$20,000 TO MAKE YOUR FILM A REALITY
No gimmicks. No popularity contests. No industry games. Most
Smart Builder
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Key Features
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Drag & Drop
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About us
Trailer SparQ
wants you to make your film!
After years of failed script competitions and attempts to raise funds for production, our limit had been reached, and we knew we weren’t alone. That is when we had the thought; maybe we can do something about it. Awards for your script are nice, but what filmmakers really want is to make their film, bring it to life. So, we established Trailer SparQ to help creators do just that. We know the struggle better than most, and for those dedicated to their craft, we are here to help. We don’t care about your background, where you are from or who you know. If your film concept wins us over, you get $20,000 to make your movie. Period.
Why choose Trailer SparQ?
know your viewer
Unlike with script competitions, you will know exactly who watched your submission.
free feedback
Also unlike many competitions, we will not charge you for an assessment.
no nepotism
Connections won’t help you, if anything, just the opposite. We’re here to help people that need it.
$20,000
No hoops to jump through. The trailer for the project we like most, wins. Simple and straightforward.
The Rundown
This is not a gimmick. Everything is exactly as it appears. There are no strings attached. Well, maybe little ones, but nothing drastic, I assure you. This is a competition for filmmakers by filmmakers. We have dealt with the disappointment, the doubt of what to do next, and the uncertainty of how to spend what little funds are available. We simply want to offer an opportunity that we wish was available to us. You will find no pretense, no weird standards or guidelines, no conventional restrictions on creativity and story structure. We aren’t concerned about your social imprint or how many followers you have. We aren’t concerned with competitions you have already won. We don’t care where you trained or who you know. In fact the lower on the totem pole you are, the more we would like to help.
Diversity is important and one of our most stressed points. We encourage people from all walks of life to submit, no matter your religion, creed or color. We are simply looking for the best. As you can see we ourselves are diverse. too often we felt we were submitting our work to contests filled with readers that didn’t understand where our work was coming from, and couldn’t relate to the story. Regardless of what they might tell you, greatness will not always shine through if there is a bias, whether it be subconscious or not. Be confident in knowing we pride ourselves on acknowledging talent from the full spectrum of society. We are not perfect, but our focus is on keeping our minds open.
Unlike many contests, we will not intake more submissions that we are able to process. Once we hit our cap, submissions will be halted, giving those that did get accepted a legitimate chance at winning. When other competitions are accepting 15,000 submissions, and many from known and established creators, do you feel you have an actual chance at winning, or getting accepted, no less? Not really. When our mark is hit, we will carry over the following submissions into the next competition. See, this isn’t an annual thing. Our goal is to hold a competition every single month. As submissions go up, so shall the frequency of the competitions.
The more people you know that submit, the better the chances are that you know the winner, if you don’t win yourself. If someone you know does win, they just got $20,000 to make a film and they are going to need some help. Might you also be an actor, a DP, an editor, a lighting or sound specialist. Too often, talent in this industry is pent against each other. Deeper and wider-spread success can be found through collaboration, selflessness, and checking one’s ego at the door. If you need to make it selfish, then ask, “what benefits me most?” Often times it is being of service to someone else. If a certain race car keeps winning, yes, everyone wants that driver, but they also want that crew chief. They also want that pit crew. High tide really does raise all ships. A couple mixed metaphors there, I know. Maybe should have started with speed boats, but you get the gist
The Rules
Before you get to the rules and guidelines, I would like to say that Quality matters, as it helps us determine your abilities as a filmmaker and the level of love for your project. But don’t mistake ability for equipment. We don’t need you renting a RED camera. You are here because those things cost money and you need money. But the trailer should be shot with respect for the craft and concern for the art form. We should see the love you have for your work, and abilities in film making. Doing more with less goes a long way in showing us you are more than adept at getting the most out of the $20,000 prize.
Now, on to the rules!
• You must submit a movie trailer. Seems obvious, but it had to be said.
• Trailer must be between 1-3 minutes in length. If you do not follow these guidelines, that better be a helluva trailer.
• The trailer must represent the film you actually want to create. Winning for one type of movie, then making a different movie with the $20,000 WILL BE A VIOLATION OF RULES, AND SUBJECT TO THE RETURN OF PRIZE MONEY. Let’s not make this a legal battle. If you wish to make a different movie with the funds, it must first be approved by Trailer SparQ.
• $50 submission fee. We have paid less for competitions, we have also paid much more. We personally feel this is a fair price. If this was a film competition, how much would you have to spend to complete your film, before dropping more money on numerous festivals? With ours you just need a trailer. That is a lot of money saved, but also with higher odds of success with our competition as opposed to others. If you were submitting to a script writing competition, how much would you pay before actually getting in one? And even if you get in, how much are they going to pay you to help turn your writing into reality? With ours, you are guaranteed to be eligible. And if you don’t win one session, we will automatically allow our top finalists to resubmit into another session for free. And, yes, you may make alterations to your trailer working off the judges notes. We are going to look at each and every trailer, with return notes and transparency. And all decisions concerning the top 20 trailers will be a group decision, not left to a single individual’s preference. The top 10 will all receive their submission fee back.
• Can we get our money back? You have up until your trailer is actually viewed to receive a full refund. Once we have reviewed your trailer and have submitted to you are feedback, receiving a refund is no longer an option.
• Winner of the $20,000 prize must complete their film within a year of receiving prize money. If you are a serious filmmaker, this is not an issue. If you are less than earnest in your intentions to make a move, then this isn’t the competition for you. We understand life and setbacks happen. If you need more time, then you must file an extension through Trailer Sparq, revealing enough finished product to warrent said extension. If a year has passed without much work product to show for it, this may again result in the RETURN OF PRIZE MONEY. If you are not serious about making films, then we will give that money to someone who is. We really don’t want to take back funds, and will be as understanding as possible, but we are here to assist art, not put a down payment on your new Honda Civic.
And, finished! That was simple, right? Not a lot of rules because everything is straight forward. There are waivers and release forms that must be signed for us to move forward, but otherwise, not too bad.
That string I mentioned…
This is really the only self-serving stipulation we have. Winners of the competition must list Trailer SparQ and its affiliate production company as executive producers. Let me be clear, this entitles us to zero profits, be it sales, streaming or distribution of any kind. Whatever monetary success your film produces is yours and yours alone. We just want established credit for our role in helping fund the project. We don’t think this is a lot to ask in exchange for $20,000.
Of course it will be up to you, but we would like to feature your trailer on our site. We understand if you choose not to, but we would love to exhibit your work and talent for others to see. If you don’t win our competition, maybe someone else who sees it feels differently and is inclined to offer their own financial support.
Common Questions
Is there a limit to how many trailers I can submit? No, but do you want to pull your focus in many directions, or put 100% of your effort into creating the single best trailer you can?
Are there genre restrictions? No, we are open to any genre of film, and we appreciate the intricacies of each.
Can the trailer represent a film that has already been shot, but needs money for post production? Listen, it will be hard for us to tell if a project has already been shot. In any walk of life there will be those that push the line or try to take advantage of a system. We are here to help filmmakers make their film. We can’t always regulate what form that assistance takes. If something seems fishy and we investigate to find the project has already been shot in its entirety, it may disqualify you from competing, and will be up to the discretion of Trailer SparQ ownership.
When do we get the prize money? Money is dispersed as soon as the competition has ended and a decision has been made. And prize money will be awarded in person. We want to share that joy with you.
What if we disagree with your assessment? You are free to let us know. We know how stinging critical commentary can be, especially for something you hold dear. And you could be absolutely right, your project is genius and we didn’t see it. But the bottom line is, it’s just our personal opinion, what we say isn’t gospel. If we don’t recognize your abilities, please don’t let that affect your belief and drive. Everyone is one person away from success. It takes just one person to recognize your abilities and give you your shot. Go find that one person.
What if we win but change our mind about making the movie? This is a bad scenario. Either all or a large percentage of the money will need to be returned, and 2nd place finisher will receive the money. The last thing we want to have to do is recoup funds. We would deal with this on a case-by-case basis.
What is Trailer SparQ’s involvement once the film is completed? We want to champion our cause. The best way to do that is to validate our influence by sharing the success stories of those that have benefited from our efforts. We will promote you and your work in feature posts. Our success is hinged upon your success, so of course we will promote your work as much as possible and tell people where they can view it.
What are Trailer SparQ’s other plans for creators? Well, we are also currently working on plans to move forward with our own streaming service for filmmakers. As Trailer SparQ grows, the streaming site will begin to take form. All winners will automatically qualify for a spot on the profit-sharing streaming site. Why help you make a film just so Tubi or Prime can benefit? We hope to keep participants in-house for future and mutual growth and wealth-building.
Does Trailer SparQ have a competition for television or web series writers? We will. We don’t want to do too much too Quickly. As we grow, and can accommodate said growth, we will branch out into more select competition divisions. The first of which will be for television and web series writers.
Will Trailer SparQ help with production? Not at this stage, however, we can absolutely give you tips and advice on how to complete your film at or under the gifted $20,000 mark. Again, we are here to help
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Who We Are
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Terms and Conditions
TRAILWE SPARQ TRAILER COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The undersigned, the authorized representative of the project named below and throughout this application (hereafter called the “Project”) to Trailer SparQ LLC. (here after called the “Institute”) for consideration for the Trailer SparQ trailer competition hereafter called the “Contest”), hereby represents that they have read, understood, and agreed to the following:
1. The undersigned represents and warrants to the Institute that: (a) The undersigned is duly authorized, on behalf of the undersigned and on behalf of all other persons or entities who have any ownership rights, licenses or interests (including, without limitation, intellectual property rights or distribution licenses) in or relating to the Project (collectively and separately hereafter called the “Project’s Owners”), to permit the Institute to exhibit this Project in the Contest and to make the promises, representations and warranties set forth herein, (b) exhibition of the Project in the Contest will not violate any law or any right or consent of any person or entity, whether such exhibition is theatrical (live), digital, or any combination thereof; (c) the Project is not subject to or the subject of any threat of any litigation, arbitration, or other adversarial claim or proceeding, including disputes regarding ownership of the Project; and (d) there are no agreements, and neither the undersigned nor the Project’s Owners shall make any agreements subsequent to submitting the Project, that would or could impair their ability to provide the Project as contemplated herein or that would otherwise conflict with any provision of these Terms and Conditions.
2. The undersigned further represents and warrants, on behalf of the undersigned and the Project’s Owners, that the exhibition of the Project in the Conest, whether live, digital, or any combination thereof, will not violate or infringe any copyright, patent, privacy right, publicity right, trademark, service mark or any other personal or property right of any person or entity, and that the Project does not and will not constitute or include any defamation of any person or entity. All license fees, clearance fees, and other obligations, of any kind, arising from or associated with the exhibition of the Project in or in connection with the Contest, have been and will be timely paid in full.
3. In the event that the Project is accepted by the Institute for inclusion in the Contest, the undersigned acknowledges, on behalf of the undersigned and the Project’s Owners, that the Institute’s exhibition or presentation of the Project in the Contest does not and will not create any confidential or fiduciary relationship between the Institute on the one hand and the undersigned and/or the Project’s Owners on the other. The undersigned further acknowledges, on behalf of the undersigned and the Project’s Owners, that neither the undersigned nor any of the Project’s Owners will receive any compensation for such exhibition, although some Contest prizes will include cash awards. The undersigned acknowledges that no obligation of any kind is assumed by, or may be implied against, the Institute or the Contest in the event of, by virtue of, or as a result of the Institute’s selection of the Project for the Contest. The undersigned and the Project’s Owners understand and acknowledge that the selection of the Project for inclusion in the Contest does not and will not in any way constitute an express or implied endorsement or approval by the Institute or the Contest of the content of the Project or any opinion expressed therein.
4. The undersigned agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, to indemnify and hold harmless the Institute and its officers, directors, employees, attorneys, creative advisors, agents, licensees, volunteers, and representatives (collectively with the Institute, the “Trailer SparQ Related Parties”), from and against any and all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, fees and expenses (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs) that may be asserted by any person or entity, or may be incurred by any Trailer SparQ Related Parties, at any time in connection with the Project or with the Institute’s use, handling, consideration or exhibition thereof, and/or arising from any breach or alleged breach of any representation made by the undersigned to any Trailer SparQ Related Parties, including, without limitation, any express or implied representation in these Terms and Conditions.
5. The undersigned warrants and agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, that the Project is being submitted to the Institute voluntarily and without promise or inducement, and that the submission of the Project neither imposes nor creates any obligation or responsibility on the part of any Trailer SparQ Related Parties to accept the Project for inclusion in the Contest, to exhibit the Project in the Contest, to acknowledge the submission of the Project, or to return any Project materials to the undersigned or others.
6. The undersigned further agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and the Project’s Owners and every other representative or person affiliated with the Project, that, in submitting the Project for consideration, the undersigned, the Project’s Owners, and any other representative or person affiliated with the Project are jointly and severally waiving, forfeiting, forgoing and relinquishing any right that they might otherwise have to assert any claim or commence any proceeding in any forum or tribunal against any Trailer SparQ Related Parties, based upon, arising out of or otherwise relating to the submission, selection, exhibition or failure to select or exhibit the Project (including, without limitation, claims relating to any failure or refusal to exhibit the Project in the Contest, the exhibition or marketing of the Project at or in connection with the Contest, alleged oral or written representations by any Trailer SpaeQ Related Parties relating to the submission or exhibition of the Project, and any other matters arising from or relating to the submission of the Project), whether such claims may be based on theories of contract, implied contract, tort, statute, or other legal theory (hereinafter, “Claim”). In the event that any Claim is asserted, or any action, arbitration or other proceeding is brought or commenced, in violation of the agreement set forth in the immediately preceding sentence, the undersigned, on behalf of the undersigned, the Project’s Owners, and any other representative or person affiliated with the Project agrees to indemnify the Trailer SparQ Related Parties from any and all Claims, losses, liabilities, damages, fees and expenses (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs) that are incurred by any Trailer SparQ Related Parties as a result of or in connection with any such Claim or any action, arbitration or other proceeding brought in violation of the representations and agreements set forth in this submission agreement.
7. Without in any way limiting the provisions or scope of the agreements set forth herein, the undersigned further agrees and accepts that, in the event that any Claim is asserted, or any action, arbitration or other proceeding is brought or commenced, by the undersigned, any of the Project’s Owners, or any other representative of or person affiliated with the Project, in violation of the agreements set forth herein, and in the further event that an arbitrator or other tribunal should permit such Claim to proceed despite the waiver language set forth in paragraph 6 above, the sole and maximum remedy that could be awarded to any person or entity asserting any Claim shall be a refund of the fee paid in connection with the submission of the Project to the Institute for consideration for the Festival. Under no circumstances shall any other remedy, including without limitation actual, expectancy, reliance, consequential, special, punitive or exemplary damages, or any other damages, or injunctive, declaratory, provisional or other relief, be available to the undersigned, the Project’s Owners, or any other person or entity representing or affiliated with the Project.
8. In the event that the Project is accepted by the Institute for inclusion and exhibition in the Contest, the undersigned, requiring the consent of no other party to do so, hereby grants, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, each of the following rights to the Institute and any other Trailer SparQ Related Parties acting on the Institute’s behalf without reservations, conditions or qualifications: (a) the right to use footage, stills and/or titles, and information from or relating to the Project for promotional purposes; (b) the right to issue and authorize publicity concerning the Project and all personnel related to the Project; and (c) to use the names, likenesses and biographical information of all Project personnel, including, without limitation, director(s), producer(s), writer(s), cast member(s) and crew in connection with the exhibition of the Project in, and promotion of, the Contest and the promotion of Institute.
9. In the event that the Project is accepted by the Institute for inclusion and exhibition in the Contest, and if the undersigned or the Project’s Owners and any other representative or person affiliated with the Project have contractual obligations to any producers, distributors, creators, cast or crew regarding “contest benefits” (which may include but are not limited to production credits or monetary compensation), the undersigned agrees and accepts that those “conest benefits” must be administered and distributed by the undersigned and/or the Project’s Owners, do not impact the nature or quantity of benefits provided by Institute and that the Institute has no responsibility whatsoever in connection therewith.
10. The undersigned warrants and agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, that the Institute has made no claims, representations or guarantees, and has provided no assurances, in relation to the internal process utilized by the Institute with respect to selection of projects for inclusion in the Conest and that the submission of the Project neither imposes nor creates any obligation or responsibility on the part of any Trailer SparQ Related Parties to provide information pertaining to the viewing or consideration of the Project by the Institute
11. The undersigned warrants and agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, that by submitting the Project to the Institute, the Institute and all persons employed by, contracted by, or otherwise directly associated with the Institute are deemed to have been granted the irrevocable right to view and/or download all digital assets associated with the Project, including, but not limited to, any representation of the Project in the form of video files, still images, assets streamed via the Internet, and/or all other assets and information provided by the Applicant on the application. All digital assets referenced above shall remain active and accessible by the Institute until the conclusion of the Contest round. Institute takes reasonable anti-piracy and security precautions and limits pre- Contest access to Project submissions. By submitting the Project to the Institute, the undersigned agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, to release the Sundance Related Parties from any and all liability in the event of theft, unauthorized access or copying, or any breach of copyright of the Project while it is in Institute’s possession or on the online Contest platform.
12. The undersigned represents that if the undersigned is younger than the legal age to enter into contracts in the state of the undersigned’s principal place of residence, the Institute has been provided with signed, written consent from the undersigned’s parent or legal guardian.
13. Without in any way limiting the provisions or scope of this submission agreement, the undersigned agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, that any claim, dispute or controversy arising out of, in connection with, or otherwise related to the Project, the Contest, or these Terms and Conditions, including, without limitation, any Claim (as this term is defined above) and any other claim or cause of action of any nature arising from the actual or alleged breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation or validity of these Terms and Conditions, as well as the determination of the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate, will be governed by the internal, substantive laws of the State of California and will be subject to and submitted to exclusive, binding arbitration before a single arbitrator in Los Angeles, California, which shall be the sole and exclusive forum for determination of such claim, dispute or controversy. Such arbitration will be administered by JAMS pursuant to its Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures then in effect. The arbitrator will be selected by mutual agreement of the parties or, if the parties are unable to agree on an arbitrator, will be appointed by JAMS pursuant to its Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures then in effect. The arbitrator shall issue a written award and, subject to the terms of paragraph 7 hereof, shall have the right to award monetary relief. The undersigned specifically agrees and acknowledges, that the arbitrator shall not have the power to award punitive or exemplary damages, nor shall the arbitrator have the power to order the Institute to include the Project in the Contest or to award any injunctive or non-monetary relief. The arbitrator shall have the power to award, and shall be required to award, to the substantially prevailing party in any such arbitration, its reasonable outside attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with the arbitration (including, without limitation, reimbursement of that party’s share of the arbitrator’s fees and JAMS administrative charges). The arbitrator’s award shall be final, binding and non-appealable. Judgment on the arbitrator’s award may be entered in any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction in the United States. In agreeing to this exclusive arbitration provision, the undersigned hereby waives, forfeits and relinquishes, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, any right or entitlement that the undersigned and/or the Project’s Owners might otherwise have had to bring or litigate any claim or claims in any federal or state court against any Trailer SparQ Related Party, and further waives, forfeits and relinquishes any right to a trial by jury with respect to such claim or claims.
14. The undersigned hereby acknowledges that the undersigned has the right to consult with an attorney of its own choosing with respect to these Terms and Conditions and with respect to the Rules and Regulations for submitting a project to the Contest. By completing the submission application for the Trailer SparQ trailer competition, the undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the undersigned is doing so after having consulted with an attorney or having freely or voluntarily elected not to do so without coercion or duress.
15. Community Agreement: Trailer SparQ promotes an environment where bold, creative, and distinctive voices are celebrated. Trailer SparQ is committed to allowing filmmakers and their teams to enter the Trailer SparQ trailer competiton free of harassment, discrimination, sexism, and threatening or disrespectful behavior. If any person connected to the Project is involved in a situation or occurrence that violates Trailer SparQ’s Community Agreement as listed, Institute shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to take any action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to rescinding the person’s entry and/or disqualifying the Trailer from participation in the Contest without reimbursement of entry fee.
16. The undersigned hereby acknowledges on behalf of all Project Owners that the undersigned has read and understood the Rules and Regulations for submitting a project to the Contest, located on the website, and that the information contained in said Rules and Regulations does and shall supersede any information obtained elsewhere, including, but not limited to, information contained in any current Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) documents and/or rules and regulations documents from prior years or unsponsored websites.
17. By completing the submission application for Trailer SparQ Trailer Competition consideration, the undersigned, on behalf of the undersigned and all Project Owners, freely and voluntarily gives and expresses full and complete acceptance of all of the terms and provisions set forth in these Terms and Conditions. The parties acknowledge that no oral representations, inducements, promises or assurances of any kind, and no representations, inducements, promises or assurances not set forth in these Terms and Conditions, have been made to the undersigned or the Project’s Owners by any Trailer SparQ Related Parties.
In the event that the Project is accepted for the Trailer SparQ Trailer Competition, the Project Owners will enter into a Contest Participation Agreement incorporating all of the terms and conditions of this agreement, which terms and conditions shall be and remain binding upon the undersigned, the Project and the Project Owners. The Institute reserves the right to rescind any and all Contest acceptance invitations given to the Project and the Project Owners, whether verbally or in writing, in the event that the Festival Participation Agreement is not accepted by the Project Owners. Name: __________________________________ Project Name: ___________________________________ Date: ____________________________________________