2009 INTERACTIVE MEDIA PEER GROUP
PRIMETIME EMMY® AWARDS

OFFICIAL ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS
CATEGORY - JURIED 37:

OUTSTANDING CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT IN INTERACTIVE MEDIA –
FICTION OR NONFICTION

ENTRY PROCEDURE:
Interactive Media Peer Group members will review the submissions to select the nominations and determine the Primetime Emmy Award winners). There may be one, more than one or no Emmy statuette awarded to the individual(s) or company(s) that is directly involved with and principally responsible for the recognized Interactive Media Programming.

The Interactive Media Award recognizes excellence in the interactive media components of a fiction or nonfiction-related program or series, which have been commercially deployed, domestically, in the period of (June 1, 2008 - May 31, 2009). Entries can be made online at http://www.emmys.tv.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
Areas of competition: Eligible entries in the Fiction area of competition include the associated interactive media components of a Drama Program or Series, Comedy Program or Series, Made-for-Television Movie, Miniseries, or Dramatic Special. Eligible entries in the Nonfiction area of competition include the interactive media components of a Reality Program or Series, Reality Competition Program or Series, Variety Comedy or Music Program or Series or Non-fiction Program or Series.

NOTE: News, Sports, Daytime programming and Documentaries fall under the National Academy of Arts and Sciences (NATAS) areas of eligibility. Related entries should be submitted to the appropriate categories through NATAS.

Timeframe: Interactive media components of a Fiction or Nonfiction-related program or series must have been available to the public at some point during the period of June 1, 2008 through May 31, 2009.

Interactivity: Entries must include user interaction that goes beyond traditional playback options (Play, Stop, Pause, Fast-forward). NOTE: Broadband-only linear narrative programs or series that do not include interactive elements beyond these controls may be eligible within the main Primetime Emmy® Award categories.

ALL ENTRANTS MUST SUBMIT:

1. A linear/non-interactive video recording that demonstrates the viewer experience and clearly details the interactive features and functionality of the program or series. The demonstration video recording must:

• be between two (2) and five (5) minutes in length,
  
  
• include the salient interactive features, either contiguous or edited, in an order that is closely representative of the actual viewer experience
  
  
• be submitted online (see below) or as a consumer DVD-Video playable on a standard DVD player (digital video files delivered on DVD-ROM discs are not accepted) or as a Digital Beta tape.

2. Written response: Provide a brief (300 words or fewer) description of the intended goals of the entry program or series along with specific emphasis on the interactive elements based on the Evaluation Criteria listed above that support the stated goals.

3. A screen shot representative of your entry: For use as a thumbnail identifier in the balloting process. The file must be submitted as a JPEG 320 x 240 pixels in dimension.

4. Entry Fee: $400.00 for an individual or group of individuals (maximum of four individuals) submitting as the Official Entrant; $600.00 for a company (or partnership of up to 4 companies) submitting as the Official Entrant.

NOTE: Any Academy member of an individual/group entry has his/her entry fee waived. For example, if there is one entrant, the entry fee for that person is $400, and it is waived. If there are two entrants, the entry fee for each person is $200, and it is waived for each member. If there are three entrants, the entry fee is $133 for each person, and it is waived for each member. If there are four entrants, the entry fee is $100 for each person, and it is waived for each member.

Any Academy member making a company/partnership entry has the $600 fee waived. For example, if there is one company, the entry fee for that company is $600, and it is waived. If there are two companies, the entry fee for each company is $300, and it is waived for each member making an entry on behalf of his/her company. If there are three companies, the entry fee is $200 for each company, and it is waived for each member making an entry on behalf of his/her company. If there are four companies, the entry fee is $150 for each company, and it is waived for each member making an entry on behalf of his/her company.

5. Complete the official application form online at http://www.emmys.tv. All applications must be completed online by April 24th, 6:00pm PDT.

Upload your video, or mail the demonstration Digital Beta videotape or DVD (along with a Thumbnail JPG) by May 12, 2009 to:

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Interactive Media Peer Group Primetime Emmy Awards
5220 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, California 91601-3109

If you have any questions, please contact the Interactive Media Peer Group Awards Working Group: Suzanne Stefanac / sstefanac@afi.com / 323.856.8429 or Richard Cardran / cardran@gmail.com / 323.376.9222

EVALUATION CRITERIA:
The purpose of the linear video recording is to provide a “Demo” that fully demonstrates, or “walks through,” the experience for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences judges who may not have access to the project during the voting process. Voiceover or other explanatory methods are allowed as necessary to provide a reasonable facsimile of the interactive experience. DO NOT include “promo,” “marketing,” or “sizzle reel” elements or examples of program material out of context. Including clips from the aired program that do not appear in the interactive offering is discouraged. Emphasis on non-interactive elements will result in a judging penalty.

Judging will be based on the following evaluation criteria:

User Experience: Interactive media scenarios should provide user experiences that are easy to navigate, flexible, responsive, robust, and rewarding. Each element of the overall whole should be seamlessly integrated and optimized for the intended platform(s).

Creative Achievement: Creative elements should exhibit a compelling overall vision, masterful execution, consistent integration of elements, and the fulfillment of the goals expressed in your written response.

Advancing Interactive Media: Submitted examples of interactive media should reflect the evolving state of today’s entertainment landscape by providing interactive experiences that are fresh, engaging, relevant, and commercially viable.

Design/Interface: The overall look and feel of interactive media entries should be attractive, intuitive, and consistently implemented. Graceful integration of layout and navigation elements, palette, graphics, video, audio, social networking opportunities, and other features are considered essential to audience enjoyment and usability.

Enhancing the Fiction or Nonfiction Scenario: Interactive media elements associated with linear fiction or non-fiction programming should extend and enhance the viewer experience, and provide opportunities for acquiring more information such as communicating, playing games, engaging other users, submitting user-generated content or other ways of directly engaging the user.

Remember to Tune In!