The vision and achievement of the direction. The jury will think about the translation of the creative brief through a director’s vision and how well that vision has been achieved. This will include the way that production elements (including casting, set design, sound design and cinematography) have been used to bring that vision to life.

The film’s script, as written. Analysis of the script will include dialogue, voice-overs, scene-setting, movement, actions and expressions. The jury will look at how successfully the script delivers on the creative idea and supports the final execution.

The quality and effect of the cinematography. The style, artistic choices, camerawork, cinematic techniques, shot composition, lighting and other effects will be considered.

The creative use of Sound Design within film advertising. Technical excellence in recording, mixing and the synthesis of samples and sound effects will be considered, along with the cohesion of the edit and its impact on the overall piece.

The impact and success of music compositions in film advertising. Including original composition (created specifically for film advertisements), licensed recordings or adapted/altered versions of an existing recording.

The use and aesthetic of animation in film advertising. All types of animation, including cel, stop-motion, graphic, silhouette and computer animation in 2D or 3D will be accepted.

The creation of film environments and other visual effects. The jury will consider the aesthetic and technical excellence of the effects themselves, along with the success of their integration in to real footage.

The aesthetic of the Production Design/Art Direction. This includes set design and location builds, as well as the overall look, feel and atmosphere of the piece. 

The technical and creative success of the edit. All aspects of the film’s edit will be considered, including timing, pace, visual dynamics, dialogue dynamics, sound integration and overall story-telling. 

The vision and achievement of the casting. This category includes the pre-production selection of actors, dancers, singers, models, non-professionals, animals and other talent. Includes street casting and voice performance.

*Highly recommended providing a two minute Demo Film showcasing the casting process in addition to the film as it aired.

Opening or ending title sequences developed for film, television or internet release.

The overall achievement in colour correction and grading to create consistent and stylised colour schemes that evoke a specific emotion and transform the final look of the film. Including, but not limited to, how the grading works cohesively with the lighting, production design and direction to affect and enhance the mood, feel and interpretation of the final footage.

Videos created either by a camera or computer, intended for viewing in portrait mode only.

Excellence in execution of all craft elements involved.

Recognising innovation and advancements in the Production of film advertising. The jury will consider the inventive use of new or existing technology/methods to enhance the final execution. You are required to include a detailed description of the production process, including how the production team utilised these approaches to achieve unprecedented levels of accomplishment in production.

Recognizes the efforts made to facilitate filming in a new way - remotely. Innovation and ingenuity were applied to overcome limitations imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Entries must include the explanation of the ingenuity of the methods used to create the work and how the challenges of social distancing, travel restrictions, talent limitations, reduced budgets, work from home, etc. were addressed.