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Open Show Film Submission Form and Instructions

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Deadline

Friday April 17, 2026 by 4:00PM Pacific Time.

Please plan ahead so that you have finished uploading your film before the deadline. You must log in to an on-campus computer that has access to FVCentral (any lab computers, or those in A221, A321 or A421) in order to submit your film. We recommend planning to submit your film at least 24 hours before the deadline.

There are no extensions to the film deadline.

We will begin accepting films on Monday, April 6th, 2026, at 9:00 AM Pacific Time.

Open Show films are played in the order they are received. There are no exceptions to this.

Submission Form

You must fill out a film submission form for each film you plan to submit, prior to submitting it. Films will not be accepted into the Open Show without a completed form.
We strongly recommend filling the submission form out early. You do not need to have your film completed to fill out a submission form.

How to export your film and thumbnail for submission

Submission instructions have been updated for this year. Please read everything carefully.

  1. Fill out a submission form for your film (see above section)
  2. Be sure to export your film with the correct specifications, and that your film plays properly from beginning to end before submitting it. There are several handouts available (see the Animation Support documents on 2 Pop), including how to export your film from Premiere with the correct settings. These same settings are listed below:
    • File Format: QuickTime (.mov)
    • Codec/Compressor: Apple ProRes 422 HQ
    • Resolution: HD (1920 x 1080)
    • Frame Rate: 24
    • Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square
    • Field Order: Progressive
    • Audio Channels: Stereo (2 Channels) or 5.1 (6 Channels), 5.1 audio will be downmixed to Stereo for the Open Show
    • Audio Sample Rate: 48,000 Hz (48 kHz)
    • Audio Bit Depth: 24 bit
    • Audio Codec: Uncompressed PCM (Linear PCM)
  3. Double-Check your export’s codec, frame rate, resolution, and audio
    • Open your file in Quicktime Player
    • Press ⌘I, or Navigate to Window > Show Movie Inspector
    • “Video Format” is your film’s video codec, “Encoded FPS” is your film’s frame rate, and “Audio Format”, lists all the audio settings for your film
  1. You will also need to export a still image (JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file) from your film to include when uploading your film. The resolution should be 1920×1080. Please be sure the image is recognizable at a small, thumbnail size. It should be a clear, representative still from your film. A close-up of a main character works well. It should not contain text or titles. This image will be included in the show program.
  1. Before uploading, name BOTH your film and still image according to the CalArts Film/Video Naming Convention, LastNameFirstName_MyMovieTitle_YYYYMMDD. Step-by-step instructions can be found on the CalArts Naming Convention 2 Pop page

Examples:
Inside Out 2, Directed by Kelsey Mann, released June 14th, 2024, should be named as follows:
MannKelsey_InsideOut2_20240614.mov
MannKelsey_InsideOut2_20240614.png

How to submit your film and thumbnail for Open Show

After we receive your Submission Form, you will be able to submit your film and still image using the Submit to Open Show application. If they are submitted anywhere else, we will not be able to locate them and your film will not be added to the show.

You can find the Submit to Open Show application on any Film/Video animation lab computer in FVCentral > Submissions > Showcase > Character Animation > Submit to Open Show.

Double-click on this application to start the submission process OR double-click the Open Show icon in the dock.

This application may require you to give it permission to do certain things on your computer, including accessing files on FVCentral and running Finder, please select “OK” if these pop-ups appear. (If you receive one about microphone access, feel free to select “Don’t Allow”).

Please follow along the application instructions and read any notification pop-ups. The application will prompt you to do the following:

1. Select your film file!

  • The application will check whether your file meets the submission specifications (you will not be able to submit if your file does not meet the submission specifications)

2. Enter you CalArts email address

  • This step is checking whether you have submitted a Submission Form for your film.

It is very important that you enter your CalArts email address in both your Submission Form, and this application. Please double check that you have spelled your CalArts email correctly.

3. Submit a thumbnail for your film

4. Please wait until you see a pop-up telling you that your submission is complete.

  • You will also receive a receipt on your desktop which confirms your submission has been received.
  1. If you are submitting more than one film, you must submit additional forms for each film. Each film must have its own unique still image.

Important Notes:

  • Once your film is submitted, it is considered “final”. You are not allowed to update or replace your film unless we specifically request it for technical reasons.
  • Be sure to keep backups of your final films – we cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide you with a copy of your submitted films.
  • Films submitted for the Open Show that meet time limits and eligibility requirements will also be considered for the Producers’ Show. Films are juried by the faculty for inclusion in the Producers’ Show. Read more about the Open Show Time Limits and Eligibility
  • If you need additional help, please submit a ticket on 2pop.calarts.edu with the subject line “Character Animation Film Submission Help”.
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