Huge news, No Film School readers! We've partnered with the awesome folks over at Blackmagic Design for a brand-new contest, and you could win Pocket Cinema 6K Pro and access to DaVinci Resolve 17!

It's all part of our upcoming Blackmagic Week, where we'll be talking about "The Camera Through Post" and sharing a ton of educational resources for filmmakers, from what cameras to use to how to most efficiently tackle the post-production process. Get excited!


Learn the contest rules and how to enter below.

The Contest 

Blackmagic and No Film School want you to create a 3-minute or less short which tells story through dramatic lighting techniques. It can be natural light or complex setups, but we want to see your cinematic lighting chops on display. How does lighting create drama and convey meaning? 

Keep it clean and PG-13. 

So make your short, upload it to YouTube, and add the hashtag #storythroughlightingcontest by July 29, 11:59 p.m. PT. Anything published after July 29 will not be considered. 

Editor's Note: A previous version of this post contained an incorrect date. We sincerely apologize for the confusion.

Short_film

The Rules 

  • Must be 18 years or older  
  • Must be original content (including music, images, and video)
  • Must not use any stock footage
  • Must be shot 1080p or higher
  • Must be submitted by July 29, 2021, 11:59 p.m. PT
  • All countries eligible
  • Please provide contact info on the YouTube channel to be awarded your prize

Professional-audio-en-xlCredit: Blackmagic Design

Terms & Conditions

OFFICIAL RULES
NO BLACKMAGIC GEAR PURCHASE NECESSARY
A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to anyone who is 18 years of age or older.  Employees of Blackmagic, or its affiliates, and members of their immediate families (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of those employees, are not eligible to enter or win. Employees of No Film School, the Sponsor, are also not eligible to enter or win.

AGREEMENT TO OFFICIAL RULES: By entering, you indicate your full and unconditional agreement to (a) these Official Rules and (b) No Film School’s decisions, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

SUBMISSION RULES: You can enter only one submission.

BY SUBMITTING AN ENTRY, YOU AGREE THAT THE POST (AND EACH INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT THEREOF – INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE SHORT FILM) COMPLIES WITH ALL CONDITIONS STATED IN THESE RULES. THE RELEASED PARTIES WILL BEAR NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER REGARDING THE USE OF YOUR ENTRY OR ANY COMPONENT THEREOF – INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE SHORT FILM. THE RELEASED PARTIES SHALL BE HELD HARMLESS BY YOU IN THE EVENT IT IS SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED THAT YOU HAVE DEPARTED FROM OR NOT FULLY COMPLIED WITH ANY OF THESE RULES AND/OR THE YOUTUBE RULES.

By participating in the Contest, you hereby warrant and represent that any film you submit:

  • is original to you;
  • is under 3 minutes in length and available at a 1080p or higher quality;
  • is uploaded to YouTube using the hashtag #storythroughlightingcontest
  • includes contact information on the YouTube channel
  • does not violate any law, statute, ordinance, or regulation;
  • will not give rise to any claims whatsoever, including, without limitation, claims of infringement of any intellectual property rights, invasion of privacy or publicity, or infringe on any rights and/or interests of any third party; and
  • is not defamatory, trade libelous, pornographic or obscene, and further that it will not contain, depict, include, discuss or involve, without limitation, any of the following: nudity; alcohol/drug consumption or smoking; explicit or graphic sexual activity, or sexual innuendo; crude, vulgar or offensive language and/or symbols; derogatory characterizations of any ethnic, racial, sexual, religious or other groups; personal information of individuals, including, without limitation, names, telephone numbers, and addresses (physical or electronic); commercial messages, comparisons or solicitations for products or services other than products of Sponsor; any identifiable third party products, trade-marks, brands and/or logos, other than those of Sponsor); conduct or other activities in violation of these Rules; and/or any other comment that is or could be considered inappropriate, unsuitable or offensive, all as determined by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion.

The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion at any time and for any reason, to request an entrant to modify, edit and/or re-submit his or her film in order to ensure that the film complies with these Rules, or for any other reason. If such an action is necessary at any point during or after the Contest, then the Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to take whatever action it deems necessary based on the circumstances – including, without limitation, disqualifying the film (and therefore the corresponding Entry and/or the associated entrant).

Sponsor’s Rights to short films: By participating, you irrevocably grant Sponsor, its agents, licensees, and assigns the unconditional, fully paid, and perpetual (non-exclusive) license to publish, post, and display, your film, as-is, (with your name included to indicate film credit) on each licensees social media feeds and blog, and other forms of marketing materials relating to the Contest, without approval from you or any other party or any additional consideration.

Selection of Finalists: The Sponsor will review all eligible entries submitted during the entire entry period, and select 1 winner. If Sponsor, in its sole discretion, deems that a film does not comply with these Official Rules or is otherwise inappropriate to post, Sponsor may reject that entry and select another. The odds of being selected depend on the number of entries received.

Selection of Prize Winner: Two (2) prize winners will be selected from the entries by the Sponsor in their sole discretion. The decision of the Sponsor is final.

Prizes: The winner will receive prizes including, but not limited to: a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K Pro.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Contest is impaired in any way, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, or other technical problem, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Contest in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules; or (b) award the prizes at random from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the operation of the Contest, violates these Official Rules, or acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any person who seeks to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest. In the event of a dispute as to the owner of an entry, the authorized account holder of the twitter account used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant. The Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

RELEASE AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: By participating in the Contest, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and Prize Donors, and each of their respective parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents ("Sponsors") from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Contest; (b) technical errors related to computers, servers, providers, or telephone, or network lines; (c) any errors on the YouTube platform; (d) printing errors; (e) lost, late, postage-due, misdirected, or undeliverable mail; (f) errors in the administration of the Contest or the processing of entries; or (g) injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize. You further agree that in any cause of action, the Released Parties’ liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Contest, and in no event shall the Sponsors 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.

DISPUTES: You agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by state or federal court located in Los Angeles County, California. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of California or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California.

RESULTS: To request a winner's list, email No Film School at editor at nofilmschool.com Requests must be received within one (1) week after the end of the Contest Period.

Blackmagic_week_the_camera_through_post

Check out more coverage from our Blackmagic Week!