Contents

1. Prizes
2. Rules
   • Qualifications
   • Sign-up window
   • Entry categories
   • Number of teams
   • Registration
   • Camera & camera deposit
   • Deposit return
   • Video production
   • Video format
   • Video length
   • Video content
   • Video submission specifications
3. Schedule
4. Judging

FAQ

Official Rules

McCombs Next Top Major (MNTM)
Student Video Competition 2008–09

Sponsored by the MIS BBA Program in the McCombs School of Business

Prizes

• Best video overall
  $3,000 grand prize for the best video, chosen by sponsoring company judges.
• Second place overall
  $1,800 runner-up prize for the second-place video, chosen by sponsoring company judges.
• Top video for each major
  $900 prize for the best video in each of 9 categories. Two finalists will be selected by online voting; the winner for each major will be chosen from the finalists and the wildcards by sponsoring company judges.
• 2 wildcard videos
  Even if your team doesn't win its major category, you could still win the grand prize! The judges will select 2 wildcard videos that will be shown at the Video Showcase Event in addition to the top 2 videos from each major. These wildcard videos will be eligible for the major category prizes and the grand prizes.

Rules

• Qualifications: All participants must be currently enrolled UT undergraduates (enrolled for the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 semesters), and the team leader must be a McCombs BBA student. Fifth-year integrated MPA students are considered graduate students and are not eligible to compete.
• Sign-up Window: Teams may sign up from 10:00AM on Monday, September 29, 2008 until 11:59PM on Friday, October 17, 2008.
• Entry Categories: There is one competition category for each of the nine undergraduate majors at McCombs. These categories are:
  • Accounting
  • Business Honors
  • Engineering Route to Business
  • Finance
  • International Business
  • Management
  • Management Information Systems
  • Marketing
  • Supply Chain Management

  You do not have to be enrolled in a major to create a video for that major.

• Additionally, there is a competition category for the Business Foundations Program.
• Number of Teams: Entry is limited to the first 5 teams per major category to register, for a total of 45 teams in the overall competition. Register your team as early as possible to secure your preferred slot! Major category assignments are made on a first-come/first-served basis.
• Registration: Registration is online by clicking on step 2 above. Once you have a team of three people, only one member of your team will complete the application.
• Camera and Camera Deposit: Each team will be given a Flip Video Camcorder to shoot its video. To receive the camera, your team will bring a $120 deposit check (made out to UT MIS Excellence Fund) to the IROM Department Office (CBA 5.202). Beginning on Wednesday, October 1, 2008, the IROM staff will take your deposit and give your team its camera. The IROM Office is open Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-5:00PM.
• Deposit Return: Deposit checks will be held until the video submission deadline. If your team completes and submits its entry by the published deadline, the deposit check will be returned and the team may keep the camera. If your team does not submit its entry by the published deadline, the team's deposit check will go into the UT MIS Excellence Fund.
• Video Production & Editing: See the FAQs.
• Video Format: Your submission must be a video data file (.wmv, .mov, or .avi format). You should render to DV NTSC (720 x 480), full quality. Audio should be stereo, uncompressed at 48,000 Hz (or 44,100 Hz if 48,000 Hz is not available).
• Video Length: The completed video must be between 2 and 3 minutes long (not including credits). Anything shorter or longer will be disqualified from the competition.
• Video Content: Be smart! Top recruiting companies are sponsoring this competition, so your videos should be appropriate. That means no strong language or sexual content!
• Video Submission Specifications: Each video must be submitted on a CD-R, DVD-R, or flash drive and turned in to the IROM Office (CBA 5.202) by the published deadline.

Schedule

• Phase 1: Sign up your team
  • Team Signup Begins - 10:00 a.m. on Monday, September 29, 2008
  • Team Signup Closes - 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 17, 2008
• Phase 2: Submit your video
  • Video Submission Deadline - 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 4, 2009
  • Student Voting Opens - 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 9, 2009
  • Student Voting Closes - 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 15, 2009
  • Video Showcase Showdown - 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Judging

• Round One: Submitted videos are rated online by students, friends, and family members, and the world. The two finalists for each category will be determined by the NUMBER of votes cast, not the star ratings. Get everyone you can think of to vote along with you! This round of voting will determine the top two videos for each category.
• Round Two: Based on the student votes, the top two videos from each major will move on to the finals and be shown at the McCombs Next Top Major Video Showcase Event! Additionally, the judges will select 2 wildcard videos to be shown at the Video Showcase that will be eligible for all prizes.
• Video Showcase Showdown: Each of the sponsoring recruiting companies will send judges to view the videos at the showcase on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 from 5:30-7:30PM in UTC 2.102A. The judges will watch the 2 finalist videos for each major, plus the 2 wildcard videos, and vote on their favorite. The winners will be announced at the end of the showcase.
• Pizza Reception: Immediately following the showcase, there will be a pizza reception for students to interact with the judges from sponsoring companies.

FAQ

Does my video submission have to correspond to my major?

No, your team can make a video for any of the 9 McCombs majors!

Do I have to be a McCombs student to compete?

Each team captain must be a McCombs undergraduate student, but other team members must simply be undergraduate students currently enrolled at UT.

What if I don't own a computer/video editing software?

McCombs students can check out a laptop from McCombs Media Services. Media Services is located in GSB 3.132 and is open Monday-Friday, 7:45AM-6:15PM.

Alternately, McCombs students also have access to the McCombs Media Lab, located in UTC 1.110. The Media Lab has computers with advanced video editing software available for your use. However, be aware that the Media Lab is only open Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-5:00PM, so you won't be able to pull an all-night editing session right before the deadline!

What if I don't know how to edit video?

The Flip video camera given to each team comes with a video editing software package. Additionally, there are many online tutorials available.

Are we allowed to use copyrighted content in our video?

If you use copyrighted content in your video, you must cite it in your credits. For songs, include (at a minimum) the title, artist(s), album title, publisher, and date published.

Can I be on more than one team?

No. To give all competitors an equal chance at the prizes, each competitor may only be on one team.

What kind of skills do we need on a team?

A team should look to combine creative vision, management skills, technical skills (filming and editing), and people skills. A diverse team will better your chances for success!

Does my team have to use the Flip video camera?

No, your team does not have to film your video with the Flip video camera. If your team does not want the Flip video camera, the $120 deposit check is not required.

Can my team use people who aren't on our team in our video?

Yes, you are welcome to use outside people in your video, as long as they agree to it.

Once my team is registered, can we swap one of our team members for someone else?

If circumstances arise where a team member is no longer able to participate, the team may swap out that member with his or her consent. The team captain must e-mail nexttopmajor@mccombs.utexas.edu, informing us of the team member who is leaving, as well as the new team member's name, major, e-mail address, and phone number. The team captain may not be swapped.