The Young People’s Film Festival - Cornwall 2006 - call for entries

The Young People’s Film Festival has returned for another year, and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever before! 

Since 2003, the first day of the festival has traditionally been the Young Peoples Film Festival working in co-operation with young people - however - this year the young people have taken full control!

We’re revamping and improving o­n previous festivals, spreading the event over two days and will include a full feature length film, guest speakers, hands-on workshops (previous workshops have included - blue screening, stop-frame animation, post-production digital effects, creating sound effects and making movies o­n mobile phones - this years workshops are yet to be confirmed), an award ceremony and party. The festival becomes a buzzing venue for - learning, creativity, networking, sharing ideas, film discussions, meeting new people interested in film, workshops, training, career research, new opportunities and experiences…phew! All this and films made by you!

We want your films!

If you’ve ever dreamed of your films being shown o­n the big screen, the Young Peoples Film Festival is the easiest way to help get your talent known. All you have to do is make a film and enter it in the festival – simple!

Many schools and youth groups have digital equipment or you may have o­ne at home - if you can’t get your hands o­n some equipment - camera and/or editing facilities, we can help you connect with someone in your area who has.

Just remember you don’t need expensive equipment and a big budget to make a masterpiece, use your creativity and imagination and remember to keep it simple!

Whether it’s your first go at making a film, or you want to develop your talent, below are some guidelines/ideas to help you with your directing debut! -

Ideas

Keep it short! Many previous films made by young people have been 90 seconds long (and many others a maximum of 5 minutes long) – this doesn’t sound long but its incredible how much thought, planning and creativity you can squeeze into short and sweet films. Just keep in mind – people prefer quality than quantity!

Development

Don’t rush into production! Whether you’ve decided to make a crime drama or nature documentary – write a treatment (short synopsis etc)/script/storyboard/plan the structure of your film. The more time you spend developing your film in pre-production, the less time you’ll waste o­n shooting footage that ends up o­n the cutting room floor, think ahead!

Format

• Shoot o­n mini-DV and edit o­n PC or Mac.
• Basic programmes such as ‘Windows Movie Maker’ and ‘I-Movie’ are now already installed o­n many recent computers. If you want more flexibility and are feeling adventurous, editing programmes ‘Adobe Premiere’ and ‘Final Cut Pro’ are loaded with effects, transitions and layering capacity you’ll need to create your masterpiece (you can download cut down versions/free trials for a fraction of the full version costs).
• Output a master to mini-DV and viewing copies o­n VHS or DVD.

Resources/funding

For links to resources/potential funding/updates about the festival visit –
• www.cornwallfilmfestival.com - click o­n the Young Peoples Film Festival link
• www.flickernow.org  - the first stop for moving image and filmmakers in Cornwall and the South West

Copyright

The festival will o­nly be able to screen films which have full copyright clearance, so if you’re planning to use the latest number o­ne hit - think again! When using any existing music, stories, story formats, clips etc please make sure you have full clearance in advance – and remember people enjoying seeing something fresh and new! The easiest way to avoid copyright issues is to develop your own ideas and make or commission new music for your soundtrack (there are many young music bands throughout Cornwall, why not approach them with your film?) For more information about copyright visit the First Light website – www.firstlightmovies.com

Submission

Application forms are available o­n the Cornwall Film Festival website: www.cornwallfilmfestival.com Go to the submissions tab to download the form.
Entry is free for submissions entered before 6pm o­n Tuesday 15th August

• Films entered after this deadline and before 1st September will be charged a fee of £25
• A maximum of 5 entries per person will be accepted
  Please send your completed entry form with all submission materials enclosed to:

The Cornwall Film Festival
The Old Grammar School
West Park
Redruth
Cornwall
TR15 3AJ

Any problems/queries/practical help please see the FAQ page o­n the Film Festival Website (Young Peoples section in process of being updated) and queries about copyright, equipment, crew and editing can be answered by clicking o­n the following websites -
• www.flickernow.org
• www.cornwallmediafocus.co.uk
Or you can contact us (see contact details o­n final page)

Help?

Any groups/individuals interested in developing ideas for a film project and can’t find what you need from flickerNOW website and its links, feel free to contact us and we can arrange to show you examples of films made by young people and talk to you about your ideas (see contact details)

Remember - Keep it short, keep it simple, have fun and get shooting!

Dates for your diary

• Tuesday 15th August – Free submission deadline
• 16th and 17th November – Young People’s Cornwall Film Festival

Young Peoples Film Festival Event – Don’t miss out! It’s FREE!

Even if you don’t make a film for the festival, we’d still love to see you there! Keep checking the website for updates o­n the festival programme and details of the Young People’s event.

The Young People’s Cornwall Film Festival team wish you good luck with your films and look forward to seeing you in November!

Contact details -

Tel:   01209 204655
Email:  info@cornwallfilmfestival.com

Address: The Cornwall Film Festival
The Old Grammar School
West Park
Redruth
Cornwall
TR15 3AJ

Web:  www.cornwallfilmfestival.com