CC7D FAQs

Questions amassed over the last several years.  If you don't find the answers you need, send an email to infocc7d@gmail.com. 

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What is the Corpus Christi 7 Day Film Project? (“CC7D”)
CC7D is an annual filmmaking competition designed to encourage and facilitate more filmmaking in the Texas Coastal Bend area, boost filmmakers’ skills, create resume experience for local casts and crew, and celebrate area filmmakers – both veterans and amateurs. Filmmaking teams have one week to make a short film from start to finish. The entire process must occur in seven days.

When is it and where is it?

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 — Cast & Crew Call (House of Rock at 6:00 pm)
Wednesday, July 5, 2023 — CC7D Kickoff (House of Rock at 6:00 pm)
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 — CC7D Wrap Party (House of Rock, films will be accepted no earlier than 6:00 pm)
Sunday, September 3, 2023 — CC7D Screening (Alamo Drafthouse Corpus Christi)

Sunday, September 3, 2023 - CC7D Award Ceremony and After Party (House of Rock) 

Who may participate?
CC7D is open to anyone. Participants under 18 years of age need to have a parent or legal guardian sign all release forms and agreements. You can find CC7D documents here.

How do I participate?
There are three ways to participate in CC7D: Lead your own team, be on someone else’s team (as an actor, crew member or musician), or volunteer to work the event(s). The easiest way to participate is to create your own team. If you do not create your own team, you can try to get on someone else’s team. 

How do I create a team?
Get some friends together who you can rely on and call yourselves a team. Come to the Kickoff event, pay the entry fee and you are officially a team.

How do I get onto an existing team?
You need to get in front of and meet existing team leaders. The easiest way to do that is to attend the CC7D Cast & Crew Call. Attending the Cast & Crew Call does not guarantee that you will be placed on a team. It will ultimately be up to you to get onto a team.  You should take this opportunity to connect with the creative community in Corpus Christi and ask how you can participate. 

I’ve never made a film before and I’m scared to death that people will think that anything I make will suck and laugh at me and throw rotten fruit at me. Should I enter anyway?

If you've got an account on TikTok and putting out video content -- you've already taken the first step.  A large percentage of CC7D teams every year are first time participants. Use CC7D to MAKE YOUR SHORT FILM.

 

Use whatever camera you have, whatever editing software you have, whatever friends you have, whatever sound equipment you have… and SIMPLY DO IT! Use any time between now and the Kickoff event to practice. Borrow or beg some kind of sound equipment and practice using it. Practice loading your sound and video into a computer. Practice editing. THEN MAKE YOUR MOVIE!!! Then NEXT YEAR your 2nd entry will be better… then year three… then year four…

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What are the films about?
That is completely up to the filmmaker. The filmmaking team picks the genre and writes the script. The scriptwriting process cannot occur prior to the Kickoff event.

What are CC7D films rated? Can I bring my children to the Screening?
Attendees to the CC7D Screening will be told that CC7D films are unrated and may contain adult content and language, violence and sexuality. Viewer discretion is advised. Every effort will be made to inform the audience which films may not be appropriate for certain viewers, who will then have an opportunity to exit the theater.

What keeps people from cheating and starting their films prior to the Official 7-Day Time Period?
To prevent work from being done before the Official 7-Day Time Period, teams are given a Character, a Prop, a Line of Dialogue and a Fourth Element at the Kickoff event.  These elements must appear in their CC7D film. Ultimately, the main thing that keeps people from cheating is honor. Teams should not begin ANYTHING creative prior to the 7-day filming period.

Can I use popular music from artists like Lady Gaga or the Harry Styles?
Teams must obtain the rights to the use of all music in their films. Since it is very difficult and/or costly to receive the rights to use popular music, participating groups are encouraged to work with local composers and musicians to write and record music for their films. It is also permissible for teams to use pre-recorded music, provided they have the rights to use the music in their film. Please refer to the CC7D Rules for guidelines on the use of music.

Can my character drink from a can of Coca-Cola or wear a shirt with the Superman logo?
Teams must obtain the rights for all trademarked, copyrighted or branded materials that are prominently displayed or used in their films. Just like popular music, it can be very difficult and very expensive to obtain these rights. A simple way around this is to hide or obscure any logos or labels. So, if your character is going to drink from a can of Coca-Cola, make sure that the brand name "Coca-Cola" is turned away from the camera. If your character is going to wear a t-shirt with the Superman logo on it, then it's up to you to make every effort to cover up that logo so that it's only partially visible.

 

The easiest way around that? Don't have your character wear a Superman t-shirt! Please refer to the Rules for guidelines on trademarked, copyrighted and branded materials. When in doubt, leave it out.

 

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What's the big deal about trademarks?  Why should anyone care what I put in my film? 

There are many reasons why the CC7D Steering Committee seeks to avoid use of trademarked logos and branding. Some concerns are about liability and complying with standard filmmaking practices.  Some of it is also making sure that everyone is sensitive to companies' brand standards and practices.  This is particularly important for local businesses - who CC7D relies upon for sponsorships and many levels of community support.    These same considerations also pertain to obtaining location releases prior to your filming.  

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Oh no! I just realized that we caught the sign of a chain restaurant in the background of a shot. We can't re-shoot. Will my movie be disqualified?

Not to worry. Any brands or trademarks that appear in the background or in a natural state don't need to be hidden or obscured; your movie will be screened and eligible for awards. Things that passively appear in the background like signs are pretty obvious.

 

Then what does "natural state" mean, you ask? For example, if your character is walking through a grocery store, all of the products on the shelves don't need to be covered up or have their labels turned because that's where you would naturally find all of those items when you walk into a grocery store - on the shelves. 

 

However, if your character picks up a can of Campbell's soup and the label is clearly visible, that's a different story. If that happens, you won't be disqualified. We will still screen your movie, but you won't be eligible for any awards.

 

Going back to the scene in the grocery store, if your character squeezes the can of soup, green ooze comes squirting out and starts the zombie apocalypse, you still won't be disqualified but you'll probably get a visit from a Campbell's soup lawyer. Please refer to the Rules for guidelines on trademarked, copyrighted and branded materials.  

 

Also - the above scenario assumes that you've also obtained a location release from the business prior to filming.

 

Securing locations and getting permission to use them is a key component to making it to the finish line for CC7D. 

How much does it cost to enter?
The entry fee is $50. Cash only, no checks or plastic.

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What are the Awards?

These are the award categories where a team can potentially receive a cash prize and a plaque:

• Grand Jury Award (1st Place)

• Jury Runner-Up (2nd Place)

• Jury Honorable Mention (3rd Place)

• Filmmakers’ Award (Determined by Team Leaders present at the Screening via ballot)

• Audience Award (Determined by audience present at the Screening via ballot)

• Best Director

• Best Cinematography

• Best Actor

• Best Actress

• Best Supporting Actor

• Best Supporting Actress

• Young Filmmaker Award (please see the Rules for requirements)

 

These are the award categories where a team can potentially receive a plaque:

• Grand Jury Award (1st Place)

• Jury Runner-Up (2nd Place)

• Jury Honorable Mention (3rd Place)

• Filmmakers’ Award (Determined by Team Leaders present at the Screening via ballot)

• Audience Award (Determined by audience present at the Screening via ballot)

• Best Director

• Best Cinematography

• Best Actor

• Best Actress

• Best Supporting Actor

• Best Supporting Actress

• Young Filmmaker Award (please see the Rules for requirements)

• Best Original Song

• Best Original Score

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The following awards are given in addition to the above:

• Best Use of Essential Prop

• Best Use of Essential Character

• Best Use of Essential Line of Dialogue

Who judges these movies?
Past Jurors include director Richard Linklater, actor/director/producer/writer Lauren Miller, producer and writer for The New Girl, Luvh Rahke, assistant director David Paige as well as actors, filmmakers and producers working in the film industry. Judges have also included employees/representatives of the Texas Film Commission, Austin Film Society, Southwest Alternate Media Project, Houston International Film Festival, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Corpus Christi Independent School District, Corpus Christi City Council and the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Communications Department.

What is the judging criteria for the films?
The films are judged by five criteria: Delivery of Story and/or Concept, Creativity, Technical Execution, Acting and Overall Impression.

Are credits in the beginning permissible and do they count against the credit time limit?
Opening credits are allowed but they DO count against the film’s time limit. Judges will be given the directive to judge films based on start to end, including opening credits.  Please refer to the CC7D Rules regarding credits. 

The old rules used to say we were limited to using two cameras. Now the rules say we can use as many cameras as we want. Why the change?
The two-camera rule was an equalizer between novices and pros. Professional filmmakers might have had access to multiple high-quality video cameras resulting in a faster shooting time while amateurs may have only been able to secure one low-tech camera. These days, virtually all recording devices - from prosumer camcorders to DSLR cameras to tablets to smartphones - have high-definition video capabilities and other complex features. This incredibly high-tech age we now live in has rendered the old rule moot. We are completely surrounded by video cameras. Eeek!

I know that stock film and video footage is not permitted. What about stock photos?
If you have the rights to the photos then use them.

Should we shoot in HD? Should we shoot in widescreen? Should we use surround sound? What frame rates are allowed?
Your film will be shown in the manner you submitted it. If you made your film in standard-definition with a 4:3 aspect ratio at 29.97 frames per second, it will be projected that way at the Screening. If you made your film in high-definition with a 16:9 aspect ratio letterboxed to a 2.35.1 aspect ratio at 24 frames per second, it will be projected that way at the Screening. When it comes to audio, however, keep in mind that the Screening venue may not be optimally set up for the latest super-fancy surround sound format. When in doubt, keep it simple and stick to stereo or mono. New filmmakers, don’t get discouraged with all this mumbo jumbo… make your movie however you can. Please refer to the CC7D Rules for technical requirements.

Who ‘owns’ the films once they are submitted?
The filmmakers will share ownership of the film with CC7D in one respect only: the filmmaking team/Team Leader grants CC7D the right to use the film and still images of the film to promote CC7D.  CC7D may show your CC7D film at future screenings, future CC7Ds, etc. CC7D will also post the CC7D film you submit on the CC7D YouTube Channel. 

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Other than that, the filmmaker/filmmaking team owns the film and can do whatever they want with it, including re-editing the film without the elements, etc. In the past, filmmakers have re-edited and/or added footage/length to their films and submitted them into other projects and festivals. They are yours to use how you choose.

Who will know the essential elements before they are given to the filmmakers at the Kickoff Event?
The CC7D Steering Committee is responsible for creating the essential elements. They are chosen a few days before the Official 7-Day Time Period. The CC7D Elements are a closely held secret until revealed at the Kickoff event. No one outside of the Steering Committee will know the essential elements until they are announced at the Kickoff event.

Can actors be on different teams and in multiple films?
Yes. There is currently no limit to how many films an actor can participate in for CC7D.  However, should an actor participate in more than one CC7D film, they will be ineligible for any acting award. 

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We strongly encourage actors to limit their participation to one film. We have heard stories in the past about actors who overcommitted and stretched themselves too thin, causing scheduling problems for frustrated filmmakers. Remember, even though everyone has seven days, most teams only shoot for 2-4 days to save time for editing.

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Jurors have also negatively commented on seeing some of the same actors appear over and over again, damaging the suspension of disbelief and resulting in a negative viewing experience.

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Imagine how unfair it is to competing team for one actor to play virtually the same part in two different teams' films.  Imagine how confusing and irritating that is for a juror and/or the CC7D audience. 

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Actors, please take the above into consideration when joining more than one team.

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I’ve participated in CC7D before, and I really liked a previous CC7D movie I made. Can I make a sequel?
Yes. Great characters never die. If you want to bring them back for another adventure, then by all means do so. However, the movie itself must introduce a new concept or story, not simply continue from where the previous movie left off. In other words, do Ghostbusters II, not Back to the Future Part II. Be aware that since you’re working with established characters and ideas, we will scrutinize your sequel more heavily than other CC7D films to make sure you haven’t cheated in any way, shape or form.

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Can my CC7D team solicit sponsorship funds to help pay for my CC7D film? 

The CC7D Steering Committee works hard to get in-kind and cash sponsorships in order to create a great film event for Corpus Christi.  Please note - CC7D is one of the only film races that actually gives awards and cash prizes to the winning films.  That said, the CC7D Steering Committee is the only organization or group that can solicit funds or items in the name of CC7D.  However, if you want to to ask your family, friends, church, business for support, that's fine.  Just do not use CC7D's name in the ask for support.   

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