Rules for Club Competitions

I.  CATEGORIES

There will be three competition categories: (1) Standard, (2) Modified, and (3) CGI/Art.

1. The Standard Category includes stereo photographs you have made by any photographic means, such as vintage 35mm stereo cameras in either StereoRealist size (5 perforations per picture, e.g., Stereo Realist, Kodak Stereo, Revere, Wollensak, TDC, etc.), or European Size (7 Perforations, e.g., Verascope, early Iloca, etc.); modern RBT cameras; Exakta/Kindar/Hyponars; Realist Macro Stereo; slide-bar with a single 35 mm camera; Nimslo 4-perforation stereo cameras; twin 35mm camera rigs; or images made with modified interaxial (hyper- or hypo-stereo) regardless of camera used.. Digital cameras may be used in place of 35mm film cameras in this category.  There is no limitation on the amount of digital manipulation you may make to your original photographic film or digital image pair.  If you start with a 2D photograph (film or digital) that is your own art work, a 2D-to-3D conversion of it belongs in this category.  Standard Category images may be submitted in all three formats  (see “II.  SUBMISSION FORMATS…” below), but the “Digital Format” is preferred.
2. The Modified Category applies when you haven’t created a substantial part of the image yourself, but you have converted someone else’s art or photo into stereo or you have performed a substantial creative modification to it.  This category includes conversions from 2D to stereo and stereo montages or collages made mostly with images you did not create.  Proper permission from the maker(s) of the original image(s) should be provided when requested by SCSC if you want the image published.  Modified Category images must be submitted in “Digital Format” (see “II.  SUBMISSION FORMATS…” below).  “Realist Format” and ”Twin 2 x 2 Format” (the film formats) cannot be used.
3. The CGI/Art Category is for stereo images you have created wholly or substantially in the computer or you have created wholly or substantially using artistic means, such as drawing or painting.  CGI/Art Category images must be submitted in “Digital Format” (see “II.  SUBMISSION FORMATS…” below). “Realist Format” and ”Twin 2 x 2 Format” (the film formats) cannot be used.

   The Competition Director shall decide the appropriate category of a slide in event of dispute or uncertainty.

II.  SUBMISSION FORMATS AND SCORE CARDS

Members are allowed to enter up to three stereo images in each of the three competition categories at each competition. In the Standard Category, all of that member’s images shall be prepared in the same format (all in “Realist Format,” all in “Twin 2×2 Format,” or all in “Digital Format”) for that month’s competition. Film entries, in Realist or Twin 2 x 2 formats, may be submitted the evening of the competition until 7:30 PM. Digital format entries must use the uploader (see below), available starting about a week before the competition and remaining open until midnight before the competition.

1. “Realist Format” refers to stereo film pairs mounted in standard stereo 1 5/8″ x 4″ mounts. All “Realist Format” slides should be mounted in RBT or legacy mask and glass mounts. However, to encourage beginners and less experienced makers to enter, this requirement may be waived in the “B” group, which may use cardboard mounts if necessary.

The slide title must be on the side from which you view the image, and a clearly visible thumbspot, preferably a brightly colored dot, must be affixed to the lower left corner of the mount when the image is oriented for use in a viewer.  The maker’s name must be on either side, preferably the other side from the title. Slides should be temporarily numbered near the thumbspot to correspond to the order in which the title is listed on the score card (see below).

Images ONLY in the “Standard Category” may be submitted in this format (digital is preferred)..

1. “Twin 2×2 Format” refers to stereo film pairs mounted in a separate, standard, 35 mm 2” x 2” mount for each image of the pair.  Glass mounts, such as Gepe, are preferred. We urge all members to scan such film pairs and submit them as digital entries, so as to avoid having to set up the twin 2×2 projectors during the judging. If you must submit slides in twin 2×2 format, please notify the Competition Director at least a day in advance of the competition meeting and observe the following rules:

The slide title must be on the side from which you view the image.  A clearly visible thumbspot, colored red for the left image and colored green for the right image, must be affixed to the lower left corner of the mount when its image is oriented for viewer use. The maker’s name must be on either side, preferably the other side from the title. Slides should be temporarily numbered near the thumbspot to correspond to the order in which the title is listed on the score card (see below).

Images ONLY in the “Standard Category” may be submitted in this format (digital is preferred).

1. “Digital Format” refers to stereo pairs stored in digital files according to the following requirements:  Each stereo image pair shall be stored in a single file, in side-by-side, parallel viewing format (left image on the left, right image on the right, with NO space between them).  Any reasonable file size, even a very high-resolution file, is acceptable.   Just keep in mind that native projection resolution is 1024 x 768 pixels for each eye, and higher resolution files will not improve the appearance during current judging but may be valuable for review at a later date.   The file should be compressed using any high quality JPEG setting, and must be submitted as a “.jpg” file.

   Images in the “Standard Category” should be submitted in this format, but, only if necessary, may be submitted in either of the film formats (see “Realist Format” and “Twin 2×2 Format” above). Images in the “Modified Categpry” and “CGI/Art Category” must be submitted in this format.

   All “Digital Format” image files for a given competition must be submitted by using the competition uploader

   The uploader for digital entries is available about a week before the competition meeting at:

   http://la3dclub.com/competitions/competition-uploader/

Follow the directions on the uploader page. If you are submitting make-up images, for those images be sure to enter the date of the competition you are making up, not the date of the current competition. The uploader will be available starting about a week before the SCSC Competition meeting and will remain available until the deadline for digital submissions at midnight on the Thursday of the meeting. If you cannot submit your entries before the deadline, please hold them for the next competition. Do not try to submit them at the meeting. Flash Drives, CD’s or DVD’s are NOT acceptable.

SCORE CARDS:  Entries in Digital Format do not require that you prepare Score Cards — they are automatically generated by the uploader. However, for film format entries, in either Realist or Twin 2×2 formats, you must fill out two copies of each score card and submit them along with your entries. List the image titles in the order you want them to be judged.  Be sure to fill in all the blanks in the header area, and to make sure that the image titles on each card correspond to the image titles on the slides. Blank Score Cards (a.k.a. “Entry Forms”) are available for download at http://la3dclub.com/la3dclub/entry.pdf
NOTE:  If you are submitting make-up images, the make-ups must be on separate score cards dated as of the missed competition, and clearly labeled as “Make-Up.”

III. JUDGING PROCEDURES AND OTHER INFORMATION

1. There may be two groups within each category: an “A” group (advanced) and a “B” group (all others). A member may be grouped in the “A” group in one category and the “B” group in another category. Member’s group shall be assigned at the discretion of the Competition Director.
2. There shall be three stereo judges for each competition. A member who is judging shall not enter images in that competition.  Judges will receive a prorated score based on their scores for all other competitions entered during the fiscal year, except when a judge chooses to submit make-ups at a later competition.
3. Each Category shall be judged separately. The two groups, “A” and “B,” within each category shall be judged as one complete group.
4. Scoring shall be from five to nine points. During each competition the judges may comment on selected images as time permits.
5. The top scoring images of each group of each category may be given Award and Honorable Mention ribbons. Number and distribution of ribbons to be awarded shall be determined by the Competition Director.
6. There will be five competitions during the year for each category. All categories shall be judged on the same evening.
7. “Realist Format” images will be projected with a conventional stereo slide projector. The “Twin 2×2 Format” images will be projected by twin Ektagraphic AF-2 slide projectors.  “Digital Format” images will be projected by a borrowed computer and the club’s pair of digital projectors, all arranged for by the Equipment Director.  Our club’s digital projectors currently have a native resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels for each eye.
8. Cumulative scores will be computed for each member in each category.  Members entering more than one category will have a cumulative score for each category.  These scores are not combined.
9. Images may not be entered in Club competition more than once during the same fiscal Club year. Images that have won an Award or Honorable Mention in any previous Club competition in any year, or similar images whether titled the same or different, may not be entered again.
10. Make-up images for missed competitions will be allowed only at the discretion of the Competition Director. Make-up images will not be eligible for Awards or Honorable Mentions.
11. End-of-Year awards will be made to top scores in each group of each category. It is possible for the same member to earn awards for more than one category.