Welcome to the first ever challenge round! Read over the rules and then submit if you're interested.

Current Challenge: 1
Submissions: 6
Closes: 31 May 2008

This challenge is simple - create a video completely without effects. It can be happy, sad, shippy, action-y, a parody - whatever you wish. Just NO EFFECTS. No glows, color gradients, TV effects, borders, etc. No masking (or cookie cutters, Vegas users! Anything in the Video FX box is not allowed!). The only effect you can use is greyscale/black-and-white, and that is only to show a different time in your storyline. The only transitions you can use are crossfades, fade to black or white, or cuts - no flashes, dissolves, page-turns, flips, etc. Also, no panning or zooming. You can crop to isolate a person or cut out a watermark, but don't zoom or pan. A crop is the same as a non-moving zoom. Overlays are allowed.

The point of this challenge is to see what kind of emotions or story a vidder can put across without the use of effects. Many talented vidders rely too heavily on effects, and it would be nice to see some of them create a masterpiece with the bare essentials. I think most of you would be surprised with what you can do when you only have a story or emotion to focus on. :)

You may submit an old video, but please make doubly sure the video doesn't contain any effects. Videos that have been submitted to any round here in the past are allowed, even if they won awards. The challenge is completely separate from the regular rounds.

The fandoms and songs are the same as the regular rules. As usual, don't steal the clips or use pirated ones, etc, etc.

This challenge will have three winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd) as well as two honorable mentions. There is no total-participant cap on this challenge. You may only submit one video. Also, participation awards will be made, so even if you don't place, you'll still receive an award for participating.

Please, get to work on your video! I can't wait to see what you guys create!

Email me your submission at Veritas724 (at) gmail (dot) com. In the subject line, please put: Challenge 1 Entry.

You must include:
Name
Video Name
Video Link
Artist and song
Fandom
Description
Any extra comments you may have

1. This Is Your Time
Created by: Elion (Crystal Illusions)
Artist and song title:
Fandom/Crossover: Phantom of the Opera
Description of the video: Just a sweet overview of the movie.

2. Arithmetic
Created by: MysteryloverAnne
Artist and song title: Brooke Fraser - Arithmetic
Fandom/Crossover: Multifandom
Description of the video: This video celebrates some of my favorite couples of the big screen and small. Set to Brooke Fraser's beautiful song "Arithmetic" and edited simply, without any effects, it lets the emotions and passions of the characters speak for themselves.

3. All Because of Rose
Created by: RedJackett
Artist and song title: Rise Against - Good Left Undone
Fandom/Crossover: Doctor Who
Description of the video: Something happens to the Doctor all the time. Whenever things are happening he is mildly distracted by memories of Rose Tyler. He travels with Martha Jones and Donna Noble, but he cannot overcome the loss he feels for Rose.

4. Gimli
Created by: Kate Pevensie
Artist and song title: Moondance (edited) by Nightwish
Fandom/Crossover: The Lord of the Rings
Description of the video: A Gimli-centric character vid. There's no real flow or arc to it... pretty much just a montage of our favorite Dwarf!

5. Don't Be Shy (Lindsay and Nick)
Created by: Paula
Artist and song title: "Don't Be Shy" - Cat Stevens
Fandom/Crossover: Freaks & Geeks
Description of the video: "Freaks & Geeks" is one of my favorite shows of all time, and I've wanted to make a Lindsay and Nick video to this song for awhile. It's very basic, and I think the song is perfect for illustrating the innocence of a first love. It ends a little more optimistically than Nick and Lindsay's all-too brief relationship did - although, I maintain that that would have changed had F&G been renewed for a second season (damn you, NBC).

6. Memories
Created by: Ariyah Kendra
Artist and song title: Barlow Girl - Thoughts of you
Fandom/Crossover: Tristan and Isolde
Description of the video: Isolde wanted to be a vampire. And Tristan cannot accept it, her desires are just too weird (note: vampires do not actually exist at this time, she just WANTS to be a vampire) This is basically her thinking about everything that happened…