Our November cabin trip will feature our popular movie making competition. We’ll hold it at Broad Creek SR. Patrols will work on their scripts ahead of time. Then we’ll spend the weekend of November 17 to 19 filming and editing the movies. The best productions will become the entertainment at our Holiday Party on December 17.

Patrols should plan movies no more than 10 minutes in length. The films can be fiction, documentaries, or instructional with non-violent themes that are in keeping with Scouting’s values.

We’ll show some example films, and provide lots more information as the date approaches.

First year Scouts will also work on cooking requirements. We’re leaving at 7:00 PM Friday Nov. 17. The $35 cost is due at our November 6 meeting.

There are pictures of last year’s trip in our photo album.

Troop 542 Movie Making Competition Judging Criteria

 MANDATORY (These Requirements may not be violated or the film will be disqualified.  If it meets these criteria it will be scored according to the scoring criteria below)

• You must choose a humorous, documentary, or uplifting dramatic theme that is not inconsistent with Scouting’s values
• No violent themes:
  • No use of guns or other lethal weapons
  • No situations that imply that a person might kill someone or something
  • Nothing can die even accidentally.  This includes people, animals, aliens, zombies, etc.  Life threatening situations such as a boat sinking or tornado approaching are OK as long as they weren’t created intentionally by someone and nobody gets killed
• Minimal comedic violence, like someone getting bonked in the head or ensnared in rope, will be tolerated
• No making fun of identifiable people or any part of the Scouting movement
• Groups of Scouts may not be depicted as villainous.   If an individual Scout appears as a villain, he must reform, preferably due to the influence of other Scout

Your script must be approved by the Scoutmaster before the competition.   Please provide it as soon as possible so you’ll know where you stand

 SCORING CRITERIA (These requirements will be assessed only if the mandatory requirements have been met)

Teamwork/Leadership: (50 Points)

• Were they well prepared?
• Was everything well planned ahead of time?
• Did the plan properly take into account the resources of the group?
• Were the skills of leadership demonstrated?
• Did they work well together?
• Did everyone have an active role in the film?

Success of the Project: (50 Points)

Screenplay (10 Points)

• Was it well planned ahead of time?
• Is it original? 
• Was it captivating?  
• Is there a clear the aim/purpose of the film?       
• Does it successfully achieve its aim/purpose?

Props/Costumes (10 Points)

• Were props used effectively in the film?
• Were the props prepared in advance?
• Were costumes used effectively in the film?
• Were the costumes prepared in advance?

Cinematography (10 Points)      

• Are technical skills and/or methods used?         
• Was good use made of lighting and camera positioning?       

Editing (10 Points)

• Does the film flawlessly flow from scene to scene?     
• Does the editing aid or hinder the emotional build-up?

Acting (10 Points)  

• Are the performances realistic?
• Are the selected actors suited for their roles?

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND ADVICE

Format – The video must be delivered to the judges as follows:

• 16 x 9 aspect ratio
• 720p resolution (1280 x 720)
• The video should fill the screen when played (No black bars on sides or top and bottom)
• MPEG-2, MP4, WMV, or MOV formats are fine.   Check first before rendering in any other format

Here’s Some Sound Advice

• Be careful when you shoot to avoid background noise
• Be sure that your microphone is picking up voices properly
• Make sure your actors speak slowly and clearly enough to be understood
• If your tools allow, fade the background music when characters are speaking