Supported by BFI - British Film Institute

FAQ

  • How do I enter the competition?

    Simply register as a film maker (not a film fan) at virginmediashorts.co.uk and upload your film before 12pm (midday – not midnight!) on 12th July 2012. Please leave plenty of time to upload your film because if we don't receive it fully before the deadline, your entry can’t be counted. We’ve had lots of tears in previous years from film makers who left it to the last minute and missed out. Remember that there will be a lot of people trying to upload their film at the same time, and most of those films are pretty big files, so it’s likely to slow things down. We’re really sorry if you got your times mixed up or your little sister pulled the plug at the crucial moment, we can’t accept any films that don’t reach us by 12pm. 

  • Can I enter more than one film?

    Absolutely, you can enter as many films as you like. The more the merrier, we say! You'll have to go through the upload process for each film separately, though. 

  • Do I have to pay?

    Put your money away - it’s totally free to enter a film into Virgin Media Shorts. There’s no fee involved.

  • How old do I have to be to enter?

    You’ll need to be 18 or older by the closing date of the competition. That's 12th July 2011. Sorry but your gran, mother or next door neighbour can’t enter the film on your behalf. They'd only steal your glory, anyway. And if you’re just shy of the minimum age, there’s always next year! We’re not going anywhere.

  • Can I enter the competition if I don't live in the UK?

    The competition is only open to residents of the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. If you're shortlisted, we'll ask for proof of your address. Sorry to our overseas friends, but please stick around and watch the shorts online, and give the film makers some support along the way. 

  • What format can I upload my films in?

    It’s all listed in our film specification guide so just take a look there. 

  • What if I have questions about the application form?

    If you need help along the way, you can email shorts@virginmedia.co.uk

  • Can I submit my film to festivals?

    Yes, absolutely. We won't stop you showing off your great work in festivals, competitions or anywhere else for that matter. But make sure you check with the organisers of those festivals that they’re happy with it, too, as they might have different rules to us. 

  • If I entered my film into Virgin Media Shorts 2008, 2009 or 2010, can I
    re-submit it to this year's competition?

    Sure, if your film wasn't shortlisted in previous competitions, you’re very welcome to re-submit it this year. If your film made it to the shortlist in previous years, you won't be able to re-submit that one to this year's competition. But we'll happily receive any other films you've made.

  • What do you mean in the Terms and Conditions when you say we need to clear ‘all rights'?

    In order for us to showcase your film online, on TV and in cinemas, you need to make sure that you’ve got the unlimited rights for us to do that. These rights can not be limited to a certain period of time. You must obtain written permission from everyone who has contributed to making the film (have a look at our permission form template here). This means anyone involved, including, but not limited to, writers, directors, producers, crew, cast, anyone who owns the property or location featured in your shots, composers, musicians, and record labels or publishers. You may have to pay them royalties for use of the film as part of Virgin Media Shorts. Remember, you will have to cover these costs if you incur them. If your film makes it in to the shortlist, we will need to see proof that you have obtained all these permissions. 

  • Do I need to clear the rights for the music I have used?

    If you're using music in your film, you'll need to clear the worldwide rights with the publisher and also the recording company. That's because if your film is showcased on the internet for everyone around the world to see and hear, you'll be infringing the rights of the music owner if it hasn't been cleared. This goes for clearances for everything and everyone (i.e. actors, logos, brand names) to be shown in your film for screening in public (i.e. cinemas, internet.) Remember that this process can take a looong time, so you might want to consider using rights free and royalty free music instead, unless you already have worldwide rights to the music for all media (i.e. TV, cinemas, Internet). You will need to clear the rights of any commercial music you want to use, with the publisher and also the recording company. You usually have to speak to the licensing department. A word of warning – this process takes some time, so try to give yourself as much time as possible. Our partners Audio Network can offer you free music from their mammoth online catalogue and there’s no risk of getting into trouble, so drop us an email with your name and Shorts username, and Audio Network in the subject line, and we’ll get you signed up

 

 

  • What if I don't hold the rights to my film?

    To enter a film into Virgin Media Shorts, you must either be the director or the producer of the film and we’ll ask for proof of this if you make it to the shortlist, so we’re afraid you can’t enter a film on somebody else’s behalf (or nick someone else’s film and pass it off as your own, obviously!) 

  • Some of the entries star famous actors, is that allowed?

    There are no rules as to who you can have in your film. The competition aims to uncover fresh new film making talent so it’s the people entering the films that we’re really interested in. It’s up to you which actors you use – if you have contacts in the industry, feel free to use them. But we know that not everyone can get big names in their film and don’t worry, we won’t judge your entry based on the actors you cast, we promise.

  • My film had the highest number of Facebook likes or comments, does that mean I win the People’s Choice Award?

    It’s great to drum up support for your film and we’re always on the look out for entries that create lots of buzz. But comments, Facebook likes, Tweets, etc, won’t count towards winning the competition. The shortlist is chosen by the BFI, the Grand Prize is chosen by our judging panel and the People’s Choice Award and TiVo® Award are chosen by the voting public once the shortlist is announced. Films with lots of support are likely to be shouted about through our social media channels and might find themselves on TiVo® and the Virgin Media website, so it’s always worth rallying the troops and encouraging people to spread the word about your film.

  • I'm having issues uploading my film, what do I do?

    In the words of Corporal Jones, don’t panic! We’ll do everything we can to get your little piece of movie magic onto the website, as long as you contact us in good time. Please don’t email us at 11:55am on deadline day to say your film won’t upload – the earlier you get in touch, the better the chance of us hunting down those internet gremlins and solving the problem. And don’t forget, the website might be a bit slow when we’re approaching the entry deadline – film makers everyone will be tapping away manically trying to upload their 100mb masterpieces (no matter how often we tell you not to leave it until the last minute!) so be prepared for a long wait if you’re uploading on the 12th July.

  • My film looks stretched, how can I fix it?

    It might be down to the ratio of your screen. The preferred aspect ratio for our site is 16:9. That doesn't stop you from uploading in 4:3, but there might be some stretching! If you don’t want your film looking wider than it should, try exporting your film at 16:9 but leaving some black borders.
    If your film is in 16:9, the screen size should be at least 590 x 332. If in 4:3, it should be at least 443 x 332.
     

  • Why two minutes and 20 seconds?

    We ask our film makers to submit films of no more than two minutes and 20 seconds to fit our cinema slot. Don't forget, we'll be showing the 12 shortlisted films on over 200 cinema screens across the Picturehouse network and independent cinemas around the country. We have three minutes in total to showcase your work, but we use 40 seconds of that to introduce your film. That’s why we have to be so strict about the time limit, sorry folks. But it can certainly be shorter than two minutes and 20 seconds so don't think you need to hit that limit exactly.

  • I accidentally signed up as a film fan, can I still enter a film?

    Of course you can, but you'll need to re-register first. Sorry, we know it’s annoying but if you want to enter a film into the competition you’ll need to be signed up as a film maker. That’s because both registration forms include different T&Cs – film makers need to confirm that they understand all the legal bits involved with uploading their film, while film fans have a much quicker sign up process. We can’t simply switch you over from one type of account to the other, because you need to tick the Terms and Conditions yourself – we can’t do it for you! If you do need to re-register as a film maker, you can ask us to delete your film fan account. Just drop us an email.

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