registration page for more information and the link to the request form.

• Can my teacher help us with our film?

You’re funny!  Of course not. BUT your teacher must approve your team to participate, and they must be present for the kick off announcement. They may also help to make sure all teams have the equipment/facilities needed before the contest begins.

• Who are the judges?

The judges are an awesome panel of animation industry professionals, to be announced on our Facebook page… stay ‘tooned!

• Can we do interviews or otherwise publicize our film and our involvement in the contest?

Absolutely!  That will make everybody happy so please do it! Spread the news about 24 HOURS so we can have more competition and more sponsors for awesome prizes. Most importantly, post your excitement/experience with pics and words on the 24 HOURS FB page https://www.facebook.com/groups/24hourscontest/ – let’s hear from all of you – the 24 HOURS community is listening!

• What is the Behind the Scenes Prize?

We are encouraging every team to create a “behind the scenes” reel to capture the essence of your team and the spirit of the competition in a 30-60 second “mini doc” (which you can cut together AFTER submitting your film 😉 This can include Artwork, Photos of the teams, videos of your team throughout the contest, music, confessionals, whatever! This is optional, but the best 30-60 second spot will win CASH and a sponsor prize! Please refer to the BTS (Behind The Scenes) page for more information and the link to upload your mini doc.

• What are the sponsorship prizes?

They are AMAZING!!!! This will be announced on the 24 HOURS FB page https://www.facebook.com/groups/24hourscontest/ – stay ‘tooned!!!