Video competition: Welcome to Wellywood
Forget the Oscars. Forget the BAFTAs. Farmers Weekly is launching a new competition to seek out film buffs and wannabe moo-vie makers in the British countryside – and there’s a great cash prize on offer.
Our Welcome to Wellywood competition gives you the chance to make a spoof of any iconic film scene. All we ask is that you give it a farming twist.
You could be James Bond in a farmyard, Kate Winslet “flying” on the front of a stationary tractor, Dirty Dancing in a barn or posing with your friends, Reservoir Dogs-style, at an event or show.
It might be a clip from an action or adventure film. Your favourite romantic comedy. A gangster film. A war epic. A love story. Any scene from any film is eligible just as long as your version has an agricultural feel to it.
The winning video will bag its maker(s) £400, plus £200 of cinema vouchers.
To give you some inspiration, two volunteers from the FW team (it’s fair to say they’re “enthusiastic” rather than talented when it comes to acting) have given a rural slant to one of the most famous scenes from the blockbuster Gladiator. We swapped an epic Roman Colosseum with, erm, the equally epic Ashford livestock market. Our version is called Cultivator!
Our 90-second spoof stars Power Farming editor James Andrews as Maximus and Farmlife editor Tim Relf as Commodus.
So, whether you’re a student, members of a Young Farmers club, a group of friends or workmates or a family, here’s your chance to have some fun and take part in a great competition.
It doesn’t matter how short your clip is (30 seconds is absolutely fine), although you may of course have directorial ambitions and want to make it longer!
No need, either, to worry that it won’t be of a professional standard – we’re looking for clips that make us smile rather than ones that are professionally acted or directed!
Once you’ve filmed and edited your clip. load it into YouTube and send us the link.
We’ll give consideration when we’re picking the winner to how many views it’s had – so be sure to make sure all your family and friends, colleagues and neighbours watch it!
For the judging process, we’ll be enlisting some help from someone well known who’s connected to the countryside – we’ll be unveiling this judge soon so keep an eye out for details!
So, move over Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Stand aside Meryl Streep and George Clooney – it’s time for Farmers Weekly readers to step into the limelight. Welcome, Farmers Weekly readers, to Wellywood.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
* The competition is open to anyone. Young Farmers, college students, work mates, family members or friends – even those involved in any of the ancillary industries or who just happen to live in a rural area.
* Your clip can be as long or as short as you want, and can be as close to – or as unlike – the original as you want. Just as long as we’ll recognise the film you’re spoofing.
* It doesn’t have to be up to BBC production standards. This is a bit of fun so a short video, even if it’s filmed on your phone, will be fine.
* The first prize of £400 will be awarded to the individual or group that enters the clip which the FW judges like best.
HOW TO ENTER
* Once you’ve done the fun bit and filmed your scene, upload it to YouTube and email us the link at fwfarmlife@rbi.co.uk
* Include a brief bit of information about who you are, where you’re from and why you picked the scene you did.
* Make sure all entries are with us by Monday 11 June, 2012.
* Sit back in your director’s chair and wait for us to announce the winner
Talk about this on Twitter with the hashtag #wellywood