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Video:

• Underwater YouTube: duration of YouTube needs to be between 20 to 90 seconds. Basic editing is allowed with sound / voice added to the clip.
• Video with Music: Entrants produce a music video using underwater footage taken during the Shootout period.
• Mini Documentary: Entrants to produce a professional short documentary using footage taken during the Shootout period. A minimum of 70% of the footage must be taken underwater. Duration is two to three minutes

Judging of video section:
Entries that do not comply with the minimum and maximum time limits will be penalised on their final score.
Entries will be judged on:

• Technical skills illustrated
• Creative skills illustrated
• Editing
• Scripting
• Selection and use of music and relevance to title

Stills:

Introduction:
Editing of images has become a skill and art in its own right. The purpose of the competition is to test a photographer’s ability to compose and effectively expose a subject underwater – not to test ones editing skills!

Minimal editing is allowed: brightness, contrast, colour and sharpness and no more than 20% cropping is allowed.

On submission of entries, the original picture (jpg) file must be handed in and will be audited.

Categories:

• Novice
• Intermediate
• Advanced

Definitions:

Novice: (NOV)
This category is for photographers who are relatively new to the underwater photography discipline with no more than two years experience of taking photo’s underwater. A Novice should not have won any prizes at any photographic contest.

Intermediate: (INT)
This category is for photographers that have no more than 5 years experience in capturing images underwater. An Intermediate photographer may not have been placed first in any photographic competitions in the past two years (If you have, you need to enter advanced).

Advanced: (ADV)
This category is for competitors that do not fall into the Intermediate Group.