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GENERAL Rules & Regulations

Shoots Summit attendees should read this information thoroughly before deciding to participate in a contest.

Welcome to the Competition!

In partnership with the Department of Education, Moanalua High School is the host of the 3rd annual Shoots Summit Hawaii on January 18th-20th, 2025. It starts with opening ceremonies in the Moanalua Fine Arts Auditorium, then leads straight into two days of on-site competitions and educational workshops.

 

Students from schools across the islands will go head-to-head in various film, video, and media competitions while attending the Shoots Summit Hawaii. All registered attendees are eligible to participate in a media competition. Some contest categories require a team to compete, others are for solo entries, but regardless of who’s competing, everyone is on a strict deadline!  

 

All Shoots Summit competitions are held under tight time constraints. The short deadlines are designed to simulate the pressure of a real-world environment and separate the truly skilled from the many. All entries are reviewed by industry professionals, and students will receive detailed feedback after the conclusion of the event. Winners in each category will be announced at the closing ceremonies, scheduled for the morning of January 20th 2025, in the Moanalua Fine Arts Auditorium at Moanalua High School. Look out for a livestream of the awards ceremony provided by Shoots Summit Hawaii event organizers.

Here's How it Works…

  1. Schools review all of the General Contest Rules and Category Descriptions

  2. Teachers and students register for the categories they’d like to enter.

  3. On contest day, students receive a prompt or topic for their category.

  4. Students produce their entries during the Shoots Summit contest period.

  5. Entries are submitted by the deadline, using the link on the Contest Upload Page . 

General Contest Rules…

  • Entries may not exceed the time limits listed in each category description.

  • ALL entries must be produced during the contest’s specified time period.

  • ALL video, photo, and graphic elements must be shot and created during the designated Shoots Summit Hawaii contest time period.

  • ANY copyright-free music that you have access to may be used in the contests that allow it.

  • Middle and High school contest entries should be 100% student-produced, though teachers may help with equipment and uploading. Teachers and chaperones of Elementary students are considered “on the team”.

  • Entries should follow the criteria described in the contest category description.

  •  Video entries should be exported, compressed, and formatted before uploading. Tweak your export settings to lower file sizes. Preferred < 150MB.

  • Entries that miss their specified deadline will not be eligible for an award, but may still receive feedback from a judge, if time permits.

  • Entries must be submitted via the Contest Upload Page using the appropriate Contest Google Form.

  • All efforts will be made to assist with contest uploading, but familiarize yourself with your editing program’s export settings. Visit the Help Desk at Moanalua High School during contest hours for upload assistance. 

  • All uploaded contest entries may be used by Shoots Summit Hawaii for future marketing purposes.

Submitting your Entry*

Schools will need to upload their entries (video, graphic, and photo files) using a Google Form specific to each contest category. Please use the contest upload buttons provided on the Contest Upload Page, and be careful to choose the correct form for the contest you wish to enter. Any contest entries uploaded to the wrong category run the risk of not being judged. Before uploading a video entry, it is important to make sure your exported video file will be compatible with the judge’s computer. There is no advantage to submitting media higher than ranges of 1080p, so avoid uploading any HQ, 4K, or other large video files. Likewise, you shouldn’t spend more than a few minutes preparing your file, so practice this step, and know your procedures.

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Use the parameters below for exporting and compressing videos for entry:

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  • H.264 video codec/format is required for all video entries

  • The preferred export file/container for a video entry is MP4 or MOV

  •  Lowering the bitrate, and tweaking export settings can lower your file size

  • Entries that are exported using the YouTube settings will typically have sizes below 150MB, and will upload smoothly to the contest Google Drive. 

  • Vertical videos are exported using the same resolutions, but projects may need to be set up for vertical timeline editing BEFORE beginning post production

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When Exporting From…

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  • Adobe Premiere Pro CC

    • File  >  Export  >  Media  Save As:  Format: H.264, Preset: 720 0r 1080p YouTube HD

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  • Final Cut Pro X

    • File  >  Share >  YouTube and Facebook  >  Settings  > Resolution 720 or 1080p

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  • iMovie

    • File  >  Share >  YouTube and Facebook  > Resolution: 720p or 1080p 

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