International video compilation "COL 2012"

Circles of Light 2012
"Primary objective: To share our love for these arts"

• What? Send us your video clip of Staff/Poi/Glowstick/Fire Poi/Juggling/Hooping
• When? Post to us before 30th June 2012 (we will allow 2 weeks after that for your entry to arrive)
• How?
  Please post your video/VCD/DVD to
  Home of Poi - Circles of Light
  PO Box 6271
  36A Sonter Road
  Christchurch 8042
  New Zealand.
  
  You must also include a video submission form. 
  and a performer's release form for each performer appearing within the video.
  and a music release form if your video submission includes any music.
    
• Every entry featured on CoL receives one free copy.
• Only the best entries will make it on the final cut.
• Huge marketing opportunity plus gain admiration from fellow spinners.
• 100% of all profits made from the sale of CoL will go towards paying for the bandwidth used by the community forums, meet others, lessons, galleries and images.
• A Part of COL2012 will be set aside for a competition section which you may enter if you wish.
  • 1st prize is USD$2000 Cash! and USD$1000 credit to your HOP shop account.
  • 2nd prize is USD$500 credit to your HOP shop account.
  • 3rd prize is USD$250 credit to your HOP shop account.
    

1. Video clips can be edited or unedited, with or without music. Position of clip on tape must be at beginning of the tape. Please specify if editing can/should be done to shorten your entry to fit on the final video.
2. Duration: Clip duration is now more flexible. We believe you should be aiming for an average of 3 minutes, however up to 5 minutes is now possible. You should be aiming for Quality not Quantity.
   Entries over 3 minutes duration should be accompanied with supporting reasons for the length.
3. Home of Poi will select the entries which will make it to the final DVD. Previously we were limited to around 30 entries but this year we can have more (up to double the previous). However, we reserve the right to reject entries.
4. Must be able to see the person/s performing.
5. If music supplied: music should be heard on the video camera microphone. Music must also be supplied as a separate digital file (WAV,AVI,MP3 etc) to ensure best quality or provided on a digital video medium (eg. DVD).
6. If music supplied then a written authorization must be given from the music artist/s giving permission to use their piece on the COL2012 video and/or DVD. Also required is the artists contact details to go in the cover slip of the video case. If no music is supplied then we will try our best to find accompanying music.
7. Full address and contact details of the person/s in the video must be supplied with completed performer's release form.
8. Supply a name/s to appear on video before the clip, and contact details to be shown in the cover slip of the video case.
9. Must be doing swinging , twirling, or any of the fire arts.
10. No fire breathing.
11. No "x-rated" material.
12. No advertising material.
13. No text superimposed over and during the performance.
14. Videos can be on any tape, VCD,DVD in any format (VHS pal or NTSC formats). NTSC VCD/DVD is preferred.
15. You may enter as a group or as an individual as may times as you like. Each entry to be on a separate tape,VCD,DVD and with a completed video submission form.
16. Videos will be returned only if requested.
17. Competition section will be judged by Home of Poi Ltd.
18. Winners will be announced before end of November 2012.
19. Judges decisions are final and no correspondence shall be entered into.
20. Entries can not be placed on the internet* without express permission from Home of Poi Ltd.

Notes: *Please be aware that videos uploaded onto video hosting websites like YouTube, myspace, google video, dailymotion, metacafe, ifilm, grouper, revver, photobucket, blip.tv, break.com, stage6.divx, kewego, wat.tv, wideo, ... are not allowed as once uploaded they, take over part ownership of your media content, and thus would require permission from them before we can use the footage. Because of this we will only accept videos that have not previously been placed on a video hosting service. It also defeats the purpose of creating something special to assist fundraising for the HoP community services and bandwidth. If you could download the entries on the DVD, producing it would be a waste of our time.

1. Avoid using "auto focus"
2. Use a tripod
3. Multiple camera angles
4. Having extra light so we can see you
5. Filming in a nice location
6. Dressing up

• The use of a tripod often makes a dramatic impact in the quality of the final movie. If you plan to move the camera during filming, you should move it very slowly and as smoothly as you can. A jerking camera motion is hard to compress.
• Avoid hand-held shooting if possible. If your camera has an image-stabilization option you should turn this function on. Generally using this feature will reduce subtle changes between frames from camera motion.
• If you do not own a tripod, hold or rest the camera against the back of a chair.
• If filming fire at night you will find it better using "manual focus". This is because "auto focus" will have difficulty working out what to focus on and will make fuzzy what you want to be clear.
• Make sure you have other sources of light so that we can see you.
• If you mess up during filming, cut the mistake out and move the camera to a new angle. That way we can not tell if a cut was made to change angle of the filming or because you cut out the part where you wrapped the poi around your legs and fall over. This is a good trick to make you look better. Cuts in filming every second may lead us to believe otherwise.
• A nice location is also good and will visually add to a good performance.
• Dressing up adds another dimension to your performance. Please be sure of clothing safety if using fire.
• Our CoL e-book has some more information for your consideration.

Wishing you all the best

Malcolm Crawshay
Home of Poi Ltd