THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED.  THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!  TO SEE THE WINNING ENTRIES PLEASE VISIT OUR WINNERS PAGE.

It’s baaaaack…

Last year you dazzled us with short films that showcased your ingenuity, ability to entertain, and most of all…your love for City of Heroes. We put a call out for budding Spielbergs and Raimis…and in return, we got a D’Anna and a Shapiro! Who will be next?

Introducing the 2nd Annual Paragon City Film Festival! This year it’s bigger and better, and we challenge you to demonstrate your cinematic skills by creating a City of Heroes short film to be judged in the following 5 categories: Best Action, Best Comedy, Best Animated, Best Live Action and Best Overall.

Using game footage, your animation skills, a video camera or any other method you can dream up, create a CoH movie for our viewing pleasure. The subject matter is completely up to you – just make sure it’s about the game. This is your chance to be front-and-center as a Director…exhibit your editing skills, create your own exciting story, add captions, music, voiceovers—be creative, for the sky is the limit (just make VERY sure nothing in your film infringes any patent, copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right, or any privacy, publicity or publishing rights of any third party, or is libelous, obscene or otherwise contrary to law!).

All submissions will be judged equally on the following criteria: originality, creativity, presentation and visual portrayal.

Your film entry can be no longer than 3 minutes in length. It must be submitted in Quicktime, AVI, or MPEG 640x480 format and codec suggestions are mpeg 4 or soreson 3. We prefer Quicktime format. Audio should be 16-bit stereo sound, 22khz. You may either host the film yourself and submit a url where we can download it (make SURE it’s up and running for us to view – we’ll only visit twice and if the film isn’t available for viewing, your entry will be disqualified), or burn the movie to a CD and mail it to our office (please see the Official Rules for specifics).

Only ONE short film entry only per person and email address will be accepted (you can designate what categories you want to be judged in, but please note that judges retain the right to consider you for ALL 5).

No entries from last year’s contest may be re-submitted this year. Films must be in final, polished condition when submitted for this contest. Any changing or updating of films online or sending of new versions after your initial version has been received will result in disqualification! All participants must be current City of Heroes subscribers.

You have approximately 6 1/2 weeks to create your masterpiece, so get crackin’! The contest begins on Wednesday, June 29, at 4pm (CDT) and ends at 11:59pm (CDT) on Sunday, August 14, with winners being announced no later than Friday, August 26th.

If you’re planning on utilizing game footage in your movie and would like basic instructions, here is information on how to demo record.

Due to copyright music laws, if you’re going to “score” your cinematic masterpiece, you MUST do so with the musical pieces located here: ftp.coh.com/music/.

(Internet Explorer users behind firewalls - if you are having difficulties accessing the FTP site, please make sure that the “Use Passive FTP” option under the tools, internet options, advanced section, is checked).

Feel free to combine music selections and/or splice them if you wish, but you may NOT add your own or use music created by someone else. For this same reason, you may record your own voiceover but copyrighted sound bytes from television programs, movies, etc. are strictly prohibited. Film entries that violate intellectual property laws will be automatically disqualified from the contest!

So what kind of swanky prizes can your short film earn you? The prize stash is fantastic! Check out the following breakdown:

One (1) Best Overall Winner Will Receive:

  • One (1) Toshiba RS-TX20 TiVo®/DVD-R (combo DVR with basic Tivo® Service, DVD Player and DVD burner) (Retail value:  $500.00)
  • One (1) Tivo® Product Lifetime Subscription Service (Retail value:  $299.00)
  • One (1) Apple Ipod 20 gig MP3 Player (Retail value: $299.00)
  • * One (1) City of Villains Beta Test Spot (No Retail value)
  • Inclusion on the City of Villains™ game disc. Everyone who buys the standard version of the product will have a copy of your movie available for viewing — immortalizing your creative work for eternity! (No Retail value)

Total Prize Value:  $1,098.00

Four (4) Category Winners (Best Action, Best Comedy, Best Animated, Best Live Action) Will Receive:

  • One (1) Toshiba RS-TX20 TiVo®/DVD-R (combo DVR with basic Tivo® Service, DVD Player and DVD burner) (Retail value:  $500.00)
  • One (1) Apple Ipod 4 GB Mini (Retail value:  $199.00)
  • * One (1) City of Villains Beta Test Spot (No Retail value)

Total Prize Value:  $699.00

Four (4) Category Runner-Ups (Best Action, Best Comedy, Best Animated, Best Live Action) Will Receive:

  • One (1) Apple Ipod 4 GB Mini (Retail value:  $199.00)
  • * One (1) City of Villains Beta Test Spot (No Retail value)

Total Retail Value: $199.00

* Upon being awarded a City of Heroes beta slot in this contest, it is the winner’s sole responsibility to provide an email address that will remain valid and active until City of Villains enters its public closed beta phase. If Winner cannot be contacted at the time of beta start at the email address provided at the conclusion of this contest, or if email address is defunct at the time invitations are sent out, Winner’s beta slot will be forfeited.

You must be 18 years of age or older to participate (due to legal age requirements associated with signing a beta non-disclosure agreement) and a legal resident of the United States (excluding the State of Rhode Island, and excluding Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, military installations and commonwealths) or Canada (excluding Quebec) as of Wednesday, June 29, 2005 to participate in this contest.

By entering this contest, you agree to all of the terms and conditions in the 2nd Annual Paragon City Film Festival Contest Official Rules and Conditions (below), so please make sure you read them carefully!

Don’t forget to check out some of last year’s Paragon City Film Festival participants – they might help inspire you. Go here (and scroll down) to see our two winners and five honorable mentions from 2004!

Best of luck to you, Directors! We can’t wait to see your cinematic masterpieces!

 

2nd Annual Paragon City Film Festival Official Rules and Conditions

  1. ENTRY

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Participants must follow one of the following two methods of entry:

    1. For Participants Hosting Their Own Film Links:

    Send an email addressed to cohsubmissions@plaync.com with the subject heading “2nd Annual Paragon City Film Festival Contest.” Include the following information:

      1. The URL to where your film can be downloaded
      2. The title of your film
      3. The categories you would like to be considered for (Best Action, Best Comedy, Best Animated, Best Live Action, Best Overall. Please note that the judges reserve the right to consider you for all 5)
      4. Your registered message board display name (if you are a member of the forum)
      5. Your full name (first/last) and age
      6. Your FULL mailing address (street, city, state, and country of residence)
      7. A contact phone number (This will not be shared with any third parties but may be used to contact you about any issues related to this contest)
      8. Preferred email address for CoV beta test invitation (should you be a winner)

    NOTE: You must make sure that your movie URL is up and functional during the contest period. If the web page is down, we will wait and attempt one more visit during the contest period. If still unavailable, your contest entry will be disqualified.

  1. For Participants Burning A CD and Postal Mailing It:

Please send us your movie on disc and a piece of paper with the following information typed on it:

#2-8 listed above

Please postal mail to:
NCsoft Corporation
c/o 2nd Annual Paragon City Film Festival Contest
6801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy, Bldg. 1, Ste 102
Austin, TX 78731

NC Interactive collects personal information from you when you enter this contest. The information is subject to the Privacy Policy (http://www.plaync.com/help/privacy.html) of the site through which you enter the contest.

All entries must be received via email or postal mail prior to 11:59pm (CDT), Sunday, August 14th (the “Contest Conclusion”) and must be in English. No other methods of entry will be accepted. Limit: one entry per per person and e-mail address.

NC Interactive, Inc. and Cryptic Studios, Inc. (collectively, the "Sponsor") are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, incorrect, unintelligible or misdirected entries, which will be void. Use of a false username or email account will disqualify an entry and the individual who submitted the entry. Use of obscenities, racist, sexist, hateful or other material or depictions that, in Sponsor's judgment, are inappropriate or offensive, will disqualify an entry. Sponsor is not responsible for hardware or software malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled or delayed electronic or other communications. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, can disqualify, from this contest and any other contest conducted by Sponsor, any person who, in Sponsor's reasonable suspicion, tampers with the entry process or the operation of the web site, or who otherwise violates these rules or any of part of the City of Heroes User Agreement. Sponsor has the right to terminate, suspend or modify this contest, in whole or in part, at any time and without prior notice, if, in Sponsor's judgment, the contest is altered, corrupted or cannot be completed as planned due to computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, technical failures, or other conditions beyond Sponsor's control, or at Sponsor’s reasonable discretion. Incomplete entries are invalid, and players with incomplete entries will be disqualified.

  1. ELIGIBILITY

To enter the contest, as of June 29, 2005, (a) you must be 18 years of age or older (due to legal age requirements associated with signing a beta non-disclosure agreement), (b) you must have Internet access and an email account, (c) you must be a resident of the United States (excluding the State of Rhode Island, and excluding Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, military installations and commonwealths) or Canada (excluding Quebec) (Canadian residents will be required to answer an additional mathematical question in order to claim their prizes), and (d) you must be a current City of Heroes subscriber (meaning you must have an active account). Employees of each Sponsor, each of their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, representatives, advertising, promotion and publicity agencies and members of the immediate families (defined as parents, children, siblings and spouse, regardless of where they reside) or households of such employees are not eligible. Contest is void where prohibited, restricted or taxed by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

The City of Villains Closed Beta start date is still to be determined. Winners will be put on a list to be among the first contacted when City of Villains enters its public closed beta phase (the “Closed Beta”).  It is Winner’s responsibility to make sure they have provided an email address that will remain valid until their beta invite is sent out.  If Winner cannot be contacted at the time of beta start at the email address provided at the conclusion of this contest, or if email address is defunct at the time invitations are sent out, Winner’s beta slot will be forfeited.

  1. DURATION

The contest period begins at 4pm (CDT) on Wednesday, June 29th, 2005 and ends at 11:59pm (CDT) on Sunday, August 14th 2005.

  1. SELECTION OF WINNING ENTRIES

The winning submissions will be determined by representatives of the Sponsor, and will be judged equally on the following criteria: originality, creativity, presentation and visual portrayal. Winners will be notified via e-mail and announced on the City of Heroes web site no later than Friday, August 26th, 2005. The odds of winning this contest depend on the total number of eligible entries.

  1. PRIZE

There are (20) prizes available. The prize breakdown is as follows:

One (1) Best Overall Winner Will Receive:

  • One (1) Toshiba RS-TX20 TiVo®/DVD-R (combo DVR with basic Tivo® Service, DVD Player and DVD burner) (Retail value:  $500.00)
  • One (1) Tivo® Product Lifetime Subscription Service (Retail value:  $299.00)
  • One (1) Apple Ipod 20 gig MP3 Player (Retail value: $299.00)
  • * One (1) City of Villains Beta Test Spot (No Retail value)
  • Inclusion on the City of Villains™ game disc. Everyone who buys the standard version of the product will have a copy of your movie available for viewing — immortalizing your creative work for eternity! (No Retail value)

Total Prize Value:  $1,098.00

Four (4) Category Winners (Best Action, Best Comedy, Best Animated, Best Live Action) Will Receive:

  • One (1) Toshiba RS-TX20 TiVo®/DVD-R (combo DVR with basic Tivo® Service, DVD Player and DVD burner) (Retail value:  $500.00)
  • One (1) Apple Ipod 4 GB Mini (Retail value:  $199.00)
  • * One (1) City of Villains Beta Test Spot (No Retail value)

Total Prize Value:  $699.00

Four (4) Category Runner-Ups (Best Action, Best Comedy, Best Animated, Best Live Action) Will Receive:

  • One (1) Apple Ipod 4 GB Mini (Retail value:  $199.00)
  • * One (1) City of Villains Beta Test Spot (No Retail value)

Total Retail Value: $199.00

If Winner cannot be contacted at the email address they submitted, or is contacted and does not respond by signing and returning to us for our receipt within the time indicated on the documents, an Affidavit of Eligibility (or, in Canada, a Declaration of Compliance with Contest Rules) and Liability/Publicity Release, or refuses or is ineligible to accept prize, the prize may be awarded to the next highest ranking entrant on or about Monday, August 22nd, 2005. Any prize not claimed by one alternately chosen winner will not be awarded. Prizes are not transferable. No substitution of prize for cash or other goods and services is permitted, except Sponsor reserves the right to provide a substitute prize of approximately equal value. Taxes on prizes (including, without limitation, income or withholding taxes), if any, are the sole responsibility of the individual winners.

Winners and Runner-Ups will have their film and forum (or real name) and city/state or province/country of residence posted on the City of Heroes web site (http://www.cityofheroes.com). To showcase our members of the game community, winners who have reached the age of 18 may be asked to answer some questions, provide personal information or to send Sponsor a personal headshot photo. This information will be used to recognize the winner on the pages of http://www.cityofheroes.com, but is not necessary to claim prize. The winner can decline to provide any or all such information.

  1. GENERAL CONDITIONS

By entering into the contest, (a) you agree to all of the terms and conditions of these Official Rules and Conditions, (b) you warrant that your entry is your own original work and that it does not violate any rights of any third party, and (c) you assign and agree to assign to Sponsor all rights, title and interest, including copyright, in or to your entry. Entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned. By participating in this contest, you agree that Sponsor may post your film entry on the Official City of Heroes Web Site (http://www.cityofheroes.com) or on the Official City of Heroes Message Board (http://boards.cityofheroes.com) at anytime during the contest along with your forum name (or real name) and city/state or province/country of residence. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may edit and modify any submission before posting. Sponsor and its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion and publicity agencies and all of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, successors and assigns are not in any way responsible or liable for damages, loss or injury resulting from participation in this contest or acceptance, loss or use of any prizes awarded in this contest. You further agree that in any cause of action, Sponsor's liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the contest, and in no event shall Sponsor be liable for attorney's fees. You waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages. Except where prohibited, you agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved under the laws of the State of Texas, without respect to any conflict of law issues, and entrant agrees that such shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the U.S. Federal and State Courts of Travis County, Texas, U.S.A. You assume sole liability for injuries, including personal injuries and/or damage to property or prize, caused or claimed to be caused by participating in this contest or the acceptance, loss, shipment, or use of any prize awarded. Sponsor us not responsible for any failure to contact entrants, whether due to technical or human error. All of Sponsor's decisions regarding the application and interpretation of the Rules are final.

  1. WINNERS LIST

The winner of this contest will be posted on http://www.cityofheroes.com no later than Friday, August 26th, 2005.

  1. SPONSOR

This contest is sponsored by NC Interactive, Inc., 6801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy, Bldg 1, Ste 102, Austin, TX 78731 and by Cryptic Studios, care of NCsoft Corporation, 6801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy, Bldg 1, Ste 102, Austin, TX 78731.

© 2004-2005 Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NC Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. CITY OF HEROES, CITY OF VILLAINS and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cryptic Studios and NCsoft Corporation. NCSOFT, the Interlocking NC Logo, and all associated NCSOFT logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated.