Share your storytelling and video talents on the theme of 'Japan and Relationships' for a chance to win ¥75,000 in awards

GaijinPot invites everyone to share their storytelling and video talents in the GaijinPot 6-Word Video Contest on the theme of “Japan and Relationships” for a chance to win a total of ¥75,000 in awards.

As Valentine's Day and White Day are approaching, this is a fun opportunity to share your take on the theme of relationships and Japan. Feel free to interpret “relationships” in any way that’s clean and family friendly, including friendships, love, work, or your relationship with Japan, the Japanese language or culture.

What: Create a Video Version of a 6-Word Story

Click here to enter the contest.

A 6-word story is a form of ultra-short short story, which is told in just six words.

GaijinPot would like to challenge you to make a six to sixty-second video, telling a story about “Japan and relationships” in which there are only six words of verbal or non-verbal dialogue. The video can take the shape of anything from a comedy musical with your cat or a stop-motion animation. You can even film with your phone if you want.

Here are some examples of a 6-word story, written on the theme of “Japan and relationships.”

• Came for anime. Stayed for her.
• Don’t need Japanese. She gets me.
• Hung over. Late again. Eikaiwa blues. 
• Me zero. N2 two. Try again. 
• Gave up my seat. Feet hurt.
• Hanging on. Hoping it gets better.
• Wait is over. Got my COE!
• Met in Seattle. Settled in Osaka. 
• Lost in Shinjuku. He found me.
• Friend zoned. Confessed. Rest is history.
• My stop. Saw her. Stayed on.
• Blossoms fell. We fell in love.
• If only you told me sooner. 
• Missed Connection: This post was removed.
• Eyes met. Same trains. Different directions.

Awards – ¥75,000 in Total

We will award a total of ¥75,000 in Amazon.co.jp gift cards in the following categories.

• Best Picture – ¥25,000
• The best of the best. This video displayed outstanding technical skills in production as well as an engaging narrative story and design that stood out from the crowd. 
• Best Shortest Film – ¥10,000
• 6 words, not seconds…. This video managed to stay within the rules while still making a video that was impactfully entertaining and most incredibly… very, very short.
• Best Production Design – ¥10,000
• We’re not in Kanto Anymore. This video went far and wide to make dreams into reality with its impressive creative talent and design skills.
• Best Actor/Actress – ¥10,000
• Polaris would be jealous. This actor shined the brightest and showed a dazzling performance in the art of expression. 
• Best Cinematography – ¥10,000
• Master of light and glass, DaVinci would be proud. This video displayed the very best images. You could screencap the shots and make an art exhibit out of them. Bravo!
• GaijinPot Community Favorite – ¥5,000
• A crowd pleaser, the majority vote, the favorite child. This video was crowned the best by the GaijinPot community via online voting.
• Japanese Community Favorite – ¥5,000
• Did it get Lost in Translation? This video stood the test of the random Japanese people’s time and patience and was marked the most entertaining.

Timeline

Accepting Submissions: January 17 – February 12

Announcement of Nominees: February 14

• 10 nominations will be announced for the Best Picture Award and GaijinPot Community Favorite Award. 
• 5 nominations will be announced for each of the other awards.
• The online voting period will also be announced at this time.

Announcement of Winners: March 8

• Winners will be announced for all awards and will be contacted by email for prizes.

How to Enter

Submission deadline is February 12.

• Step 1 – Create
• Create a video meeting these requirements:
• 6 words must be used in the story.
• Can’t be under or over 6 words.
• Include English subtitles if a foreign or non-verbal language is used.
• 6 to 60 seconds
• Themes: Japan, relationships
• Anything crude or offensive will be disqualified.
• Step 2 – Upload
• Upload your video to YouTube.
• Add a Title.
• Include a 6 word description and your credits for the cast/crew in the Youtube video description.
• Set the video as Public or Unlisted.
• Step 3 – Enter The Contest 
• Once your video has been uploaded to YouTube, click on the button below to enter the contest by filling out the Google Form.

*Please review and accept the contest’s official Contest Entry & Eligibility Guidelines before submitting your video.

General inquiries regarding the contest: contest(at)gajinpot.com Please note that it may take us two or three days to respond to your email. Thank you in advance for your understanding!

Contest Entry & Eligibility Guidelines

• Participants shall be deemed to have agreed to the Contest Entry & Eligibility Guidelines (including the Disclaimer) when they have completed submitting their entry.
• Participants may submit a maximum of two (2) videos. Participants are not allowed to submit the same video more than once.
• Entries are limited to original works, of which only the participant owns all necessary rights (including copyrights), excluding publicity rights. The participant is not to use images or videos posted on external websites and blogs without permission, which may constitute an infringement of copyright. Entries including images of other persons are limited to those that have cleared publicity rights in advance.
• Videos created by artificial intelligence are not eligible.
• Participants may be amateur or professional, regardless of nationality or age. However minor-age participants must have consent from a parent or guardian to participate in the contest.
• Submissions may be used in promotional materials and SNS posts by @gaijinpot and GPlusMedia to announce the contest, the voting campaign and the winners.
• Judging for all prizes, except for the Community Favorite prize, will be done by GaijinPot and GPlusMedia staff. The decision of the judging committee is final, and no inquiries will be accepted related to entries or selection of winners.

Act on the Protection of Personal Information

• Personal information provided by the participant will be safely managed and only be used for the administration and publicity of the Contest, such as to contact participants regarding the Contest, award deliveries, manage entries, and display winning entries. We may also use non-personally identifiable information of participants to generate statistical data.
• Personal information will only be used within the scope permitted by the Personal Information Protection Law, and for no other purposes. The participant acknowledges that any data collected through the Contest (such as EXIF data) will be processed and analyzed as non-personally identifiable statistical information, and may be disclosed to third parties such as sponsoring companies.
• Personal information provided by the participant will not be disclosed to third parties without the participant’s approval, excluding the following purposes: to announce Contest winners, for Contest promotion or to introduce entries; to outsource the administration and publicity of the contest to subcontractors; and when required by law.
• Personal information provided by the participant will be shared and used within the following scope.
  1. Collected Data
  2. Information such as name, date of birth, address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc. submitted by the participant when the participant’s entry is selected for an award, or selected by GPlusMedia Inc. for promotional use.
  3. Users
  4. The operator of GPlusMedia Inc. 
  5. Purpose of Use
  6. Personal information of participants will only be used for the administration and publicity of the Contest, such as to make promotional materials, to contact participants regarding the Contest, award delivery, manage entries, and display winning entries. The organizer may also use non-personally identifiable information of participants to generate statistical data.
  7. Personal Information Management
  8. Please check the Privacy Policy here.

Disclaimers

• Entries are not limited to previously unpublished works. However, to prevent trouble, the participant is encouraged to thoroughly check the entry guidelines of other video contests when submitting a work that has previously won an award, or when submitting a work that is planned for submission to another contest. The participant may also enter works that have been previously published in non-commercial publications created by the participant. Works posted on participant’s personal blogs, and social media such as Facebook and Flickr accounts are also accepted, as well as works displayed at non-juried video exhibitions.
• In principle, copyrights of entries belong to the participant even after submission to the Contest. The participant shall not transfer the copyright of entries to third parties.
• The participant shall be solely responsible for resolving any disputes with third parties related to the entries submitted by the participant, at their own cost. GPlusMedia Inc. accepts no responsibility.
• Minor-age participants must have consent from a parent or guardian to participate.
• The participant cannot withdraw entries from the Contest once submitted.
• The participant shall be responsible for the backup of entries.
• The participant shall be responsible for any cost incurred for applications. 
• The organizer will not accept works sent via post or directly brought to the Contest office. Such works will not be returned to the participant.
• The participant grants GPlusMedia Inc. a free-of-charge license to publish, reproduce and broadcast or use their entry for an indefinite period of time for promotional use by GPlusMedia Inc., and our sponsors under the conditions specified in this section. In such cases, participants will be notified via Instagram Direct from @gaijinpot or by email (contest(at)gaijinpot.com) when possible. 
• Regarding the usage of entries as stated above, entries may be cropped, edited or modified using visual effects, music, and sound effects without prior approval from the participant.
• When GPlusMedia Inc. uses the participant’s entry, the participant will be credited wherever possible. The participant agrees to waive all moral rights of author in the use of submitted entries.
• The participant warrants that the participant owns all copyrights appearing in the entry, and has been granted prior permission for use of publicity rights. It is the sole responsibility of the participant to confirm that the entry does not infringe the rights of any third party and that prior permission is obtained to use the image of any person appearing in the entry. As specified in the Contest Entry Guidelines, entries are subject for Secondary Use on GaijinPot’s website/app, SNS, official accounts etc. Participants may not submit entries that include advertisements and signboards of third-party brands. Participants may not submit entries that offend public order and morals.
• The organizer reserves the right to delete or disqualify, without prior notice, entries by participants who have been deemed by the organizer to have violated the Contest Entry Guidelines or public order and morals, or have defamed or caused disadvantage to other participants. The organizer may also rescind awards given to a participant.
• The Entry Guidelines shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan, and the Tokyo District Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction for the first instance over any lawsuit in connection with the Contest or Entry Guidelines.
• Although entries are handled with the utmost care, the organizer does not accept any responsibility in case of accidents.
• No inquiries will be accepted regarding entries and selection of winners.
• Awards are non-transferable and non-exchangeable.
• The Contest is organized by GPlusMedia Inc. Alphabet, Inc., and YouTube are not affiliated with the Contest, and do not sponsor, approve, or operate the Contest in any way. Moreover, participants are deemed to have agreed that Alphabet, Inc., and YouTube have no involvement with the participant’s entry and selection of awards. 
• Although the Contest uses YouTube’s system, GPlusMedia Inc. will not answer inquiries regarding the usage and technical matters related to YouTube’s system and software or application or features provided by YouTube and third parties. For inquiries regarding such matters, please directly contact YouTube or the relevant third party.
• GPlusMedia Inc. reserves the right to change or cancel the Contest, in whole or in part, without prior notice to participants. Furthermore, when deemed necessary, the organizer may change the Contest’s content, Entry Guidelines, and implement necessary measures for the fair operation of the Contest. Changes made to the Entry Guidelines are effective at the time of publication by GPlusMedia Inc.

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