IPS and Affiliates are calling on all fulldome producers to develop and produce short fulldome clips or shorts on the planetarium theme. The best clips will be screened and awarded prizes at the celebration event on October 21, 2023. As large a selection of the submissions as possible will be part of an “anniversary package” for all interested planetariums in the world. This package is intended to help the participating planetariums in their audience work and to support them in making their relevance visible to sponsors, politics and industry.
The contest
The IPS, with the support of its local affiliates, hereby announces a contest to create thematically oriented fulldome clips and shorts. Productions must be related to planetariums and/or the fulldome medium. All aspects that characterize planetariums and fulldomes in the past, present and future can be considered. Specific themes are not specified. However, since the anniversary activities aim to support planetariums around the world in their work and visibility, topics that reflect the importance of planetariums and fulldome facilities are of particular interest.
The deadlines
Registrations must be made by August 1, 2023, submissions by September 1, 2023.
Presentation of the competition winners and awarding of prizes will take place on October 21, 2023, as part of the anniversary celebration event.
The prizes
The following prizes will be awarded per category: 1st prize: 1000 USD
2nd prize: 500 USD
3rd prize: 250 USD
Honor Award: for all submissions used as part of the planned marketing package for planetariums.
The participants
The competition is aimed at all fulldome producers. Planetariums themselves, universities and other educational institutions, students, artists, companies, as well as other professional or semi- professional persons and teams working in the fulldome medium can participate. A personal or professional connection to planetariums and fulldome facilities is not required. However, an intensive study of the subject of planetariums (see “The Topics” below) is a prerequisite.
The registration
Interested participants should please register as participants no later than August 1, 2023, using the form below
The specifications
Submissions
Each participant may submit one to a maximum of three fulldome productions to the competition. Preference is given to single clips up to 5 minutes and short films up to 15 minutes in length. However, longer fulldome productions are not excluded.
All submissions must be in 360-degree fulldome format and include the perspective of dome projection. Technical specifications are provided below.
Rights
The submitters warrant that the fulldome productions do not infringe any third party rights or that third party rights have been obtained for the use provided herein. They indemnify IPS and Affiliates against any claims against third parties based on an infringement of rights. IPS and Affiliates reserve the right to exclude from the Contest any Submissions in which there is reasonable doubt as to whether such rights exist.
Entrants agree that the fulldome productions may be shown regionally and temporally unrestricted primarily, but not exclusively, in the following facilities and media:
- Planetariums internationally
- fulldome venues
Information about the productions and download options (if applicable) are permitted for the following media and platforms:
- IPS and Affiliates websites
- ESO Supernova (open-source platform)
- Websites of planetariums internationally
- Social media (e.g. Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
All users of the productions are obligated to play or name authors (credits) in full. The rights are granted free of charge and without regional, temporal or content-related restrictions. It includes the right of translation and localization, of format and image size adjustments.
By participating in the competition, all entrants accept the terms and conditions of this call for entries.
For signing up, entrants must provide at least the following information:
- Title
- Names of relevant producers, name of institution, as far as applicable, and year of completion
- Length of the show in minutes (rounded up)
- Language of narration
- Name and delivery address of the entrant
- Telephone number and e-mail address
- Descriptive text for announcements
Technical specifications
Festival contributions must meet the following format specifications:
- Preferred: dome master format, 24 bit RGB, 180° equidistant image field, consecutively numbered picture sequences starting at 0 or 1. Filenames following the „MyWork_00000.png“ scheme, without umlauts, without special characters or symbols; numbers separated by the underline character, only one dot to separate the filename extension.
- Picture format: preferably PNG, best quality JPG; TIF, or compressed TGA are admitted.
- Resolution: preferably 4k (4096 x 4096); at least 3k (3072 x 3072 square pixels).
- Frame rate: preferably 60 fps or 30 fps.
- Alternatively: Fulldome video, mp4 container, H.265 codec, 60 fps or 30 fps, 4k or 3k, 24 bit RGB, target bit rate: 40Mbit/s.
- Orientation: below = front, left = east (dome at left), right = west (dome at right), top = rear
- Sound: stereo in uncompressed WAV format or 5.1 surround (L/C/R/Ls/Rs/LFE) single channels in uncompressed WAV format, 16 bit or 24 bit, 48 kHz or in 5.1 surround ac3 format. Filenames identical to frame filenames according to the scheme above („MyWork_C.wav“, „MyWork_L.wav“, etc.). For synchronization, the sound must begin with the first frame.
The themes
Thematically, fulldome clips must refer to planetariums and other domes as venues. The following three thematic groups serve as orientation:
The social relevance of planetariums (central theme).
- The mission – why planetariums exist
- Planetarium yesterday – today – tomorrow
- Planetarium as a cultural asset
- Images of the world – world images in the planetarium
- Planetarium aspects: Education, culture, entertainment, inspirations, astronomy, science, science methodology, gaining knowledge, forming opinions, visualization, illustration, media, topicality.
- The appearance of planetariums
- Here, architecture, technology and relationships (planetariums among themselves and within a community, city, institutions, etc.) can be addressed. The terms “planetarium” and “fulldome” with its various aspects can also be assigned to the appearance.
- Concept of planetarium (big, small, fixed, mobile, starball, fulldome, what all belongs to it…)
- Media in the dome
- Architecture, buildings, building forms
- Technology
- How planetariums differ from cinemas, museums, etc.
- Connection of planetarium and observatory, science center, museums and planetariums
- Immersion in the dome space
- Presentation forms in the planetarium (live, video, real-time visualizations, domecasts, etc.)
- Networking of planetariums, planetarium societies
- Planetariums as name bearers for philanthropists, personalities and companies
- Special events in the planetarium (readings, concerts, weddings, celebrations, etc.)
- The planetarium in 100 years
Personal relation to the planetarium
Personal experiences, inspirations, sensitizations and evaluations with and in the planetarium are under consideration here.
- My aha-experience in the planetarium
- My earliest memory of the planetarium
- My most beautiful experience in the planetarium • Working in and for the planetarium
- Why I value the planetarium
The jury
The international jury is composed of representatives of IPS/Affiliates, media experts (university professors) and artists.
The decision of the jury is made by majority vote and cannot be legally challenged.
Submission
The registrations date has been reached.
All registered participants will be notified on how to submit their entry.