FAQ
**VOTE NOW - Dates updated**
Q: What is this contest about?
A: We want you to show us “Your Virtual Life” by using your favorite videogame or virtual world. “Molotov Alva” showed you his journey…Now it’s time to show us “Your Virtual Life”. What do you do inside your favorite world? Are you a fighter, explorer, creator, destroyer? Create a machinima video and try to keep it under 5 minutes. The community will vote to select the 10 finalists, then Cinemax will pick the top 3 winners!!
Q: Who is eligible to enter the contest?
A: See the Official rules for details, but the skinny is this: You must be 18 years old, and of majority age in jurisdiction of legal residency at the time of entry and have Internet access. You cannot enter if you are affiliated with HBO or Machinima, Inc.
Q: What are the contest dates?
A: *Submission Period: on or about 12:00 a.m. PT, April 18, 2008 – 11:59 p.m. PT, May 16, 2008
*Voting Period by community to Select 10 Finalists: May 19, 2008 -- May 26, 2008
*Jury to Select top 3 Winners: May 27, 2008 – June 3, 2008
*Winners Announced: on or about June 10, 2008
Q: Is there an entry fee?
A: No entry fee and there is no purchase necessary to enter or win.
Q: Am I allowed multiple entries?
A: You can enter as many machinima videos as you like. Just make sure that each video is submitted separately. An entry will be disqualified if it has more than one video associated with it.
Q: Can I change my entry once it is submitted?
A: No. All entries will be final, so make sure everything is perfect before you hit the submit button!
Q: How are the winners chosen?
A: The community will vote and select 10 finalists from all of the entries and then Cinemax will select the top 3 winners. Machinima.com can select a winner if there's a tie, or reject a winner if the content is deemed unsuitable. See the Official rules for details.
Q: What are the prizes?
A: 1st Place: $2,000 (USD) cash prize.
2nd Place: $1,000 (USD) cash prize.
3rd Place: $500 (USD) cash prize.
Q: Do I retain the rights to my machinima video submission?
A: No.
Q: How long should the video be?
A: We strongly suggest to keep the videos under 5 minutes, however, we don’t want to limit your creativity!
Q: What are the video guidelines for submitting my video?
A: Here are the suggested format guidelines:
Resolution: Minimum of 320x240, maximum of 800x600.
Framerate: Minimum 20 frames per second.
Audio: Minimum 22khz 16-bit audio.
Size: 100 Mb.
Q: How do I keep my video submission under 100mb?
A: Because everyone uses different software to convert their videos to WMV, MOV, or AVI, you will have to consult your software manual or look online for some help. Some areas to consider are: higher compression, shorter time, smaller window/screen size, and/or lowering sound quality to mono (single channel) and lower quality. You don’t want the final quality to be so bad that it detracts from the idea you are pitching, so review your final file to make sure it displays well and looks and sounds legible. It may compress further in our video player.
Q: How do I view Flash files or the Flash video player?
A: You can download the free Flash Player by clicking here.
