Saturday Night Contest - The World of Wonderstone

[j.bayme]

Yesterday morning, we announced a massive, epic contest in collaboration with Warner Brothers and legendary magician David Copperfield. The contest is in celebration of the new film "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone." In the film, a comedy, Steve Carell and Jim Carrey play rival magicians - alongside Steve Buscemi and Olivia Wilde. The movie comes out March 15th in theaters around the world.

The contest is very simple: create and submit a 60-second short film showcasing your magic or cardistry skills. The more creative, the better. Your video can feature magic, cardistry, or both. We're looking for overall talent and creativity, and the contest itself will be judged by David Copperfield. What an honor.

You can see full details on the contest on this entry page. All submissions must be uploaded and submitted to that page in order to qualify. You can see the official entry form at the very bottom of the contest page. The deadline for submissions is in TWO weeks, on March 15th at 11:00am EST. In this post, I wanted to offer some tips and advice on how to make the most of your video.

It's a common misconception that making a great video requires expensive cameras, complicated lighting equipment, and editing software. On all three counts, this is no longer true. Even with an iPhone or iPod Touch, anyone can create amazing videos on a limited budget.

As a kid (AKA last year), I was obsessed with magic and film. I loved movies, and I loved magic. But I didn't have the resources to buy a $2,500 camera, or $1,000 for Apple's Final Cut Pro editing software. But I was determined, so I had to figure out a way to make it happen.

As a result, I learned a lot about how to do big things on a small budget. I went to Home Depot and bought some simple clamp lights for $15. I used iMovie or other free editing software. I learned a lot about lighting, composition, audio, editing, and typography. And I filmed things on an old Sony Handycam that was grainy and hard to focus. Nowadays, any iPhone or iPod Touch can record in crisp 1080p HD.

My point is simple: if there's a will, there's a way. So I encourage everyone to use these next two weeks wisely. If you have enough passion, dedication, and determination, anyone can do incredible things. Seek out inspiration from movies, music, television, and art. This contest is a chance to win some great prizes: 500 decks of cards, a phone call from David Copperfield. But more importantly, it's an opportunity to share your talent with the world, and get your skills seen and noticed by theory11 and David Copperfield - the highest grossing solo entertainer of all time.

So what are you waiting for? Go for it. Remember that videos must be 60 seconds in length, and you can only submit ONE entry. So make it great. Make it perfect. Make it something you will be proud of, weeks and months and years from now. Who knows what could happen. You just might win.

http://www.theory11.com/wonderstone

[SilenceD]

Wow! Good luck, everyone!

[Fran DC]

Hey JB , i have 14 , can i enter or i need to have 18 or more , thanks for answer

Fran Dc

[RickEverhart]

I will second JB's Home Depot clamp lights suggestion. Andrei gave me this tip a year ago and I use them every time I film now days and did not spend much money at all. Those and a little parchment paper as diffusion is perfect.

I am looking forward to seeing what you guys can come up with. I will be headed to Abbott's on March 15th and 16th so I probably won't be submitting anything. Anyone else headed to Abbott's to hang with Eric Jones and David Regal?

Good luck to everyone!

[j.bayme]

Hey JB , i have 14 , can i enter or i need to have 18 or more , thanks for answer

Fran Dc

Hey Fran, for legal purposes in collaboration with Warner Brothers, submissions to this contest must be from those 18 years of age or older, or with permission from a parent or legal guardian.

[Fran DC]

Hey Fran, for legal purposes in collaboration with Warner Brothers, submissions to this contest must be from those 18 years of age or older, or with permission from a parent or legal guardian.

Hey thanks for answer , the only problem is that i don't live in the USA , is that a big problem?

Thanks for answer

Fran Dc

[SilenceD]

Quick question! What video format is it okay to submit my video as? On my computer, the program I use allows me to export to an MOV file. Is that okay?

[j.bayme]

Quick question! What video format is it okay to submit my video as? On my computer, the program I use allows me to export to an MOV file. Is that okay?

Any common video format is fine. We recommend MOV, MP4, M4V, or WMV, which should be easy to export from any video editing program. If you need to convert or compress your video, I personally recommend a free program called Miro Video Converter, which is available for both Mac and PC.

[J-Diggity]

Hey JB! So i am 14, And i saw that you need to be 18, except with parental permission, how do i give you guys that? or is it only necessary if i win?
Thanks!
Joshua

[j.bayme]

Hey JB! So i am 14, And i saw that you need to be 18, except with parental permission, how do i give you guys that? or is it only necessary if i win?

Hey Joshua, yes - that's correct. Permission from a parent or guardian would be required in the event that you win. Good luck!