New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Dallas Chamber Symphony invites filmmakers from around the world to participate in its Second Annual Sight of Sound Film Competition by creating new, short, silent films that are set to and inspired by a piece of classical music (much like Disney's Fantasia, yet inclusive of live-action films). The deadline for original entries is March 1, 2015 with the winners being announced at the Symphony's April 28, 2015 season finale. The competition and event are co-sponsored by the Video Association of Dallas.
"It has been our goal from day one to provide North
Texas with an alternative to typical symphonic performances," says Richard McKay, Artistic
Director and Conductor of the Dallas Chamber Symphony. "We have gained accolades and a significant fan base for our concerts which pair classic silent movies to newly commissioned musical scores. Sight of Sound is a logical, yet innovative extension as it explores the opposite of this creative cinematic process."
At the April 28th event, all finalists will receive a live concert screening of their films at Dallas City Performance Hall with the orchestra performing the soundtrack live-to-film on stage. Finalists are also eligible to receive a $500 Audience Favorite Award (selected by audience members via text), as well as a $500 Best Picture Award to be determined by the competition's jury of filmmakers.
"Sight of Sound provides an amazing opportunity for artists to create new films for pairing with some of the greatest masterpieces in classical music, while extending professional recognition and exposure to filmmakers with local music and film critics who will attend the event," says McKay.
Filmmakers may either submit a film for accompaniment with one of the competition's nine 2015 music selections or enter a 'wild card' submission that is set to a piece of their choosing. Films can be narrative, abstract, animation, live action, etc., as a diverse variety of formats and interpretations are welcome. The most successful entries tend to be those films that are three to ten minutes in duration and exhibit a strong interplay between sound and picture. Filmmakers should consult the competition guidelines found at SightOfSound.org prior to submitting a film. Sample films, including last year's winning film, can also be found on the website.
After the debut concert, quarterfinalists and finalists are given complimentary license to use and distribute the orchestra's professional musical recording, dubbed to their films, across all motion media, worldwide in perpetuity.
ABOUT DALLAS CHAMBER SYMPHONY
Named Best of Big D 2014 by D Magazine, and Best Classical
Music Addition 2013 by the Dallas Observer, the Dallas Chamber Symphony is one of the most exciting and innovative professional performance ensembles in North Texas. Led by Artistic
Director and Conductor Richard McKay, it is comprised of 40 musicians, all dedicated to performing a balance of programs that include underrepresented and standard chamber repertory, contemporary music, staged works, and pieces with extra-musical elements, such as film, actors and dancers.
The DCS performs at the gorgeous new City Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District, and provides educational and community programming, including an annual International Piano Competition at SMU, field-trip concerts for area youth, and Sight of Sound, an annual International Film Competition. For more information, visit https://www.DallasChamberSymphony.org.
ABOUT VIDEO ASSOCIATION OF DALLAS
The mission of the Video Association is to promote an understanding of video as a creative medium and cultural force in our society, and to support and advance the work of
Texas artists working in video and the electronic arts. The Video Association of Dallas (VAD) is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated on April 25, 1989. It began in 1986 as a weekend event, "Video As A Creative Medium", presented at the Dallas Museum of Art by independent curators Barton Weiss and John Held. That first event, which included two nights of video by selected local and national video artists, was a great popular success, which led to the founding of the Dallas VideoFest (DVF) in 1987. Video Association of Dallas also presents the 24-Hour Video Race, the
Texas Show Tour, North
Texas College Film Festival,
Texas Fllmmakers Production Fund workshops, Three Star Cinema, and other programs throughout the year.
