Film and video equipment and service provider AbelCine announced the 2013 AbelCine Documentary Grant yesterday, calling on filmmakers to submit 2-5 minute Vimeo videos pitching their longer documentary projects. Each of three winners will receive $33,000 which can be applied to their choice of a Canon C300 rental packages and lenses from AbelCine. US Residents 18 years and older are eligible to apply; hit the jump for deets.
Applicants must upload their 2-5 minute Vimeo pitches by 11:59pm EST, August 20, 2013. At that point, voting will begin as applicants compete for the most Vimeo Likes. The top ten most liked pitch videos will then be viewed by a committee consisting of filmmakers Mark Benjamin, Ellen Kuras, ASC, and Peter Schnall in addition to "AbelCine and Canon experts" who will select the three winning projects. Judging criteria will include "the strength of the submission, the compelling nature of the topic, as well as the likelihood that the completed project will exemplify the art of non-fiction storytelling."
Winners will receive $33k in rental funds covering their choice of the following three packages:
Package A
- Canon C300PL Camera
- Two Canon Cine Compact Zooms (15.5-47 T2.8, 30-105 T2.8)
Package B
- Canon C300EF Camera
- Set of five Canon Cine Primes (14mm T1.3, 24mm T1.5, 50mm T1.3, 85mm T1.3, 135mm T2.2)
Package C
- Canon C300EF Camera
- Set of three Canon EF Zooms (16-35 T2.8, 24-70 T2.8, 70-200 T2.8)
In case the grant doesn't cover your full shooting schedule, the winners will get further rentals from AbelCine at a 25% discount. All the equipment is available from AbelCine’s locations in New York, NY and Burbank, CA, so finalists not able to travel to these locations to pick up their gear should get in touch with AbelCine directly.
If you're already in production on a documentary but not shooting with the C300, check out AbelCine's custom scene profiles for the Canon C300 in our earlier coverage here.
As with any grant or pitching competition, it's important to consider the perspective of the judges on this one. Clearly as a video and film equipment house, AbelCine is looking for projects with compelling visuals that will take advantage of the strengths of the gear at hand. Let's also take a look at the aesthetic preferences of the judges. Mark Benjamin is the creator of the Sundance TV series Brick City:
Ellen Kuras, DOP on The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind among countless other giants, recently shot Public Speaking:
Peter Schnall, former Senior Producer of the National Geographic's Explorer TV series, founded Partisan Pictures in 1996:
Got a feel for the judges? Into the gear? Fill out the submission form and let us know about your applications below.
