Independent Contests – One Big, One Small

In the absurdist, San Francisco-based bizarro-Hollywood of internet sitcom Break a Leg (Tilzy.TV page), Amber Turnipseed is pissed off. The alluring former star of Swamblers (a short-lived sitcom about the Old West, gambling, and a swinging lifestyle) and future star of Groommates (a  sitcom in-production about two ex-grooms living with their three ex-wives) was recently left on a boat, bound, tied, angry, and behind. Yuri Baranovsky, the show’s co-creator, is soliciting your help to cheer her up.

In “The Very First Break a Leg Contest” Baranovsky’s asking viewers to submit “fideos” (a purposefully bad neologism combining “fan” and “videos” that’s funny when he says it) that show your love for the blonde in distress. They should be under a minute long, funny, and a little creepy, but not “internet guy sitting naked in front of his chair creepy.”

 

The winning vid will appear in the next episode of Break a Leg and its creator will receive a signed poster from the cast. Currently, there appears to be only one entry, but that doesn’t mean that the competition isn’t fierce.

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The Ragtime-inspired tune, masterful editing, and crafty camera work of Rob Padgett and KatrPictures

sets the bar high and is undoubtedly scaring away at least a few would-be entrants.  In fact, it’s so good that KatrPictures should consider focusing its efforts on an online contest of bigger proportions.

South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival is teaming up with web production house On Networks – home to such shows as Dinner with the Band (Tilzy.TV page) – for the “Greenlight Awards.” The contest is taking submissions of original online series from December through February 15, and will announce the winner of a $10,000 distribution deal with On Networks at SXSW in March.

The contest is similar to many we’ve seen in the web video space – including Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Exposure, which was won by Kirby Ferguson last summer, and the Always Sunny in Philadelphia contest from which Break a Leg was born – but the added weight of the creative mecca that is SXSW should garner some awesome submissions.  I’m guessing that even a few losers might snag some deals, or at least attract enough of a following to eventually have their own “Very First Contest” contests.