Quicktime Submissions

Again in 2008, we are allowing our filmmakers to submit their films as a Quicktime file. To do this, you should bring a data DVD or USB flash drive with your film on it to the dropoff. Your film must be:

• self-contained (that is, without references or links to other movie files)
• Quicktime
• Standard Definition/SD (that is, 720x480 pixels)
• NTSC (that is, 30fps not 24p) (If you are competing outside of the United States and Suriname, you should submit in PAL.)
• without proprietary codecs (that is, no Avid or Final Cut Pro codecs)
• on a data DVD (that is, a DVD that will only open on a computer) or on a USB flash drive

The media (i.e., the data DVD or USB flash drive) will not be returned.

The file should be at least one gigabyte (1 GB). If it is not, it is likely that there is something wrong.

If you have any questions before the filmmaking weekend, email your City Producer or info@48hourfilm.com. During the filmmaking weekend, call the 48 Hour Film Project Hotline provided to you by your event's producer.

If we cannot play your film on our equipment, it may be disqualified, and it may not be shown. We highly recommend you submit a second copy of your film in another format—MiniDV or regular DVD—in case we cannot use your Quicktime version.

For Final Cut Pro users, creating a self-contained quicktime is as easy as:
- Opening your sequence
- In the menu, go to: File > Export > Quicktime (not Quicktime conversion!)
- Make sure "make movie self-contained" is checked.
- Export.
- Then burn a data DVD with the file on it or copy the file onto the USB flash drive. (The file will look like a Final Cut Pro file, not a Quicktime file. Don't worry about that. That's fine.)

For Avid users, this is also a fairly easy process, but make sure that the Quicktime does not contain Avid codecs. Depending on your flavor of Avid, you should do something like this:
- In the menu, go to: File > Export
- Choose the "Send to Quicktime Movie" from the Export Settings drop-down box.
- Click on Options.
- Choose "Custom", 720x480, preferably in the Uncompressed 4-2-2 Quicktime format.
- Then burn a data DVD with the file on it or copy the file to a USB flash drive.

This process should work for some versions of Vegas Pro:
- In the menu, go to: File > Render As
- Set "Save as type" to "Quicktime 7 (*.mov)"
- Set "Template" to "Default Template (uncompressed)" (i.e., audio 44.1kHz 16 bit stereo, video 29.970fps, 720x480x32)
- Click "Custom".
- Click the "Video" tab.
- Set "Video Format" to "DV/DVCPRO - NTSC".
- Export the file.
- Then burn it onto a data DVD with the file on it or copy the file to a USB flash drive.

Again, call the 48 Hour Film Project hotline with any questions. If we cannot play your film on our equipment, it may be disqualified, and it may not be shown. It's a good idea to test your Quicktime on a computer without your editing software installed. And we highly recommend that you submit a second copy of your film in another format—MiniDV or DVD—in case we cannot use your Quicktime version.