Looking for inspiration? There's no shortage of it in the CineSpace Short Film Competition. Flooded with submissions from the first day, we're calling this one early: it's a huge success. With 12 days left to enter, a surge in submissions is still expected.
If you're wondering what makes a HeroX challenge light up like this, we can tell you. This competition stands out from most challenges on HeroX for a few reasons.
1. Broad Appeal
People connect on an emotional level with cinema. Almost everyone is a little intrigued by space, and humans attempting to be in space. That's what we call a one-two punch. CineSpace takes a popular artistic medium and dares its users to make something great. Where some challenges go for a narrow, niched audience, CineSpace casts a wide net.
2. Branding
A name like "CineSpace" gets attention. THE NASA AND HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY SHORT FILM COMPETITION FEATURING SPACE FOOTAGE doesn't have quite the same ring to it. It can be tempting to make your competition title transparent, but a little creativity goes a long way. It's not just the title, though. CineSpace has a comprehensive independent website, a hype video, and a sweet astronaut logo. MTV knew there was something iconic about a spacesuit. So if you've got it, flaunt it.
3. Powerful Affiliation
We don't all have friends in high places. That shouldn't stop anyone from crowdsourcing a solution. But as you might imagine, hitting the court with a name like NASA raises your profile. A lot. There's also more to challenge partners than popularity and recognition. Endorsement of your challenge can bring technical support for the launch, a bigger prize amount, and more traction with potential competitors. Strength in numbers!
4. IRL Recognition
What happens after submissions close for the CineSpace Short Film Competition? A film festival in Houston, that's what. That's a pretty big deal. Yes, we love the internet. HeroX only exists because of the internet. Still, an in-person award ceremony adds tremendous value to your incentive competition. No blog post can capture the feeling of traveling to a destination and having strangers clap for you. We're still humans, after all, and we like gathering with other humans. The prospect of mingling with the faces behind the prize money is enticing. Think of yourselves, too. After finding an amazing solution, who doesn't want to throw a party?
Want to reap all the same rewards with your own challenge? Check out this guide to get you started.
