Share the Road!
To encourage safe and respectful use of our streets, the City of Ann Arbor seeks entertaining, concise, and informative submissions for its Share the Road film competition. Films should address the following topics:
- Safe, legal cycling,
- Safe driving around cyclists, and/or
- Benefits of cycling
Categories, Judging, and Prizes
Prizes will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners in three categories:
- 30-second public service announcement (first prize: $500)
- 60-second to 3-minute short film (adults) (first prize: $250)
- 60-second to 3-minute short film (youth K-12) (first prize: $250)*
Entries may be submitted by individuals or groups.
*K-12 classrooms from schools within Ann Arbor with a sponsoring teacher may enter the competition and waive the entry fee. Classroom winners will receive a pizza party in lieu of the cash prize. Details are included on the entry form.
A panel of judges will evaluate films and select winners based on the following criteria:
- Entertainment value: the degree to which the film engages the audience
- Effectiveness in portraying how to cycle safely, how to drive safely around cyclists, and the benefits of cycling for a variety of purposes
- Production quality: sound, lighting, cinematography, music, acting, image quality, editing
- Brevity: succinct presentation, tight editing
No offensive content! Films and PSAs are for family viewing.
Winning films will be displayed at an awards ceremony in June, 2012.
Submission and Resources
To enter the contest, all participants must send a completed entry form, DVD or thumb drive, and $10 entry fee by May 14, 2012 to Share the Road Film Competition, Larcom City Hall Customer Service Center, 301 E Huron Street, Ann Arbor, MI 4810. Make checks payable to the City of Ann Arbor. Questions? Please contact Parrish Bergquist by phone at 734-794-6000, ext. 43721, or by emailing pbergquist@a2gov.org. Participants should register as soon as they are able, to aid in planning the awards ceremony.
All entries should be submitted on a nonreturnable DVD or thumb drive (the higher resolution the better). There should be no time code in vision and no color bars, line-up tone or countdown clocks before or after the video plays. All DVDs must be clearly labeled with the film title and category.
No previous film-making experience is necessary, and the Community Television Network provides classes and equipment to help film-makers produce high-quality films. Participants may also use information from the "Walk Bike Drive" and "Bicycling in A2" web pages to guide their content.