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The annual NYU Stern ProMotion Pictures Film Competition seeks to provide NYU Stern and NYU Kanbar students with the opportunity to collaborate on a series of innovative short films for a sponsoring brand. Following a creative briefing by the corporate sponsor’s marketing team, teams of NYU Stern and Tisch Kanbar graduate students and alumni develop short films that seek to achieve the communication objectives identified by the sponsor. A judging panel comprised of distinguished industry executives and accomplished directors select the winning screenplays based on the following three criteria: originality, content/entertainment value and appropriateness to brand strategy. In addition to access to the resources at NYU Stern and NYU Kanbar, the winning teams are given access to partnering agencies within the media, entertainment and communication industries and most importantly, a grant to produce their screenplay. The finished films debut at a gala screening and may be featured as part of the sponsoring brand’s advertising or promotional campaign.

Please find below the schedule and guidelines for the 2008 NYU Stern ProMotion Pictures Film Competition, sponsored by Cisco.

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Series Overview

Digital Cribs is a new series of mini-documentaries produced by Cisco and Ogilvy profiling interesting individuals who use consumer technology, specifically video and their wireless home network in interesting ways. Each 3 minute episode will be distributed across the Internet as well as live on the Cisco Digital Cribs website (www.digitalcribs.com).

We are interested in how people are using technology in and outside the home for entertainment and communications. For the episodes we have already produced (see episodes at digitalcribs.com) we tour wired/wireless homes that feature the latest in technology. Overall, the speeds and feeds of the technology plays a supporting role and the focus tends to be on the subject, their lifestyle, their passions and the benefits they glean from using technology. This all ladders to the objective of the Digital Cribs series, which is to demystify home technology, connect "aspirational" early adopters with mainstream consumers, inspire mainstream consumers to adopt new experiences/technologies and engage viewers in a conversation about how technology can support a more involved and entertaining life.

Film Project

Cisco is eager to enroll film students at NYU in the Digital Cribs mission and would like to see them shoot their own version of the show that will allow them to:

1. Earn the chance to win cash prizes and national exposure for their work.
2. Gain hands-on experience in interpreting a brand strategy to meet a client brief.
3. Learn to budget, schedule and manage a production.
4. See their work featured as part of a nationally promoted marketing campaign.
5. Learn how to distribute and market their work to reach as wide an audience as possible.

In return we ask that students create their own version of Digital Cribs that:

1. Explores the intersection of lifestyle and home technology with a focus on interesting consumer uses of video.
2. Is memorable and entertaining.
3. Generates buzz and inspires the audience to submit user generated content.

There will be two prizes awarded at the end of the competition. The People’s Choice Award will be given to the filmaker who receives the most votes. The Brand Award will be given to the filmaker deemed to have most clearly captured the essence of the client brief.

Creative Considerations:

  • Who you profile is often as critical as how they use technology. Documentary subjects should talk fluently about technology and describe the benefits in human terms. Above all we want to focus on people who are passionate about their pastimes and technology. We’re particularly interested in personalities and/or groups who create and/or use a lot of media and video.
  • Three important things - when you submit your film to us, it must be no longer than 3 minutes, in 16:9 aspect ratio (wide screen) and in High Definition Video.
  • Stylistically, we want to encourage diversity; therefore students are free to make a funny film or a poignant film; shoot in a variety of visual styles, etc.
  • It’s okay to feature Cisco products (ex. Linksys, Scientific Atlanta cable boxes), but Cisco is looking to show a breadth of different experiences provided by a variety of companies.

Competition Description:

The Digital Cribs competition will generate a total of (8) finished films from NYU. One finalist will emerge from this field of (8) and will go forward to represent their university in a head to head competition with the finalist from the USC Film School.

Competition Timing:

  • 09/10/08 – Cisco/Ogilvy brief NYU students on project(need venue details)
  • 10/10/08 – Script treatments due
  • 10/15/08 – Top 8 finalists selected
  • 12/12/08 – Final episodes due
  • 12/16/08 – Voting at DigitalCribs.com begins to determine NYU finalist for national competition
  • 01/23/08 – Voting closes
  • 01/31/09 – Screening gala/prizes awarded (need venue details)
  • 02/05/09 – NYU v. USC National Competition voting opens
  • 02/20/09 – National Competition closes. Winner notified

Rules of the Contest:

  • The top 8 finalists will be selected by a 3-person panel comprised of representatives from Cisco, Ogilvy and the entertainment industry.
  • Each finalist will receive $5,000 to create their final episode submission.
  • Students are competing for (2) different prizes. “The Brand Prize” for $5K selected by a panel of judges and “The People’s Choice Prize” for $10K selected by community voting.
  • Once the final episodes are submitted to Cisco they will be uploaded to the DigitalCribs competition site for community voting to determine the winner of the People’s Choice Award. The (8) finalists will share from a total prize pool of $10K. Money will be awarded based upon the overall % of views that a video gets on the DigitalCribs competition site. For example. If your video receives 80% of the total views, you receive $8K.
  • A panel of 3 judges comprised of representatives from Cisco, Ogilvy and the entertainment industry will determine the Brand Award winner.

Email questions or treatment submissions to promotion.pictures@gmail.com.