Video Contest Hub
The Intersection of
Video & Opportunity

Bill Prouty, from Minneapolis, is an avid filmmaker who is no stranger to winning. Over the past year he has entered 10 contests and placed in five of them. He has works in a trio with his two friends Jake Nyberg and Eli Ljung. They are doing video contests to build a their reels, and it’s a good way for them to get their foot in the door with ad agencies.  His most recent submission to Proquo (see below) has won him $1500.  

You can find more from Bill on his website, http://www.threevolts.com or subscribe to his YouTube page, youtube.com/threevolts.

Q. How many contests have you entered in the past? How many won?

About 10 contests over the last year.  Pro quo was $1500 (10 $1500 prizes were awarded); Pepto Bismal, 2nd place $1000; 2008 PopSecret Popcorn for Current VCAM, bought Internet rights in perpetuity, $6000; Grain Belt Beer 3rd place, $800; and an Anti Smoking PSA we got honorable mention. 

Q. How do you pick your contests?

Because our goal is mostly to build our reel, we generally go for the brands that are recognizable to impress the agencies, as they don’t know if it’s produced or spec. The Proquo was enticing for the money. I only entered because of the write up at Vidopp, and there were great odds for good money. Xltads sponsored the competition. I prefer their model of competition. 

Q. How did you learn about this contest?

Yeah I found it on Vidopp! Now I just subscribe and get the feed.  

Q. What were your goals for the contest?

Basically for the Proquo one was for the cash, it turned out we went to the masculine form of junk. Being sorta bathroom humor. 

Q. How long did you spend on your entry in the contest?

About a weekend.  

Q. What are your favorite techniques for shooting? Editing? Sound?

Humor is really strong tool for spreading a video.  We’re just big Mac guys, Dvx 100, or the HVX 200, and Final Cut Pro, and After Effects. The music was a loop from Garageband. We use a lot of music from Musicbakery.com

Q. Where are you hosting your videos?

Youtube and my personal websites. 

Q. What do you think is the best export setting for online? 

Here’s our general workflow:

• Shoot on DVX100A at 16×9 anamorphic in 24P (advanced mode)
• Edit on a 16×9 anamorphic timeline in FCP in 24fps
• Output to Compressor
  • H.264: 30fps, keyframe every 15 frame, faster encode, high quality, 3000kbits/sec
  • AAC audio: 32 kHz, Best, 192kbps
  • Frame controls on: Better resize, good (or better) frame blending
  • Letterbox: scale, center, 16×9 1.78:1
  • Frame size: 640×80           

We do shot with the web in mind, we don’t use a lot of motion. The critical thing is the change from 24 frames to 30 frames in Compressor using better frame blending. Most of social networks are all at 30 frames per second. 

Q. How much do you estimate entering the contest cost (total budget)?

As we win, we are trying to save a pool to fund our next films, in total it this contest cost  $65. 

Q. Are there any hidden fees?

1099 for the all the contest, and we set up an LLC, otherwise it all goes under my personal account.  A note of caution: Filmmakers should set up an LLC, and if anything happens they have to sue your company and not you personally. 

Q. What advice do you have for future video contest entrants?

I would say shoot a lot, do something novel, that’s original, or just don’t do anything.  Do comedy, it’s a brave new world, and there are lots of new ways to make money. 

Q. Do you have any formal training?

Degree in Business, only to supplement the filmmaking aspiration.  I spent 5 years working for a film company, and moved to purse narrative filmmaking, and I supported it by cutting History channel stuff.  Hopefully I’ll move more into commercials from competitions.

~Andrea Ball

 Staff Editor

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