This framework of the NPPA Television Quarterly Clip Contest is flexible, based on physical geography, a photography staff’s merit and a photojournalist’s individual merit.
The NPPA Television Quarterly Clip Contest is a vital function of the NPPA and provides an important service to its membership and to those who subscribe to NPPA principles. The contest stands to recognize outstanding work performed by television photojournalists on a quarterly basis. The TVQCC also serves to promote, encourage, and teach the highest levels of photojournalism and ethics.
Quarters are defined as follows: 1st: Jan 1-Mar 31; 2nd: Apr 1-Jun 30; 3rd: Jul 1-Sep 30; 4th: Oct 1-Dec 31. Entries must be received by the pool chair on the 10th of the month following the end of the quarter — April 10th, July 10th, Ocober 10th, and January 10th. Late entries will not be accepted.
The TVQCC is open to NPPA members in good standing. In order to be eligible to enter any particular quarter, membership payment must be current on or before the 10th of the month following the end of that quarter. For example, to submit a first quarter entry the entrant must become a member by April 10th; to submit a second quarter entry the entrant must become a member by July 10th; etc. Timely dues payment is each member's responsibility.
With membership and participation comes the expectation to serve as a judge. Please contact a pool chair to volunteer your time. Thank you.
The TVQCC runs parallel with the Online Video Contest and the Solo Video Contest. On a quarterly basis, each entering journalist must choose to enter only one of these three contests; the one that best suits his or her talents and working environment.
An entry must have been published on television for the first time during the contest quarter. The entrant must have shot at least 90% of the entry. There is no penalty to the entrant if file video is used although file cannot exceed more than 25% of the total story run time.
Entrants must complete the online entry form on the NPPA website. Entries must be submitted with mixed audio and on a DVD that plays in an ordinary consumer DVD player. (Please check your dubs.) A photography staff may submit multiple stories on one DVD as long as they are grouped in the same category – one category per DVD. Use the compilation entry form if several photojournalists enter on one DVD.
File video is defined as video that was previously userd in a newscast, video that originated from a network feed, and stock video that was shot previously that may or may not have already been published on television. File video also includes surveillance video, amateur video and VNRs. File video does NOT include original video created by the entering photojournalist’s colleagues. One exception to this rule exists with helicopter aerial video for the Deadline News and Spot News categories only. Any questions regarding the use of file video should be directed to the pool or national chair.
There are five categories. A photojournalist may enter two clips each quarter. The clips may be entered in the same category or in different categories. The same clip may not be entered in more than one category. Any clip may be entered in any category provided it meets the guidelines set forth below.
For the 2009 contest, a photojournalist will be allowed to enter three clips per quarter if one of those clips is submitted in the Deadline News category.
In all categories a stand alone package or a package accompanied by a live shot may be submitted. (Deadline News has additional submission options.) The entering photojournalist must have shot at least 90% of the recorded video portion and 100% of the live portion (if included). If a photojournalist submits a live video element produced with multiple cameras, that photojournalist must have been responsible for the content of each camera angle. Any clip that includes a live element must have the air-check version submitted. Re-editing is prohibited in every category. The pool chair or the judges will determine the qualifications of each entry and may disqualify an entry as they see fit.
A story focused on an unscheduled and/or unfolding news event for which there was no opportunity for planning. The story must have been shot, edited, and published on television within 12 hours. Original helicopter aerial video may be treated as file in this category.
An issue-oriented story or a story of an event for which there was advance notice and/or opportunity for planning. The story must have been shot, edited, and published on television within 12 hours. Stories that could be considered features may be disqualified from this category.
Coverage of a general or spot news event where communicating information to viewers is an immediate and primary objective. The entry must have been shot, edited, and published on television within 4 hours.
A stand alone package, a straight live shot, or a live shot with video element(s) may be submitted. An unedited segment from a station’s continuous live coverage of an ongoing news event may be submitted in this category as long as the clip doesn’t exceed the 3 minute time limit. (Anchor tosses and questions are permitted for this type of entry.) Original helicopter aerial video may be treated as file in this category.
A general news feature, light feature, or human interest story shot. There is no time limit for story production.
A planned story where the photojournalist puts considerable time and effort into the story’s planning and production. A series of stories published on television on successive days may be submitted as one entry as long as the sum of the parts does not exceed 10 minutes. There is no time limit for story production.
To qualify for a Photographer of the Year title, a photojournalist must submit clips in three of the five categories during the contest year. There is no requirement for a photojournalist to place winners in any set number of categories.
Entries in the TVQCC will be judged by a panel of your peers. The judges will be assembled by the pool chair. Judges will represent and act in the best interest of the NPPA.
Judges must choose a first, second and third place in each category if there are at least four entries in a given category. If there are fewer than four entries in a particular category a first, second and/or third place may or may not be awarded. There can be no ties. Judges may at their sole discretion award an honorable mention in any category.
With membership and participation comes the expectation to serve as a judge. Please contact a pool chair to volunteer your time. Thank you.
Points awarded will be as follows:
The United States is broken into three geographical divisions; the NPPA West, the NPPA Central and the NPPA East. Other regions of the world are added to each division.
There are two pools of competition within each of the three geographical divisions; the General Pool and the Top Pool – six pools of competition. Each participating photography staff is assigned to compete in its division’s General Pool or Top Pool.
Photojournalists submit their work in the pool to which their station belongs. A photography staff’s status does not change during the contest year. Freelance photojournalists typically enter their division’s General Pool of competition. Photojournalists working for stations that have never entered the TVQCC submit in their division’s General Pool as well.
The number of staffs that compete in each geographical division’s Top Pool is determined by that division’s number of entries. Generally speaking, the more TV stations which participate – the more that are included in the Top Pool. A photography staff earns its way into the Top Pool by doing well in the TVQCC.
The titles Photographer of the Year and Top Photographer of the Year are awarded to the photojournalists who accumulate the most points during the year in each respective pool. A photojournalist moving in the middle of the year may carry Photographer of the Year points to his/her new station if the new station competes in the same pool as the former station. The moving photojournalist may only participate in one pool at a time and may not exceed the two entry maximum per quarter.
For the 2009 contest, a photojournalist will be allowed to enter three clips per quarter if one of those clips is submitted in the Deadline News category.
If there is a tie for a Photographer of the Year title, the following list of tiebreaker criteria is used to break any deadlocks:
If a tie still exists, Co-Photographers of the Year will be awarded.
The title Top Station is awarded in each Top Pool to the photography staff that accumulates the most points during the contest year. Photojournalists’ “winning” points are counted for their station in the Top Station race. Counting “entry” points would give large staffs an unfair advantage. A photojournalist changing stations in the middle of the year may not carry Top Station points to his or her new station. Top Station points are counted for the station where the work was produced.
At the end of each contest year, each division’s Top Pool stations are ranked according to the number of points each staff accumulated. The entire (both Top and General Pools) division’s entry submissions for the contest year are added and then divided in half. Starting at the beginning of the Top Pool station list and working down, the number of stations’ entry submissions it takes to exceed half of the division’s entry total is the number of stations which make up the Top Pool in the following year’s contest.
Every year stations move in and out of the Top Pool. Stations making up the bottom 20% of the Top Pool list drop out and compete the following year in the corresponding General Pool. They are replaced in the following year’s Top Pool by the same number of stations whose staffs earned the most points in the corresponding General Pool.
If there are ties the following list of criteria is used to break any deadlock:
These tiebreakers are also used for determining Top Station titles. However, #8 is skipped for the Top Station contest: if a tie still exists after #7, Co-Top Stations will be awarded.
If a division’s total entry submissions require a refiguring of the following year’s number of Top Pool stations, the stations that were supposed to be included or excluded in the following year’s Top Pool won’t necessarily be so.
For example; WWTV and WAVE have the second lowest and lowest points respectively in the Central Top Pool and are scheduled to drop into the Central General Pool for the following year. They are to be replaced by WXIN and KMSP. However it is determined the NPPA Central’s entry numbers increased causing an additional station to be included in the following year’s Top Pool. So WWTV is included back in following year’s Top Pool because it had more points than WAVE.
Certificates will be awarded for every 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention winners each quarter. Plaques will be given for all Photographers of the Year and Top Stations of the Year.
