Q. When is Tropfest NZ held? A. The main event (large outdoor screening) is held on Saturday February

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1 About the Festival: Q. When is Tropfest NZ held? A. The main event (large outdoor screening) is held on Saturday February Q. Where will Tropfest NZ will held? A. The main screening will be at the spectacular TSB Bowl of Brooklands, Brooklands Park Drive, New Plymouth. Other exciting activities as part of Tropfest NZ will be announced soon. About the Entry Process: Q. When will information become available for Tropfest NZ 2016? A. All the information you need to enter Tropfest NZ is available online under the submit section of the Tropfest NZ website see We will be supplementing this information with release forms and resources over the weeks to help make the entry process easier for you. Q. When do entries open for Tropfest NZ 2016? A. Entries open on July 9, Q. What is the deadline for Tropfest NZ 2016? A. Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 5PM New Zealand Standard Time. Q. What are the entry fees and what methods of payment do you accept? A. The entry fee is $NZ45 per film, paid via PayPal. Be sure to keep a record of your PayPal transaction ID, you will need to enter this to upload your film. 1

2 Q. Does Tropfest NZ accept international entries? A. Yes. However, you must be a New Zealand citizen or resident to be able to enter the New Zealand competition. Just make sure that you follow the submission guidelines. About the Films: Q. What is the Tropfest NZ Signature Item (TSI) for 2016? A. 'DREAM' - Open to interpretation. Filmmakers are invited to represent the TSI in any way they choose, either as a main part of your film or as a very subtle inclusion. We strongly encourage a creative interpretation of the word! Q. Why does my film have to feature the TSI & how can I use it? A. Tropfest NZ is about encouraging production, not just exhibition. The TSI is meant to show that your film was made specifically for the Festival. But try to make a film that stands on its own feet and include the TSI as part of the background somewhere. This will also enable your film to have a life after the Festival. (Very occasionally, though, we receive a film based entirely around the TSI that is brilliant so don t let us stop you if yours is one of these!) Q. What have the past TSI s been in New Zealand? A WIRE, 2014 GLASSES, 2013 GUMBOOT Q. What is the maximum length for Tropfest NZ films? A. 7 minutes including titles and credits. But we strongly encourage you not to feel that you need to use all 7 minutes. Many Tropfest winners have been substantially shorter than that. Q. Is there a minimum length? A. No. Many of the best entries are well under the maximum; rarely are the winners a full 7 minutes! Q. Can I submit more than one film for the competition? A. Yes - there is no restriction on the number of entries however eachj entry but be submitted separately. 2

3 Q. Does Tropfest NZ accept animations? A. Yes. Q. Does Tropfest NZ accept documentaries? A. Yes. There are no genre restrictions any kind of film can be entered into Tropfest NZ. (please remember the time limit of 7minutes). Q. Are there other important restrictions? A. Tropfest NZ must be your film s first public screening. This means that the film must not have been screened at any other film festival, or made available on free-to-air or pay TV, in cinemas, on the Internet or any other public arena. (This restriction does not include cast and crew screenings). Q. Can I re-edit a film that has already screened so it fits the Tropfest NZ guidelines? A. No! We consider this a different version of the same film, therefore if it has screened previously or otherwise made publicly available, it is not eligible for Tropfest NZ. Q. What format do I have to shoot on? A. You can shoot on any format you like (or can afford) HD, DVD, 35mm, 16mm, Mini DV, mobile. Whatever format is available to you. Tropfest judges are directed to look for strength of idea/story more than technical quality or level of budget. We will not include a mobile phone category this year but endeavour to include this category in future competitions. Watch this space. Q. What format do you accept for entry? A. The file is to be uploaded via our upload forum and must not exceed 250MB: Video Codec: h.264 Audio Codec: AAC-LC File extension: mp4 or mov Video Format: PAL Framerate: 25fps Resolution: 1024 x 576 (SD), 1280 x 720 (HD), 1920 x 1080 (HD) 3

4 Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.0 (Square Pixels) Field Order: Progressive playback only Video Bitrate: Variable bit rate encoding no higher than 10 megabits per second. We recommend the following bitrates for highest quality at the following frame sizes: 1024 x 576: 3 megabits per second (i.e 3mb/s or 3000 kb/s) 1280 x 720: 6 megabits per second (i.e 6mb/s or 6000 kb/s) 1920 x 1080: 8 megabits per second (i.e 8mb/s or 8000 kb/s) Audio Bitrate: 192 kilobits per second (i.e 192 kb/s) Audio Sample Rate: 48kHz (ie - 48,000 Hz) Q. Do I have to obtain copyright clearance for the music? A. YES! You must own all copyright for or have written permission to use all underlying works included in the film including music, performance and script. Q. Can I use any piece of music as long as I have permission? A. You can use most pieces of music provided you have received the necessary permissions from the copyright owner(s). Well known / published music can become very expensive to use. If you are chosen as a finalist for Tropfest NZ, your film may be screened through our network of distribution channels and you therefore need to have cleared rights to use the piece of music in all media. (Please see terms and conditions). You must have cleared all music in order to participate in such activities and, indeed, such clearance is a condition of entering your film in the Festival. It is important to note that you are not just asking for a festival clearance of the music. Try to use copyright or royalty-free music in your film. Don t limit the life of your film by making rushed music choices or leaving this until the last minute. Music should be one of the first things you consider when planning your production! Q. Can I use music that I download from a website? A. Just because you can download music from a website does not mean you can use it in your film. In most cases, music made available to download is for private use only (i.e. not a festival screening in front of thousands of people or for Tropfest NZ distribution after that!). If you plan 4

5 on using downloaded music, please ensure that it clearly states it is copyright or royalty-free i.e. there is no copyright owner or royalties that need to be paid, or that it clearly states you are able to do so. Having said this, there still may be limitations on how you use the music so we strongly suggest you read the fine print and contact the owner/s of the website just to be sure. Remember, you will need clearance in all media to be eligible for Tropfest NZ. Q. What is a music cue sheet? A. If you are chosen as a finalist, we will you a music cue sheet to fill out. It is basically a form detailing all the music you used in your film (title of composition, copyright owner, duration used). You must be able to provide this information promptly and failure to provide this information about the music in your film may jeopardize your ability to be a finalist. Q. Will you edit or modify my film? A. There are practical considerations that have to be made when broadcasting a short film on, for example, commercial television or downloading a short film to a mobile telephone. Tropfest NZ is mindful of the way your film is represented and we do our best to ensure the integrity and continuity of your film is preserved. However, exploitation of your film in various media may mean your film could be edited or altered, for example, by removing the film s credits and running them at the end of your film. This is one practical compromise that may have to be made to get your film out there! About the Entry Form and Conditions: Q. Who should I put down as the primary contact on the Entry Form? A. The person who you put as the primary contact will be the person who has sole contact with Tropfest NZ over the next few months. This person should be able to be contacted quickly and easily by phone or . Tropfest NZ will only discuss the status of your entry with the primary contact. 5

6 Q. What are my responsibilities as the entrant? A. The Entrant is responsible for making sure that the submission complies with all the guidelines and terms and conditions. The Entrant must sign the Certification of Entrant, which includes certain representations and warranties about the film. Specifically, paragraph (f) (k) of the terms and conditions requires the Entrant to get written permission from each of the contributors who worked on your film, performed in your film, contributed materials that are included in your film or who granted you the right to use materials in your film to do what you like with their contribution, performance or materials. This includes preexisting materials that are used in your film (e.g. music). Q. I m a bit confused about release forms do I get these signed before or after I make the film? A. Release forms may seem cumbersome, but it is very important that you get ALL contributors to your film to sign a release form. This includes cast and crew and any other contributor. Getting the release forms signed prior to or during production (while everyone is in the same place) is the best way of ensuring the you don t have to waste valuable time later trying to track down everyone. If you are chosen as a finalist, you will need to (promptly) provide Tropfest with all your signed release forms. Q. Can you explain this License business what s the difference between an Exclusive and a Non-Exclusive License? A. Regardless of whether you are a Finalist, you will initially be giving Tropfest NZ an Exclusive License to your film. This means that you cannot show your film to anyone (including posting it online) or submit your film for another festival UNITL Monday 29 February Until this date, Tropfest solely and exclusively represents your film throughout the world. When you complete the Entry Form, you must choose what happens if you do NOT become a Finalist. You can either choose to have all rights in the film revert back to you in which case, after Monday 29 February 2016, Tropfest NZ will have no further part in your film or the marketing of your film. OR, you can give Tropfest NZ a Non-Exclusive License to your film. This means that both Tropfest NZ and TROPFEST INTERNATIONAL can use/license your film as say, part of a package or compilation of Tropfest NZ entries, to third parties. You may wish to 6

7 consider this option if, for example you d like your film to be seen on the Tropfest YouTube Channel Q. What happens once I have completed the Entry Form and uploaded my film? A. Entrants will receive a confirmation from Tropfest NZ when their entries are received. Q. What happens if my film is selected to be a finalist? A. If you are chosen to be a finalist, you will need to promptly send Tropfest NZ your film as: Apple Pro Res, H.264 or Uncompressed Quicktime in 16:9 ratio Suggested specs: Codec: ProRes 422 HQ 25 FPS PAL Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Linear PCM audio Sample Rate: Stereo And; also supply Tropfest NZ with the additional materials listed in the Guidelines, including: colour production stills, completed music cue sheet, script, signed release forms and written evidence that you have permission to use all music in your film. Q. What happens after the main screening event? A. The 2016 finalist films are uploaded to the Tropfest NZ YouTube channel and uploaded to our website. We encourage finalists to submit their films to other film festivals! Q. Is Tropfest NZ meant to be fun? YES! If you have further questions, please cleow@taft.co.nz or contact us on facebook: 7