Open Show Film Submission Form and Instructions

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Deadline

Friday, April 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM (Pacific Time)

There are no extensions to the film deadline.

Submitting your film

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

We will begin accepting films on Monday, April 7th, 2025 , at 9:00 AM Pacific Time. The link to the film submission form will be posted here in March 2025.

  1. You must fill out a film submission form for each film you plan to submit, prior to submitting it. Films will not be accepted to 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.
  2. Check to be sure your film meets the technical requirements and 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.
  3. You will also need to export a still image (PNG, TIFF, PSD or JPEG) 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.
  4. Before uploading, name each film and still image with the CalArts standard naming convention, which is: LastFM_MyMovieTitle_YYYYMMDD

Note that there are no spaces in the file name, and each new word of your title is capitalized.

Examples:
JonesC_DuckAmuck_20250418.mov
JonesC_DuckAmuck_20250418.png

  1. 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 School of Film/Video computer in FVCentral > Submissions > Showcase > CA > Open Show > Submit to Open Show.

Follow the instructions and pop-ups of the application closely. If your film has technical issues, the application will let you know (for example, if your file is 23.97 fps instead of 24)

  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.
  • Please plan ahead so that you have finished uploading your film before the deadline. You must login to an on-campus computer that has access to FVCentral in order to submit your film (any lab computers, or those in A221, A321 or A421). We recommend planning to submit your film at least 24 hours before the deadline, and uploading during off-peak hours.
  • 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. 
  • If you need additional help, please submit a ticket on 2pop.calarts.edu with the subject line “Character Animation Film Submission Help”.

Read more about the Open Show Time Limits and Eligibility

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