2015 is ridiculously overcrowded, with dozens of high-profile blockbusters coming out (Star Wars Episode VII, Terminator: Genesis, Jurassic World and even a Ninjago movie to name but a few) in a short space of time.

That gave me the idea for this contest. Over the course of the whole of 2014 and into the beginning of 2015, participants slowly create a short section of a film, or a trailer for a fictional film, that is of cinematic quality. By that, I mean you do something that looks as spectacular and amazing as possible. People can work on this alongside their other projects, as the timeframe means it isn't  so urgent that people get in a panic and work on it solidly without doing their own projects.

Rules
The rules are as follows:

• If a section of a film, it must be no less than 5 minutes but no more than 8 minutes. It can be any part of your fictional feature film - beginning, conclusion, mid-film conflict, climax, prologue…whatever ya' want.

• If a trailer, it must be no less than 2 minutes but no more than 3 minutes, and must feature clips from more than 15 different scenes (though each of those does not need to be huge). This may sound like a lot but if you watch a trailer, you'll find that they actually use far more. When you come to making your trailer, it could have far more than 15 too! Just to clarify, that's 15 distinct scenes, not shots. You will have far, far more than 15 shots.

• It does not need to be a whole film. In fact, this is discouraged. Focus on a small section of the story, though make it clear what is happening; be sure to properly establish your characters, locations and storyline in the time you have.

• Must not be a presold idea, by which I mean no adaptations of books, films, comics or video games. Pieces from licensed themes like Star Wars and The Hobbit may be used, but no characters, locations or storylines or anything that could be construed as an element of published fiction.

• The competition will run from January 1st 2014 all the way to the 1st May 2015 (the release date of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, one of the many blockbusters coming out that summer).

• Participants are not allowed to upload their film/trailer until 2nd May 2015, the day after the closing date. However, you may upload it on the 1st May if you think it will take that long to upload, as long as you make it unlisted until May 2nd.

• No copyrighted material is to be used - that's clips from other movies, music etc.

• This goes without saying, but it must be a brickfilm. CGI or stop-motion (or both), not live-action. The aim of this contest is to create a high-quality brickfilm.

Items to be submitted alongside:

• Production photos. For the sake of the judges, only submit between 10 and 20.

• A plot synopsis. Somewhere around 60 words, and no spoilers.

• A full plot outline. Word count is around 600 words (10% either way). The reason for this is just to show that, especially for trailers, you have a coherent story behind your segment.

• A film poster is also optional.

Where I've put no presold ideas, that's not to say you can't so something in the style of a realm film or trailer. For instance, you might want to do a sci-fi film's opening flashback in the style of the opening to The Fellowship of the Ring. Equally, you might want to do a long and fleshed out trailer as engaging as this Avatar trailer.

As far as specific LEGO themes go (e.g. Chima, BIONICLE, Mars Mission) I would say that participants should be encouraged to come up with their own material, though they can take inspiration (a little or a lot) from LEGO themes. That's not to say you can't do a Ninjago film, but it will be more challenging for you to create something of your own. For stuff like Castle and Space, which are pretty generic, you're fine.

I'd like to reiterate that this can be any genre at all. Most of the examples I've used are sci-fi or fantasy, but you could do a western, a crime thriller, a mockumentary…anything that floats your boat! You could even do a genre mashup - dragons in the wild west? An alien spaceship appears over Industrial Revolution-era London? Be creative!

Prizes
Thanks to the great generosity of several members, 2015: The Contest now has prizes! They are as follows:

1st place
$100 (provided by Willow Tree)

2nd place
$50 (provided by Willow Tree)

3rd place
$50 (provided by Willow Tree)

4th Place
Choice of LEGO Movie series or Series 11 minifigure, provided by LASF

5th Place
LEGO Movie series minifigure, provided by LASF

6th Place
LEGO Movie series minifigure, provided by LASF

Honorable Mention
Rebel Trooper battle pack, provided by JonnDthunDer.
Note: this is US-only, as the pack will not be shipped outside of the United States.

I'd like to take this opportunity to give a hearty thanks to Willow Tree, JonnDthunDer and LASF for their generosity in contributing to the prize fund! I can't thank you guys enough for making this contest even more special and worthwhile!

Judging
The judges are:

• jampot

• Walter Benson

• LASF

Regrettably we cannot take any more judges at this time.

Backup judges:

• Dyland

I will say this now to assuage any finger-pointing that I'm trying to get someone else to hold this contest so I have a chance of winning: false. I will subject myself to the same rules as everyone else, including the upload date, but will not enter myself to receive a place or a prize. I'll just be making my entry totally for the fun of it. Glad we've sorted that out.

Anyone who wishes to judge but also wants to create a film for this can submit themself to the same rules: make the film but not enter it for a place or prize. I think that's perfectly fair.

As for how your blockbusters will be judged, it is broken down into segments (courtesy in part of Monsieur Cooked Cat):

• 20% Animation: You will be judged on the smoothness and clarity of your animation.

• 20% Story: Just as essential as the animation itself, your story must be well thought-out and portrayed in a clear way. If a film's plot is too convoluted or hard to understand, it will hurt its mass audience appeal, and you should create your stories with the same principle in mind. Basically, don't make Solaris or season 10 of Smallville and you'll be pretty much there.

• 20% Sound: Sound is a vital part of any movie, and coming from a family of radio-geeks I feel like it's my duty to emphasise how important sound is   Remember just how essential it is. Voice-overs and their acting skills also come under this category - emotion, people!

• 20% Picture: You will be judged on cinematography, VFX, and lighting and the general quality of the content, rather than the image resolution - some users have had concerns about whether participants with better cameras will be further ahead in this category, but that is not what Picture is about.

• 20% Sensation: Being a contest all about blockbusters, it would be foolish not to judge based on the reaction your film elicits. The judges will award marks in this category based on their own reaction to this film, and how successful they feel it would be to a mass audience.

You won't be judged on your additional material, but the plot outline and synopsis, and the production photos are still required to enter.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q) Can I make a trailer for a brickfilm I am already working on?
A) No, as this would give you an unfair time advantage over other participants.

Q) Can I use BrickForge, BrickArms or any other custom parts allowed?
A) Yes, they are.

Most important of all, have fun! What can I say - this is a contest about Hollywood, so I had to put at least one horrible, cringe-inducing cliche into this thread.

-JR

Last edited by jampot (January 24, 2014 (01:42pm))

"Nothing goes down 'less I'm involved. No nuggets. No onion rings. No nothin'. A cheeseburger gets sold in the park, I want in! You got fat while we starved on the streets...now it's my turn!" -Harley Morenstein