2011 Celldance Contest

ASCB's Cell Biology Film Contest

Purpose: To open the eyes of the world to the best video and animated images that illuminate the wonders of cell biology.

Definitions: Celldance 2011 returns to its roots as a cell biology film contest, welcoming live videos, reset classic films, and new animations.

Under the auspices of the Public Information Committee (PIC), the Celldance judges are looking for the best videos, films, animations, or any other dynamic imaging process that illuminate the structure and function of cells. Entries can be descriptive or experimental, newly created video or classic 8/16-mm films re-mastered on video. Animations, cartoons, or dynamic sequences from electron microscopy are also welcome. (We're dropping the still image competition this year.)

The judges will give extra consideration to descriptive videos that make special efforts to illuminate basic cell processes for students and the public. Preference will be given to films that focus on some aspect of cell biology rather than whole multicellular organisms. However, films of whole organisms or tissues are acceptable if they serve the purpose of revealing normal cell function.

The best entries will combine striking visuals with effective storytelling. In addition, there is a special "Public Outreach" award for a film of strong artistic or general educational merit that communicates the excitement or importance of cell biology to a lay or student audience.

Eligibility and Permissions: The contest is open to current ASCB members and ASCB member applicants only. Each entry must have a single "entrant," who will be the sole awardee if the submission is selected by the judges. A list of contributors may be included with the entry but such collaborators are listed only for the glory. The entrant must secure the full permission of collaborators or lab supervisors to enter the work. Videos of previously published material (including either primary data or supplemental data) are eligible but must have "reprint" permission from the publisher. (Other videos from the same data set that were not published generally do not require permission. Such material is welcome in Celldance.)

Entrants agree to allow the ASCB a nonexclusive license to post their entry as part of a Celldance winners' reel on www.ascb.org and on other video posting sites such as YouTube. The entrant agrees that the submitted work is original and that the entrant has full authority to grant the ASCB this nonexclusive license for distributing the work for immediate, free, open-access distribution at ASCB websites or by other means, electronic and in print, for use in education, news media outreach, and other noncommercial uses.

The entrant agrees that the ASCB is not responsible for any damages, infringement of copyright, or dispute arising from its nonexclusive use of the winning entries and holds ASCB harmless from damages, liabilities, or costs related to infringement or other disputes.

A Special Note on Music Copyright: Silent entries are permitted but a well-recorded sound track with narration or music generally strengthens an entry. However, ASCB cannot accept winning videos that contain copyrighted music unless the entrant has permission. Kanye West or Yo-Yo Ma would be great on any sound track but unless the entrant has personal connections, getting permission for the use of commercial recordings is difficult and expensive. However, there are many free sources of music online that offer Creative Commons licenses and other permissions. Follow this link for further information. Whatever the source, music permissions remain the responsibility of the entrant. ASCB will confirm copyright permissions on all winning entries prior to distributing awards.

DEADLINE: The entry deadline is Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 5:00 pm Eastern time. Judging will occur October 3-17. Final selection and private notification of winners will take place on Wednesday, October 19, 2011.

Prizes and Awards: Winners will be notified in advance and all prizes will be presented Tuesday, December 6, at the ASCB's 2011 Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. First prize will be $500 plus a complimentary registration for the 2011 Annual Meeting. Second prize will be $200. Third prize will be $100. In addition, the special "Celldance Public Outreach" prize of $200 will be awarded to a film of strong artistic or general educational merit. Honorable Mentions and the award of all prizes are at the discretion of the judges. The final arbiter for all Celldance decisions is the PIC chair.

Documentation: Every entry must be accompanied by annotations that clearly describe the entry. Videos that use narration, titles, or other video production techniques that link sequences into a coherent story are welcome. However, such videos still need the supplementary annotation.

Technical Specifications:

Submit your video in mov (preferred), avi, or mpg formats.
Give an indication of the magnification of the video, either by referencing the frame width or, preferably, by embedding a micron bar within the video.
Note in the Comments section any digital manipulations that were made to the video.
Limit the file size to 100MB. If larger, consider splitting the movie into several smaller files.

ASCB Policy on Research Misconduct by Authors
By making a submission, an entrant agrees to the ASCB Policy on Research Misconduct by Authors.

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