We are excited to invite your school to take part in the Opportunity Bucks Schools’ Short Film Competition 2024.

The competition is open to children and young people in years 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 who attend one of the Eligible Schools.

Students will need to create a three-minute video on the theme of School Life.

This is a fantastic opportunity for your students to showcase their creativity and develop new skills while sharing their unique views and experiences.

We hope that taking part will spark their curiosity around film and TV, one of Buckinghamshire’s largest and fastest growing employment sectors, offering many diverse career opportunities – and provide inspiration for the future.

Entry to the competition is free of charge, and there are some fantastic prizes on offer.

Each school is invited to submit one entry per category. Please see below for more information.

Schools that register their interest by 20^th November 2023 will be offered 2 tickets for teachers to attend the Futures Festival, where they can find out more about the competition.

Any eligible school that wishes to participate will need to complete an application by 19 December 2023.

1. Length of the film: maximum 3 minutes, including titles and credits.
2. Any type of film, such as animation, live-action or documentary, will be accepted.
3. Entries can be produced using a smartphone or tablet/iPad (no special equipment is needed) and submitted in one of the following formats which are supported by YouTube:

• .MOV
• .MPEG-1
• .MPEG-2
• .MPEG-4
• .MP4
• .MPG
• .AVI
• .WMV
• .MPEGPS
• .FLV
• 3GPP
• WebM
• DNxHR
• ProRes
• CineForm
• HEVC (h265)

4. Language (and Subtitles): English.
5. The video should be focused on the following theme: School Life.
6. The video must be made exclusively for this competition.
7. No surnames of children are to be used in the content/credits or throughout the video.
8. Safeguarding is the responsibility of the school, and all entries must follow the appropriate safeguarding legislation and the school's own safeguarding policies and procedures.

1. Entries to the competition will be in three categories:

• Years 4/5
• Years 7/8
• Years 9/10

2. Only one entry in each participation category per Eligible School will be accepted. This can either be a school/class team entry or an individual entry selected by the school for submission.
3. There will be one winner from each participation category, chosen by a panel of judges.
4. The scripting, filming, and editing of the video must be carried out by the participant/s. Parents, adults, and/or mentors can support with organisation and resources and must ensure the film content complies with copyright terms.
5. All content must be original without any plagiarism or liabilities. The participants are responsible for all copyright issues and therefore any music, video or still images must be cleared for use by the copyright holder or be copyright/royalty-free.
6. Content submitted must not:

• be defamatory, abusive or offensive; infringe the copyright, moral right, performing rights, rights of privacy, trademark or other proprietary right of any third party or constitute a misuse of any confidential information of a third party.
• promote any activity unsuitable for a child or that has an age restriction that excludes children.
• advertise, promote or endorse any specific products or services.
• adversely affect the reputation of the Council or its partners;
• be false or misleading;
• contain software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to affect the functionality of any computer software, hardware or telecommunications equipment.

7. All filming that is carried out must be carried out in line with the Buckinghamshire Council’s Filming Code of Practice
8. All filming activity must be covered by the School’s Local Plan Risk Assessment, or a specific Risk Assessment must be written. Risk Assessments are the sole responsibility of the School.
9. No filming should take place without the landowner/manager’s written permission (please note if filming on rented property you will also need the landlord’s consent).
10. No filming can take place on roads or highways, in moving vehicles, using animals, using real or fake weapons, depicting violence, using special effects or fires, nudity, using on or off-street parking or blocking any footpath.
11. No permissions will be granted by the Council for filming in Council-owned or managed buildings (i.e., libraries, car parks etc) for the competition.
12. Submissions for years 7/8 and 9/10 can apply to film in public spaces such as pedestrianised town centres, footpaths, and council-owned/managed parks under the following conditions:

• Application is submitted to the Buckinghamshire Film Office 10 working days prior to the planned shoot.
• The school provides Public Liability Insurance for £10,000,000.00 (ten million pounds) together with an appropriate Risk Assessment covering the activities.
• All filming is supervised by an appropriate adult to ensure the Risk Assessment is adhered to.
• Cast/Crew is limited to 10 people and all crew must wear high-visibility clothing.
• All equipment is handheld, and no objects including props are placed on paths.
• Filming must not obstruct others from carrying out their business.
• Be considerate of people’s right to privacy when filming in public spaces, please review Filming Consent Guidance and plan accordingly.
• No filming in public spaces, business or residential areas outside of social hours i.e. before 8 am and after 10 pm.
• Depending on requirements and locations, the Film Office may require consultation to be carried out to make local residents/businesses aware of the planned activities.

NB: Be realistic with the script, consider the time and locations that are available to you for filming. Private land/property owners may expect some form of payment even for student productions.

1. In all cases, the entrant will be bound by the competition's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 
2. This competition is being run and co-promoted by Buckinghamshire Council and Pinewood Studios. This will be clearly stated in the publicity literature for the competition.
3. The competition is open to children and young people in years 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 in all maintained, academy and free schools who have been identified as having at least 40% of their pupils living in an Opportunity Bucks ward. Eligible Schools (SchoolsWeb) 
4. Competition entries will only be accepted by schools who have submitted an application to take part by 19 December 2023.
5. All submissions must be received by Buckinghamshire Council with all completed documentation required by Monday 25^th March 2024 (the Closing Date).
6. Buckinghamshire Council cannot take responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected, incomplete or which cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason.
7. Buckinghamshire Council reserves the right to exclude any entry that does not fulfil the criteria applicable to a particular category, or which has been partially or incorrectly completed. Any decision by Buckinghamshire Council to exclude an entry shall be final.
8. By submitting an entry, there is an explicit agreement that the video and any additional material submitted as part of the entry, and the copyright thereof, as well as the rights of any interviews, shall become the property of Buckinghamshire Council and can be published on the Buckinghamshire Council website, YouTube, social media channels and media outlets, etc., as part of the competition and future promotion of similar competitions.
9. We reserve the right to disqualify any entrant we have reasonable grounds to believe has breached any of the rules of the competition. If any entrant is disqualified from the competition, Buckinghamshire Council at its sole discretion may decide whether a replacement should be selected. In this event, any further entrant will be selected on the same criteria as the original entrant and will be subject to these rules.
10. We reserve the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time (if we do this, we will publish the amended terms and conditions on the relevant website page).
11. No payment will be made to the child or anyone else, on behalf of the child, other than for expenses.
12. No child will be absent from school to take part in a performance given under the Body of Person approval.
13. The school will provide details of the full name, date of birth and address of all children taking part together with dates, times and locations of any performance/rehearsal which takes place outside of school property and/or outside of normal school hours.
14. The school agrees to comply with Regulation 11 and Regulations 15 to 29 of The Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014.
15. The School will ensure that an appropriate number of Local Authority-approved chaperones (see Reg.15) are engaged to care for the children, having specific regard to their sex and age, and ensuring that each child is supervised at all times.
16. The school will be responsible for ensuring that no child exceeds the maximum number of hours that a child may be at a place of performance or rehearsal, may perform or rehearse in one day and may perform or rehearse continuously (see Reg.22).
17. The school will ensure that all activities related to the competition comply with the school's Child Protection Policy.
18. The school will ensure that they have obtained appropriate permissions from the legal guardian for each child for the activities required by participating in the competition and that any medical issues or additional needs are available during any rehearsal or performance.
19. 10 representatives (including chaperones) of each participating school will be invited to Pinewood on 23 May 2024 for a Celebration Event where the winners and runners-up will be announced.

1. Each School that enters will be invited to attend Pinewood with a delegation for a celebration event on 23 May 2024 where all films will be screened, and the winner will be announced for each category.
2. Each School will receive a framed certification of entry and automatic entry for two teachers to the Futures Festival in 2024.
3. Each participating student will receive a certificate of entry
4. A Pinewood Studios goody-bag will be given to each of the pupils attending the Celebration Event
5. The winning entry in each category will also get a private movie screening at Pinewood Studios, screening both the winning film plus a screening of a movie of the pupils’ choice (from a list of suitable choices), for all pupils involved in the winning project.
6. Prizes may not be transferable to another person/school and no part of a prize is exchangeable for cash or any other prize. If an advertised prize is not available, we reserve the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.

1. A registration form must be completed by 19 December 2023 with the terms and conditions accepted by the member of staff nominated by the school as the Competition Lead.
2. You will need to share your video entry via WeTransfer and provide the appropriate links in the submission form.
3. The submission must include a completed Body of Persons Individual Performance form which must include the full names, date of birth and postcode of each child together with a list of the dates, times and locations for any rehearsal or performance which takes place outside of school property or out of school hours together with a copy of the Schools Child Protection Policy.
4. The closing date of the competition will be 5.00 p.m. on 25 March 2024; any entries received after this date will not be accepted.
5. By entering the competition, the school confirms it has ensured that children are of the appropriate age for the category of their entry; and has obtained parent/guardian/carer consent for the participation and entry into the competition by all those under 18 years of age.
6. More information on how to submit final films will be provided to all registered schools.

Judging criteria

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Inclusivity and Representation: Emphasize the importance of diverse representation in front of and behind the camera. Films should showcase characters, stories, and crews that reflect a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.
2. Storytelling and Originality: Assess the effectiveness of the narrative and storytelling techniques. Encourage participants to tell unique and engaging stories that captivate the audience.
3. Technical Excellence: Evaluate the technical aspects of the film, including cinematography, sound, and editing. Recognize films that demonstrate skill and creativity in these areas, regardless of equipment limitations.
4. Creativity and Innovation: Reward imaginative approaches to filmmaking. Encourage participants to think outside the box and experiment with innovative storytelling methods.
5. Character Development and Depth: Evaluate the depth and complexity of the characters. Look for well-rounded protagonists and supporting characters that contribute to the overall narrative.
6. Social Impact and Message: Consider the positive messages or social issues addressed in the film. Films that raise awareness, inspire change or promote empathy should be acknowledged.
7. Resourcefulness: Recognize creative solutions and adaptability, especially when dealing with limited resources. Encourage participants to make the most of what they have.
8. Production Value: Assess the production values, such as set design, costume, and makeup. Encourage participants to pay attention to detail and craftsmanship.
9. Engagement and Emotional Connection: Evaluate how effectively the film captures and maintains the audience's attention. Look for films that connect emotionally with viewers.
10. Overall Impact and Inspiration: Consider the overall impact of the film on the viewer and its potential to inspire.

Entries will not be judged on production quality/values. We want the competition to be open to all without the need for a specialist kit.

The judges’ decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.