Siemens launched ‘Changing Your City for the Better,’ a video contest on Zooppa, the world’s leading source of user-generated advertising. Filmmakers from around the world are challenged to show how people use technology to overcome humanity’s challenges. Siemens offers 15 cash awards totaling $40,000, with the first place winner receiving $15,000.
Filmmakers can submit their HD short films that demonstrate how technological innovations improve urban life and create a better world. Personal experience is the basic criterion for the films evaluation. Siemens encourages filmmakers to use their own experiences with urban life while shooting a video. In brief, videos should discover the topic of innovations in energy supply management; urban infrastructure and building efficiency—points that make cities more sustainable.
«It has always been essential for us to pioneer new territories in communications, especially in the digital area», says Tobias Dennehy, Editor in Chief Corporate Communications at Siemens. «After launching our new storytelling format ‘/answers’ on siemens.com together with renowned documentary filmers and journalists in late February, crowdsourcing content for this magazine is the natural next step for us. After all: the web is no longer about broadcasting; it’s about listening and ‘joint-casting’. That’s exactly what we’re aiming for in our cooperation with zooppa: listen to the community, get new, surprising impulses for our digital corporate flagship magazine /answers around urban life in the 21st century.»
Filmmakers can submit on Zooppa through September 30, 2011. Siemens is looking for contributions from around the world, so videos, which must be 2—5 minutes long, can be shot in any language, but have to be provided with English language text script. All videos will be judged by representatives of Siemens based on equal parts storytelling ability, HD production value, adherence to the brief and accuracy.
Siemens, the ‘Best Global Green Brand’#3, with its 160-years history of international technological excellence and innovation, asks participants not to use Siemens branding in the videos but make it their own human story.