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2014 COBIS International Young Scientists Film Award
Celebrating Science Creatively!

Please Forward This Information to Your Head of Science and Science Teachers

COBIS has partnered with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in London to create a competitive film challenge to celebrate the diversity and excitement of science. NPL is the UK’s National Measurement Institute with a 113 year history in world class science. In fact, did you know NPL have built the most accurate clocks in the world!

What is the COBIS International Young Scientists Film Award?

Students from COBIS schools are invited to

• Create short films describing or demonstrating science correctly in an engaging way
• COBIS schools are invited to enter up to a maximum of 3 films
• Films must be less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds!
• The first 20 seconds must introduce and describe students schools
• With schools permission, films will be posted on a dedicated COBIS YouTube website
• A submission fee of £150 will apply to participating schools – this covers all 3 films
• Films must use media for which copyright permission is granted

Please carefully consider ALL rules above when making your film - marks are deducted for rules broken!

Films received before Wednesday 12 March 2014, if requested, will receive a few helpful recommendations from our moderators on how to improve the film. Second attempts must be received by the final submission deadline which is Wednesday 2 April 2013.

At What Level Should Each Film be Pitched?

Students are encouraged to aim their films to students of a similar age and level – so students need to imagine that they are explaining their topic to a similar age group in another COBIS school. You need to make it really engaging so use good humour and lively presentation, but avoid using ‘in jokes’.

2014 Young Scientists Film Award Categories

Winning entries and runners up will receive fantastic awards, trophies and prizes! Entries are welcomed and nominations will be made by COBIS and NPL for final judging panels in each of the following categories which span all ages unless indicated otherwise:

• Best Biology
• Best Chemistry
• Best Physics*
• Best Scientific Theory Explanation
• Most Creative KS 1-2
• Most Creative KS 3-5
• Best International Collaboration (for films submitted by joint teams from more than one nation)
• Best Scientific Investigation
• Best Overall Film KS 1-2
• Best Overall Film KS 3
• Best Overall Film KS 4/5

*(This category traditionally has most entries so possible strategic advantage by choosing other subjects)

Competition Dates to Remember!

• Monday 27 January: Registration opens: online form can be completed and entries uploaded
• Wednesday 12 March: Deadline for submissions requesting a ‘Fast Review’ which is a short review on ‘first cut’ films with suggestions for improvement within 24 hours of upload
• Wednesday 2 April: Final submission deadline
• Monday 14 April: All entrants’ films posted YouTube site, along with indications of nominees
• Sunday 11 May: Winners announced and Awards presented at COBIS Annual Conference in London

Interested in Participating? What to do Next...  

• Register your interest
• We will invoice you and you can then enter details on your film/s and upload at your convenience
• Review the competition rules below, especially the section about copyright
• Entries, nominees and winners from our competition in 2013 are listed here with links to films
• Entries for similar competitions can be reviewed at: Scinema website, www.scicast.org.uk, NZReelScienceFilm, NPLSchoolScience Film and RichmondScienceFilm
• Promote the competition in your school and identify filming facilities
• Select and assemble student team/s. Identify student talent in film making, presentation and animation etc
• Ensure appropriate permission is granted from parents. COBIS will not require evidence of this, however please ensure this is covered
• Students can start to scope, plan, design, cast for, practice and shoot their film/s – remember up to 3 films can be entered per COBIS school
• Submit completed films before or on the day of the submission deadline – late entries will not win anything!
• Wait to see if your students films have been nominated
• Winning entries and runners up for all 11 categories will receive fantastic trophies and prizes!

Competition Rules

• Copyright: All material, vision and sound, must have been made by students or reproduced with the originator's permission. The submission form will require you to state sources of all materials used in films. Some, but not all, music is copyright 'free' at www.ccmixter.org or www.jamendo.com  or students can compose their own soundtracks. Music cannot be used from a recording or film - or even sung/hummed unless written permission is granted from the publisher of the music. Unfortunately many films are disqualified in similar competitions because of copyright issues.
  

• Films must last no more than 2 minutes and 30 seconds, including credits and must describe or demonstrate an aspect of science correctly, in an entertaining and engaging way. The first 20 seconds must introduce and describe students’ schools. If preferred the same intro can be used in each film from individual schools.

• Film format and submission: Shortly after registration, schools will be sent a link to a dropbox to which completed, or ‘first cut’ films can be uploaded, either in ‘mov’, ‘wmv’ or ‘mp4’ format.

Ready to Register for the 2014 Young Scientists Film Award?

• Register on-line here
  
• If you have any questions please email the team.