Year: 2015

/ Alex /

5 Tips for getting your video into GIFF 2015

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GIFF 2015 2

Attention geocaching filmmakers! The deadline for submissions to the 2015 Geocaching International Film Festival is fast approaching (July 1, 2015). As you write, shoot, an edit your films, keep these 5 tips in mind. They’re straight from mouth of a GIFF judge.

 

1. Make it global

Geocaching is an international game, and so is every GIFF audience. Try to show an element of the geocaching experience that people in different corners of the world can feel connected to. That can range from a tangible moment in the game—FTF hunt, anyone?—to something a little more abstract—like that feeling you get when you find the geocache after hours of searching…in the first spot you looked.

2. Tell a story only you can tell 

There’s nothing wrong with your film being about a geocaching love story or a race to the FTF, but it’s exactly because these are such universal geocaching themes that you’ll need to work to make your film stand out from others. We have it on good authority that you are a unique person, so…make it personal! Show the GIFF audiences why this crazy/nerdy/wonderful hobby is your wacky/nerdy/wonderful hobby. Odds are, the things that matter the most about geocaching to you are some of the same things that matter the most to others. The perspective you use to show those things will be the catalyst for surprising and delighting your audience. This finalist from GIFF 2014 is an awesome example of this:

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3. Know the rules for submission

Seriously. Don’t make “Thriller” your main theme song unless you have permission from the King of Pop himself. Though a particular song might suit your geocaching love story perfectly, the GIFF judges will regrettably but firmly have to chuck it back to you. And remember—any geocache featured in your film should follow all basic requirements for hiding a geocache. (Hint: no buried caches, folks!) Review the GIFF 2015 submission guidelines and contact giff@geocaching.com if you have any niggling questions. And check out these free music websites if you’re struggling to find appropriate tunes to use:

Websites:
Computer apps:
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A moment from GIFF 2014 finalist, “Spend a Little Time With You”.

4. Make it visual

Show, don’t tell! Film is visual medium—while you might love the sound of your voice, you’ll have your audience hanging on tenterhooks if you keep the voiceover and dialogue to a well-planned minimum. That being said, dialogue can still make or break a film, so be thoughtful about what you do include. This GIFF 2014 finalist film was able to do a lot with no dialogue at all.

5. Quality over quantity

The submission guidelines say it all: “Film length must not exceed 4 minutes (including credits).” That may not seem like a lot of video to write, shoot, and edit, but creating four minutes of absolute video gold is the challenge. So be discerning about what your audience gets to see. Make those four minutes the best four minutes of their week. Month! Year!

Find out "How To Geocache in Thailand" from this GIFF 2014 finalist.
Find out “How To Geocache in Thailand” from this GIFF 2014 finalist.

 

As someone once said, “We are on the edge of our exercise balls over here at HQ”…to see what geocaching filmmakers create for GIFF 2015.

 

Watch all of last year’s finalists here.

 

Are you going to be in Seattle, watching GIFF 2015 finalists on the big screen with us? Log your Will Attend here!

 

/ Annika /

Ain’t no Mountain High Enough… for Geocachers – The Photo Album

Geocachers celebrate 15 Years of Geocaching by embarking on a grand #Geocaching15 adventure over the Alps

(Hier kannst Du den Artikel auf Deutsch lesen)

Last week we reported on three geocachers – Alexander Monsky (Berufsgeocacher), Tim Krüger (psycho_vm) and Benjamin Gorentschitz (MudMen_GER) – and their plans to cross the Alps on foot. Read the full article here.

After almost seven days and many miles they send us some of the highlights of their trip fixed on film. Enjoy their #Geocaching15 #GCTransAlps photo album below!

/ Annika

Hoch hinaus fürs Geocaching – Ein Fotoalbum

Geocacher feiern 15 Jahre Geocaching mit einer abenteuerlichen Alpenüberquerung

Letzte Woche haben wir von drei Geocachern – Alexander Monsky (Berufsgeocacher), Tim Krüger (psycho_vm) und Benjamin Gorentschitz (MudMen_GER) berichtet, die vorhaben die Alpen zu Fuß zu bezwingen. Den vollständigen Artikel dazu kannst Du hier lesen.

Nach beinahe sieben Tagen und etlichen Kilometern möchten wir einige auf Fotos festgehaltene Highlights der bisherigen Wanderung mit Euch teilen. Schaut Euch hier das #Geocaching15 #GCTransAlps Fotoalbum an!

/ Derek H

Post-Apocalyptic geocaching — Red Sands Fort (GC1DVNY) — Geocache of the Week

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Fort Red Sands Photo by geocacher Drsdoolittle
Fort Red Sands Photo by geocacher Drsdoolittle

Geocache Name:

Red Sands Fort (GC1DVNY)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

3/5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

Geocaching takes us to some pretty amazing places and can teach us the history of a location. This geocache takes you 8 miles out to see to a group of abandoned World War 2 era forts that were used to protect London from invasion. The history is incredible, but the view is what makes it worth it. Coming up to these forts evokes an almost post-apocalyptic feeling. The photos remind me of something I would read about in a zombie-survival novel. They’re quite creepy and awesome at the same time.

What geocachers have to say:

“Brilliant cache thanks for bringing me out here. Pics of course and a fav too. Unbelievable that this has only 3 favs so far! Don’t know what it must take for some people to fav a cache!!” – maattmoo

“Ive been after this ever since seeing it existed. Gutted that we didn’t think about the tide and as you can see from the photo, there was no way we were ever going to get on the platform. Out of interest, without any ladder in place is it ever possible? Great cache, which was almost touching distance away!” – Rhinoback

“Thanks for the cache – we are really pleased to be able to give Red Sands it’s 1st favourite point!” – The_Buffs

What the geocache creator, LostInTheWoods! , has to say:

A colleague and I travelled out on the X-Pilot boat. The skipper had arrange the trip so that we could easily access the landing platform. We viewed the radio station and my colleague met many guys that he had visited during his earlier Pirate Radio Chaser years. He recognised them, and they recognised him, immediately. All friends now, thankfully, or we may have had to walk a hastily erected plank. We then had an amazing tour of the WW2 Gun Platform, upper, level. Lovely views that day but not so lovely if you were being straffed by a WW2 figher way back in the 1940’s. It was here that we met the Fort’s sponsor. He was so keen to promote the existance of the Red Sands Fort that he eagerly accepted my request to place a geocache on it.
Like most cache owners, it’s always appreciated when I get detailed descriptions in Found its, DNFs, and Notes relating to this cache and all of my other caches.
I have certainly enjoyed reading all of the Red Sands Fort cache’s logs.
If you fancy going for this cache, make sure that you go properly prepared and check the tide times. Perhaps go as part of an organised group. Read the main page and logs to find out more.

Photos:

Close-up of one of the towers. Photo by geocacher maattmoo
Close-up of one of the towers. Photo by geocacher maattmoo
50% creepy, 50% awesome. Photo by geocacher jimbo-ugk
50% creepy, 50% awesome. Photo by geocacher jimbo-ugk
Nearing the fort. Photo by geocacher palmercol
Nearing the fort. Photo by geocacher palmercol

What “unreal” places has geocaching taken you? Tell your story and post photos in the comments.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, just fill out this form. Thanks!