I'm starting a new thread on this, with a better title. This thread should be used to post any topic ideas you have, questions about making an entry, and discussion on rules or any other aspect of the contests. To start off with, the video contests are done and the polls posted. I'd like to get some feedback and your thoughts and experiences. If you entered, was anything too difficult working with video? If you did not enter, any specific glaring reason? Have you voted yet? Did you view all the videos before voting? (Amnesty granted on this question if you did not view all videos. (Please do in the future)) Did you not vote/do you plan on not voting? Is that because there are too many videos? And probably the most important question, Should we host video contests more often, and how often in the future? Split the time, half and half with photo contests? Keep mostly photo, but video once a month? Once every other month? Is a week too short for a video contest? Would you prefer monthly video contests? The above is just questions I've been wandering. Any feedback you can give will be useful. Thanks.
First of all, GREAT WORK!!!!!!! For the ProtoType Video contests, I think folks could use a month between when the contest is defined and when they need to submit their entry. I would also allow videos say up to 10 minutes in duration, not that longer is better; but, a ProtoType video might involve a day long chase that doesn't fit into 3 minutes or less. It could take longer then 3 minutes just to capture a special Run-By due to the size or speed of that train. If one is shooting from the train, they might have hours of raw video and that can take time to edit down into a short presentation. Example, I'm currently working a Video Report from 2008 from a 4 day long trip on Amtrak that is just now being uploaded for folks to enjoy. Each section of the trip is getting broke down into ~8-10 minute sections and it takes several sections just to cover a single day of railfanning. Cutting one of these section down deeper to me losses what was being presented. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AetppJVAb1Y"]YouTube - Amtrak #5 - Part 02[/ame] Duration: 10:01 Minutes Better if viewed using the HQ viewer
Hi everyone, Just wanted to bump this and see if anyone had some fresh topic ideas they'd like to see or comments/suggestions for the structure of the contests. Let us know, thanks.
August Contests I truly liked the time-frame being a month to film & edit for video contests; especially for the Prototype contests. :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:
Thanks for your feedback Darren. I agree, I think the month duration gave the videos a lot of possibilities. For instance, look what Mikelhh did on the last two shots from his video! Viewing those two shots alone, I'd be hard pressed to believe that was actually a model! Last Days of the RS3 on the Boston and Maine on Vimeo Really, those are simple filters applied in the editing program, but I doubt he would have taken the time to play around with filters had the deadline been sooner. Anyone else have some feedback on things you liked or disliked?
Thanks for hosting these, Mark, and thanks for your comments. Actually the effects were very easy to do - a bit time consuming, that's all. But it doesn't leave me with anything new for next time. I'd very much like to see some steam era modellers give their videos that treatment. Certainly I like the duration. It gave me plenty of time to get some ideas. They come to me a bit slowly these days :tb-confused: Mike
I would prefer two weeks between proto/model image contests and one full month for any video contests. I appreciate that honchoing them takes some doing, so thank you for that!
Multiple Contest Winners - Recognition? Disqualification? We just finished up another contest with the winner's second win. I suggested a multiplier icon to recognize multiple wins, but others instead suggested that a winner be disqualified for the next 2 contests so that others may have a chance. Rather than replying in the contest thread, I'm asking here what everyone's thoughts are. So what do you think? Elaborate, give opinions, let your voice be herd. Keep in mind, the ultimate goal is fun, and participation.
As for multiple winner icons. Although I have more than one win, I don't think I want to see this modeling contest go that direction. In fact I would like to have the winner sit out for two weeks. This lets others take their shot at wild fame and fortune! Cheers, Jim CCRR
Here I will have to disagree with (edited) Jim. Although I understand the sentiments in both courses open so far, and appreciate what they mean to achieve, the fact is that the best a forum membership has to offer should always be available to an appreciative viewership if for no other reason than to see what is achiev.....able! How else do we know what can be done and what to change about our own way of doing things if it doesn't seem to get much approval? !!!!! The strength of any one group or body lies in the best among their number. The best at counting, the best at painting, the best at musicality, the best with memorization.....oy...the list gets enormous, but you get the point? I am not for hamstringing those with prowess or outright verve, or those fewer among us who have both, so that others may get a false sense of achievement. Instead, all should be encouraged to submit their entries time and time again. I do that, and seldom win here or anywhere else on the www. I would much rather get an outright aggregate head-nod from all those who vote in a stiffer competition than I would in one that I could only characterize as 'rigged'. Sorry, but I have strong feelings about this. Respectfully....................
A alternate option is to have a contest now and then only open to those that not yet won. Not all modelers have a layout so the more types of contests the better and I hope folks will join in the fun; it is about having fun! :tb-wink: :tb-wink: :tb-wink: :tb-wink:
Crandell, It may be my idea that you disagree with, not Mark's. Anyway, as a long time moderator/admin I have seen your side of the coin work to the point of contests with only you, Mark, Michellhh and I entered. Total votes could be about a dozen. I understand your view and respect it, but these types of contests have been around for years and eventually head down hill due to lack of participation. I could go along with allowing the winner to stay in the competition, but trust me the extra icons are a no, no. The use of the multiple wins icon is even a bigger turn off for would be contestants that having the same fellow winning every week. Been there, seen it all. Cheers, Jim CCRR/Socalz44
Thanks for correcting me, Jim. I have edited my post earlier. Understood, the contests can be daunting. They were/are for all of us. At some point, we make some headway and we win our first one. On some forums, I have yet to get that breakthrough. The competition is tough, and yet I don't fold up my tripod and stay home. Persistence, or as my regimental motto exhorts us, "Perseverance!" Perhaps, in the interest of conciliation, we could alternate so that every second competition is "open" and keep the others for all but past winners. Once you get a critical mass of "past winners", say 8-10, have a competition open only to those people. That way we get the best of all worlds and over the course of a single month. -Crandell
When I entered the 'tracks' contest - just for fun, as I said when entering - I knew I couldn't win because there was already a Z gauge entry that I reckon every man and his dog would have voted for. So I didn't enter to win. I entered for fun, and believing I couldn't win was no deterrent. And I don't see why anyone else should feel any different. I was never intending to enter, but the high standard of entries made me want to try my hand at it, and to see what I could come up with. The other entries were a source of inspiration and encouragement. However, if my winning a second time puts people off entering, I will certainly refrain from submitting any more because I wouldn't want to be responsible for discouraging others. BUT while I'm happy to sit on the sideline I'd like to make it very clear that standing aside is not my idea - I'm not arrogant enough to think no-one else has a chance when I enter. Mike
Good discussion so far. A week or so ago, I was having a discussion with Steamdonkey74 about the "photo threads" here on Trainboard. Here is my analysis: When looking at the "Weekend Photo Fun" threads, the "Photo's of the Week" threads, and the "Weekend Photo Challenge" threads, you can easily see we have something for everyone. With the Weekend Photo Fun, anyone can enter a photo for pure fun, and that's all anyone ever has to worry about. With the POTW threads, we have a very qualified member pick several of his favorites from the week, and though some weeks there are too many great photos to highlight them all, I've never seen anyone disagree with the selection. And finally we have the Weekend Photo Challenge, where members are given a topic, and at the end, our members select the highlight photo by voting. Looking at things from that perspective, I disagree with limiting anyone from entering into the photo challenge because they have won a previous challenge. Though the ultimate goal is to have fun and encourage participation, there is still the underlying rule that it is a challenge/contest. On the other hand, I can see how someone who has a talent for winning multiple contests might discourage other from entering. Unfortunately, as far as rules, I don't think there's any rule we could append that would eliminate that. The only thing I could say is, "You can't win if you don't try." Now, contrary to all that, I do like the idea of a novice challenge every so often, but not too often. Hmmm....
Mark, Put this way I'm on board. I will amend by previous postings and simply say I'm not in favor of multiple winner icons. Cheers, Jim CCRR/Socalz44
Jim, I neglected to respond to the multiple icon question...my apologies. Got caught up in the other thing. I feel the multiple icon will just develop a 'hen-pecking' or rank/order aspect to this forum which might prejudice many potential enlistees...er,....members. :tb-biggrin: Sergeant's stripes, anyone? I hope it would be enough to have the single icon to indicate that level of achievement, and if we do desire some form of acknowledgement for the degree and consistency of both participation and success in competitions, maybe a secondary icon, a small box beside the major, showing the number of wins. It is what most military forces do. If you go to Afghanistan three or four deployments, you don't get the same medal...you just get a bar, or what is called a clasp, that goes across the ribbon transversely. I wouldn't disagree with that, especially if others indicate they like the idea....but otherwise the one icon is indicative of a "level" of achievement. -Crandell
Well, as someone who's entered a couple of times but didn't fare too well in the voting, I gotta ask a simple question? Is this a photo contest or a modeling contest? Cause it really does make a difference. First of all, I'm not the greatest photographer, and I'm sure my little Nikon L6 can't compare to a Digital SLR. Also, I don't have photoshop or helicon software to perfect my photos. And last, there's no way a photo of my artificially lit basement layout, even with supplemental lighting, is going to match up to a module or diorama that some one can take outside into natural light and with a background of the natural environment. Plus, with an expansive layout it is much more difficult to correctly focus the background scenes and diminishes a photo's overall quality. I think the contest idea is a good one, but it's pretty obvious that there's not the kind of participation we would all hope for. Each week there are far more pictures posted on the weekend photo fun thread than in the modeling contests. I like seeing more photos, but maybe we're not getting the participation from some of the modelers because there are others who figure that they can't compete for the reasons I've suggested. Maybe some information on what we are judging might be helpful. Just an idea.
mrhedley, As a moderator on another site for many years I've seen your question come up quite often. Usually it is from a modeler that thinks his work is outstanding ,but can't take a picture worth beans. I'm not saying this is you, just my understanding as a judge and jury of many 'modeling' contests. Actually, these contests do come down many times to the 'best' photo. Since the digital age these contests are everywhere in every modeling arena. RC boats has them, RC planes, certainly military dioramas, I think you get the point. Whether we like it or not, photography is an important component in these contests. If these were entries mailed in back in the film days then I think the 'modeling' would be 85% of the photo. Now with digital and all the photo finishing programs I think modeling is about 65% of the entry. That low? Yes, and here is why. A typical entry to these contests may be a steam locomotive on a nicely ballasted track, running through a forest approaching a plastic kit bridge. The entrant takes maybe twenty photos, plays with them on his photo program, then picks the 'best' picture and submits it to the contest. What wrong here? Well the entrant picked the picture that he liked the best. This is no sin, it is the way I've done it and won. The problem may be that the photo didn't show the nice weathering job on the loco, or the special bell and whistle he spent hours making for his loco. They were in the photo, but were not the focus of his entry. They were just there. He liked photo number 14 because he thought all the colors and focusing were the best and entered it. He didn't enter his bell and whistle. So unless the legal department wants to address the titles of these contests then I think we will have to participate knowing our best modeling may not be the reason we won or lost but the presentation in the overall photo. Hopefully, this makes sense and we will see you as a participant in the Modeling photo contests. Cheers, Jim CCRR/Socalz44
Ultimately, these are modeling and train equipment contests more so than photography. However this does not get around the fact that a great photographer can spice up a basic scene. By keeping the duration of the contest to a weekend, this helps bridge the gap, restricting the time photographers have for prep and editing. Also, the topic helps drive home the focal point and bias of judging. However, Jim put it best above, "..our best modeling may not be the reason we won or lost but the presentation in the overall photo." Either way, the goal is to have fun, and you can't win if you don't try. I say submit something anyway and then ask what could be better. Just last contest for example, I originally took a photo with about a 3 inch depth of field, I submitted it then received feedback from fellow contenders on how to achieve greater depth of field. I re-shot the subject before the contest deadline and ended up with a much better photo. Side note: We've had the past two weeks off but we're ready to get back at it. So get ready for the next round, starting this weekend with a prototype contest.
