What will the judges look for when ranking the Round 2 entries

Each of our Political Pundit judges will apply the following criteria when ranking the Round 2 submissions:

Communications Skills – on camera reporters and anchors should have top-notch speaking skills as they are required to communicate key points via small sound bites to sometimes diverse audiences. (25%)

Personality - on camera anchors and reporters should have a friendly disposition that viewers can connect with. A smiling face and an engaging tone help viewers to develop a sense of trust and rapport. (25%)

Professionalism – aspiring broadcasters must be able to prove themselves as capable of conducting their business in a professional manner. This is not to say that the broadcaster is restricted in their style of delivering information (e.g. serious vs. satirical), but rather that they approach their work with expectations of meeting or exceeding a standard of performance as set forth by their respective industry. (25%)

Creativity – aspiring broadcasters must also be able to set themselves apart through their versatility and creativity that is applied in conducting investigative research, interviewing persons of interest and delivering information to an audience. (25%)

Please remember that the judges opinions count for 75% of your final rank, whereas the online audience weighs in at 25% of the final results.

Is the Political Pundit (Breakout Broadcaster) competition open to anyone?

The Political Pundit (Breakout Broadcaster) competition is open to any aspiring broadcaster, journalist, political activist, political satirist or the like who is age 18 or older and a legal resident of the United States or Canada at the time of registration.

Important Note: The Political Pundit (Breakout Broadcaster) competition is open only to "on air" or "in front of the camera" talent. The competition is not open to aspiring directors, producers or animators who do not wish to perform in front of the camera. All such "official" entries will be deleted.

Can a team enter the competition?

Yes, although the team must be limited to no more than two (2) persons. Additionally, said two persons comprising a team must work in tandem to create an overall broadcasting "personality".

Where can I learn about the rules for this competition?

Check out the "How It Works" link above to learn about the rules of this competition.

Can I include music in my video entry?

If you are simply looking to incorporate music as part of your opening and/or closing credits or as a background soundtrack, please note that you must be able to provide Project Breakout with explicit written consent from the copyright holder(s) to use such content. Without such consent, your video entry will be flagged as "infringing" upon the legal ownership rights of others and will be immediately removed.

If you're unsure as to your right to use such content, we recommend that you review the royalty-free music library at Premium Beat.

Who picks the winner of the Political Pundit (Breakout Broadcaster) competition?

The 30 finalists will be required to submit an additional video entry for review, voting and judging by a combination of the online audience and the panel of industry insiders. The grand prize winners will be announced on Monday, May 5, 2008.

Please refer to the How It Works section of this site for an official competition schedule.

I'm having issues uploading my video. What's the problem?

Your video entry must be no longer than ten (10) minutes in length, no larger than 100 MB in size and must be in one of the following file formats: .mov, .wmv, .avi, .dv, .mpg, .mpg4, .3gp and .3gp2.

How many videos can I upload / enter into the Political Pundit (Breakout Broadcaster) competition?

Each contestant can upload up to five (5) videos, but only one such upload can be identified by the contestant as an official competition entry during Round 1. Should a contestant make it through to Round 2, he or she will be allowed to upload an additional video entry.

How can I get more votes for my video entry?

We've found that promoting yourself through your online and offline network is the best way to "get out the vote". The Round 1 voting window opens to the online audience on Monday, February 11, 2008 and closes on Sunday, April 20, 2008. The Round 2 voting window (for competition finalists only) opens on Monday, April 28, 2008 and ends on Sunday, May 4, 2008.

Somebody made a nasty comment about my video entry. Can I remove the comment?

The Political Pundit (Breakout Broadcaster) competition is held in the public forum. As such, contestants must be able to take the good with the bad. If you feel that the comment has truly "crossed the line", please email us at touchbase@projectbreakout.com and we will check the comment for appropriateness.

Where do I go if I want to edit my personal information, upload photos and access tips and tricks for promoting my competition entry?

Simply login and visit your profile. If you are not yet a registered member of the community, please register now.

If this FAQ did not help you please refer to our support page.