14th Annual Movie Trailer Contest

Congratulations to the winners of the 14th Annual Movie Trailer contest! You can view the top 3 middle school and top 3 high school entries in the playlist below.

Video Guidelines

The only video formats that will be accepted for review and judging are:

• .MP4
• .MOV
• .AVI

Videos should be high quality and meet these specs:

• 16:9 screen format
• 30 fps
• 1080x720 pixels or 1920x1080 pixels

Video renders submitted at sizes or screen ratios other than these recommendations will be rejected and not reviewed.

Mobile Devices: If you are using a mobile device to capture video, we recommend you record your footage horizontally (see graphic above) to fit the prescribed 16:9 format required. Note: Mobile devices record video at a variable rate, not at a set rate (30fps, for example). It is highly recommended that you edit footage captured on a mobile device in a video editing program to address this.

Pro Tip: Process footage you've recorded on a mobile device through a free program called HandBrake to make sure it plays at 30 fps before working on your final edit.

Video Optimization: To ensure that the highest quality of video is being submitted, it is strongly recommended that web video and optimization options NOT be used in the video output options. Please refer to the help and support or user manual of the editing software you are using for more information.

Content Guidelines

The CapEd Credit Union Movie Trailer Contest encourages creativity and skill development through video. The program provides youth – middle and high school students – the opportunity to explore the many aspects of video production including sound, lighting, storyboarding and other key elements to quality video production. Creativity centered on positive themes and content are highly encouraged.

Can a submission be based on a book or a play? The answer to that frequently asked question is yes, absolutely. A number of students have created movie trailers based on books and plays. Pro tip: Recruit your school drama club. We do not recommend creating a trailer based on a movie or television series due to potential copyright infringement issues. As for parodies of movies or TV shows? It's only acceptable so long as you don't use imagery, graphics, or music directly from the property you are making a parody of without proof of permission which, frankly, is extremely difficult and probably not worth the effort.

The content guidelines for the Movie Trailer Contest are a G/PG Rating. This guidance was added during the 2019-2020 school year. In recent years, submissions have tended to feature violence, drug use and bullying. These are not societal elements the contest wishes to highlight or celebrate. As such, moving forward all submissions must follow the G and PG Ratings outlined below.

IMPORTANT! Due to recent events and community feedback, CapEd has determined the following, regardless of rating standards: Any submission that depicts violence in any form will be rejected and will not be reviewed by the judging panel. In addition to disqualifying trailers that depict violence, CapEd will also disqualify any trailer that depicts the displaying and use of weapons in any form or context. We recognize that this is an extreme departure from previous guidelines and what has been permitted in the past. We encourage students to push their creativity and seek solutions that don't involve or encourage violence as a solution or outcome.

ACCEPTABLE – G – RATING: GENERAL AUDIENCES. ALL AGES ADMITTED.

A G-rated motion picture contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of the Rating Board, would offend parents whose younger children view the motion picture. The G rating is not a "certificate of approval," nor does it signify a "children's" motion picture. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated motion pictures. Depictions of violence are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes, or drug use are present in the motion picture.

ACCEPTABLE – PG – RATING: PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED. SOME MATERIAL MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN.

A PG-rated motion picture should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children attend. The PG rating indicates, in the view of the Rating Board, that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, and parents should make that decision.

The more mature themes in some PG-rated motion pictures may call for parental guidance, but these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated motion picture.

It is highly encouraged that participants in the CapEd Movie Trailer Contest seek creative ideas and content that is aspirational and acceptable to an all-age audience. Additionally, the content must follow rules established and accepted within the education community. CapEd reserves the right to reject submissions that do not follow the above guidelines or rules.

If you have further questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Trailer Tips

First and foremost – you are creating a trailer, not a complete movie. The intent of a trailer is to provoke a response from an audience that makes them wish the film really existed. In short, you are selling an idea for a story without telling the entire story. Feel free to visit our past entries on YouTube for examples of what other students have done!

Here are some ways to help do that:

• One-liners are winners. Write a line of dialogue or brief exchange between characters that has impact and is emotional (funny, angry, sad). A single well-written line that is delivered with conviction can carry an entire trailer and compel people to want to know the whole story. Fun fact: Most memorable one-liners from movies are featured in the trailers promoting them.
• Music sets the tone. Take the time to find the right music for your story. Whether you use something that is open source (like the YouTube Audio Library) or compose something yourself, most trailers are successful because of the soundtrack employed.
• More camera = more creative. Record a single scene from various camera angles and vantage points. Record multiple scenes. The more footage you work with in your editing process the more creative opportunities there will be for your final edit.
• Find some actors. Try to work with people who like to act or have experience acting. Look beyond your immediate friends (unless they're actors). Consider working with people who aren't the same age as you.
• Graphics drive it home. Unlike full feature films, movie trailers rely on using graphics to help sell an idea. A screen with text can often help communicate an idea or concept faster than video. Consider producing a production company slate and a title treatment that is appropriate for your subject matter. The graphic treatment of a movie title may be the one thing that sticks with a viewer who wants to see the full movie.
• Editing is the key. Related to using the right music, how a trailer is edited ultimately decides how effective it is at selling an idea. The number of shots, the incorporation of dialogue (if any), the implementation of graphics, the timing with the music you've selected, all combine to make for a presentation that has impact.

14th Annual Movie Trailer Award Ceremony

When: Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Where: Overland Park Cinemas - 7051 W. Overland Road, Boise, ID 83709 - View on Google Maps

Schedule: Doors will open at 5:30pm. The ceremony begins at 6:00pm. We will be showing the Top 10 High School and Top 10 Middle School trailers. Awards will be given to the Top 3 High School and Top 3 Middle School trailers.

Video Judging

Each year, CapEd Credit Union assembles a group of local media professionals along with a handful of CapEd employees to review and rate the movie trailers submitted by students. The media professionals are typically individuals with extensive broadcasting or video production backgrounds who have a good understanding of the work and techniques required to produce an edited piece. Below is the rating rubric used by the judges.

The rubrics are collected from the judges after the submissions have been viewed and the forms filled out. Winners are determined strictly based on an aggregate score tallied from all the rubrics. In the extremely rare case of a tie for one of the winning places, the two videos in question are reviewed and rated a second time by the CapEd Marketing team. On average, there are twelve judges participating each year.

Contest Rules

While you have fun creating your video trailer, please follow these rules:

Students

Students must be enrolled in the 6th-12th grade or be home schooled at a 6th through 12th grade level in the state of Idaho.

Submitting

• All entries must be recorded, edited, and produced by students.
• Submissions must be new. Previously entered submissions in the CapEd video contest will not be accepted.
• Submissions must include all necessary release forms and a submission form.
• Only one submission per producer is allowed.
• You must upload your submission to CapEd's Sharefile.
• Uploaded file must be in one of these formats: MP4, MOV, or AVI. No exceptions. See our video guidelines for details.
• Submissions must be entered no later than Wednesday, February 21st, 2024 at 11:59pm.

Trailer Specifications

• Must not exceed 3 minutes in length.
• Must earn a rating of G or PG and not include any nudity or profanity.

IMPORTANT! Due to recent events and community feedback, CapEd has determined the following, regardless of rating standards: Any submission that depicts violence in any form will be rejected and will not be reviewed by the judging panel. In addition to disqualifying trailers that depict violence, CapEd will also disqualify any trailer that depicts the displaying and use of weapons in any form or context. We recognize that this is an extreme departure from previous guidelines and what has been permitted in the past. We encourage students to push their creativity and seek solutions that don't involve or encourage violence as a solution or outcome.

• Must include an official 14th Annual CapEd trailer logo slate in the first minute (sixty seconds) of the submitted trailer and must appear at full screen for a minimum of two seconds. There are two options:
  • A full-color option designed to be left alone or unaltered.
  • Due to popular demand, a greyscale option designed to be modified using color tones and visual effects that match the look and feel of your trailer.
• Footage used must be original or officially licensed for use.
• Any soundtrack, video, or artwork used must be original or officially licensed for use. CapEd recommends that you look for soundtrack music that is licensed with a Creative Commons License. Use of copyrighted material will result in disqualification.

Submit

Producers must fill out and submit a Movie Trailer Contest Submission Form. As a producer, you must also fill out and submit a Video Release Form. Each individual who participated in the making of a video must also submit a Video Release Form. You can review our Children's Online Privacy Policy Opens in new tab. for more information about how submission data for individuals under the age of 13 is handled.

Note: Don't forget to include the official CapEd trailer logo slate in the first 60 seconds of your trailer.

Step One: Release Forms

Each individual involved, including the producer, must fill out a release form.

All fields are required to be filled out.

Step Two: Upload Video

Upload your video by clicking the button. A new tab will open where you can upload your video on CapEd's Sharefile. Then return to this page and complete step three.