The 2019 GUILD Mentorship Open Call for Visual Storytellers

The open call begins Tuesday, February 12, 2019, at 8:00:00 a.m. US Eastern Daylight Time (“EDT”).  Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these official rules ("Official Rules"). By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the Official Rules and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules. This is a merit-based contest and chance plays no part in the determination of winners.  Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received and the skill of entrant.

WHO MAY ENTER

The contest is open only to individuals who are Visura Annual Members with a STANDARD, PLUS or PRIME  annual membership, who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry, and who do NOT reside in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria. Employees of FotoVisura Inc, and their subsidiaries and affiliates, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such employees, whether or not related are not eligible. CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

HOW TO ENTER

Each entry consists of a project entry form, a series of photographs or videos, a project summary with a first-person narrative related to the work, and a description of what the applicant would like to accomplish during the fellowship, including the timeline. The entry is free of cost to all Visura members with a STANDARD, PLUS or PRIME  annual membership. Non-members are unable to submit. To enter, sign into entrant’s Visura account, visit the Open Calls page, select The GUILD Fellowship Open Call, select the Submit My Project button, select the appropriate project and confirm entrant’s submission.  Each submission will include access to entrant’s Visura profile with the required information, including entrant’s name, current location, nationality, bio, CV, contact information, email address, and captions for the entry.

Please know that any changes made to an entrant’s entry after submitting will be reflected in entrant’s submission for judges to see. 

Entry Requirements:

Two entries per person or collective. Each entry must meet the following requirements:

Each entry will include a minimum of 15 and up to a maximum of 30 photographs and/or a video film.

Photographs must be in digital format. The photographs need not to be taken with a digital camera; scans of negatives, transparencies, or photographic prints are acceptable. All digital files must be 20 megabytes or smaller, must be in JPEG or JPG format, and must be at least 1600  pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1600 pixels tall (if a vertical image).

At least 50% of photographs must have been taken within 18 months of entry and may not have been published within the last year.

Photographs must not be manipulated. Digitally enhanced or altered photographs (beyond the basics needed to achieve realistic color balance and sharpness) are unacceptable. Sponsor values authenticity. Deceptive images will be disqualified. Sponsor will ask the winner for the RAW files, if available, to be submitted for review.

Only minor burning, dodging and/or color correction is acceptable, as is cropping; any other changes to the original photographs are unacceptable and will render the photographs ineligible for a prize.

Photographs that include sculptures, statues, paintings, and other works of art will be accepted as long as they do not constitute copyright infringement or fraud; provided entrants must be prepared to provide a release form as described below in "Release."  When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close-up of another person's art.

Each photograph, in its entirety, must be original material taken by the Contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photographs and project is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photographs do not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the photograph.

Each photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of Sponsor, contain objectionable or inappropriate content.

Each series of photographs must be accompanied by individual captions which are complete and accurate, sufficient to convey the circumstances in which each photograph was taken, and include the date taken and place. Disguising or misrepresenting the origin of the content is cause for disqualification.

Watermarks are unacceptable. Unless Sponsor receives non-watermarked versions of the photographs within ten (10) days following its request, the entry will be disqualified.

Sponsor reserves the right to examine the original photographs in order to confirm compliance with these rules.

Each entry must include a personal narrative between 100-400 words, written by the entrant that describes the background and origin of the project.

There is no deadline for applications; invitation to become a participant will be awarded on a rolling basis. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt.

JUDGING

The entries will be judged on a rolling basis, Visura’s Editorial Team (“Judges”) will select based on the following criteria ("Judging Criteria"): (1) originality of the concept and creativity of execution (25%); (2) photographic quality (40%); (3) quality of the text narrative (25%); (4) the extent Visura's team and its network can support and fulfill the goals of the applicant.  There is no deadline for applications; invitation to become a participant will be awarded on a rolling basis. The applicant will be notified by email. Decisions of the Selection Committee are final and binding. If the Selection Committee does not come to an agreed winner, VISURA does not have to announce or select a winner. The hope and goal are that between 3-6 participants participate every year in the Program. 

RELEASES

If the photograph contains any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the photograph, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph in the manner set forth in these Official Rules without additional compensation. If any person appearing in any photograph is under the age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on each release.

Upon Sponsor’s request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor’s request) a signed release from all persons who appear in the photograph or work submitted, authorizing Sponsors, and their licensees (collectively, "Authorized Parties") to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, as provided in the license section herein. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification at any time during the Contest and selection of an alternate winner.

Similarly, upon Sponsor’s request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor’s request) a signed written license from the copyright owner of any sculpture, artwork, or other copyrighted material that appears in the photograph entry, authorizing any Authorized Party to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.

Finally, upon Sponsor’s request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor’s request) a signed written license from the owner of any private property included in the photograph entry, authorizing any Authorized Party to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.

For the purposes of these Official Rules, the entrant will be deemed to be in receipt of Sponsor’s request or notification, (a) in the event that Sponsor sends the request by postal mail, five business days after the request was sent by Sponsor, or (b) in the event that Sponsor sends the request by email, on the day that the email was sent by Sponsor. 

The potential winner shall be required to: