The Multiscreen Slide Photography Competition features the best head-to-head efforts of two or more camera clubs who work within a predefined timeframe against a predefined list of assignments. It is a club level, not individual level, competition.
The Multiscreen name comes from the practice of judging a series of slide entries while they are simultaneously projected onto multiple screens set across a viewing stage. Judges retained by the competing clubs select a winning order based on image qualities such as best interpretation of an assigned subject, photographic artistry, and technical excellence. Scoring is done on a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on basis. The club receiving the best overall score for all assignments wins.
Multiscreen requires a predefined, "limiting" timeframe because of the rule that only new images are eligible for competition. Generally, it is an annual event requiring full, and often overlaping, year-long planning and execution cycles. (Shorter or longer timeframes are possible, however.)
Here are the basic activities which occur during the comptetition's timeframe.
A key element in the Multiscreen concept is that competing clubs take turns hosting the event. This perpetuates the competition over time and within an ever widening base of competitors. Because of this, there's a need for a set of "golden rules" to provide a basis for consitency. These golen rules also give Multiscreen its unique characteristics.
There are also grey-area rules which can change from year to year depending on circumstances. For example, some rules may change depending on the number of clubs competing within a given cycle. Others may depend on the customs and practices within a geographic area.
One golden rule is that grey-area rules must be defined or modified, and then approved, for each competition cycle.
Both the golden and grey-area rules are discussed below.
Clubs must agree on a start-date for each competition cycle. This is the date AFTER which photographs may be made.
Slide duplicates of older, or otherwise ineligible works, are not allowed even if the dupe is made after the start date.
The end-date for images is the Multiscreen Entry Submission Date.
NOTE: Eligibility of images which are derivations of an original work which by itself may be ineligible is considered in the Grey-area Rules section.
The host club is responsible for selecting an appropriate venue for the judging event. As this event is open to all competing club members, the venue should accommodate normal viewing practices for a full audience.
NOTE: The host club should make every effort to select a location which ensures the convenience and safety of both judges and competitors. Although it's desireable to have a location which is centrally located for all clubs, this isn't always possible. The rule here, therefore, is that there is no rule for this...just common sense.
There are rules, however, for the facility:
1. The facility must be capable of providing complete darkness (within legal limits). This assures that slides will be judged under ideal viewing conditions.
2. The facility must accommodate the multiple screen viewing stage which is the cornerstone of the Multiscreen concept. All screens must be easily viewed from the judges' perspectives and all slides must be capable of being projected and seen at or near the same instant. That is, you can't have some screens in front and others in back or some to the left side and others to the right. Screens must simply stand as close together as possible. Projectionist must be able to synchronize their work so that slides advance in unison.
3. Power outlets must be adequate for safe projector operation.
Competition images must have been taken within the timeframe defined by the start and end dates. Images which were made before the start date but were processed into slides after the start date are not eligible.
Competition slides must be "original works" in the sense that they have been produced by the competing photographers themselves. This means that images which have been purchased or otherwise acquired outside of the normal practices of club photography are ineligible. Also, they may not be duplicates of previously made work -- especially work made by another, non-club member photographer.
NOTE: Slide duplicates are eligible as long as the original image falls within the guidelines stated above.
(See Grey-area Rules for images which are derivations of work done outside the scope of eligibility in this section.)
The host club may select anyone as the Multiscreen judge as long as this person is impartial. For example, this person should not also be a judge for the club's own, internal slide selection process. In fact, for the sake for complete fairness, the judge should be substantially removed from ALL of a club's photographic influences and activities. Nor should the judge be so affected by any of the other clubs.
The host club must supply the name of the judge to the other competing clubs on or before the agreed Judge Announcement Date. The clubs will then be allowed to respond to the selected judge according to the grey-area rules that apply.
NOTE: It's possible for the host club to arrange for a "surprise judge" who will be announced at the judging event. Clubs must be allowed to approve this via consensus before time, however.
Judges must be fully instructed on the Multiscreen Competition Judging Rules. This may happen well before the judging event, or at the time of the event. The competing clubs may opt to let the host club execute this instruction phase alone or via some multi-club format.
Rules For Judges And Judging:
Clubs are completely free in this regard as long as image eligibility rules are followed. The entire set of entered slides may be made by one club member or any other mix of members. Slides are eventually submitted as the club's entries and not as individuals' entries.
No other club may challenge a club's selection processes unless it violates the rules related to the Multiscreen Judge Selection.
Clubs are not required to announce their slide selection processes.
Slides must be submitted to the host club on or before the Multiscreen Slide Submission Date.
Each slides must be clearly marked with:
Slides must be clean and must be mounted in the final form in which they will be projected. The host club is not expected to remount slides. Slide mounts must work in the projectors which will be used during judging.
The host club is responsible for queuing all slides prior to the judging event. The host club may challenge other clubs' slides if there are clear violations of eligibility rules. Such challenges must be made within a reasonable time before the judging event to allow the other clubs time to react to the challenge. (Grey-area rules dictate what this timeframe is.)
Queuing simply means preparing slide trays for presentation according to the following rules:
Grey-area rules need to be discussed, modified if necessary, and approved by the Multiscreen representatives at the start of each cycle. This activity may be done after the official Multiscreen start date if the grey-area rule has no affect on actual photographs being made by competing club members.
Clubs must decide what rule will be in effect for ambiguous subject names that have a singular or plural form. This includes what default action a judge must take while judging.
Here are the options:
The entire competition cycle must be run under one or the other mode!!!
Under this mode, a photographer who sees the subject name "Glass" can assume that a valid subject is either a single glass, or many glasses, or lots of glass stuff. The notices that list this subject's name can use any of the these forms:
While both forms are implied for ambiguous names, to explicitly indicate that a singular form is required, a notices would need to state:
This is clumsy. Also, there's a question about what "Glasses" should means. Can one imply either singular or plural is such a case, or must it mean plural.
These questions MUST be answered when operating under this mode. The recommended practice is to consistently use a naming convention that states both forms even though both are implied by the rule.
...is better than just...
...or...
In this mode, "Glass" really means one glass and "Glasses" means many. An image of a single glass thing versus one of many glass things should be easy to differentiate. In some ways, it's easier to be explicit.
On the other hand, one could arge that an image of many glass things is an aggregation of "glass." Now what do you do? Or what if someone assumes that glass is a "theme" and not a thing? It may all end up depending on how a judge interprets the name, and this could be different from how the competitors do it. Explicit mode is problematic this way. Clubs who decide to operate under this mode need to be careful about their subject names and how they explain the names to the judges during judging!
Derivations are original images which have been manipulated and/or copied in some way. The amount of manipulation can yield a completely new image. The competing clubs must decide whether to allow such images when the original image is, itself, outside of the scope of eligibility.
For example, assume an image of a rose taken last year is not eligible for this year's competition. But a derivation, like a montage which ends up as a very different, original image, could be allowed if this rule is enabled.
Multiscreen expenses should be born by all the competing clubs equally regardless of club sizes or resources. The clubs must decide what the expenses categories are and what the reasonable limits to spending are.
The host club is in the unique position of screening all the sumbitted slides prior to judging. They can opt to challenge slides which they believe violate the rules of eligibility. The competing clubs must agree on two things: whether to allow such challenges in the first place and, if allowed, on a timeframe for when such challenges must be made. This time should provide the challenged club with an opportunity to rebut the challenge or submit a new entry.
The clubs should agree on how the judges will be instructed. This process could be done solely by the host club or via some multi-club format. The clubs must also agree on what information the judge will receive.
There are no prescribed awards for Multiscreen other than the club with the best overall score wins.
Competing clubs should decide what the award structure will be in their area with an eye toward the future. Multiscreen can be a compelling annual event, both for inspiring individual club members as well as for pulling in more competing clubs as time goes on. Frivolous awards could undermine this appeal.
Recommendations:
The competing clubs should agree on the awards before the start of the Multiscreen competition cycle.
Not all projection systems are created equal. The clubs must decide on the exact equipment which will be used during judging. The fate of any one image depends not only on its inherent quality but also on the strength and quality of the equipment through which it is projected and the screen on which is it viewed.
These decisions must be done early to allow clubs time to acquire the necessary equipment.
Here are some common equipment categories:
[This section will contain hints, tips, etc. for the host club and will cover activities for which they are responsible throughout the year as well as what must be done to facilitate the Multiscreen Judging Event.]
[This section will contain hints, tips, etc. for the competing clubs and individual photographers.]
[This section will contain a recommended handout for a judge.]