The Quarantine Film Challenge

The argument

The Quarantine Film Challenge was created by the San Diego Film Consortium. This challenge is actually a competition with prizes instead of just a fun task to record and share with friends. The gist of the competition is that competitors must make a narrative, experimental, or documentary film about their experience in quarantine that is under five minutes long. The film can be based on a true experience during quarantine or inspired by being in quarantine. The competitors must write, edit, shoot, and submit their films themselves. The challenge launched on Friday, April 3rd and ends on July 15th. Anyone is allowed to participate in this challenge. There are a few rules on what kind of content is allowed. For films that are not explicitly about or inspired by the pandemic, the word “Corona-virus,” “COVID-19,” “Quarantine,” or “Pandemic” must be spoken on camera by at least one character in the film. Competitors must follow all of their local, regional, and national guidelines of quarantine, social distancing, and other pandemic safety. Films that disregard or disobey the pandemic guidelines will be disqualified. There are a number of creative elements of which competitors are encouraged to include at least two in their films. These creative elements include the Dutch angle, one shot, montage, crosscutting, slow motion, hero shot, jump cuts, zolley shot, freeze frame, Dolly shot, voiceover, jump scare, and flashbacks. The top films will be screened in a special San Diego Film Week Screening from August 19th to 30th. Some films will also be released online on an ongoing basis leading up to the San Diego Film Week. The winner of “best film” will win a $500 gift card to purchase a Panasonic Lumix Camera or lens at Nelson Photo Supplies. There will also be an audience choice award, which will be given to the film that gets the most engagement, via likes and shares, on social media. Overall, this challenge is much more regimented and formal than other social media challenges. Additionally, it is actually a competition with winners, which sets it apart from other challenges. This challenge is also very oriented around creativity, whereas some other challenges are based on physical shows of strength, endurance or coordination.

Premises

Counter-arguments

This challenge is only for filmmakers, whereas many other challenges can be completed by anyone with no prior experience in a field required. This makes the challenge inaccessible to many people, which means that the challenge will never be as popular as challenges where all kinds of people can participate. If popularity is a part of success, then this challenge is not the most successful. Additionally, this challenge is a formal competition started by an organization. Many other challenges arose organically, started by individuals with no monetary incentive to participate. For instance, the "Savage" challenge was started by just one person and became incredibly popular with no incentive to participate besides learning a fun dance. This kind of organic success, of starting at such a small scale and having no monetary incentive for participants, could be considered more legitimate than success that has been more manufactured. If we consider the origins of a challenge to be part of its success, then this is not the most successful challenge.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] This describes the challenge and establishes nothing about its success. The position claims it belongs among the most successful, and success needs a measure — entries, reach, imitation, participation — none of which the argument supplies. [Rejecting P2] The features listed cut against the claim rather than for it. Rules, eligibility conditions and prizes make something a competition, and competitions with barriers to entry attract fewer participants than open challenges — the counter's point about accessibility, since this one effectively asks for filmmakers. [Rejecting P3] Standing apart is not the same as succeeding, and the premise substitutes distinctiveness for the property being measured. The counter also identifies the pattern in the challenges that actually spread: started by individuals, with no incentive beyond the doing of them, and copied by very large numbers of people — a better-evidenced account of what makes one succeed.