Wine Spectator Video Contest 2012: Rules and Prizes
Share your wine adventure. Submit your video!
Posted: May 17, 2012
What are we looking for?
The videos should be educational and entertaining as well as short and non-commercial. The runner-up in 2011 was shot with an iPhone, so no complicated camera set-up is required. Just tell a good story and you'll have the audience on your side. (After reviewing too many otherwise great entries that repeatedly splash their brand across the screen, here's further clarification: Videos submitted by wineries or on behalf of wineries are fine, but they are not likely to be chosen as finalists if they open and close with branding shots and contain a zillion brand shots within the video; a couple low-key branding shots are the limit.)
The subjects could be interviews with winemakers, chefs or sommeliers, tours of wineries, your favorite recipe paired with wine, tastings of selected varietals or simply adventures with wine. (For examples and inspiration, see the free videos posted each week at WineSpectator.com or see the Finalists and Honorable Mentions from last year's video contest.)
The deadline for all entries is usually August 31st, but since that's Labor Day weekend this year, we'll have a grace period until midnight on Monday, September 3, 2012.
Judging
Picking the Finalists: Wine Spectator editors will select the best videos, which will be posted at WineSpectator.com on Monday, September 10, 2012.
Picking the Winner: Visitors to WineSpectator.com will vote for their favorite video during the voting period, which runs Monday, September 10, through Monday morning, September 17. The video with the most votes will be the winner. Note: only 20 votes per IP address will be counted.
Announcing the Winner: The second- and third-place videos will be revealed on Monday, September 17, at WineSpectator.com. The top video will be revealed on Tuesday, September 18. Honorable Mention videos will also be revealed on September 20.
Prizes
1. The creator of the winning video will receive two full complimentary registrations to the Wine Experience in Los Angeles on October 18–20, 2012. The winning video may be shown as part of the official program.
2. The finalists, as chosen by our editors, will each receive two tickets to one of the Grand Tastings at the Wine Experience in Los Angeles on October 18 or 19, 2012. If they are unable to make that date, finalists may attend any one of the 2013 Grand Tour Tastings (dates and locations TBD). Finalists' videos will be posted at WineSpectator.com as will a number of honorable mentions.
3. Everyone who submits a video judged by our editors as a valid submission will receive a one-year full-access membership to WineSpectator.com, which includes over 250,000 wine reviews and all ten wine courses at WineSpectator.com/school. Current members will receive an extension of their membership. (Only one entry prize per entrant.)
The Rules
- Videos must be a minimum of 45 seconds long and must not exceed 3 minutes.
- The entrant and all persons appearing in the video or in any way associated with its production must be 21 years of age or older.
- Videos must not contain any copyrighted material (including copyrighted background music) unless you have the rights to the material.
- Videos must be the entrant's original creation.
- Videos cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Wine Spectator.
- Wine Spectator is not responsible for any wine reviews or opinions contained in entrants' videos.
- Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.
- If your video includes persons other than yourself, you must have consent from those persons to appear in your video and in this contest.
- Wine Spectator reserves the right to reject, not to use or make available for public viewing, or at any time remove any video that Wine Spectator finds unsuitable for any reason at its sole discretion.
- Multiple entries are allowed, but each entrant can receive only one Wine Experience or Grand Tour prize, as well as one membership to WineSpectator.com.
- All submitted videos may be used for promotional purposes by Wine Spectator.
Technical specifications
The video file size must be no larger than 500MB.
We accept these video file formats: mpeg, mov and avi
How to submit your video
It's easy. Complete the entry form and upload your video.
Got questions?
Email us at video@winespectator.com.
