*Solar Idol Contest

Official Rules

Windfall Ecology Centre is proud to present the *Solar Idol Contest!

The *Solar Idol Contest is governed by the rules set out below. By entering the Contest, Ontario high school students agree to abide by those rules and the decisions of Windfall, *Solar Idol administration, and Contest judges. Students also agree to comply with all applicable laws.

1. *Solar Idol Contest – Important Dates

Contestants can upload their video submissions from 12:01am EST on Monday April 2nd, 2012 to 11:59pm EST on Friday June 29th , 2012. Entries, along with registration forms, must be uploaded and received by *Solar Idol within this time period to be eligible. Video entries and registration forms received after 11:59pm EST on Friday June 29th, 2012 will be disqualified.

2. How to Enter

You must be enrolled in an Ontario high school to enter the *Solar Idol Contest.

Once you have produced a video, please follow the next steps:

1. Log-in to Vimeo, or create a basic Vimeo account (for free!) at www.vimeo.com
2. After you are logged-in, click UPLOAD at the top of the screen.
3. Click CHOOSE A FILE TO UPLOAD, making sure to read Vimeo's uploading rules.
4. Select the video you want to upload, and press OPEN.
5. Fill out the TITLE and DESCRIPTION fields and click SAVE CHANGES.
6. Once the video is finished uploading, on the same page, select PRIVACY along the left-hand side of the screen.
7. On the PRIVACY page, ensure that the following is selected:
a. Who can see this video: ANYONE
b. What can people do with this video: CHECK BOTH BOXES
c. Who can post comments on this video: ANYONE
d. Click SAVE CHANGES.
8. Click on GO TO VIDEO to finish converting your video to Vimeo. This may take a few minutes.
9. Under VIDEOS at the top of the page, click on MY VIDEOS. Click on your *Solar Idol Contest video.
10. Click SHARE in the top right-hand corner of your video.
11. In the TYPE A NAME OR EMAIL ADDRESS field, type our username – Windfall Ecology Centre – and select Windfall Ecology Centre, Ontario Canada from the pop-up list.
12. In the PERSONAL MESSAGE field, please type *Solar Idol Video Submission.
13. Click SHARE and then click CLOSE WINDOW.

14. Please fill out and submit a completed registration form, found on the Resources page. If you are under 18 years of age, please fill out a Minor Release Form signed by your parent and/or legal guardian.

You can submit this form(s) by:

Scanning and emailing to: shine@solaridol.org

Faxing to: (905) 727-0491

Mailing to:

*Solar Idol Contest
c/o Windfall Ecology Centre
93A Industrial Parkway South
Aurora, ON L4G 3V5

This is a very important step, and your video submission will not be eligible for Contest submission without a registration form!

Once we receive your video submission and completed registration form, you will receive a confirmation email. *Solar Idol staff will review your video to ensure that it follows Contest rules and, if eligible, your video will be posted on our exclusive *Solar Idol Video Channel on Vimeo. Please allow a few days for your video to appear on the *Solar Idol Video Channel.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your video is properly registered as described above, and adheres to Vimeo rules and regulations. Windfall Ecology Centre and *Solar Idol will not be responsible for any lost, delayed, illegible, incomplete, damaged or undeliverable entries.

Please submit your video only once. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 48 hours after submitting your video, please contact shine@solaridol.org

Windfall Ecology Centre and the *Solar Idol Contest is not associated with Vimeo. You must abide by Vimeo’s terms of use, and *Solar Idol is not liable to you regarding your use of Vimeo.

3. Eligibility – Entrants

There is no cost or fee associated with the *Solar Idol Contest.

Only Ontario students enrolled in a high school at the time of entry are eligible to enter the *Solar Idol Contest.

*Solar Idol staff may at any time, in their sole discretion, disqualify any entrant who does not meet the *Solar Idol Contest’s eligibility criteria, and/or who fails to comply by the rules.

4. Eligibility – Videos

Your video must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the *Solar Idol Contest:

* It must meet all guidelines and criteria imposed by Vimeo .
* It must showcase your renewable energy solution to the world’s climate crisis. Renewable energy solutions can fall into one or more of these categories: photovoltaic, photosynthesis, wind, water, transportation, heat, architecture, entrepreneurship, and/or other.
* It must not contain, depict or refer to any crude, vulgar, obscene, sexually explicit, discriminatory, offensive, illegal or otherwise unsuitable language, activity or other content.
* It must not contain any content that violates any law or any third party’s rights, including privacy, personality and intellectual property rights.
* It must not promote, depict or refer to any commercial enterprises, nor should it contain URL’s or logos laid over video footage.
* It must be submitted into the *Solar Idol Contest along with a completed registration form, and a release form if the student is under 18 years of age.

5. Video Contents

This is where you can get creative! Your video can be in black and white, or in colour. It can be enhanced with special effects, graphics, or animation. It can be narrated or silent.

The video must meet technical specifications required by Vimeo for it to be uploaded and received by the *Solar Idol Contest. Please see the Technical Specifications section on the About page.

By submitting a video to the *Solar Idol Contest, you represent and warrant that:

* You and/or your *Solar Idol Team are the original creator(s) of the video;
* You and/or your *Solar Idol Team are the sole owner(s) of the copyright and all other rights in the video and all contest in the video;
* The *Solar Idol Contest will not infringe or violate any third party’s intellectual property, privacy, personality or other rights when the *Solar Idol Contest copies, displays, or otherwise uses that video in connection with the Contest or any advertising; and,
* The video meets all of the eligibility requirements set out in these rules.

If the *Solar Idol Contest suspects that any of the above terms are untrue, the *Solar Idol Contest may disqualify your entry.

6. Subject and Participant Release

If a video shows any individual in a way that the individual can be recognized, you must obtain written consent from that individual to permit the *Solar Idol Contest to copy, display and otherwise use the video, and you must give the *Solar Idol Contest the original copy of that consent form upon the Contest’s request. Please see the Resources page for a sample Consent Form. Videos that are submitted with inadequate documentation, as determined by the *Solar Idol Contest, will not be eligible for submission.

7. Voting and Judging Process

People’s Choice Award:

During the competition period, students and the public may vote for their favourite video submission by following the instructions on the Contest website.

Voting will begin on July 2nd, 2012 at 10:00am EST, and end on Friday September 7th, 2012 at 11:59pm EST. The video with the most votes at the end of the voting period will win the People’s Choice Award prize.

To vote for your favourite video, visit the *Solar Idol Video Channel on Vimeo and watch all of the *Solar Idol Contest video submission. Once you have chosen your favourite video, click on the “Like” button, which is the heart in the top right-hand corner of the video screen.

Judging of Finalists:

The *Solar Idol Contest will select the judges in its sole discretion. The Contest judges will select the first, second and third place winners from video submissions received. The judges’ decisions will be based on the following criteria, and will not be limited to or restricted by category:

* Originality, creativity and innovation
* Positive environmental impact
* School/community/global benefit
* Capacity of solution and/or idea to be implemented
* Ability to inspire, educate and engage
* Video’s artistic and creative merit

The judging will be completed by June 20th, 2012. Decisions of the Contest judges will be final and binding. Winners of the *Solar Idol Contest will be notified and announced in September 2012.

8. Winners

Producers, or in the case of group submissions, the person labeled as Producer on the registration form, of winning videos will be notified by email. In order for these finalists to be declared *Solar Idol Contest winners and be eligible for a prize, each finalists must have complied with, and remain in compliance with these rules, and must sign and deliver to the Windfall Ecology Centre (within days of the Centre’s request) a standard declaration and release form, which will include declaration of the finalists’ compliance with these rules, an acceptance of the prize as awarded, a publicity release, a liability release, and any other documentation that the *Solar Idol Contest and Windfall Ecology Centre may require.

Windfall may request valid proof of identity, residency, age and other relevant documentation, and Windfall may disqualify a finalist if it determines that the provided proof is not sufficient.

If the prize notification is returned as undeliverable, or if a selected finalist does not comply with the above requirements within the above time frames, or does not comply with these rules, the finalist will be disqualified and the Contest judges will select a replacement finalist.

The odds of winning are dependent on the number of video submissions received.

The *Solar Idol Contest expects to announce the names of Contest winners in September 2012.

9. Prizes:

There are 4 prizes to be won. The 4 prizes will be awarded to the finalists as follows:

Best Overall Video ................... $500
2nd Place .................................. $250
3rd Place ................................... $125
People’s Choice Award ............. $125

All prizes must be accepted as awarded, with no substitutions, and may not be sold, transferred, or converted into cash.

10. Cancellation

If for any reason, the *Solar Idol Contest cannot run the Contest as planned, Windfall may cancel, modify, extend or suspend the Contest. In that event, prizes may be awarded at random from among the eligible entries received up to the time of impairment, or award no prizes.

11. License to Windfall Ecology Centre and the *Solar Idol Contest

By entering a video in the *Solar Idol Contest, you waive all rights you may have with respect to the video, including all moral rights and rights of personality, publicity or privacy, and you grant Windfall and the *Solar Idol Contest the unrestricted, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide license to use, reproduce, communicate, and display the video (in whole or in part) for any purpose without any fee or other form of compensation, and without further notification or permission, including without limitation to the following purposes:

* Reproducing, publishing, and displaying some or all of the video as part of the Contest or otherwise;
* Identifying you by name as the owner of the video;
* Judging the Contest;
* Displaying the winning entries in the Contest; and,
* For the Contest’s advertising purposes, including to advertise the Contest, future Contests, and Windfall’s products and services.

12. Publicity

Except where otherwise prohibited by law, participation in the Contest constitutes a winner’s consent to Windfall’s and *Solar Idol’s use of the winner’s name, home town, and school name for promotional purposes without further notification, permission, payment or consideration.

13. Disclaimers, Liability and Indemnification

Windfall does not accept liability for any loss or damage of any videos entered in the *Solar Idol Contest or for any other loss or damage as a result from your participation in the Contest.

Windfall is not responsible for: (a) incorrect or inaccurate transcription of entry information or late, lost or incomplete entries; (b) technical failures of any kind, including without limitation to the malfunctioning of any telephone, computer, network, hardware, or software; (c) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any service; (d) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Contest; (e) electronic or human error which may occur in the administration of the Contest or in the processing of entries; or (f) any injuries or damage to persons or property, including without limitation to your computer, which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from your participation in the *Solar Idol Contest or from downloading any material from the Contest or Windfall website.

Windfall will not be liable to you for any indirect, special, consequential, or punitive damages in connection with the Contest and these rules. By participating in the *Solar Idol Contest, you release and agree to indemnify and hold harmless Windfall and its employees, directors, affiliates, judges and promotional agencies from any and all damages, injuries, claims, causes of actions, or losses of any kind resulting from your participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize.

14. Personal Information

You consent to Windfall and *Solar Idol using and disclosing your personal information for the purpose of administering the Contest; advertising the Contest and any future Contests and any of Windfall’s products and services; and for the purposes described in these rules. If Windfall and *Solar Idol uses some or all of your video for advertising purposes, Windfall will only disclose your first name in that advertising unless you consent to Windfall and *Solar Idol also disclosing your last name.

15. Law

The Contest rules will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada and the federal laws of Canada applicable in Ontario.

16. Further Information

For more information, please contact *Solar Idol at:

*Solar Idol Contest
c/o Windfall Ecology Centre
93A Industrial Parkway South
Aurora, ON L4G 3V5
shine@solaridol.org