AGE/ELIGIBILITY

Entrants must be between the ages of 13-18 at the date of submission and must not have a high school diploma (or equivalent).  Students cannot be enrolled as full-time students in a college or university.  Entrants must be in the United States legally and/or be legal United States citizens.  The films must be the effort of students.  Adults may help the students but the students must be solely responsible for interviewing, filming, and editing the story. Students may work in teams with other students. Team entries must be marked as such. Schools are permitted to offer resources and information for students but may not have any creative influence over the student’s project. Interviews filmed and completed in 2009-2010 may be used.

Important Dates

We will be accepting video submissions on our YouTube channel from (DATE CHANGE: Competition moved to early 2013, exact dates coming soon).  Paperwork, along with your unedited interview, must be sent to the Library of Congress by (dates coming soon). Voting will take place (dates coming soon). The winning film will be announced (dates coming soon). 

Library of Congress

Students must submit their entire unedited video interview of 30 minutes or longer to the Library of Congress. The required information and appropriate paperwork for the Library of Congress is posted on our Library of Congress page.

YouTube

• Length – The length of the edited film submitted to the YouTube contest must be between 3 minutes 0 seconds and 4 minutes 59 seconds.
• Quality – A video camera of any age may be used. However, iHistory does not allow footage from web cameras. Students are encouraged to use the best quality camera that is available to them.
• Music – Do not use music for which you do not own the copyright. You may use music in the public domain, your own original piece, music to which you own the copyright, or music provided by the iHistory Project (Click Here).
• YouTube – Students must have a YouTube account and must subscribe to the iHistory Project’s YouTube channel. All submissions must be posted to the student’s individual YouTube account between (DATE CHANGE: Competition moved to early 2013, exact dates coming soon). Once you’ve signed into your account, visit http://www.youtube.com/iHistoryProject and follow the instructions to submit your documentary. If you do not have a YouTube account, please Click Here to set up one.  Students must also send the entire unedited interview of 30 minutes or more on a DVD to the Library of Congress.  Failure to make this submission will result in disqualification.
• Selection – The iHistory Project will choose 50 semi-finalists. The top forty (40) videos with the most votes on YouTube will automatically be selected as semi-finalists, also the iHistory Project will select ten (10) additional videos from the submissions as semi-finalists.  The iHistory Project will then select 10 finalists. All finalist's videos will be will be reviewed for eligibility. A panel of judges will review the finalists and then choose two (2) winners and an Honorable Mention. The iHistory Project reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of semi-finalists as the iHistory Project sees fit.
• Criteria
  • • Overall product: The video should showcase the quality of the interview and reflect the value of the veteran’s story. It should positively answer these questions: Does the video have historical value? Does it flow from beginning to end? Was it filmed well?
    • Story line: The video needs to be clear-cut and focused. Story line must be evident within the whole. Footage of the interview with the veteran must be included.
    • Editing quality: The entrant should assemble the final video so as to present a polished, complete story. Music, photo clips, war footage, dramatization, reenactments, animation, narration, and other storytelling techniques are encouraged (provided the entrant owns copyright or receives written permissions) but should be carefully considered, including how they will compliment the veteran’s story.

• Prizes – Prizes will be announced soon.
• Copyrights – Do not use material which you do not own the copyright for or that is not public domain. Films that contain plagiarized materials will be immediately flagged and disqualified. Entrants must have written permission from the copyright holder of any copyrighted protected material including, but not limited to, any music, video, images, or animation.  Failure to disclose such information or misrepresenttation of permissions will automatically disqualify the entrant for this film and any subsequent films.