This is the official competition thread for the Last Rites "Win an Xbox 360" competition.  The contest announcement thread is here, so if you want a quick overview, that's the place to look.

This is the details, the FAQ.  So let's get started:

Where did the Xbox 360 come from?

Last summer, I entered and won the Lionhead Fable 2 competition.  The grand prize was an Xbox 360 and 100 extra megs of studio space.  I wanted the space.  I didn't care that much about the Xbox.  It was shipped to me directly from Microsoft - it's an Xbox 360 Live Platinum whatever whatever - unopened, sitting in a closet since it arrived.

Why do you want to give it away?

Not interested.  Have enough trouble doing what I want to do in the time I have.  Getting into Xbox gaming would only add to my time-crunch.  I've had many offers to buy it, especially during the holidays, but I don't need the money and anyway, I'd rather see it go to somebody who wants it, not just somebody who can pay for it.  A random drawing seemed kind of unrewarding....a movie making competition is how I won it, so it's fitting that someone else will make a movie and win it.  And this time I get to choose the subject.

What is the subject?

I just released the last movie in the four-part Last Rites series (In Nomine Patris, Et Fille, Et Spiritus Sancti, Amen), and as I was working on the final movie, I realized how much wasn't covered in the four movies.  Things that happened before the first one, things that were happening where the camera wasn't pointing, things that would happen after the closing credits.  I have my own idea, about all of those things, but hey, I just did 90 minutes of Last Rites.  I'm done for now.

So that's what your movies must be if you decide to enter - side stories, or subplots, in the Last Rites "universe".  Stories involving a character or characters in the series, or situations from the series.  Something that isn't in the four Last Rites movies.

What kind of movie does it have to be?

A one.  That's the bottom line.  It can be long or short, subtitled or voice acted.  It can be a drama, a thriller, an action piece, or a comedy (a talking horse named Mr. Lucifer, perhaps...).  What matters is if it's a movie, if you tell an interesting story, and tell it well.  And, of course, that story fits into the Last Rites "universe".

Do I have to watch all the Last Rites movies?

No (that was originally yes, to avoid wasting the time of the judges with movies that had little or nothing to do with Last Rites as it exists - I changed it because I'll just encourage the judges to turn it off if it's clear the filmmaker doesn't know anything about the series).  I would, of course, strongly suggest that you watch the movies (review them if you like, though it won't make you more likely to win the competition).  Knowing the characters, knowing the story, will help you to come up with your own stories.  It's like trying to make a Star Wars film without having seen a Star Wars movie....

How are the movies going to be judged?

On two things - how a movie it is, and how well it fits in or expands the Last Rites "universe".  It's about the story and the story telling, not if you can get top voice actors and create amazing eyecandy.

Who will be doing the judging?

Myself Roger, and three cast members from the Last Rites series:   Sparky1512, Sisch, and DNR.

Won't the judges vote for their friends?

They might, if the knew who had made the film they were watching.  This is a blind competition.  All movies MUST NOT have writer/director credits.  They will be uploaded to Norrie's TMO Hi-Res Site (details to come), and the identities of the filmmakers will not be known to the judges.  The movies will be judged as movies, not the output of this person or that.  I wanted this competition to be as fair and unbiased as possible, and let the movies do the talking.  Can it be gotten around?  Sure, but if I hear of it, the movie involved will be disqualified.

How do I make a Last Rites film?  I don't have.....

I'll provide actor starmakers, costumes, custom sets from the series, whatever I have to help you make your Last Rites film look like the series.

What about the actors who voiced the characters in Last Rites?

Some have expressed a willingness to help out contestants, some are busy with other projects.  That's between you and them, though I strongly suggest you approach them politely if you decide to ask for their assistance.  It was a 10 week haul for all of us on the project, and I'm sure many of them are looking for a break as well.  If you have a different voice for Falcone or Hooker, for example, it's not going to count against you.

What about these prizes?

Grand Prize is the Xbox 360, shipped to you whereever you might be (it's obviously a US Xbox, so getting it running on non-US electrical current and with PAL vs. NTSC TVs is your problem - though I doubt it's a insurmountable one).  Grand Prize winner will also receive a limited edition Last Rites t-shirt (details to come) as well as a Last Rites DVD (which will include the winning films as well as the original series).  Two runner-ups will receive t-shirts and DVDs, and maybe some other swag I might come up with.  And if any of the winners want some VC as well, I think I can probably swing it.

When does the contest begin and when does it end?

It began when you started reading this.  It ends on Friday, February 15th at midnight Eastern (5 am February 16th in the UK, 6 am February 16th in Europe, and sometime in the afternoon on February 16th in Austrailia).  All movies must be in by that time and day.

When will the results be announced?

Between 2 pm and 4 pm Eastern time on the TMOA 2-Year Anniversary 24-hour Spectacular Show on February 17th, 2008.

What else do I need to know?

Beats me - I think I've covered it all, but if I didn't, ask here, or PM me, or email me, or catch me on Skype.  More details on uploading your movies to Norries site and the limited edition t-shirts in the coming days.

luck, and may the best movie win!

Ken

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Awesome idea Ken and I'm looking forward to what the community can come up with to continue the last rites series

Sounds great Ken. I may just be inclined to enter, being a fan of the series. although I have an xbox, it is about to blow up and is basically broken so winning this could really save me a lot of money. (as long as that is cool with you)

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www.tmunderground.com

An excellent idea for a competition Ken! Haven't made a film in a while and this sounds like fun, so I think I might be entering. 

Just one question, can the films be outside edited, seeing that the films will be uploaded to Norrie's site, not TMO.

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Looks like this will be an interesting competition, i'd be inclined to enter but my ideas seem rather 'focused' at the moment.

Even so it will be interesting to see what sub-plots, prequels, sequels, etc. people can come up with for Last Rites.

Strider Out!

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*runs off to write 'The Whore of Babylon' prequel short*

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Sunrise Studio Pictures Website ~Temporary Night Production Thread

Can we win any of the extra studio space instead?

I may have missed something by looking straight at it, but when exactly is the deadline? Because if it's anytime this side of....let's say June, I'll be too busy

Anytime after June, and I'll give this a go (and I do have an idea, even though I haven't seen any but INP yet, but they are on my to-do list )

luck to anyone who enters

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fredtheduck:

Can we win any of the extra studio space instead?

I may have missed something by looking straight at it, but when exactly is the deadline? Because if it's anytime this side of....let's say June, I'll be too busy

Anytime after June, and I'll give this a go (and I do have an idea, even though I haven't seen any but INP yet, but they are on my to-do list )

luck to anyone who enters

When does the contest begin and when does it end?

It began when you started reading this.  It ends on Friday, February 15th at midnight Eastern (5 am February 16th in the UK, 6 am February 16th in Europe, and sometime in the afternoon on February 16th in Austrailia).  All movies must be in by that time and day.

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Fred, I do think you need glasses!

I think this is a great contest idea, and look forward to seeing some great spin-offs!

eobaggs:

An excellent idea for a competition Ken! Haven't made a film in a while and this sounds like fun, so I think I might be entering. 

Just one question, can the films be outside edited, seeing that the films will be uploaded to Norrie's site, not TMO.

question, EO, and one that I was coming here to add to the FAQ.

Can I use outside editing on my films?

No.

Why can't I use outside editing on my films?

I'm trying very hard to make this competition free of anything that will give anyone an advantage over anyone else.  I'm doing my best to eliminate popularity or friendship with the "blind" nature of the way the films will be judged, so whether it's by Trewill07 or Bob12345, it'll be a movie to be judged on its own merits.  But I also don't want to give one filmmaker who can afford the top-of-the-line outside editing software an advantage over someone who would have to use Windows Movie Maker or one of the open-source editors like Jahshaka - they're okay, but they don't match the high-end commercial software.  So I'd prefer to keep it TMO-compatible. (Norrie and I are still talking about whether people can do their films in higher than online resolution - I don't have a problem with it, because I don't think a film will have an advantage because it's in high-res instead of online res, but it's Norrie's call since he's hosting the files and higher res files take more space - and I don't want to insist that people export in high-res, since some people can't.)

Are there advantages to not using outside editing?

Well, yeah.  Once the competition is over, filmmakers will be able to upload their films to TMO, and they'll probably get a pretty nice publicity boost from the competition - I did with A Split Second when I won the Fable 2 comp.

Details on uploading your films still to come - talking with Norrie about setting up a generic upload account for people to ftp their films to his site  If ftp proves to be too much or too difficult, we'll also allow you to upload them to a file hosting site and we'll download and add them to the super secret judges page for viewing.

The competition ends in a little under 5 weeks - midnight Eastern time on February 15th (that's 5 am February 16th in the UK, Fred).

And Bricks....if you wanna go for it, go for it - we will not be searching the home of every entrant to see if they already have an Xbox 360.  If your film wins, you have two.

Ken

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nukester:

*runs off to write 'The Whore of Babylon' prequel short*

Curse you, Undervair Girl!  Zat voz MY idea!!!

*cough*  That hurt my fingers to type...

Um, cool way to dispose of the 360, Ken.  If the deadline was Feb 2009, I might have a chance...

eobaggs:

fredtheduck:

Can we win any of the extra studio space instead?

I may have missed something by looking straight at it, but when exactly is the deadline? Because if it's anytime this side of....let's say June, I'll be too busy

Anytime after June, and I'll give this a go (and I do have an idea, even though I haven't seen any but INP yet, but they are on my to-do list )

luck to anyone who enters

When does the contest begin and when does it end?

It began when you started reading this.  It ends on Friday, February 15th at midnight Eastern (5 am February 16th in the UK, 6 am February 16th in Europe, and sometime in the afternoon on February 16th in Austrailia).  All movies must be in by that time and day.

I knew I'd missed it, thanks eo

sisch:

Fred, I do think you need glasses!

Not glasses, sisch, mugs.... of coffee

Lots and lots and lots....of coffee...

 

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biggstrek:

nukester:

*runs off to write 'The Whore of Babylon' prequel short*

Curse you, Undervair Girl!  Zat voz MY idea!!!

*cough*  That hurt my fingers to type...

Um, cool way to dispose of the 360, Ken.  If the deadline was Feb 2009, I might have a chance...

A quick rewrite of UPM-2.....General Dingleberry becomes Pope Dingleberry IX....Underpants Man wears underpants AND a priest's collar (I just began to laugh hysterically, since UPM would look like a Chippendale Dancer....rofl)....

You have to learn to think outside the underwear drawer, Biggsie

Ken

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I'll be making a film for it if I can that jackarse who played Falcone to do a few lines for me. He's such a picky SOB about VO's.

I too shall aim for the X-Box..must..have..X-box..

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Now that sounds great! Maybe I'll try to enter if I have an idea in the near future... something different... mhh but the only thing that comes to my mind is "the whore of babylone .... nono something different... mhhh the whore of babylone" we'll see.
great idea Ken! =)
Ah 2 more questions:
1. If the film is uploaded to norries site it can be any quality so... should it be in Hi-Res or in TMO quality?
2. You said you'd provide anything, does that include VO's? I mean if somebody for example wants to direct a flashback in between 2 scenes from the real series would you provide him the Vo's for the 2 scenes?

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(Same post from Announcment Thread)

I'd love to enter. I am not at home, however, and can't make a movie until Thursday. Working Friday. That said, it will most undoubtedly be subtitled. We will see if I have the time to complete something I'm even slightly proud of.

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Rude Boys Studio

Interesting little contest...  There's no way I could enter, of course -- I think the community would prefer I stay focused on modding efforts anyway.   Nonetheless, I'll be watching this to see who expresses an interest, who makes the deadlines, and of course the movies themselves!

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Riley Entertainment Website - Movies, Mods, and Modding Applications!
Riley Entertainment on TMU

TFD:

1. If the film is uploaded to norries site it can be any quality so... should it be in Hi-Res or in TMO quality?
2. You said you'd provide anything, does that include VO's? I mean if somebody for example wants to direct a flashback in between 2 scenes from the real series would you provide him the Vo's for the 2 scenes?

Quality is up to you - I don't wanna stop someone from uploading who can't get a high-res export, so it can be any resolution you like - whatever the res, it'll be looked at the same way.

Yes, if you need anything from any of the movies, I'll be glad to provide it - dialogue, sets, props, costumes, starmakers.  If you want something not in the series (like new dialogue) you'll have to deal with the voice actors themselves.

KarlBrown:

(Same post from Announcment Thread)

I'd love to enter. I am not at home, however, and can't make a movie until Thursday. Working Friday. That said, it will most undoubtedly be subtitled. We will see if I have the time to complete something I'm even slightly proud of.

You have almost 5 weeks to finish the movie, Karl, so I don't think there's any huge rush.  And if you choose to go subtitled, that's cool.  It's about story and character, not how razzle-dazzle it is.

Off to bed, anybody has any other questions, post 'em here or PM or email, and I'll be glad to answer and help as I can.

Ken

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kuroken:

You have almost 5 weeks to finish the movie, Karl, so I don't think there's any huge rush.  And if you choose to go subtitled, that's cool.  It's about story and character, not how razzle-dazzle it is.

Ah, you're right. I apologize. I read it as you announcing this weekend, leaving me ~5 days.

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Rude Boys Studio

Excellent idea Ken, I'm sure this will inspire a lot of flicks. I'm off to see the finale of the your great series. "Amen"

 

A question was wriggled its way through to my mind, after I had already made a post here. Double Posting is hard to avoid sometimes.

If Sparky, Sisch, and DNR are judging, and not at position to know who has made what film, won't they know instinctively who did the film by recognizing the lines?

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Rude Boys Studio

KarlBrown:

If Sparky, Sisch, and DNR are judging, and not at position to know who has made what film, won't they know instinctively who did the film by recognizing the lines?

I was wondering the exact same thing.

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Who would've thought this community would have a second shot at that "Fabled" X-Box, and not just any X-Box, the VERY same one?  Ken, you could've easily  saved it for a fave nephew's B-Day or X-Mas gift.  So we thank you for your generosity.  Now to come up with a story worthy of this series, and worthy of all the great filmmakers who have already expressed interest in this competition.  

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THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH is now online

An Xbox360? No...way! I'll definetly enter this and do some pre-equal on this Jonathan character

A fantastic competition Ken, but tell us, 5 weeks to do this, is that to make everyone go through what you went through? Oh and do we get a bonus game with the Xbox 360...?

luck to everyone

KarlBrown:

If Sparky, Sisch, and DNR are judging, and not at position to know who has made what film, won't they know instinctively who did the film by recognizing the lines?

I've thought about that, too - but there is an easy solution for that:

If you're planning on asking one of us for vo's (and I would be willing to give voice to the Whore again, but will have to decide each time depending on the timeframe - I have my own project in the works, and some roles still to do), I think it would be a great idea if Ken named a person who is not directly involved in the contest and doesn't judge, to whom you would send the script, and who then would send it to us.... so we don't know who originally wrote the script! Of course, this would involve a lot of e-mailing from left to right, but I think it would be managable, and keep everything fair and anonymous!