Festivalsuite User Guide, Withoutabox. Whether you re a new or a long-time Withoutabox user, this guide takes you through the process of managing submissions online, from start to festival. Keep it handy and refer to it as needed! USER ACCESS & ACCOUNT SECURITY Granting Access to New Users 1 Revoking User Access 2 MANAGING & SEARCHING SUBMISSIONS Quick Find: Searching Submissions 3 Quick Show: To Search Submissions by Criteria 4 Advanced Search: To Search Using Advanced Criteria 5 Viewing Submission Details & Entry Forms 6 Tracking Submissions: Acknowledging Receipt of Materials 7 Using Fast Track 9 Secure Online Screeners 11 Screenplay Submissions 15 COMMUNICATING WITH SUBMITTERS Emailing Submitters via Withoutabox 19 Mass-Emailing Submitters via Withoutabox 20 Notifying Submitters of Final Judging Status 22 ADVANCED TOOLS Basic Judging 25 Fee & Deadline Waivers 27 Granting Discounts to Submitters 29 Exporting Data 30 Listing Edits After Activation 32 PAYMENTS Payment Policies 33 Setting or Changing Payment Preferences 33 SUPPORT & FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Category Changes & Entry Fee Adjustments 34 Issuing Refunds 34 Contacting Support 35 https://www.withoutabox.com Copyright 2012 Withoutabox, a DBA of IMDb.com, Inc.
- 1 - Granting Access to Users, Withoutabox. For security purposes, any staff members accessing your Withoutabox account should have their own user ID and password. We strongly recommend monitoring your Authorize Users page regularly to ensure the security of your account. TO GRANT ACCESS TO NEW USERS: 1. Click Authorize Users in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. Click Grant Access to a New Person. 3. Select from three roles: Judge, Submissions Team, and Back Office Administrator. Back Office Administrators enjoy full access to the account, whereas Submissions Team users are restricted from accessing such functions as export, adding/removing users, granting waivers, and setting payment preferences. Judges have limited access to view and comment on submissions assigned to them, but nothing more. Assign users the role of Back Office Administrator; Submissions Team; Judge; Back Office Administrator + Judge; Submissions Team + Judge. Other roles such as Administration, Director, and Hospitality are for title designation on your listing and throughout Withoutabox; they do not offer users different levels of access to your account. 4. If the user already has an existing Withoutabox account, select Yes and enter their email address. Click the blue ADD button. If you re not sure whether the user already has an account, try this approach; the system will let you know whether they are a new user. If the user is new to Withoutabox, select No and create a new Withoutabox user account by entering as much information as you know. The minimum required fields are E-mail, Password, First Name, and Last Name. 5. Click the blue SAVE button. The user will receive notification via email that you have granted them access to your Withoutabox festival account.
- 2 - TO REVOKE USER ACCESS: 1. Click Authorize Users in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. Locate the user on the page and click the checkbox next to Revoke all access to account. 3. Click the SAVE button to revoke the user s access. The user will no longer be able to access your Withoutabox festival account.
- 3 - Searching Submissions, Withoutabox. QUICK FIND: TO SEARCH FOR A SPECIFIC SUBMISSION The Quick Find search tool is particularly useful for looking up one or a handful of projects at a time. For example, use Quick Find when a filmmaker has called your office inquiring about their entry, or a member of your programming team has a question about a film. If you re looking up more than one or two specific projects, use the Quick Search tool, outlined on the next page. 1. Click Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. In Quick Find, enter the Tracking Number (e.g. 1000-F), Film Title, or Submitter s Name. TIP: No need to enter the prefix or suffix when searching by tracking number. For example, when looking up a project with tracking ID number 12-3287-AF, simply enter 3287 into the Tracking Number lookup field. 3. Click the blue QUICK FIND button to view your search results. 4. The Search Results page will display a list of projects that match the search settings that you selected, if any exist. Click a film s Tracking Number (e.g. 1000-F) to view submission details such as payment status and cover letter, or click the Project Title to view entry information such as synopses, contact info, awards won, cast list, exhibition formats, previous screenings, and more.
- 4 - QUICK SHOW: TO VIEW THIS SEASON S SUBMISSIONS OR TO SEARCH BY CRITERIA 1. Click Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. In the Quick Show section, select only the criteria that apply to the group of submissions that you want to review. If you want to view ALL active (non-deleted) submissions, click directly on the blue Quick Show button. To view ALL ACTIVE SUBMISSIONS: Leave all settings at their default and proceed to Step 3. To search by CATEGORY: Select a category from the ALL CATEGORIES drop-down menu to only view projects submitted in that category. For example, to view only projects submitted in your Documentaries category, simply select Documentaries from the drop-down menu. To search by TRACKING STATUS: To search for entries with a red, Submitted status only: Unselect the check-boxes for the blue and yellow tracking statuses. To search for entries with a yellow, Acknowledged status only: Unselect the checkboxes for the blue and red tracking statuses. To search for entries with a blue, In Consideration status only: Unselect the check-boxes for the red and yellow tracking statuses. To search by FLAG STATUS: To search for flagged entries, select the flag(s) you want to include. To search by PAYMENT STATUS: Click the Submission Method drop-down menu and select Payment Method Via Online to look up projects submitted along with credit card payments, or Payment Method Via Mail to search for projects that have not yet submitted payment or will be mailing in their payment. To search by ACCEPTANCE STATUS: Click the Submission Method drop-down menu and select Accepted, Not Accepted, or None. To search for AVAILABLE SECURE ONLINE SCREENER PROJECTS: Click the Submission Method drop-down menu and select Submission Copy SOS Ready. You ll also find similar search options available for Judging Status, Notification Status and Export Status. You may search by one Submission Method option at a time. 3. Once you have set your search criteria settings, click the blue QUICK SHOW button. 4. The Search Results page will display a list of projects that match the search settings that you selected, if any exist. Click a film s Tracking Number (e.g. 1000-F) to view submission details such as payment status and cover letter, or click the Project Title to view entry information such as synopses, contact info, awards won, cast list, exhibition formats, previous screenings, and more.
- 5 - ADVANCED SEARCH: TO SEARCH TOOLS USING ADVANCED CRITERIA 1. Click Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. Scroll to the Advanced Search and specify your search preferences. To view more advanced search options, go to the Search Submissions page within your account. 3. Click the blue SEARCH button. 5. The Search Results page will display a list of projects that match the search settings that you had selected, if any exist. Click a film s Tracking Number (e.g. 1000-F) to view submission details such as payment status and cover letter, or click the Project Title to view entry information such as synopses, contact info, awards won, cast list, exhibition formats, previous screenings, and more.
- 6 - Viewing Submission Details, Withoutabox. Anywhere within your Withoutabox account, click a film s Tracking ID (e.g. 1000-F) to view submission details such as payment status, screener status, preferred exhibition copy, and cover letter.. A sample film s tracking page Or click the Project Title to view entry information such as synopses, contact info, awards won, cast list, filming and exhibition formats, previous screenings, and more.
- 7 - Tracking Submissions, Withoutabox. Withoutabox makes it easy and convenient to notify submitters that you ve received their materials. Simply log in once you ve received a screener in the mail and track the project as blue In Consideration. Log in at least weekly to update the status of any Secure Online Screener submissions if you ve opted to make digital film submissions available to your submitters. Acknowledging receipt in a timely manner communicates to your submitters that you've received their materials, and also ensures that Withoutabox can issue your payments on time. (Payments are calculated based on the films that are tracked blue In Consideration in your account.) IMPORTANT: Only track submissions once the required materials (DVD/BluRay, etc. and/or payment) have arrived at your office, or a Secure Online Screener has been uploaded and online payment made. Filmmakers can see their submission s tracking status, and count on it to be accurate and trustworthy. Accurate and timely tracking will also significantly minimize support inquiries from your submitters. STEP 1: LOCATE THE SUBMISSION IN YOUR ACCOUNT 1. Click Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. Tracking only a few projects? Go to Quick Find and enter the film's tracking number into the Tracking Number field. Tracking a pile of projects? Go to Quick Show and unselect blue In Consideration to only view projects that remain untracked. Tracking dozens of submissions? See below for instructions on how to use the Fast Track tool. (Not sure how to complete these searches? Go back to Searching Submissions). 3. Locate the project(s) on the Search Results page, and click a film s Tracking Number (e.g. 1000-F) to go to its tracking page to acknowledge receipt of the submitted materials and update the project s tracking status. A sample film s tracking page
- 8 - STEP 2: ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF SUBMITTED MATERIALS 1. Acknowledge receipt of submitted materials. Remember to ONLY change these settings once you have received a screener in the mail or a Secure Online Screener submission online. There are two components at minimum that a filmmaker must submit to be considered blue In Consideration for your festival or competition: the entry fee (if any) and a copy of their film. Some festivals will also require press kits at the time of entry; if you do, this component would appear as required. Scroll down to Submission Requirements and Status section, and acknowledge the materials you have received. a. Entry Fee Paid In Full: If the submitter paid the entry fee online by credit card, it will say "Paid in Full" and display a lightning bolt icon. If so, no manual acknowledgement is required. NOTE: If you offer multiple fee levels, be sure the submission meets the requirements for that fee (i.e. a student filmmaker) BEFORE you mark the film IN CONSIDERATION. Entry Fee Balance Due: If your festival does not accept checks or money orders for payment of entry fees, seeing a Balance Due status indicates that the filmmaker has not yet paid the entry fee. If you accept offline payments (check/money order) and the submitter has mailed in payment along with their screener, simply acknowledge that you have received their payment by clicking on the Received By check box. Confirm that the filmmaker has paid the amount owed and enter the check or money order number in the Check # field to the right. a. Press Kit: If you do not require press kits at this stage in the process, you may skip this section. If the filmmaker has a Withoutabox Online Press Kit, a link to view the press kit s materials will be available in this section. If the filmmaker has submitted a hard copy press kit, or one contained on a CD or DVD, simply check the Received By box to indicate that you ve received their press kit. b. Submission Copy: Click the box next to "Submission Copy" to indicate that you have received the filmmaker s screener(s). The format appearing in the Submission Copy drop-down menu is what the submitter indicated they would be sending in; if the format submitted is something other than what appears visible in this drop-down menu, simply select the submitted format from the list. If they have submitted a format that your festival does not accept, do not check this box and instead notify the submitter that they are required to send in a different screener.
- 9 - STEP 3: UPDATE TRACKING STATUS 2. Now that you have acknowledged the materials you ve received, update the film s tracking status according to how well the submitter has satisfied the requirements. SUBMITTED Awaiting acknowledgement or receipt of materials The system default is red Submitted, and a project s status should remain red until you have received a package from them in the mail or a Secure Online Screener submission online. This should remain unchanged even if the filmmaker has paid the entry fee online. ACKNOWLEDGED Partially satisfied and not yet in consideration In the event that a filmmaker has sent you an incomplete package (i.e. missing payment, wrong payment amount, missing screener) or submitted into the wrong category, mark the submission status as yellow Acknowledged, click "Save," and then notify the submitter of the problem or contact support@withoutabox.com if the category needs to be changed. Once the submitter has satisfied all requirements or the category changed, update their status to blue. Do not use this status if you have not received anything from a filmmaker; in this case, leave the status as RED. IN CONSIDERATION All submission requirements satisfied Change the project s status to blue In Consideration if the submitter has satisfied all requirements submitted to the correct category, paid the correct entry fee, and sent in their screener. This informs the filmmaker their materials have been received and their film is in consideration. 3. Click the blue SAVE button to save your changes.
- 10 - Fast Track, Withoutabox. For festivals that receive a large volume of submissions by mail, the Fast Track tool offers a speedy way to track up to 50 projects received at once. 1. Click Track Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. Enter Tracking IDs for up to 50 submissions that you wish to Batch Track as blue In Consideration. Submissions qualify for Batch Track only if: - The submission is PAID IN FULL by credit card online or a fee waiver has been granted. - A DVD preview copy has been received. TIP: No need to enter the prefix or suffix when entering the tracking number. For example, for a project with tracking ID number 10-3287-AF, simply enter 3287 into the Tracking ID field. TIP: Separate multiple ID numbers with commas. 3. Click the blue SUBMIT button. The system will then automatically batch track all eligible projects as blue projects are ineligible, a warning message will appear to notify you. In Consideration. If any
- 11 - Secure Online Screeners, Withoutabox. Below are some useful instructions for how to search, track, and watch films submitted to you via Withoutabox s Secure Online Screener platform. STEP 1: SEARCHING FOR SECURE ONLINE SCREENER SUBMISSIONS 1. Click Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. In the Quick Show section, click the Submission Method drop-down menu and select Submission Copy SOS Ready. 3. Click the blue QUICK SHOW button. This will prompt the system to pull up a list of the submissions made via Secure Online Screeners. STEP 2: TRACKING FOR BACK OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS & SUBMISSION TEAM ONLY At this point, track any red status Secure Online Screener submissions according to how well the filmmaker has satisfied the requirements eligible for the category, and submitting a screener and payment by the deadline date. Track these projects using the normal tracking process, outlined in the Tracking Submissions section in this guide, but first confirm that the filmmaker has indeed uploaded their film. You will see a lightning bolt image displayed beside the title of the film if Secure Online Screener upload has been completed and the video has been submitted to your festival. A View Secure Online Screener link will also appear on the film s tracking page once the Secure Online Screener has been uploaded and attached to the filmmaker s submission to your festival. On the tracking page.
- 12 - SUGGESTIONS FOR INCOMPLETE SECURE ONLINE SCREENER SUBMISSIONS: When tracking Secure Online Screener submissions, you may come across some paid entries that are missing the video component of their submission. If that s the case, the filmmakers have likely either not yet completed the upload process or are missing the last step in the process. Sending an email reminder to any of the submitters that are missing Secure Online Screeners via the Withoutabox Tracking Tool Log is recommended. Here are some suggested instructions to send to submitters: We have received your submission but do not yet have access to your Secure Online Screener. Please follow these instructions to attach your SOS project to your submission: 1. Log in to http://www.withoutabox.com. 2. Click Submission Status from your account s left-side navigation menu. 3. Click View Confirmation below your submission. 4. From the Secure Online Screener drop-down menu, select the version of your film that you want to attach to this submission. 5. Click Save. Important: Do NOT attach your Secure Online Screener until you have watched the upload in its entirety. To view your Secure Online Screener, select the "view" link directly below your project title. Once in the project form, select the "Full Movies" link, and then click your video. For any assistance with submitting a Secure Online Screener project, please contact support@withoutabox.com STEP 3: ASSIGN ENTRIES (OPTIONAL) 1. After completing Steps 1 and 2 above, from the Search Results page select the films that you want to assign to your judge(s) by clicking on the checkboxes to the left of the film titles. NOTE: You can only assign films with a blue In Consideration status. 2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click the radio button beside Assign to Judges and select the name of the judge(s) that you want to assign these films to. 3. Click the blue MAKE CHANGES AND REFRESH button to assign these films to your judge(s). TIP: Complete this process regularly during your call for entries as new submissions come in, to ensure that all films have been assigned for review. See the instructions for our Basic Judging platform to allow your judges to rate films and provide comments directly in WAB. Judging Administrators can also provide Judges with a judging form (as a Word document) to fill out and upload through the Withoutabox system s tracking tool log.
- 13 - STEP 4: WATCHING FILMS 1. From the Search Results page, view any Secure Online Screener by clicking on the film s title, in this example, click ABC (Withoutabox Test Submission). OR, from the film s Tracking page, click the link that says View Secure Online Screener. 2. A popup window will appear that contains the film s Online Project Details. Click Screener. TIP: If the window doesn t open, please make sure that your browser is not blocking pop-ups. 3. A media player will appear on the Screener page and you can watch the submitted film within that window. You can also view the film in full-screen mode by clicking on the small icon with an arrow pointing to the bottom right-hand corner. Click the play button, and enjoy the show. Click here to enter full screen mode.
- 14 - INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF YOUR SCREENING COMMITTEE: Navigate to www.withoutabox.com and log in using your email address and password. To view submissions assigned to you, click Quick Show. To view submission details, click the title of the film. To rate and comment on a submission, click Rate It. Indicate your rating by clicking on the scale of 1-5 stars. Choose between Recommend or Pass and leave any written feedback. Be sure to click SAVE only once. FOR BACK OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS - REVIEWING COMMENTS & RATINGS: Locate the desired entry via the Search Submissions page and click the project s average rating to view rating, recommendation, and comment detail. TIP: To sort your submitted projects by their average rating, select Average Rating from the sort drop-down menu.
- 15 - Screenplays, Withoutabox. If you accept screenplay submissions, be sure to also acknowledge screenplay submissions regularly. Take advantage of our Batch, Track, & Download Scripts feature to download and track eligible screenplay submissions (submissions that have paid in full by credit card and that have uploaded a screenplay file in one of your accepted formats) in one easy step. TO BATCH, TRACK, AND DOWNLOAD SCREENPLAY FILES: 1. Click Track Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. Scroll to the Batch, Track, and Download Scripts tool. Note: Excluded from the Batch tool are: Fee waiver requests, mail-in payments, and projects with mismatched formats. 3. Select your preferences: a. Select Category: Select the category of entry for which you want to batch, track, and download screenplay submissions b. Select NCP Preference: Select the Choose a No Cover Page Version (NCP), when available option if you prefer that screenplays do not have cover pages c. Select Format: Select a preferred submission format (such as Final Draft, Final Draft Secure, or PDF) if you have a preference. If more than one version of the screenplay is available, the system will download the one available in your preferred format if it s available.
4. Click the blue Batch Now button to batch, track, and download the screenplay submissions in your selected category of entry. Doing so will mark all qualifying submissions in this category as blue In Consideration and will add all script files to zipped batch files that you can download from the bottom of the Track Submissions page. Tip: You can only download zipped files of multiple scripts if you batch track, so if you anticipate a lot of script entries, we recommend using this process rather than individually tracking digital script submissions. TO TRACK HARD-COPY SCREENPLAYS & SCRIPTS WITH WAIVERS AND/OR CHECK PAYMENTS: 1. First, locate the submission in your account. Click Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. - 16-2. Enter the script s tracking number or title into Quick Find if the tracking ID or title are readily available OR go to Quick Show and select Submission Copy Via Mail from the Submission Method dropdown menu to pull up a list of all hard-copy submissions. Tip: Also select your screenplay or correct category to pull up hard copy submissions for scripts only. 3. Click the blue Quick Find or Quick Show button.
- 17-4. Locate the project within your search results and click the screenplay s Tracking ID number (e.g. 1000-FS) to go to its Tracking Page and acknowledge receipt of the submitter s materials. Acknowledge receipt of submitted materials. Remember to ONLY change these settings once you have received a hard-copy screenplay or check payment in the mail or have a screenplay submitted with a fee waiver. There are two minimum components that a writer must submit to be blue In Consideration for your competition: the entry fee and a copy of their screenplay. 5. Scroll down to the Submission Requirements and Status section, and acknowledge the materials you have received. a. Entry Fee Paid In Full: If the submitter paid the entry fee online by credit card, it will say "Paid in Full" and display a lightning bolt icon. If so, no manual acknowledgement is required so you can skip this section and move on to Online Press Kit or Submission Copy. Entry Fee Balance Due: If you do not accept checks or money orders for payment of entry fees, seeing a Balance Due status indicates that the submitter has not yet paid their entry fee. If you accept check or money order payments and the submitter has mailed in a check or money order along with their screenplay, simply acknowledge that you have received their payment by clicking on the Received By check box. Confirm that the writer has paid the amount owed and enter the check or money order number in the empty field to the right. b. Submission Copy: Click the box next to "Submission Copy" to indicate that you have received a copy of the submitted screenplay. The format appearing in the Submission Copy drop-down menu is what the submitter indicated they would be sending in; if the format submitted is something other than what appears visible in this drop-down menu, simply select the appropriate format from the list. If they have submitted a format that you do not accept, do not check this box and instead notify the submitter that they ll need to send in their screenplay in a different format.
- 18-6. Now that you have acknowledged the materials you ve received, update the film s tracking status according to how well the submitter has satisfied the requirements. SUBMITTED Awaiting acknowledgement or receipt of materials The system default is red Submitted, and a project s status should remain red until you have received a package from them in the mail or a screenplay submission online. This is true even if the submitter has paid the entry fee online. ACKNOWLEDGED Partially satisfied and not yet in consideration In the event that a writer has sent you an incomplete package (i.e. missing payment, wrong payment amount, missing file or copy) or submitted into the wrong category, mark the submission status as yellow Acknowledged, click "Save," and then notify the submitter of the problem or contact support@withoutabox.com if the category needs to be changed. Once the submitter has satisfied all requirements, update their status to blue In Consideration. Do not use this status if you have not received anything from a filmmaker; in this case, leave the status as RED. IN CONSIDERATION All submission requirements satisfied Change the project s status to blue In Consideration if the submitter has satisfied all requirements (submitted to the correct category, paid the entry fee, and submitted their script). This informs the submitter that their materials have been received and that their screenplay is in consideration. 4. Click the blue SAVE button to save your changes TIP: Want to send an email to this submitter? After clicking Save, send an email through the Tracking Tool Log at the bottom of the Tracking Page.
- 19 - Emailing Submitters, Withoutabox TO EMAIL AN INDIVIDUAL SUBMITTER: If you wish to use a template, follow the mass mail instructions on the next page instead and select only one submitter to receive the message. Use this process to send a custom message to one submitter only. 1. Locate the submission in your account. Click Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. In Quick Find, enter the Tracking Number (e.g. 1000-F), Film Title, or Submitter s Name. 3. Click the blue QUICK FIND button to view your search results. 4. Click the film s Tracking Number to go to its Tracking Page. 5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and locate the Add a Note section. TIP: Submitters will be able to reply to your message at the email address you logged in with; if you wish to maintain anonymity, consider creating an info@ email account for tracking and corresponding with submitters. 6. Type your email message in the text box provided and attach any files if needed. 7. Click the check-box beside Send this message to the submitter. 8. Click the blue SAVE button to send your message. 9. A small popup window will appear, asking you to confirm that you d like to email this message to the submitter. Click Yes to proceed or Cancel to cancel this message. A copy of your message will be saved to the bottom of this page for your reference, and also to the filmmaker s Withoutabox account for their reference. TIP: Take full advantage of this feature! Contacting filmmakers directly through Withoutabox allows you and other Back Office Administrators to keep track of correspondence in one convenient location, and also allows the Withoutabox Filmmaker Support Team to address inquiries from your submitters more quickly.
- 20 - Emailing Submitters, Withoutabox TO SEND MASS EMAILS TO SUBMITTERS: Mass emails are perfect for sending out bulk announcements including acceptance and rejection letters. Refer to the Notifying section for further instructions on notifying submitters of their acceptance status. 1. Click Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. In Quick Show, select only the criteria that apply to the group of filmmakers that you want to email. To view ALL ACTIVE SUBMISSIONS: Leave all settings at their default and click the QUICK SHOW button. To search by CATEGORY: Select a category from the ALL CATEGORIES drop-down menu to only view projects submitted in that category. For example, to view only projects submitted in your Documentaries category, simply select Documentaries from the drop-down menu. To search by TRACKING STATUS: To search for entries with a red, Submitted status only: Unselect the check-boxes for the blue and yellow tracking statuses. To search for entries with a yellow, Acknowledged status only: Unselect the check-boxes for the blue and red tracking statuses. To search for entries with a blue, In Consideration status only: Unselect the check-boxes for the red and yellow tracking statuses. To search by FLAG STATUS: To search for flagged entries, select the flag(s) you want to include. To search by PAYMENT STATUS: Click the Submission Method drop-down menu and select Payment Method Via Online to look up projects submitted along with credit card payments, or Payment Method Via Mail to search for projects that have not submitted payment or will be mailing in their payment. To search by ACCEPTANCE STATUS: From the Submission Method drop-down, select Accepted, Not Accepted, or None To search for INCOMPLETE SECURE ONLINE SCREENER PROJECTS: select the check-box for the blue status, and click the Submission Method drop-down menu and select Submission Copy Via Online (Films). To search for AVAILABLE SECURE ONLINE SCREENER PROJECTS: Click the Submission Method drop-down menu and select Submission Copy SOS Ready. 3. Click the blue QUICK SHOW button. 4. On the Search Results page, select the number of results you want to see at a time from the Showing [50] Entries per Page drop-down menu. You can view up to 500 submissions at one time. Choose the option that will help you manage your volume of submissions best.
- 21-5. Click Check All to select all entries, or manually select the specific entries you want to email. 6. Scroll to the section titled For All Checked Items, located at the bottom of the Search Results page and click the radio button next to Write a Note to Tracking Tool Log. 7. Write your email message in the text box that appears below Write a Note to Tracking Tool Log. TIP: Use the buttons to the right to insert submission-specific, personalized information into your message. This allows you to create one template for repeated use, and to send the message to multiple submitters at one time using their submission information. This gives your mass mail a more personal touch, and can speed up your communications. If you d like to include an attachment, click the Browse button and select the file from your computer. Files sent through Withoutabox are available to submitters for download through their Withoutabox accounts. Submitters will be able to reply to your message at the email address you logged in with; if you wish to maintain anonymity, consider creating an info@ email account for tracking and corresponding with submitters. 8. Click the check-box beside Email a copy of this message to the submitter. 9. Select Save this template if you d like to make this template available for future use. Be sure to name your template in the field that opens up to the right after selecting the checkbox. 10. You can also select, for your own records, General or Judging to classify the message in the log. 11. Click the blue MAKE CHANGES AND REFRESH button to send your email. 12. A small popup window will appear, asking you to confirm that you d like to email this message to the submitter. Click Yes to proceed or Cancel to cancel this message. After completing these steps, you will have successfully mass emailed the filmmakers whose projects you selected. The filmmakers will receive your message via email, and the message will also be posted to their Withoutabox account, as well as to the tracking tool log located on their tracking pages within your account.
- 22 - Notifying, Withoutabox Your notification date is very important to submitters, and completing notification on Withoutabox is part of your Withoutabox festival agreement. Notify submitters of their acceptance status on time to earn or keep a good reputation with filmmakers and within the WAB community. Mark final judging status on a rolling basis during your season as you make programming decisions or all in one step at the end of your Call for Entries. Either way, final judging status is completely private and internal until you publish these statuses to your submitters accounts. STEP 1: ASSIGN FILMS AN ACCEPTED STATUS 1. Click Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. De-select the red and yellow statuses, so that only In Consideration films will be called up. (Only completed submissions can be assigned a final judging status). Click the blue QUICK SHOW button. 3. On the Search Results page, select the appropriate number of entries for your volume of submissions from the drop-down menu that says Showing [50] Entries per Page. Pull up 50 to 500 of the season's entries. If you have more than 500 submissions, you will need to complete this process in batches. 4. Scroll through the search results and click the check-box next to each ACCEPTED film. 5. Scroll down to the For All Checked Items section at the bottom of the page. Click the radio button next to Mark as Judging Status and select Accepted in the drop-down menu. 6. Click the blue MAKE CHANGES AND REFRESH button. At this point, you will have marked the selected projects with an Accepted Judging Status. (Remember to repeat for all pages of submissions as necessary). Continue on to Steps 2 and 3 to complete notification.
- 23 - STEP 2: ASSIGN FILMS A NOT ACCEPTED STATUS 1. Assign the remaining entries a NOT ACCEPTED status. Begin by clicking Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. In Quick Show, select JUDGING STATUS - NONE from the Submission Method drop-down menu. 3. Click the blue QUICK SHOW button to view all projects that have not yet been assigned a final judging status. 7. On the Search Results page, select the appropriate number of entries for your volume of submissions from the drop-down menu that says Showing [50] Entries per Page. Pull up 50-500 of the season's entries. If you have more than 500 submissions, you will need to complete this process in batches. 4. Click Check All to select all entries if you d like to assign all projects a NOT ACCEPTED status. Otherwise, manually select the rejected projects from the list. 5. Scroll down to For All Checked Items at the bottom of the page. Click the radio button next to the Mark as Judging Status and select Not Accepted in the menu. 6. Click the blue MAKE CHANGES AND REFRESH button. At this point, you will have marked each Not Accepted submission with a final Judging Status. (Remember to repeat for all pages of submissions as necessary). Continue on to Step 3 to publish these statuses and complete notification.
- 24 - STEP 3: PUBLISH JUDGING STATUSES & NOTIFY SUBMITTERS 1. Once you have assigned a final judging status to all or some of your submissions and are ready to publish these statuses, click Account Home in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. Scroll to the Online Submission Activity section of the page. 3. Locate the Notification section, which will summarize the number of Accepted and Not Accepted entries as well as the number of filmmakers who have not yet been notified of their final judging status. NOTE: The notification section will only appear if you have marked at least one submission with a final judging status. If you are not seeing the notification section, return to Steps 1 or 2 in the notification process above to assign at least one project a final judging status. 4. Click Notify Now to complete the process of publishing final judging status to each individual filmmaker account. You will be asked to confirm the accepted and not accepted films. Follow the prompts to complete notification. The submitters who have been notified will be able to see the Judging Status for their submission by logging into their account and clicking on "Submission Status. A filmmaker s Submission Status page once notification has been posted. Important: The system does not email your submitters to inform them that a new Judging Status has been posted to their account. Consider using the messaging system within your Withoutabox account to send acceptance and rejection letters this adds a personal touch, and sends an email to the submitter. This also helps our Filmmaker Support Team answer questions and let submitters know they were indeed notified.
- 25 - Basic Judging, Withoutabox. The Basic Judging system allows you to grant limited system access to members of your screening committee who can review submitted films or screenplays and provide comments, a rating, and a recommendation. You can additionally have your judges upload files through the tracking tool log. Complete this process regularly during your call for entries as new submissions come in, to ensure that all films have been assigned for review. STEP 1: GRANT USER ACCESS TO YOUR JUDGES 1. Click Authorize Users in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. Select the Judge role for all users that will be assigned projects to review, even Back Office Admins. 3. To grant access to a new user as a judge, click Grant Access to a New Person. Enter the user s email address, create a password for them, and follow the prompts to add this user. See Granting Access to Users for detailed instructions on how to add a new user. STEP 2: ASSIGN ENTRIES TO YOUR JUDGES 1. Click Search Submissions in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. In the Quick Show tool, select only the criteria that apply to the group of films that you want to assign to a judge or a specific group of judges. To search by CATEGORY: Select a category from the ALL CATEGORIES drop-down menu to only view projects submitted in that category. For example, to view only projects submitted in your Documentaries category, simply select Documentaries from the drop-down menu. To search by TRACKING STATUS: Only completed submissions can be assigned to a judge for review. To search for entries with a blue In Consideration status only: Unselect the check-boxes for the red and yellow tracking statuses. To search by FLAG STATUS: To search for flagged entries, select the flag(s) you want to include. To search for AVAILABLE SECURE ONLINE SCREENER PROJECTS: Unselect the check-boxes for the red and yellow tracking statuses, and click the Submission Method drop-down menu and select Submission Copy SOS Ready. 3. Click the blue QUICK SHOW button to run your search. 4. On the Search Results page, select the In Consideration films that you want to assign to your judge(s) by clicking on the check-boxes to the left of the film titles. 5. Scroll to the bottom of the Search Results page. Click the radio button next to Assign to Judges and select the name of the judge(s) that you want to assign these films to. 6. Click the blue MAKE CHANGES AND REFRESH button to assign these films to the selected members of your screening committee.
- 26 - INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF YOUR SCREENING COMMITTEE: Navigate to www.withoutabox.com and log in using your email address and password. To view submissions assigned to you, click Quick Show. To view submission details, click the title of the film. To rate and comment on a submission, click Rate It. Indicate your rating by clicking on the scale of 1-5 stars. Choose between Recommend or Pass and leave any written feedback. Be sure to click Save only once. FOR BACK OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS - REVIEWING COMMENTS & RATINGS: Locate the desired entry via the Search Submissions page and click the project s average rating to view rating, recommendation, and comment detail. To view all films assigned to a single judge, choose the name of the judge from the Assigned to Judge dropdown menu in the Quick Show Section of the Search Submissions page, then click Quick Show. To sort your submitted projects by their average rating, select Average Rating from the sort drop-down menu. To sort by your rating, choose My Rating. UPLOADING JUDGING DOCUMENTS VIA THE TRACKING TOOL LOG: If you use a proprietary judging form for submission review, you can have your judges upload these files directly to the tracking tool log. They will then be available to Back Office Administrators and Submission Team members for review on the film s Tracking Page. To use this feature, ask your judges to select the film from the Search Submissions page, select Write a Note to Tracking Tool Log, and upload the file in the Attachment field below the message box. They can also write a note in the message box to go with their form. Then, they can indicate that the message is in regards to Judging, and click Make Changes and Refresh.
- 27 - Fee & Deadline Waivers, Withoutabox. Many festivals solicit submissions and curate films; if you offer some entrants a fee or deadline waiver, take advantage of the Withoutabox Waiver Tool, which allows you to have those invited entries submit through Withoutabox. If you offer a fee waiver, there is no charge to the Festival or to the submitter. NOTE: You are under no obligation to offer Fee Waivers, and you do not need to grant waivers if they are requested. 1. Click Grant Waivers 2. Select from two settings on your Grant Waivers page: No, do not require a code: This option still allows you to offer fee and/or deadline waivers but does not activate the system-generated waiver code requirement. Without a waiver code requirement in place, the Withoutabox submission system cannot prevent filmmakers from submitting with unauthorized fee and/or waivers. Closely monitor submissions for unauthorized fee waivers. Yes, require a code: The waiver code system is intended to eliminate any unauthorized fee or deadline waiver submissions. Activating the waiver code requirement allows you to offer submitters a fee and/or deadline waiver code when you have authorized a waiver. If you opt to require a Waiver Code, select between Single Use, Limited Use, and Unlimited Use codes. Single Use Codes are unique to each submission and expire once used, Limited Use codes can be used a pre-determined number of times set by you, and Unlimited Use Codes can be used by an unlimited number of submitters. Select your preferred Waiver Code setting. NOTE: If you select Limited Use codes, be sure to specify the number of times you ll allow the code to work. TIP: Enter only integer numbers in these fields.
- 28-3. Generate waiver codes as-needed. If you delete a Waiver Code, it can no longer be used. 4. Finally, instruct filmmakers how to submit with an authorized fee or deadline waiver. a. If you do not require a waiver code, instruct the submitter to indicate that they have received a fee and/or deadline waiver on the Submission Details page, as they are finalizing their submission. b. If you require a waiver code, first generate a code. Determine the appropriate waiver type deadline, fee, or full invitation exempt from deadline and fees. Then email the submitter the below instructions, specifying what type of waiver you are granting (deadline, fee, full): 1. Select the appropriate category to submit to, and click "Submit Now" 2. On the "Submission Details" page, locate the "Special Waiver" section 3. Select the option that says: a) I have received a Deadline Waiver but not a Fee Waiver b) I have received a Fee Waiver, but not a Deadline Waiver c) I have received a Full Invitation, exempt from Deadlines and Fees 4. Enter [Person Approving Waiver] in the Who granted the waiver? field 5. Enter [Reason] in the "Reason for waiver? field 6. Enter waiver code [xxxxxx] in the field titled "Waiver code (if given)?" 7. Complete the remaining sections of the page, and then click Send Submission & Continue. If you have any questions, or need further assistance, please contact Support at support@withoutabox.com. The Special Waiver section on the Submission Details page; this is what a filmmaker will see when they are submitting.
- 29 - Discounts, Withoutabox. GRANTING DISCOUNTS TO SUBMITTERS: 1. If you d like to offer submitters a discount that is not available to all entrants, instruct the filmmaker to submit online and mail in a check for the discounted entry fee amount. Discounted fees cannot be paid online by credit card. Then, when tracking the project s payment as received, enter the discounted fee amount received in the Entry Fee section. 2. A message will appear, warning you that the amount paid is below the expected fee for this entry. Select the first option, which accepts the discounted entry fee as payment in full for this submission. 3. Click the blue COMPLETE ENTRY TRACKING button to save your selection.
- 30 - Exporting, Withoutabox. STEP 1: SET UP YOUR EXPORT CONFIGURATION 1. Click Export Data in your account s left-side navigation menu. 2. Click Setup and Manage Configurations. 3. Click Create a New Export Configuration. 4. Add at least one field by indicating the number of fields that you want to add. There is no limit to the number of total fields that you can have in your configuration, but to maximize efficiency, there is a maximum of 10 new fields at a time. Then, click the blue ADD button. 5. Label the data that you want to export in the newly created fields. In My Field Names on the left, enter your custom field names for the data you want to extract from Withoutabox (map these field names to your database if you will be importing the data), and select the corresponding field names from the Withoutabox Field Names drop-down menu on the right. For example, you may want to get the director's contact information, so you'll need the Film Title, Tracking ID Number, Director's First Name and Last Name, Email Address, and Phone Number. Begin by entering those titles in the My Field Names section on the left. Then, locate the corresponding field names as they are labeled on Withoutabox from the drop-down menu on the right. TIP: Review the Export Reference Guide for a full breakdown of Withoutabox field names. 6. Add additional fields as needed, up to 10 at a time. Do not leave blank fields; delete any you do not use. Leaving a field blank will cause an error when the export runs. 7. Once your configuration is complete, scroll down to the Select Database & Language section at the bottom of the page. Select the appropriate database and character set. Select MS Excel unless you are specifically setting the configuration up for another database type. If you are using a Mac, select the US Macintosh (MAC) Character Set. 8. In the Save Configuration section, give your configuration a convenient label such as "Director's Contact Info" or Weekly Export. 9. Click the blue SAVE AND EXPORT button to return to the main Export page and export if desired.
- 31 - STEP 2: EXPORT DATA AS NEEDED 1. Click Export Data. 2. If your festival has more than one export configuration set up, select the configuration that you want to use from the list. 3. Next, select the submission records that you want to include in this Export. Choose the current season or a past season s entries. Choose All Categories, just one, or a few. Select from Un-exported submissions only, All Submissions, or insert specific Tracking ID numbers for submissions you wish to export, and then select the appropriate tracking status (blue, red, yellow). 4. Click the blue EXPORT button to run an export. 5. Once the process is complete, download your file from the "Download Files" page. Your latest Export file will be the file appearing at the top of the list. Click the file hyperlink to open or save it. TIP: To access previously prepared Export files, click Export on the left-hand side of your screen, and then Download Files on the right-hand side of your screen. NOTE: Once you ve exported a title, it is considered an exported submission. Even if you then run a different export configuration, previously exported titles will not be considered Un-exported for that configuration. To export information using a second configuration, use All Submissions or enter the individual Tracking IDs.
- 32 - Listing Edits, Withoutabox. Most sections of your listing can be updated by you during your open call for entries, so be sure to always keep your listing up to date as new sponsors come on board, new venues are announced, or prizes are added. Submitters rely on the information in your listing to be up to date and correct, so please be sure to use the EDIT LISTING feature when necessary. 1. Click Edit Listing. 2. Navigate to the page that needs to be updated using the right-side menu. The pages/sections available to you for editing during your open call for entries include: Addresses, Mission, and Details in the Profile Section; and, Niches, Qualifiers, Prizes, Exhibition, and Press Kits within each category. You can also adjust the deadline dates on the Deadlines pages, but you will not be able to adjust entry fees from your end after activation. Deadline and Notification Date changes must be made by you before the original date arrives. Dates that have already passed cannot be edited. To edit the submission shipping address, navigate to the Previews page. While you will not be able to edit the format types, you can edit the Shipping Address at the bottom of the page. Be sure to repeat necessary edits in all applicable categories. TIP: If a page is greyed-out and unavailable to you for editing, contact festsupport@withoutabox.com for assistance in making these changes. TIP: If you receive an error message stating that deadline dates are out of order, check to ensure that your notification date (at the bottom of the page) and event dates (on the details page) fall after all new deadlines. 3. Make any necessary changes on the pages you wish to edit, and click Save. Your changes will instantly populate to the site. 4. Click View Listing from the left-side navigation to review the listing edits you ve made and confirm that everything is correct.