Who wants to get totally hooked up with free gear? RØDE is now accepting entries into their short film competition, My RØDE Reel, which offers over $70K worth of prizes, including a Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Zeiss lenses, monitors, Kessler cranes, RØDE mics up the wazoo (of course), and much, much more. (They're even offering RedGiant’s PluralEyes to all approved entries.) Not only that, but if you need some help navigating each stage of production, RØDE is supplying contestants with free resources and downloads, as well as video tutorials hosted by judges Ryan Connolly and Olivia Speranza.

This short film competition is pretty open-ended, in that you can make your film in any genre, with any story, as long as it's 5 minutes or less. The only caveats are that you have to submit a behind-the-scenes video that shows you using a RØDE mic. You can read the general rules on the My RØDE Reel website, but here are the steps you have to take to get your video in the mix:

  1. Create a short film on any topic of up to five minutes, and an accompanying behind-the-scenes video that shows a RØDE microphone in use.
  2. Upload both the film and the behind-the-scenes video to YouTube , with “My RØDE Reel 2014” at the end of the titles.
  3. Fill out the entry form linked above, wait for our moderators to approve the video, and be in the running!

Here's a video that'll help explain things better:

Now, you can't participate in a film competition judged in part by Ryan Connolly and Olivia Speranza without getting some excellent filmmaking advice along the way. My RØDE Reel is sharing video tutorials for each phase of production covering an array of different subjects, including scripting, budgeting, storyboarding, audio, lighting, editing, and distribution. It looks like there will eventually be 16 tutorials in all, complete with free resources and downloads (currently available are templates for budgets, scripting, shotlists, and storyboards), so be sure to check back to see if more have been posted.

Here is the first tutorial, in which Connolly and Speranza show you how to get started with idea generation for your short film entry.

And of course -- the prizes. Three grand prizes (Judges' Film, Judges' BTS, and People's Choice), as well as six category prizes will be awarded, each with their own treasure trove of great gear. Each grand prize offers over 50 individual items, from a Blackmagic Cinema camera to RedRock Micro ultraCage. Go here to find out what's in store for you if you win.

The My RØDE Reel competition is open to anyone (except RØDE employees), but only one entry is permitted per contestant. Make sure to get your short film in by 11:59 pm EST on May 31st. Check out the terms and conditions to make sure you and your film is eligible.

Click here to enter!

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