Christy R.’s blog

 What is MTV + ME?It’s about you and what you can do. MTV + ME is a campaign that allows you to present your MTV MIDs on-air, on MTV.
What is an MID?

An MID is the MTV channel ident that allows you to create the MTV logo. It lets you be creative with the MTV logo. An MID is an MTV ID.
What is the brief or theme?

There is no brief or theme, so you can be creative in your own way with the MTV logo – you can do it in 2D, 3D, animation, photography, video clip, etc. However, you have to follow the duration of MTV and it’s technological specifications (answered below) and create a piece that would not interfere with MTV’s broadcasting regulations.
How does the campaign work?

You create, upload, and MTV staff assess. Each week the best works are selected out by random and are helped by the MTV staff to make their broadcasting quality from good to even better.
Duration (how long should your MID be?)

MTV requests your MID to be either 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 60 seconds long.
Music (what’s important to know from this page?)

You either have to create your own music piece to include with the MID or select original music pieces from MTV’s audio templates/ music beds.

MTV will not accept music pieces that were not originally created by you or any pieces that do not exist in its database specifically made to volunteer you on your MID. Yes, despite the fact that your non-audio is original.
Where do I get the MTV logo?

The MTV logo and logo guideline can be found/downloaded from http://www.mtvasia.com/mtvme/downloads.html.
Technological specifications (copy, paste, and discuss them on your blog)

The guideline sounds quite complicated, especially the online submissions part. All the numbers, formats confuse me. I’m already a confused person! =/ You have to have a format that allows you to upload + submit to MTV, then another format when your work is selected…. That wasn’t very helpful…! Perhaps the only thing I understood was the fact that it had to be at the maximum file size of 10 MB. Otherwise, I did not understand anything else other than the bullet points. Your work must be appropriate for the wide audience, have original content, have a suitable title for submission. The only downside this may be is that submitted material are non-returnable.

You can submit as many as you want.
What do I get at the end of this?

A spotlight on MTV – well, your name on MTV, along with your work shown on it. You can also get into exclusive MTV premiums. In addition, you can be nominated in MTV’s awards that honour the best MIDs produced.

You may also be offered an internship with On-Air Promos department if your work gets featured.

The downloads section:

• Guidelines: Wow! Quite complicated! It has a lot of ‘Do Nots’. I think I would need it beside me or minimized, simply just there in case. The examples helped a lot in helping me understand it though. I’m thinking, showbiz is harder than it seems. A lot of brains I think.
• MTV logo formats: I was only able to view the first and last 2 logos because I don’t have the program for the 2nd. I think the white MTV logo was most appealing because I think that I could work with it more. Make it black when I want, add in all kinds of colors. That’s what I think of it anyways.
• Audio templates: I’m downloading all of them. I’ve listened to all of the fast tracks and I’ve listened to 3 of the medium tracks. So far, electro dream has been appealing to me. However, most of them made me felt an urge to be creative and they were quite different from each other so it’s unclear whether I actually have a favorite. Edit: I’ve listened to all of them and now as I have, I feel like I will be using them to my advantage. Some good tracks to go with different themes! Maybe I would want vocal in it later on, but maybe not. I’m indifferent for now. I like the tracks though! =) ‘The Right Stuff’ sounds appealing. Good beat.

The uploads page: Not too complicated. At least on the surface. A title, the file, a box to tick for the agreements of MTV’s term and conditions, and a submit button. It has the guidelines that you have to follow for an MID to be accepted.

The gallery section:

1. Who made it? Firman Machda from Indonesia. How long is it? I’m not quite sure. Perhaps 10 seconds. Edit: I timed it. More like 30 seconds. What techniques did he/she use? 3D animation. Trance/electro music I think. Do you like it? Not really. All I really understood was a martian… releasing a human being… headphones… stuff coming out of martian… done. No, I didn’t necessarily like it.
2. Who made it? Christina Guerreiro from Portugal. How long is it? 10 seconds. What techniques did he/she use? 2D animation I guess. With electro in the background. Do you like it? Nah not really. I don’t like her style of drawing.
3. Who made it? Caroline Attia from France. How long is it? 10 seconds. What techniques did he/she use? 2D animation too. With electro in the background. Do you like it? This one was more decent from the others. But maybe it’s because of the small video screen, all of them seem so crowded together. This MID was pretty cute. I’ve seen better drawings but I don’t  know if I could do better than her. 
4. Who made it? Aras Parmawam from Netherlands. How long is it? 10 seconds. What techniques did he/she use? Realistic coffee, 3D background, 3D shapeshifting object. With electro in the background. Do you like it? Not quite. I think the coffee and the shapeshifting object didn’t go to well together. Could better.
5. Who made it? Aras Parmawam from Netherlands (again). How long is it? 10 seconds. What techniques did he/she use? 3D, shapeshifting. With electro in the background. Do you like it? This was better than the last. I’m indifferent. 

Source: Viacom International Inc., “MTV + ME: We want your work on MTV.” MTV Asia. 2008. Viacom International Inc.. 14 May 2008 http://www.mtvasia.com/mtvme/.

How to evaluate my finished project: 

Fill out my own survey with total honesty. 

1. Did I record my ideas? Tried my best at demonstrating them during the planning step? 
2. Did I have an overwhelmingly wonderful feel at the end of the show?
3. Was it creative?
4. Was it more appealing than it was creative?
5. Did it make you go, ‘oh!’?
6. Was the sound quality at a high standard?
7. Was the visualization sharp and at the peak of its theme?
8. Was it relative all together?
9. Did the substances in the MID work well to make each other thrive?
10. Last, but not least, was it inspirational and motivating to the audience at the same time?

 /10