2015 FAQ for Fans 

Questions, frequently asked by fans

Our About Fans page gives you a good snapshot of the fan experience.
Have a question? Please review the FAQ below BEFORE contacting us directly. We’ll publish updates regularly. If your question is not covered below, email us at: faq@cinecoup.com

Overview

Why CineCoup?

Because we love movies...don’t you?

The only thing more fun than watching movies is making them, so we figured why not make the movies that fans want to see by asking all of you which ideas you like the best. To this we challenge filmmakers to start building an audience before the cameras even start rolling, and that means getting YOU to participate in the process by supporting them!

1. There’s a change happening in the entertainment industry. No longer is it simply film  and television. There is ONLY CONTENT and it can be distributed with wifi and a laptop. The problem is there are now millions of creative voices. We want to help some of those voices be heard.

2. In an industry plagued by indecision, CineCoup aims to give all Filmmakers a quick “Yes” or “No” instead of a long string of “Maybes” based on how well their idea is received by fans...YOU.

3. Most importantly we’re looking for talented people who understand that being a filmmaker is being an entrepreneur as well. Look at all your favorite filmmakers. From Walt Disney to J.J. Abrams (do you think the same person gets to reinvent BOTH Star Trek and Star Wars based on directing ability alone?) they all realized early on that they needed more than a script to find success. We’re hoping this process will guide filmmakers and awaken that entrepreneurial spirit inside of them.

How does it work?

Simple, AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION HELPS TEAMS ADVANCE!

You need to WATCH videos, RATE videos, SHARE videos, complete FAN REWARDS, and EARN VOTES which you can use to help your favourite team advance towards that sweet production money!

You need get behind your favourite teams and scream their awesomeness across the inter-webs! The more fans participate, the more it helps! Here’s how it breaks down:

  1. You watch videos and look at content
  2. You rate them, comment on them, and share them on Facebook and Twitter. In addition to showing us how much you love a team, this also earns you votes!
  3. Use your votes during 3 Voting Windows to help your favourites advance (see the Voting FAQ section).
  4. Make no mistake about it, WE’RE MEASURING EVERYTHING! It takes a combination of votes, watching, rating, and sharing for a team and their project to make it to Cineplex Theatres.

How long does it last?

Approximately 12 weeks.

ADVANCEMENT PERIOD: Monday, March 16 to Sunday, June 14, 2015*. Filmmakers create content to develop their projects. CineCoup publishes the content while fans share it over the internet to promote their favourite teams.

*Dates are subject to change.

Who can participate?

Anyone over the age of 18!

It doesn’t matter which country you call home! Invite your friends, share the awesome, and support your favourite filmmakers! Fandom has no borders!

Why participate?

A better question is why not? This all about supporting filmmakers and making the movies that YOU want to see. So if you don’t participate the only logical explanation is that you hate movies and filmmakers (and probably kittens too) and you want to crush their dreams. Why would you do that?! What did kittens ever do to you?!

Also, participating helps get the content you want onto the screens you like to watch. TELL US WHAT YOU WANT by supporting some talented filmmakers and their great ideas.

What kind of movies are you looking for?

CineCoup is looking for genre films, such as Sci-Fi, Horror, Action, Thriller, and Comedy. Also acceptable are documentaries whose subject matter falls within these genres and their target demographics (eg, King of Kong, Indie Game: The Movie, Trekkies, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, etc.)

Great examples include movies that can be pitched on their title alone. Brilliant films such as Jaws, Star Wars or WolfCop (available on DVD and Blu-ray March 10!).

What we’re really looking for are strong TEAMS. A group of filmmakers who compliment each other, support each other, and when the pressure is on... together they get the sh*t done.

Are you looking for another WolfCop?

No. We’re in the process of making WolfCop 2, so another one would be a little redundant. That being said, everyone loved WolfCop’s throwback, grindhouse style, so it really all depends on what resonates with fans.

What do filmmakers get from this deal?

A common misconception among young filmmakers is that all you need is a good idea and a script. This couldn’t be further from the truth. You also need the right doors to be opened at the right time, a strong pitch, and the desire to keep moving forward after a door has been slammed in your face.

ALL TEAMS who participate will:

  • Build a professional, multimedia package to promote and pitch their project to financiers, producers, networks, and studios.
  • Develop media and social marketing savvy.
  • Gain press and exposure while building an audience for their ideas.

FOR TOP PROJECTS, CineCoup will:

  • Greenlight one project with (up to) $1 Million (CDN) in production financing to create a feature film to be released in Cineplex Theaters.
  • Option a minimum of five (5) and a maximum of ten (10) projects for development.
  • Work with all optioned projects to develop, package and position them with other producers, studios, networks, etc.

What are “The Crowd” and “The Critic” videos?

Every time mission videos are published on the CineCoup website, one mission video is selected as “The Crowd”, and one as “The Critic”. These designations are given to videos that have received high accolades from either fans or the CineCoup team.

“The Crowd” is a representation of how much audience support a specific video has generated for its team. This is another reason it’s important to share your favourite videos (via the CineCoup website) and get more people to support your project. Earning “The Crowd” title can bring a team front-and-center as the first thing everyone sees when they are exploring projects – and we all know the more eyeballs on your project, the better! 

“The Critic” title is opinion-based, and is determined by a committee of CineCoup Producers. Collectively, these industry pros are responsible for producing thousands of hours of television and theatrical content.

PLEASE NOTE: To prevent unfair gaming (cheating), CineCoup is unable to publish exact details relating to “The Crowd” algorithm.

Is CineCoup a contest? It sounds like a contest.

No, CineCoup is not a contest. It’s an independent studio that’s focused on supporting independent projects and bringing creative talent into the public eye to help filmmakers connect with untapped audiences.

The advancement process is decided through fan participation, which combines Performance Indicators, voting, and evaluation from CineCoup producers. CineCoup does not offer a “prize”, but instead guarantees to option a minimum of five projects and finance one project with (up to) $1 Million in production financing and a release in Cineplex Theatres.

  1. We are not giving anyone a $1,000,000 prize. We are providing production financing and support.
  2. After the Final 5 are selected, the Big Deal recipient is not chosen at random or by social voting. It is selected by CineCoup in its sole discretion.

I think your whole program is rigged.

You can think that, but you’d be wrong.

We wait for thousands of fans to tell us what they want through their participation in the CineCoup website (no one’s forcing fans to watch videos, rate videos, share videos, or vote for projects). Through a combination of Performance Indicators (based on fan participation) and voting, the project selection is narrowed to five teams. From those Final 5 CineCoup selects one that that has the most potential and can be realistically made for a budget of up to $1 Million. There is no secrecy to the process.

If you have doubts, check out 2013’s Top Project, WolfCop.


Advancement

How do projects advance towards that sweet production money?

With your help!

Teams complete “Filmmaker Missions”, while moving through what we call “Advancement Gateways”, where both a project’s Performance Indicators and voting results determine if it moves forward.

  1. Advancement Gateway 1: We start with 120 Projects
    • 120 Projects - Filmmakers complete missions and Fans WATCH, SHARE, SUPPORT
  2. Advancement Gateway 2: 120 Projects are reduced to 60 Projects
    • 60 Projects - Filmmakers complete missions and Fans WATCH, SHARE, SUPPORT
  3. Advancement Gateway 3: 60 Projects are reduced to 30 Projects
    • 30 Projects - Filmmakers complete missions and Fans WATCH, SHARE, SUPPORT
  4. Advancement Gateway 4: 30 Projects are reduced to 15 Projects
    • 15 Projects - Filmmakers complete missions and Fans WATCH, SHARE, SUPPORT
  5. Advancement Gateway 5: 15 Projects are reduced to 5 Projects
    • 5 Teams are invited to the Big Deal Event to pitch their projects to a panel of professionals

While audience support is a key element to success, CineCoup is not a popularity contest. Our performance algorithms are designed to reward qualitative over quantitative engagement, which is a fancy way of saying we’re measuring everything!

What are Performance Indicators?

Performance Indicators are how we measure how much fans are participating.

For example:

  • If you visit CineCoup once to only watch a single video... that’s bad.
  • If you visit CineCoup every week and complete Fan Rewards to earn votes by watching and rating multiple videos, and sharing them on Facebook and Twitter,  and encouraging your friends to do the same... that’s good!
  • At the very least, you should visit CineCoup every week to RATE, COMMENT, and SHARE each of a your favourite team’s videos to help them advance.

PLEASE NOTE: To prevent unfair gaming (cheating), CineCoup is unable to publish exact details relating to its Performance Indicators.

What if there are more than 120 teams?

If CineCoup receives more than 120 eligible applications, we will select internally 120 teams for advancement at our sole discretion and announce that Top 120 at 9:00 PM ET Monday, March 23, 2015 on the Website (date subject to change).

IMPORTANT! Teams that do not advance to the Top 120 may continue submitting content for their Project to be considered for Wildcard Advancement (SEE “What are Wildcards” under Voting).

What are Filmmaker Missions?

They are weekly homework assignments, so filmmakers know what they need to create to entertain you from one week to another!

Every Monday at 9:00 PM ET, CineCoup publishes the new mission content. Teams need you to help promote that mission content by RATING, COMMENTING and SHARING it on Facebook and Twitter.

How do teams promote their projects?

Teams are asked to connect every unique social account they have to their project page, and on a daily basis, blast the word out on each of those platforms to come and support them. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, Tumblr, etc. As time goes by teams get better at learning the best time to post messages, who they should be focusing their messages on, and what those messages should be!

How do you choose the Final 5?

CineCoup evaluates the Top 15 teams by considering a combination of performance indicators from prior weeks and  past voting performance. From there our producers and partners (through their combined experience) look at the quality of the script, and speculate a project’s potential on a variety of levels from production costs to marketability.

What’s The Big Deal? What Happens at “The Big Deal” Event?

The Big Deal is the final step before glory! The Final 5 teams travel to an exclusive event to pitch their project live before an audience of fans, industry and media. Asking the tough questions at the end of their pitch will be a panel of industry pros and the CineCoup Uberfan (WHICH COULD BE YOU!). It breaks down like this:
 
  • First! We travel the Uberfan and the Final 5 teams to the Banff World Media Festival in beautiful Banff, AB.
  • Second! We provide the Uberfan and teams with an intense, one day, PR training course in the ancient art of public speaking.
  • Third! The weeks of CineCoup culminate on stage before hundreds of fans and media where the Final 5 give the ultimate pitch to a panel of experts and the Uberfan.
  • Fourth! One Project is greenlit for production!
  • Fifth! We party like it’s 1999.

Who are these industry professionals on the panel at the Big Deal Event?

Well that varies, but if you Google any of them you’ll find they’re kinda big deals themselves…

CineCoup 2013 featured:

  • Michael Kennedy, Executive VP, Filmed Entertainment Cineplex Entertainment
  • Robert Lantos of Serendipity Point Films
  • Brad Pelman, Executive VP Distribution for Alliance, formerly Co-President of Maple Pictures
  • J Joly, CEO of CineCoup Media

ComedyCoup 2014 featured:

  • Michelle Daly, Sr. Director of Content for CBC Comedy
  • Dan Goldberg, Producer of everything funny from the Hangover Trilogy to Meatballs
  • Sean Buckley of Buck Productions

Our intention is to announce the panel in advance of the Top 15.

What are "Wildcards"?

A Wildcard is when CineCoup advances a project through Advancement Gateways regardless of Performance Indicators and voting results.

  • Top 60 Gateway: up to 10 Wildcard Projects may be advanced
  • Top 30 Gateway: up to 5 Wildcard Projects may be advanced
  • Top 15 Gateway: up to 3 Wildcard Projects may be advanced

CineCoup reserves the right to consider any Project for “Wildcard” advancement, in its absolute and sole discretion.

If (for example) a team does not make the Top 120 selection, they can continue submitting content to be considered for Wildcard Advancement. Upon the close of the Top 60 Voting Window, they could find themselves back in the game!


Voting

When do I vote?

There will be THREE (3) scheduled voting windows during the Advancement Period when fans can login to the website and cast votes to help their favourite teams advance.

  • Top 60 Voting Window: April 6, 2015 at 9:00 PM ET – April 10, 2015 at 8:59 PM ET
  • Top 30 Voting Window: April 20, 2015 at 9:00 PM ET – April 24, 2015 at 8:59 PM ET
  • Top 15 Voting Window: May 4, 2015 at 9:00 PM ET – May 8, 2015 by 8:59 PM ET

During Voting Windows, fans can cast all their votes for one team, or they can distribute their votes amongst several teams.

How do I earn votes?

All Fans are awarded 5 votes just for registering. Fans can earn additional votes by completing new “Fan Rewards” which are revealed every week on the page (which will be revealed on March 16).

Between the beginning and the end of the Advancement Period fans can earn a total of 50 VOTES!

How do I use votes?

When a Voting Window opens you will find VOTE buttons near the top right of every project page. Just click on the VOTE buttons to cast your votes.

When Voting Windows are closed, those vote buttons are inactive.

We reset your votes when each Voting Window closes, that way you can use them all again when the next window opens! So remember to cast ALL your votes!

What are Fan Rewards?

Fan Rewards are a weekly challenges that you can complete to earn votes.

All Fan Rewards have 4 components, which involve watching that week’s new content. For Example:

The Trailer

  • RATE 5: If you watch 5 trailers and rate them using the star ratings (found below the player window), you earn 1 vote.
  • COMMENT 2: If you comment on 2 of the trailers you watched, you earn 1 vote (comments must be 100+ characters, and should be constructive...nothing nasty please)
  • SHARE 1: If you share 1 of the trailers you watched on facebook or Twitter, you earn 3 votes.
  • BONUS: By completing the RATE, COMMENT, and SHARE components of the Trailer Mission, you earn 1 bonus vote.

So for watching just a few trailers, not only do you support your favourite teams, but you can earn 6 votes.

Do I have to complete every Fan Reward?

You do if you want a shot at being the Uberfan.

The Fan Rewards system encourages you to sample a little bit of everything. These Teams need your help! They are trying to get your attention and we’re hoping you’ll spend a little time sampling some of Canada’s great talent. The Rewards help you do this.

Do I have to sign in / register to vote?

Yes.

To prevent unfair gaming (cheating), you must be a registered user and sign in to cast any vote during a designated voting window.

All votes are audited and verified algorithmically to identify and rectify any incidents of cheating.


Superfans

What’s a Superfan?

Superfans are the most active Canadian fans on the CineCoup website and they are recognized on the Superfan Leaderboard. The Top 50 Superfans can compete to become the CineCoup “Uberfan” (see next FAQ) and win a trip to Banff, AB!

Activity that contributes to your Superfan ranking includes:

  • Sign up / Login
  • Completing Fan Rewards
  • Watching videos in their entirety
  • Rating, Commenting, and Sharing videos and other Filmmaker content

What is the Superfan Leaderboard?

The Superfan Leaderboard recognizes the most active Canadian CineCoup fans on any given day.
  • Top 50 Leaderboard is revealed Monday, April 27 at 9 PM ET*
  • Top 10 Leaderboard is revealed Monday, May 18 at 9 PM ET*
  • Only the Top 10 Superfans are eligible for the title of Uberfan.
CinceCoup Filmmakers cannot appear on the Superfan Leaderboard.

*Dates are subject to change.

What the Hell is an Uberfan?

The Uberfan is the ultimate CineCoup fan.

What do you get for being the Uberfan?

You get a lovely trip to Banff Alberta to attend the BIG DEAL EVENT at the Banff World Media Festival in June as one of the panelists who will sit on stage to watch the Final 5 Big Deal pitches!

You even get to hammer those Final 5 teams with some questions, live on stage, while they sit before you in the hot seat!

That sounds awesome. How do I become the Uberfan?

  1. You need to watch as much as possible and support teams like your life depended on it!
  2. Remember to RATE, COMMENT, and SHARE! The more you do the better (we especially like it when people SHARE stuff, because that really gets the word out across the inter-webs!)
  3. You need to complete EVERY Fan Reward (especially the ones marked “Uberfan Requirement”)
  4. If you are participating to your fullest potential, you may find yourself on the Superfan Leaderboard. Watch your ranking closely and work towards getting into the Top 10.
  5. To be eligible for the Top 10 Superfan Leaderboard, the Top 50 Superfans will have to agree to the Rules & Regulations for Superfans.
  6. Eventually, we will ask the Top 10 Superfans to create a little 60 second video explaining why they deserve to be the Uberfan.
  7. Once all the videos are in, our producers watch every video carefully and decide who is coming to Banff!
  8. The Uberfan will be revealed on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 9 PM ET*.
*Dates are subject to change.
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