Sink your teeth into the first Halloween Horror Nights news for 2011… Universal Studios Hollywood announced today its annual “Halloween Horror Nights” short film competition! Contest entries will be accepted from June 27th through August 1st and will be judged by a panel of industry insiders, including horror film auteur Eli Roth, Daily Variety senior writer Marc Graser and “Halloween Horror Nights” Creative Director John Murdy.
The winning film will be awarded a premiere showing on Chiller, a posting on Syfy.com, a cash prize of $1,000, and a trip for two to “Halloween Horror Nights’” opening night “Eyegore Awards” at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Universal Studios Hollywood Dares Filmmakers to Submit
Their Most Twisted Horror Short Films As Part of Annual
“Halloween Horror Nights” Short Film Competition
Universal City, Ca -–Universal Studios Hollywood invites aspiring filmmakers to compete in its annual “Halloween Horror Nights” short film competition, offering budding directors an opportunity to have their most disturbing horror short films judged by a panel of industry insiders, including horror film auteur Eli Roth, Daily Variety senior writer, Marc Graser and “Halloween Horror Nights” Creative Director John Murdy. The winning film will be awarded a premiere showing on Chiller, a posting on Syfy.com, a cash prize of $1,000, and a trip for two to “Halloween Horror Nights’” opening night “Eyegore Awards” at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Contest entries will be accepted from June 27 through August 1, 2011. Prospective filmmakers can submit short films from 90 seconds to three minutes in length on DVD (two copies of each film must be submitted). Films will be judged based on storytelling skill, originality and scare factor. The top 10 horror shorts, as determined by the panel, will be posted online at HalloweenHorrorNights.com from August 22 to September 9, 2011 for public voting. The winning film will be announced on September 12, 2011.
Eyegore Award recipient and horror filmmaker, Eli Roth said: “As a producer I’m always looking for new talent, and happy to help a first time director get their big break. New blood, so to speak, is vital for the continuation and growth of our beloved genre, and programs like this one can help deserving people get noticed. I am excited to see the competing films, and whoever makes me lose the most sleep will win.”
Returning film contest judge, Marc Graser, Daily Variety, said: “As a studio known for bringing the horror film genre to life, it’s a thrill to help Universal Studios identify the next generation of filmmakers that will scare audiences. I can’t wait to see who steps forward with their creepy visions this year.”
John Murdy, Creative Director, Universal Studios Hollywood, said: “Just as ’Halloween Horror Nights’ interprets horror filmmakers’ visions into living horror movies for the most ardent fans, our film competition provides a platform for future horror film directors to showcase their work to an audience of influential entertainment industry professionals.”
Entries must be sent to: “Halloween Horror Nights” Short Film Competition, 100 Universal City Plaza, Building 5511-5, Universal City, CA 91608. Additional information on the contest, including a complete list of rules and regulations, is available online at the Halloween Horror Nights website.
Last year’s “Halloween Horror Nights” Eyegore Award recipient, Eli Roth is a renowned award-winning, horror-genre filmmaker and actor. His credits include “Cabin Fever,” “Hostel,” “Grindhouse,” “The Last Exorcism” and “Inglorious Basterds.” For the past 10 years, Marc Graser has been a reporter at Daily Variety covering the entertainment industry. John Murdy, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Creative Director, oversees the theme park’s attractions, including its very intense annual “Halloween Horror Nights” event.
Universal Studios Hollywood hosts the Eyegore Awards annually on opening night of the theme park’s popular “Halloween Horror Nights” event to honor individuals for their significant contributions to the horror film genre.
Universal Studios Hollywood is a unit of the Universal Parks & Resorts division of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.
Ever wonder what goes into building the spectacularly spookiest costumes each Halloween? While it may take you days to compile your own (or your kids’ costumes), a new contest from Windows Live Movie Maker and Instructables.com asks trick-or-treaters to show off their movie-making in a matter of minutes. Simply create a 30-second movie (using photos and videos) to showcase the process of building their Halloween costume for the opportunity to win a new iCore 5 Gateway laptop with Windows 7 and Windows Live Essentials. To enter users can register an Instructables.com account and download Windows Live Essentials 2011. Contestants must submit their entries by Sunday, November 7. Winner is selected based on the use of Movie Maker and creativity in costume.
One winner will receive the Ultimate Windows Live Movie Maker Package:
* Brand new iCore 5 Gateway laptop with Windows 7 and Windows Live Essentials – perfect for home movie making and keeping your digital media organized!
* A Pure Digital – Flip Video MinoHD Camcorder
* Two year Pro Membership to Instructables.com
* Additionally, three contestants will receive a brand new Flip video camera and a 2-year Pro Membership for Instructables.com
Sunday, November 7 the Windows Live team will select the winners. If you need tips for completing your movie in Movie Maker, check out this page. For more information on the Movie Maker contest check out the Windows Experience Blog.
Enjoy this documentary about enthusiasts in Austin, Texas who love Halloween. Follow Bud Hasert (budcrud.com) as he designs and builds his Halloween costume over several months. He then parades it down 6th Street, as he has done for the past 20 years. This guy takes his costume planning and design seriously.
The PBS | NPR Forum Network features Talking Heads Series
Forum Network creates new series of talks in celebration of Halloween on Sunday, October 31st.
Boston, MA – The PBS|NPR Forum Network has recently added a new series of curated talks around Halloween and Historical Events. The Talking Heads series is home to some of the Forum Network’s best public talks, lectures and stories about ghosts, witches, villains, scandal and mayhem.
Join Actresses Dee Wallace, Kristina Klebe, Danielle Harris, Scout Taylor, and Eileen Deitz discussing the filming process of Rob Zombie’s Halloween movies and why they won’t scream on command. Listen as the legendary Director George A. Romero discusses how he came to creating the film Night Of The Living Dead and why he thinks his “zombies” aren’t really zombies. Hear Director and Horror Novel Writer Guillermo del Toro discuss The Fall, the 2nd installment I the Strain Trilogy, a series about vampires taking over New York City.
Other notable discussions within the series cover historic events around the Salem Witch Trials, The Boston Strangler, the murder trial of Lizzie Borden, and what mummies tell us. The Man Who Wrote Frankenstein, a podcast included in the series, exposes us to the real author of Frankenstein, and how Mary Shelley became the noted author.
Halloween is one of the year’s biggest holidays for taking pictures – whether snapping shots of a that perfect, homemade costume or a tot tucked into a pumpkin suit. Fujifilm and Rite Aid announced their annual Picture Perfect Halloween Photo Contest is again accepting entries. This year’s grand prize winner will receive an all expense-paid trip for four to Hersheypark in the Dark, as well as a fangtastic array of photo prizes.
Now through November 8, photographers of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to register, submit Halloween-themed photos and vote for their favorites in six categories:
· Best Pumpkin
· Cutest Baby Costume
· Best Kids Costumes
· Best Teens and Adults Costumes
· Best Pets
· Spooktacular Decorations
There will be first, second and third prize winners for each category. To see more about the prize packages, click here.
Beyond the contest prizes, visitors to HalloweenPhotoContest.comcan enter to win daily giveaways. More than two thousand items will be awarded throughout the contest. Giveaway merchandise includes: picture frames and personalized photo t-shirts, puzzles, mugs, stickers, mouse pads and free photo prints.
HalloweenPhotoContest.com also features expert photo tips to help capture the spirit of the holiday, decorating ideas and printable jack-o-lantern stencils to create a spooktacular Halloween ambiance, and delicious recipes courtesy of Kraft Foods. In addition, site visitors will find free digital scrapbooking kits, fiendishly clever party game suggestions and more.
— Halloween Hung & Skinned Sweepstakes – This one is rare/special opportunity – but also gruesome/gory. FEARnet is giving people an opportunity to win a realistic life-size corpse to have delivered in time for Halloween setups and decoration. You can read more about it here and to see some images. The unique prop is estimated at $1700 and was designed by Robert Kurtzman’s Creature Corps. People can enter on the site through October 22nd.
— FEARnet’s Halloween Shriekstakes –FEARnet kicked off its favorite month with this year’s biggest sweepstakes. The prize pack honors several of October’s exciting happenings including the launch of AMC’s “Walking Dead” on Halloween, and the upcoming release of “Saw 3D” on October 29th with themed giveaways. The gift pack that promises to make FEARnet fans shriek includes:
