DOES EVERYONE THAT ENTERS AN AMATEUR VIDEO, RECEIVE AN AWARD? WHAT IS THE
CRITERIA FOR EXAMPLE, A "BRONZE," AWARD?
Everyone gets something in the IAC competition because each entrant receives a certificate indicating a standard of work and notes on their film made by the judges which should help them do even better in future. If you are there in person you can collect these at the festival, otherwise they will be sent on to you.
The first stage judging is really a benchmarking exercise sorting out entries into levels of ability and the very best of those go on to the final stage for the top awards.
The starting point is a Certificate of Entry. This is the equivalent of getting a mark for writing your name at the top of an exam paper. I do not think any of these have been issued for some years.
BLUE STANDARD - the movie has one or two things right and shows signs of possible improvement. Judges also recognise that by making a movie - chopping out the duff bits and trying to make it into something more the film maker has done more than the vast majority of camcorder users will ever do. That earns admiration. Having the guts to enter in a competition ... that earns respect. We always hope that someone with a BLUE one year will return the next to win a Bronze or above.
BRONZE STANDARD - the movie is really coming together though there may be some faults. This is the highest standard which all but the most dedicated and talented entrants can hope to achieve. Since movie making encompasses so many different skills it is a very demanding hobby. Reaching BRONZE standard
is something to be proud of. Many club and interclub comps are won by Bronze standard movies.
SILVER STANDARD - you can always nitpick, but this level of movie is virtually perfect in craftsmanship and technique. It represents very high standards which is why anyone who has won two SILVER awards can apply for the distinction of Licentiate of the IAC and become entitled to use the letters LACI after their name.
There is a catch ... we have probably all seen perfectly made but deadly dull movies. They may be SILVER.
GOLD STANDARD - where the focus is on the movie itself not the craft behind it. These are the movies which engage your attention, make you worry about the heroes, fascinate you with the wonders they reveal, make you laugh, cry, grow furious or feel awe. They are terrific movies.
The final judges look only at Gold Standard movies and choose which should receive special prizes.
BTW - the awards were known for many years as "Blue Seal", "Bronze Seal" and so on because the certificates had coloured seals stuck onto them. The supply of seals has come to an end so we now call them Blue Standard, Bronze Standard etc.
Finally - some competitions still use the "Olympic" style method of giving the best film in the festival Gold, second best Silver and third best Bronze. So watch it ...
In 2003 one entrant in the Cotswold International Festival was surprised to receive a special letter saying their movie had won bronze. Since it had received a Silver Standard at the IAC a few months earlier they were not impressed ... until they realised that for the Cotswold Festival Bronze meant their film had won third prize - a high honour indeed. The film was "Night of the Full Moon" and the delighted director was Ken
McRonald.
Dave