ShotDeck Recreations Contest is Back –  Submissions are Open Until July 31

Filmmaking Competition

by Mascha DeikovaJuly 17^th, 2023

The ShotDeck Recreations Contest is back again and open for your entries. It’s the third time filmmakers can recreate an image from their favorite film and get a chance to win some fame, glory, and valuable pieces of equipment. This year, organizers doubled the total prize value, which now exceeds $60,000, and brought in industry-leading sponsors like Sony, amaran, Sidus Link, Rosco, and many more. What you need in order to submit your shot recreation, who can participate, and which camera you should use – all the most important contest details are waiting below.

ShotDeck is one of the world’s leading visual libraries of cinematic imagery, founded by Lawrence Sher ASC, the Academy Award-nominated cinematographer of “Joker” (and soon: “Joker 2”, now in post-production), and the DP of many other major features (“Black Adam”, “Godzilla”, “Hangover”, “Garden State”, just to name a few).

The contest’s idea goes back to the COVID-19 times when Lawrence and his wife spent quarantine at home recreating famous stills from movies, using simple cell phones and props at hand. Later, they had a spark of inspiration in inviting other filmmakers to join, and the results were astonishing. Last year’s ShotDeck Recreations Contest received over 800 entries from more than 150 countries across 6 continents. Now, you also have an opportunity to participate and win really great prizes!

How to participate?

To enter the competition, you don’t need much: only an idea as to which film/series/music video image you would like to recreate, and some time and basic equipment for doing so at home. It doesn’t matter which camera you use (anything from a cell phone to ARRI Alexa Mini LF will suffice), or how complicated your overall gear setup is. The judges want to see your creative approach and maximum possible accuracy in shot recreation.

Submissions are accepted in the following format: original inspiration photo on top and recreated still underneath. Participants should post these two photos on their own Instagram account with the hashtag #shotdeckrecreations. Every applicant must also upload their result to the official DropBox Folder, alongside behind-the-scenes pictures of the working process, a submission form, and a parental consent form (if the applicant is between 13-18 years old).

Entry for the ShotDeck Recreations Contest is free of charge. However, the original shot that you choose must be available on the ShotDeck Database. If you don’t have a subscription plan yet, you can sign up for a free 2-week trial here. Another important note: your recreated still shouldn’t consist of any visual effects or comping. Color correction is, of course, allowed. To check all the other rules and regulations, please head over to the official announcement.

Different categories

Similar to last year, the competition will include different nominations like Best Lighting, Best DIY Setup, and so on. Additionally, four sponsors are providing bonus categories that are open for submissions from everyone. For example, if you download the free Sidus Link App, use the so-called Diagram Master feature when planning your recreation, and then include the overhead diagram as part of BTS, you will automatically compete for a special prize.

This year, organizers also introduced the first-ever video category, supported by Sony.

What can you win in the ShotDeck Recreations Contest?

And now to the most exciting part. The winner of the Grand Prize 2023 will receive a Sony FX6 Camera.

Among other sponsored prizes are:

• amaran lights, such as amaran PT2c 2-Light Kit, or amaran 300c, and others,
• Blackmagic’s DaVinci Speed Editors and licenses for Resolve Studio 18,
• diverse Pelican cases,
• Warm Diffusion Filter Set from Tiffen,
• Zeiss Milvus Lens (with focal length & mount of winner’s choice),
• Atomos Sumo Studio 19 Monitor.

…as well as other valuable products from the other sponsors.

Judges of ShotDeck Recreations Contest 2023

The judges of this year’s competition have not been announced yet, but the organizers promise an even better turnout with a lot of returning judges and several new faces. As you may recall, the previous jury included such names as Mandy Walker, Natasha Braier, award-winning director Todd Phillips, and Oscar-winning DPs Erik Messerschmidt, and Greig Fraser. I genuinely wonder how it is even possible to top this list.

Call to action!

So, what are you waiting for? The competition is open for entries until 11:59 pm GMT on July 31, 2023, so you still have half a month left to submit your shot recreation. And remember the most important part about this challenge – have fun while creating.

Have you already submitted your entry? If not, are you going to do it? What film still would you like to recreate? Share your thoughts and submission ideas in the comments below!

Feature image credit: ShotDeck