1) What are the two Interactive Media Primetime Emmy® Awards areas of competition for 2008?

2) I notice that News, Documentaries, Sports and Daytime programming are not included in either area of competition. Are interactive components for these types of programs eligible for Interactive Media Primetime Emmy® Awards?

3) In which area of competition should I enter my interactive television service or platform?

4) Can I re-submit entries from prior years?

5) How can I enter?

6) Must I be a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Interactive Media Peer Group to enter the competition?

7) Can I enter the same program or series in more than one Interactive Media Peer Group area of competition?

8) Can I enter my program or series in both the Interactive Media Peer Group category and the traditional Primetime Emmy® Award categories?

9) My program or series is a Broadband only distributed program, which category or area of competition should I enter?

10) What are linear and non-linear program or series entries? 

11) What should the demonstration video that accompanies my Entry Form include?

12) What is the entry fee and how is it paid?

13) Who judges the Primetime Emmy® Awards for Interactive Media?

1) What are the two Interactive Media Primetime Emmy® Awards areas of competition for 2008?
The two areas of competition are Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media—Fiction and Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media—Non-fiction. Both are juried awards, which means that one, more than one, or no awards may be given in either area of competition. Both awards recognize overall creative excellence in the interactive media components of a program or series.

Eligible entries in the Fiction area of competition include the 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 Non-fiction 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. 

2) I notice that News, Documentaries, Sports and Daytime programming are not included in either area of competition. Are interactive components for these types of programs eligible for Interactive Media Primetime Emmy® Awards?
In general, no. Programming that is produced by the news department or sports department of a network or media company are not eligible to compete in the Primetime Emmy® Awards competition. Recognition for these types of programming fall under the National Academy of Arts & Sciences domain and should be submitted in the appropriate categories through those organizations.

Informational programming such as specials, features or other subject matter programming related to, or about news, sports or other non-Primetime Emmy® Awards eligible genres of programming ARE eligible for recognition under Primetime Emmy® Awards guidelines. For more detailed information, please contact one of the above organizations or the Interactive Media Awards Committee: Geoff Katz <geoff@method.com>. 310 770 8312.

The Emmy® Awards are administered by three sister organizations who focus on various sectors of television programming: the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (prime time), the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (daytime, sports, news and documentary), and the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (international).

The Interactive Media Peer Group is part of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the Interactive Media Primetime Emmy® Awards recognizes outstanding creative achievement in Primetime Emmy® Awards eligible genres of programming. For details about the general Primetime Emmy® Awards rules and procedures see: http://www.emmys.org/downloads/index.php

3) In which area of competition should I enter my interactive television service or platform?
Interactive platforms or service offerings in-and-of themselves are no longer being considered as eligible for Interactive Media Primetime Emmy® Award recognition. However, If your interactive media service or platform adds specific interactive functionality to an eligible program or series you may, in partnership with the program or series producer/creator, enter that program or series in the apprpriate Interactive Media area of competition.

4) Can I re-submit entries from prior years?
Entries from prior years are not eligible unless they demonstrate substantial new works that have been commercially deployed domestically within  the period of June 1, 2007 – May 31, 2008. An example would be a qualifying work based on an ongoing show or series which submitted content created prior to June 1st 2007 for last year's entry and now has NEW content deployed domestically within the 2008 entry time frame that represents a new 'season' or body of work.

5) How can I enter?
Please review the Call for Entries and entry requirements found at: http://www.emmys.org/interactive. Download the PDF or Word format Entry Form, submit your entry fee, included your demonstration video and submit it to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences by the end-of-day Friday, May 30 2008.

6) Must I be a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Interactive Media Peer Group to enter the competition?
No. Anyone that is the official representative of a program or series can submit an entry.

7) Can I enter the same program or series in more than one Interactive Media Peer Group area of competition?
No. The 2008 Interactive Media Peer Group areas of competition for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Fiction and Non-Fiction will by definition only allow you to submit a single entry in one area of competition. Please evaluate your program or series and decide which area best represents the nature of your entry. Entries are judged on the creative excellence found within the interactive components associated with your program or series. In rare cases and at the discretion of the Interactive Media Peer Group,  entrants who have potentially 'undefined' or questionable cross-category entries may be contacted with an offer to resubmit to a different category if deemed appropriate.

8) Can I enter my program or series in both the Interactive Media Peer Group category and the traditional Primetime Emmy® Award categories?
Yes, under certain circumstances. The Interactive Media Peer Group evaluation is judged on the creative excellence found within the interactive components associated with your program or series. Entries to traditional Primetime Emmy® Award categories for program specific or individual achievement as these categories are governed by their own peer groups, are judged separately and award excellence based on different criteria - therefore you may enter in ONE Interactive Media Peer Group area of competition and as many other Primetime Emmy® Award categories as are appropriate.

A broadband-only narrative program or series with demonstrable associated interactivity may be entered in both Interactive Media and traditional Primetime Emmy® Award categories as long as the submissions are for demonstrably distinct achievements. Interactive Media Peer Group judging will evaluate the overall creative achievement of the interactive components and will not take into consideration the acting, directing, storytelling, or other non-interactive components of your program or series. 

9) My program or series is a Broadband only distributed program, which category or area of competition should I enter?
If the program or series requires no interaction beyond the usual playback options (Play, Stop, Pause, Fast-forward), it is not eligible in the Interactive Media category, but may be eligible for entry in the main Primetime Emmy® Award categories: http://www.emmys.tv/broadband/. To be eligible for entry in the Interactive Media Primetime Emmy® Award competition, interaction opportunities beyond those listed above need to demonstrated in the video that accompanies your entry. Links to live versions of the entry application may supplement the video but are not necessary.

The Interactive Media Primetime Emmy® Awards are judged by the members of the Interactive Media Peer Group based on the creative excellence found within the interactive components associated with your program or series. Simply being a broadband-only distributed work does not necessarily mean you have interactive components associated with your program or series. Linear programs or series that are distributed via broadband with little or no interactive components are eligible for recognition under traditional Primetime Emmy® Award categories and should be submitted in those categories. Bottomline: simply having broadband distribution does not make your program or series eligible to compete in the Interactive Media category.

10) What are linear and non-linear program or series entries?
Linear programming such as a single program or episodic series are works that embody a fixed and static narrative or content time-line shared by all viewers. However individual viewers may experience different or individual interactions with the linear show or series depending on how each individual user engages with the discreet interactive components. Linear programs or series may be entered in ONE Interactive Media Peer Group area of competition for evaluation judged on the creative excellence found within the interactive components associated with your program or series. Linear programming may additionally be entered in the traditional Primetime Emmy® Award categories and are judged separately and by different criteria - therefore you may enter in ONE Interactive Media Peer Group category and as many other ATAS categories as are appropriate.

Non-linear entries are entries that do NOT have a common shared experience of narrative, time-line or content. Examples are works that allow individual users or programmatic variables to personalize the program or series experience where by viewers may experience different narratives or time-lines. Non-Linear shows or series may be entered in ONE Interactive Media Peer Group category for evaluation judged on the creative excellence found within the interactive components. Non-linear programming may NOT be entered in the traditional Primetime Emmy® Awards categories. 

11) What should the demonstration video that accompanies my Entry Form include?
The demonstration video that accompanies your entry should be between 2 and 6 minutes in length and should walk the viewer through a typical interaction scenario highlighting the entire interactive media experience. To the extent possible, it should reflect the real-time experience. Submitting a "sizzle reel" in lieu of a true demonstration reel will result in a judging penalty.

12) What is the entry fee and how is it paid?
Please enclose along with the entry form a check payable to the ‘Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ or a Visa or Master Card (name, expiration date, amount) in the amount of $400.00 for an individual(s) submitting as Official Entrant; $600.00 for a company(s) submitting as Official Entrant.

NOTE: A Television Academy member’s share of an entry fee is waived. To calculate a member's share of either a $400 or $600 entry, divide the fee by the number of members and waive the members' fees. For example, if there are 4 entrants on an individual ($400) entry and one entrant is a member, waive $100 and pay $300.  If there are 3 companies listed on a company ($600) entry and two of them have members, waive $400 and pay $200.  Members may use one waiver per entry.  Waivers are not transferable. There is a limit of two entries for which members may use their waivers. 

13) Who judges the Primetime Emmy® Awards for Interactive Media?
As a juried award, the members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Interactive Media Peer group do the first round of judging. That round selects finalists in each area of competition. Finalists will be announced on or around Thursday July 17th 2008. Following that first round of judging by the broad peer group, a Blue Ribbon Panel of judges made up of industry experts and Interactive Media executives convene at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and select, one, more than one or no Primetime Emmy® Award winner for Interactive Media. Emmy® Award winners will be announced at the Creative Arts Ceremony on Saturday September 13, 2008 and/or the Primetime Emmy® Awards Ceremony on Sunday September 21, 2008.