Teachers + Chaperones

2025 Chaperone + Teacher Rules

January 12, 2024

Safety

• The primary focus of chaperones and teachers is the safety of students. Contact information for Clash of the Titans coordinators will be provided at the outset of the event, along with a WhatsApp group to facilitate communication. Chaperones will be briefed on safety protocols prior to the event and will be expected to adhere to them for the duration of their volunteering.

• Chaperones may not coach, advise, or intervene with students during production of films, unless a student is at risk of harm, at which point the authority of the chaperone supersedes the film production.

• A safety briefing for students and teachers will be provided on Wednesday night, prior to the launch of the challenge.

During the Challenge

• Teachers are allowed 20 minutes of Q&A/question answering with each Production Team (PT) on Tuesday the 23rd. Teachers cannot provide additional support beyond those 20 minutes at any point during the challenge.

Voting

• Participating teachers will act as the jury for the final films. Viewing of the films and voting commences at 8:30pm Friday night; all teachers will remain on ASP campus until voting is completed. 

• First, as you view each film, confirm that the film adheres to IB film guidelines as stated in the Student Challenge Rules.

• Then, using this voting sheet, rank each film from first to fifth place in each of the following categories:

  • Best Film

  • Best Directing

  • Best Screenwriting

  • Best Cinematography

  • Best Editing

  • Best Sound Design (not just soundtrack)

  • Best Acting

  • Best Use of Prop (it must be integral to the plot)

• A generic rubric can be found here, but it’s important to keep these three categories in mind: 

  • Proficiency in film language in the role chosen

  • Creativity in the role

  • Technical skills in the role chosen

• As always, keep in mind these are high school students who had fewer than 48 hours to produce a film from concept to final film.

• Please take the time to write a sentence or two for the film you chose as the Best Film. This commentary means a lot to students.

• Teachers cannot vote for any of the films from their school in any category. For example, if you are the ASP film teacher, none of your top 5 choices may be ASP films.

• Votes are due by 11pm on Friday, January 24, 2025. 

Fair Award Distribution Framework

This framework ensures fair and balanced recognition for all films, emphasizing quality while avoiding dominance by a single film. The system is tailored for 15 films, with a mix of standout contenders and participation-level entries.

Voting and Points System

Overall Best Film Voting:

• Judges rank the top 5 films overall. Points are awarded as follows:

  • 1st Place: 6 points

  • 2nd Place: 4 points

  • 3rd Place: 3 points

  • 4th Place: 2 points

  • 5th Place: 1 point

• The film with the highest total points is awarded Best Film.

Category-Specific Voting:

• Judges rank the top 5 films in each technical category (Best Director, Cinematography, Editing, Screenwriting, Sound Design).

• Points are allocated as above, and total points determine rankings in each category.

Award Allocation Rules

One Major Award Per Film Rule:

• Each film can win only one “cinematic” award (Best Film or a technical category), ensuring a fair recognition spread across entries.

Threshold for Eligibility:

• To be eligible, a film must score at least 50% of the maximum possible points in a category (15 points).

• Calculation: With 5 Judges voting, the maximum points per category are:

  • With 5 teachers voting, a film must score at least 15 points (50% of the maximum possible points) to be eligible.

Best Film Exclusion Rule:

• The Best Film winner cannot win technical awards, even if it scores highest in those categories. This ensures recognition for other films.

Reallocation When No Top 3 Films Remain:

• If all top 3 films in a category have already won awards, the award goes to the next highest-ranking eligible film, even if it is ranked 4th or 5th, to ensure every category is awarded.

Key Advantages of System

• Threshold for Quality: Ensures awards go to films that meet a minimum standard, avoiding undeserving winners.

• Fair Distribution: Guarantees no single film dominates, spreading recognition across multiple participants.

• Balanced Recognition: Ensures all awards are distributed, even if lower-ranked films must receive them when others are ineligible.

Order for Locking Winners

• Best Film (Overall Winner)

  • Lock this first, as it often represents the most well-rounded project.

  • Films that win here should generally not win multiple major categories (unless clearly justified).

• Best Directing

  • Award to the filmmaker who exhibited outstanding vision and leadership.

  • Typically complements Best Film, so ensure there’s no overlap unless deserved.

• Best Screenwriting

  • Focus on the originality and quality of storytelling.

  • This category often highlights films that excel in narrative but might not dominate in technical areas.

• Best Cinematography

  • Recognize films with outstanding visual composition and camera work.

  • This category rarely overlaps with awards like Editing or Sound Design, so it’s safer to lock early.

• Best Editing

  • Lock Editing after Cinematography to avoid giving one film both, unless the editing is particularly groundbreaking.

  • Editing and Direction often align, so consider prior winners carefully.

• Best Sound Design

  • A strong technical category that usually supports a film with excellent audio storytelling.

  • Place it after Editing to avoid awarding the same film for multiple technical aspects unless warranted.

Special Scenarios

Scenario: No Eligible Film in a Category (e.g., Sound Design)

If there are no films with more than 15 points in a given category (e.g., Sound Design):

• Second Award for Films with Prior Wins:

  • If the top-scoring film has already won another award, it can still receive a second award in this scenario.

• Tie-Breaking Rule:

  • If there is a tie among films that have already won other awards, the tie is resolved by following the category locking order:

    • Best Film winner takes precedence over others.

    • If neither tied film won Best Film, refer to the next category in the order (e.g., Best Direction, Best Screenplay).

• Judges’ Discretion:

  • In exceptional cases where point-based selection doesn’t resolve the tie or eligibility, the judges may consider creative merit and execution to make the final decision.

Implementation Steps

1. Calculate Points for All Films:

   • Ensure all categories are scored accurately and transparently.

2. Lock Winners Sequentially:

   • Follow the established category order to avoid conflicts and overlaps.

3. Resolve Conflicts Using Rules Above:

   • Apply redistribution or tie-breaking rules as needed to finalize winners.

4. Announce with Transparency:

   • Clearly communicate the rationale behind award decisions during the event.

Example Application in Sound Design:

• If no film exceeds 15 points in Sound Design, check the film with the highest score below 15.

• If the highest-scoring film has already won Best Film, award it a second time to recognize its exceptional overall quality.

• If there’s a tie between films that have previously won awards, give the Best Film winner precedence.

• Announce the winner with a brief explanation of the process to maintain transparency.

Award Distribution Example:

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