Blog: Film festivals

INTRODUCTION
Since approximately one year ago the Platform for Exhibition & Promotion of Actors and Producers Doble·Rol (www.doblerol.com) started up, there have been plenty of people who have contacted us. Some of them to share his enthusiasm to be part of the idea and some others to transmit to us varied doubts and questions. Between these consultations one in concrete has been specially constant: “I’m an actor/actress and I want to show my talent by my own Doble·Rol Short Film, but… How do I find a producer who helps me to make it?”.

While it is unquestionable that both, producers and actors, we belong to the same professional sector and that nobody would question that the each other’s work is reciprocally dependent, it is equally true that in too many ocassions it becomes excessively complicated to find a commonplace that promotes the mutual collaboration and that unifies purposes. If a producer needs actors he knows where to find them. He will not lack web pages, facebook groups and other virtual or physical places where to announce his need. On the other hand, when an actor needs producers… How does he find them?

This question and the desire to design something that was helping to generate a unusual synergy between actors and producers (and also scriptwriters) making our small contribution in order that both profesional groups walk in the same direction, the creativity, instead of doing it in opposite directions, as is usually the case, they were the reasons that encouraged us to organize this contest of specific Doble·Rol short films. A contest that does not only aspire to motivate the cooperation but also it wants that the fruit of this collaboration was stimulated giving it relevancy in the eyes of important professionals of the audio-visual and theatre industry of our country and giving the protagonism that both, actors and producers, deserve.

Having said this, we can only add: Let’s get down to work and may the best win!
But don’t forget to read and follow the instructions that we detail for you below.

THE RULES
In our platform Doble·Rol all the short films must comply with a few basic and indispensable requirements, both of quality and of conditions.

In this Contest the requirements will not be so rigorous as in the platform but some of the characteristics that make these shorts so distinctive and unique will be obligatory. The procedure and conditions to take part in the contest are the following ones:

The short films must last more than 3 minutes and less than 20 minutes (not including the bumpers nor the credits).
Only one actor/actress may appear in each short film. He or she must play, necessarily, a minimum of two characters that have to interact with each other. For example, play monologues separetely shall be inadmissible. Limit does not exist in the number of characters that the actor or actress will play, provided that they should be interrelated. Will not be admitted short films in that the played characters do not interact or in that other actors appear recognizable. It is permitted to use voice-overs of other performers if they are indispensable for the development of the story.
Anyone (whether a natural or a legal person) can participate regardless of their nationality, always provided they are already 18 years old.
The short film can not be exposed in other competitions or festivals during the period that lasts this one, nor must be exposed in other websites or platforms that are not Doble·Rol, until after the jury has announced its decision.
There is no limit to the number of films you can submit to the contest.

If your short does not comply with any of the points mentioned above, your film won’t be accepted for competition. Employees of Clandestinodeactores.com and Doble·Rol can not compete, nor any sponsor or collaborator involved in the process of selecting the short film finalists, nominees or winners.

CHARACTERISTICS AND SENDING OF YOUR SHORT
Our Contest is bilingual. Therefore, in order for your film to be seen by as many people as possible, it is mandatory that you send it subtitled following the next guidelines.

- If your short is in Spanish, you must subtitle it in English
- If your short is in English or any other language, you must subtitle it in Spanish

You have to add two bumper (screens) to your short film that we offer you in the link “Download Bumpers” on the side within this same section or by clicking here. The first one is animated and the second one should remain visible for 2 or 3 seconds. The time of duration of said bumpers must not be included in the 3 minutes that must last the short films.

You must send your short film in a single digital format: MPEG4 (or Mp4) format encoded in H264 and AAC (for audio) measuring 1280px wide X 720px hight. Your film can be up to 500 Mb. You must send it through wetransfer.com to our email cortos@doblerol.com

Furthermore, you have to send us two more things:

· A film still from your short that does not contain either the title (it shouldn’t be the initial still) or the subtitles overprinted on it. It must be in .jpg format measuring 900px X 506px with a maximum size of 400kb. It is very important that the still you send have a good quality (they should be seen clearly without pixellation) because they are going to be the images with which your short is presented on the website. In other words, send us some great image!

· And also you must send the following data: the director’s name and surname, the actor’s name and surname, the scriptwriter name and surname, the short film’s title, the film genre, the location (city and country). Also the NIF tax identification number (if you are a Spanish citizen), your NIE number (if you are a citizen of another country with residence in Spain) or your PASSPORT number (if you are a citizen of another country without residence in Spain) from the person who will collect the prize in case of winning.

You can send all that to the same email cortos@doblerol.com

Later, when we have confirmed that your short complies with our rules, we’ll send you an email to inform you whether it has been admitted to the contest.

You should also be aware that the organization reserves the right to not accept for the contest those pieces that according to its judgment do not meet the technical, artistic and/or legal requirements demanded by the Contest. Likewise we save ourselves the right to discredit or exclude shorts that the organization considers that they could hurt sensibilities.

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO SEND MY SHORT?
You can send your short or shorts from March 15th until August 15th 2015. So as soon as you finish reading these rules, you can get to work. We’re dying to see them!

Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today. Even though the period for submitting the films lasts almost five months, we advise you to send us your works soon. The audience will have a lot more time to calmly enjoy them, and we’ll avoid the famous last-minute avalanches of shorts, nervous fits and botch-ups.

Once the period for receiving films is over, the Organization will decide which films among all those that have been accepted will become Finalists and therefore have a chance at the prizes granted by the Jury and the Audience.

The Jury will have until September 30th to determine which short, actor/actress and scriptwriter will be the winners.

WHO WILL SEE THE FINALIST FILMS?
If your film becomes a Finalist, we will send it to the members of our Jury, which this edition comprises the following leading directors, casting directors, agents and also actors:.

Katrina Bayonas
Miguel Bardem
Enrique Villén
Marta Hazas
Carmen Ruiz
Pedro Hermosilla
Rosa Estévez
Andrés Cuenca
Mariam Grande