2008 Multimedia Competition Guidelines

The Office of Graduate Studies is calling for multimedia submissions portraying the best aspects of Texas A&M University.

To enter the competition you may create a video game, a short film, animation, original music, podcast, or anything else that is easily downloaded to showcase graduate studies or life as a graduate student at Texas A&M.

The competition is open to any currently enrolled, degree-seeking graduate students at Texas A&M. Work must be original and created by the submitting student.

WIN UP TO $3000!

First, second and third place entries will earn $3,000, $1,500, and $500, respectively. The scholarship prize money will be paid to your student business account. So you must still be a student at Texas A&M University during Summer 2008.

EARN RECOGNITION!  
A special advance screening and reception honoring the top entries will be held before the multimedia content is released publicly. After the reception, the students' work may be featured on the Office of Graduate Studies website (which receives over 1 million hits per month from 30,000 visitors). And the top entries will be available for viewing and download via iTunes U.

DEADLINE: Friday, May 30, 2008 by 5 p.m.

Download, complete, sign and deliver submission form (PDF) to the Office of Graduate Studies in the Administration Building, Room 302. Contact Brad Dressler at (979) 845-6349 if you have questions about submission or for alternate delivery arrangements.

If there are models/actors in your multimedia entry (other than the names listed on the submission form), each person will need to sign a model release form. Submit one model release form for each person who is featured in your multimedia submission.

VIDEO, MUSIC, ANIMATION AND VIDEO GAMES

We prefer that video or music files be no longer than approximately three minutes in length. They may be shorter, if you wish. (Note: Videos or music files which are longer than three minutes in length will not automatically be disqualified. Just keep in mind that concise is better. And we hope to share the top entries via the OGS web site—so download time is a factor.)

Please submit all files two sizes--one in high quality format and the second in low quality (for web-based viewing).

Acceptable file formats for video, music, animation and games are:
Flash/swf                         Windows Media Video/wmv/avi
QuickTime/mov                 Windows Media Audio/wma
MPEG 2 or 4                      Real Media
MP3                                  Divx or Xvid

PHOTOGRAPHY, ILLUSTRATION AND OTHER IMAGES
If submitting photography/illustrations/static images, please submit 300 dpi or higher quality, as the images might be used in print publications.

Acceptable file formats for image and illustrations are:
PSD                         GIF
PNG                         EPS
TIFF                         AI
JPEG                        PDF

USING COPYRIGHTED INFORMATION

The final submission must be original content created by the student. You may use copyrighted music, images or video as part of your multimedia submission--only if you obtain a signed letter from the company or individual who owns the copyright stating you may use the copyrighted material for the purpose of this competition. The letter must also state that the copyright owner understands that the multimedia submission may be posted online after the competition. The letter must be printed on the copyright owner's letterhead. And the letter must be signed by an authorized representative of the company which owns the copyright.

SUBMITTING YOUR ENTRY
Entries may be emailed to braddressler@tamu.edu or burned on CD/DVD and hand delivered or mailed to the Office of Graduate Studies at Mail Stop 1113, 302 Jack K. Williams Administration Building, Texas A&M University, 77843-1113. In the email, or written on the CD/DVD in permanent ink, please include your name, UIN and contact information.

Every student submitting an entry must complete and sign a submission form (download here). All forms (submission form, content form and any copyrighted permission letters) must be signed and delivered to the Office of Graduate Studies in the Administration Building, Room 302 no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, May 30, 2008.

All entries become the property of the Office of Graduate Studies at Texas A&M University and may be altered as needed for presentation purposes.

If you have questions about subject matter, content, file format or more, please contact Brad Dressler at braddressler@tamu.edu or (979) 845-6349.