This competition is intended to expose unrefined talent seeking a paid internship* at The Refinery.
If you are a seasoned designer with professional experience seeking an opportunity for employment, please email your portfolio/resume to jobs@therefinerycreative.com.

Email intern@therefinerycreative.com if you would like to participate in the contest. A return email will follow with the entry form/InDesign template, and film synopsis.

Candidates must submit their completed entry form and poster design in pdf format.
All entries must be received by intern@therefinerycreative.com no later than the date posted on the previous screen("entry date"). Incomplete submissions may not be considered.

Design an original theatrical movie poster with an original title treatment.

Submit as many entries as you would like, each with its own entry form/pdf.

Judging is based on quality of execution, strategy, resourcefulness of asset creation/use and originality/strength of concept.

Finalists will be notified by email.

Winner will be offered (1) round-trip ticket to LA and (1) night accommodation at a location of our choosing and an interview for possible internship with the owners of The Refinery. Internship* opportunity term subject to change and depend upon the winning candidate's circumstance. See following pages for details.

 

EXPANDED RULES

Open only to permanent, legal U.S. residents who are physically residing in the United States or the District of Columbia, and who are eighteen (18) years of age or older, and of the legal age of majority in their state of residence, as of the start of the Contest Period. Each participant must also warrant and represent that they meet the all of the following criteria (the "Internship Criteria") as of the start of the Contest Period:
(a) They have the legal right to work in the United States of America;
(b) They are not subject to any employment or other agreement which would interfere with their ability to accept an Internship (as defined below) if declared a Winner (as defined below);
(c) They are willing to authorize a background check in accordance with these Official Rules and applicable law and sign waiver forms authorizing the release of your personal and background information;
(d) They are willing to sign certain documents to be provided by the Refinery at the outset of the Internship, including, but not limited to, an application, acknowledgement of Internship conditions, confidentiality and property rights agreement, and an acknowledgement of the Refinery's integrity policies;
and (e) They are willing to abide by all of the Refinery's workplace and corporate policies, procedures, and standards of conduct during the Internship and as otherwise applicable.

 

 

TO ENTER:

To enter the Contest, log on to www.therefinerycreative.com (the "Website") during the Contest Period, click on the Careers banner, and follow the provided instructions.

If at any time during the Contest Period, any of the information provided by entrant at the time of entry into the Contest changes, it shall be the entrant's sole responsibility to inform the Refinery of such changes.

All Entries become the property of The Refinery and will not be acknowledged or returned.

By entering the Contest, entrants grant the Refinery the non-exclusive, royalty-free, and irrevocable rights to use, reproduce, copy, publish, display, distribute, perform, translate, edit, adapt, modify, and otherwise exploit the Submitted materials (and all elements thereof) and to incorporate the Submitted materials in other works in any and all markets and media worldwide in perpetuity. Entrants warrant that they have the sole and exclusive right to grant such rights to the Refinery and that the Refinery's reproduction, publishing, displaying, and/or other use of the Submitted materials will not infringe on any rights of third parties, including, without limitation, copyright, trademark, privacy, or publicity, or create claims for defamation, false light, idea misappropriation, intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress, or breach of contract. The Submitted materials must not contain any of the following:
(a) any material that is obscene, or racially offensive:
(b) any personally identifying information about any person (such as phone numbers or addresses), including the entrant;
(c) any material that would give or threaten to give rise to criminal or civil liability.

If any Entry does not comply with these Official Rules or meet the Refinery's standards for any reason, as determined by the Refinery in its sole discretion, such Entry may be rejected as ineligible for consideration. Entries must comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. The Refinery shall have no obligation to copy, publish, display, or otherwise exploit the Submitted Materials.

Entries must be received before the "entry date" to be eligible for the Contest. Entries that are incomplete, garbled, corrupted, or unintelligible for any reason, including, but not limited to, computer or network malfunction or congestion, are void and will not be accepted. In case of a dispute over the identity of an entrant, the authorized account holder of the email address used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. Entry constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use entrant's name, city, state, likeness, image, and/or voice for purposes of advertising, promotion, and publicity in any and all media now or hereafter known, throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification, permission, or approval.

 

 

JUDGING/NOTIFICATION:

A panel comprised of the creative directors of the Refinery selected by the Refinery ("Judges") will review the eligible Entries received during the Contest Period and select a potential winner ("Winner").

The review process may occur on a rolling basis as Entries are received. Judging will be based on the Submitted Materials as well as any telephone or personal interviews or other solicitations for more information that the Refinery may elect to conduct.

NOTE:
Any potential entrant, who, due to disability would be unable to receive telephonic notices or participate in a telephonic interview with Judges, as applicable, may request a reasonable alternative for an accommodation on the basis of their disability by faxing a written request to 818-843-0029. Attn: HR that is received no later than the "entry date". If a reasonable accommodation for disability was requested and approved, any interviews will take place in accordance with such reasonable accommodation. The Refinery reserves the right to modify any Judging Criteria as necessary for any entrants who submit a properly documented and approved request for an accommodation on the basis of disability.

Decisions of the Refinery and Judges are final and binding with respect to all matters related to the Contest. Winning is subject to verification of eligibility and the successful completion of any background check to the reasonable satisfaction of the Refinery. The Refinery will make two (2) attempts to notify potential Winner by email and/or phone, or in accordance with any reasonable accommodation for disability as applicable. The Refinery reserves the right to pick no potential Winner, or to extend the Contest Period if in its sole discretion, the Refinery does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Entries.

PRIZE:
There will be one (1) prize package awarded to the Winner, consisting of: (1) a trip (the "Trip") for the Winner to Los Angeles and an interview for an internship with the Refinery (the "Internship"). The Trip and the Internship interview shall be referred to herein as the "Prize".

The Trip includes: 1) round-trip coach class domestic air transportation from a major U.S. gateway airport nearest Winner's residence (as determined by the Refinery in its sole discretion) to one of the major gateway airports nearest Los Angeles, California (as determined by the Refinery in its sole discretion); 2) one (1) night hotel accommodations in a Los Angeles, California metropolitan area hotel (standard room, double occupancy), as determined by the Refinery in its sole discretion. Estimated Retail Value ("ERV") of Trip is one thousand dollars ($1,000). Actual value may vary depending on city of departure and dates of travel.

The Internship will commence at a time convenient to The Refinery and the Winner and continue for at least twelve (12) weeks, or as of a date and for a length of time as otherwise determined by the Refinery in consultation with Winner, being mindful of Winner's academic calendar. For the avoidance of doubt, Winner agrees that the Internship will be: (a) subject to Winner's compliance with the Refinery's workplace and corporate policies (including, without limitation, compliance guidelines, sexual harassment and other similar policies, (b) an internship for which Winner will receive college credit in accordance with the policies of Winner's college or university, (c) paid a stipend by The Refinery. The Refinery will not be responsible for Winner's room and board during the Internship or any other expenses (except as specifically set forth above) associated with the Internship. The Internship has no cash value.

The total ERV of Prize is One Thousand dollars ($1,000).

The Refinery will determine all details of Prize in its sole discretion including scope of Internship duties. Travel arrangements must be made through the Refinery's agent, on a carrier of the Refinery's choice. Winner must travel on scheduled departure date and return date, and must have valid travel documents (e.g., valid government issued photo ID and/or passport) prior to departure. Failure to secure the necessary travel documents may result in forfeiture of Prize. The Refinery reserve the right to substitute a similar Prize (or Prize element) of comparable or greater value in their sole discretion. All taxes and other expenses, costs, or fees associated with the acceptance and/or use of Prize are the sole responsibility of Winner. Prize cannot be transferred by Winner or redeemed for cash and is valid only for the items detailed above, with no substitution of Prize by Winner. If Prize is unclaimed within a reasonable time after notification from the Refinery, or if Winner is unable to utilize Trip portion of the Prize, as determined by Sponsors in their sole discretion, Prize will be forfeited, and at the Refinery's sole discretion and time permitting, the runner-up entrant with the next highest points based on the Judging Criteria may be selected as an alternate potential Winner.

Exact travel dates will be determined by the Refinery in their sole discretion. Travel and hotel arrangements will be determined by the Refinery in its sole discretion. Once determined, no change, extension, or substitution of travel dates and/or times is permitted, except by the Refinery in its sole discretion. Prize consists only of the elements set forth above. No other travel elements (including, without limitation, insurance, gasoline, meals, gratuities, and souvenirs are included in Prize. Tickets will be issued only to Winner. Tickets are void if sold for cash or other consideration. Winner is responsible for any income tax liability. Once issued, tickets are non-transferable and may not be reissued once travel has commenced. All travel will be at the risk of Winner. The Refinery shall have no responsibility or liability for cancellations, delays, or any other change by any company or person providing any element of Prize due to reasons beyond the Refinery's control, and are not responsible or liable for any expenses incurred as a consequence thereof.
CONDITIONS:
By entering the Contest, each entrant agrees for entrant and for entrant's heirs, executors, and administrators: (a) to release and hold harmless Contest Entities and their respective officers, directors, and employees (collectively, "Released Parties") from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from (1) such entrant's participation in the Contest and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, misuse or inability to use Prize or any portion or component thereof (including any travel related thereto and/or any activities/assignments relating to the Internship), (2) ambiguous Judging Criteria, or (3) any third party's ability or inability to access, modify, republish, copy, create mash-ups from or otherwise modify the entrants' Submitted Materials; (b) to indemnify Released Parties from any and all liability resulting or arising from the Contest and to hereby acknowledge that Released Parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to Prize; (c) if selected as a Winner, to the posting of such entrant's name on the Website and the use by Released Parties of such name, voice, image, and/or likeness for publicity, promotional, and advertising purposes in any and all media now or hereafter known, throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification, permission, or approval, and, upon request, to the giving of consent (by such entrant's parent or legal guardian if the entrant is a minor in his or her state of residence), in writing, to such use; and (d) to be bound by these Official Rules and to waive any right to claim any ambiguity or error therein or in the Contest itself, and to be bound by all decisions of the Refinery, which are final and binding. Failure to comply with these conditions may result in disqualification from the Contest at the Refinery's sole discretion.

ADDITIONAL TERMS:
The Refinery reserve the right to permanently disqualify from any promotion any person they believe has intentionally violated these Official Rules. Any attempt to deliberately damage the Contest or the operation thereof is unlawful and subject to legal action by the Refinery, who may seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law. The failure of the Refinery to comply with any provision of these Official Rules due to an act of God, hurricane, war, fire, riot, earthquake, terrorism, act of public enemies, actions of governmental authorities outside of the control of the Refinery (excepting compliance with applicable codes and regulations), or other "force majeure" event will not be considered a breach of these Official Rules. Released Parties assume no responsibility for any injury or damage to entrants' or to any other person's computer relating to or resulting from entering or downloading materials or software in connection with the Contest. Released Parties are not responsible for telecommunications, network, electronic, technical, or computer failures of any kind; for inaccurate transcription of entry information; for errors in any promotional or marketing materials or in these Official Rules; for any human or electronic error; or for Entries that are stolen, misdirected, garbled, delayed, forged, deleted, lost, late, damaged, or returned. The Refinery reserves the right to cancel, modify, or suspend the Contest or any element thereof (including, without limitation, these Official Rules) without notice in any manner and for any reason (including, without limitation, in the event of any unanticipated occurrence that is not fully addressed in these Official Rules). In the event of cancellation, modification, or suspension, the Refinery reserves the right to select a Winner from among all eligible, non-suspect Entries received prior to the time of the event warranting such cancellation, modification, or suspension based on the Judging Criteria. Notice of such cancellation, modification, or suspension will be posted on the Website. The Refinery may prohibit any entrant or potential entrant from participating in the Contest, if such entrant or potential entrant shows a disregard for these Official Rules; acts with an intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other entrant, the Refinery, or the Refinery's agents or representatives; or behaves in any other disruptive manner (as determined by the Refinery in their sole discretion).

DISPUTES:
THE CONTEST IS GOVERNED BY, AND WILL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND THE FORUM AND VENUE FOR ANY DISPUTE SHALL BE IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. IF THE CONTROVERSY OR CLAIM IS NOT OTHERWISE RESOLVED THROUGH DIRECT DISCUSSIONS OR MEDIATION, IT SHALL THEN BE RESOLVED BY FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION ADMINISTERED BY JUDICIAL ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION SERVICES, INC., IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS STREAMLINED ARBITRATION RULES AND PROCEDURES OR SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS THEREOF ("JAMS RULES"). THE JAMS RULES FOR SELECTION OF AN ARBITRATOR SHALL BE FOLLOWED, EXCEPT THAT THE ARBITRATOR SHALL BE EXPERIENCED AND LICENSED TO PRACTICE LAW IN CALIFORNIA. ALL PROCEEDINGS BROUGHT PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH WILL BE CONDUCTED IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. THE REMEDY FOR ANY CLAIM SHALL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL DAMAGES, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY BE ENTITLED TO RECOVER PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING ATTORNEY'S FEES OR OTHER SUCH RELATED COSTS OF BRINGING A CLAIM, OR TO RESCIND THIS AGREEMENT OR SEEK INJUNCTIVE OR ANY OTHER EQUITABLE RELIEF.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT: For the name of the Winner, contact intern@therefinerycreative.com

ABOUT "THE MOVIE": The title and its stated plot are completely fictional and used solely for the purpose of this competition as a subject for which one may design a fictional movie poster. Any real or implied correlation to anything produced, about to be produced, or otherwise conceived of by any other individual or company is purely coincidental. The use of the movie plot and title on the part of The Refinery ends with the Internship Design Program Competition.