Halloween is coming, and we want to be scared. Really scared. Like, messed in our pants and too scared to clean it up kind of scared.

Jawbone.tv is running a video contest to discover The Scariest Story Ever Told, and we’ve got more than a thousand bucks in cash and prizes to make it happen. Here are the easy to follow overview guidelines:

• Length. Entries must be three minutes or less.
  
  
• Title Card. All entries must include at their opening a minimum of three seconds worth of the Jawbone.tv ‘Scariest Story Ever Told’ title card (you can download the PDF of the card here or grab the big fat JPG here). 
  
  
• Original. Entries must be your own work, and preferably your own stories (at the very least, they must be clear of copyright issues).
  
  
• Analogue. For The Scariest Story Ever Told, we prefer old school scary.  In other words, you might be best served by avoiding effects or animation other than what you can create while recording ... but do whatever works.
  
  
• Judging Criteria.  We’re looking for originality, effort, and scare power.
  
  
• We've seen a lot of supposedly scary stories on YouTube, and to be honest, they really kind of suck. We don't want suck. We want terror. End of story.
  
  
• Judging to select the top five finalists – based on the above criteria - will be conducted by Jawbone.tv.
  
  
• The grand prize winner will be chosen from the top five.
  
• Video Upload. Entries must be uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo, MetaCafe or some other video service that allows videos to be embedded on external sites.
  
  
• When uploading to your video service, include the following tags/keywords: “jawbone.tv”, “scariest” and “story”.
  
  
• Consult your preferred service for compression and technical settings.
  
• Submit. To enter, send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , with a link to your video submission, along with your full name and return email address (we just need enough info to make sure we can contact you if you win). Note: Do NOT send attachments with your email, especially videos.
  
  
• Deadlines.
  
  
• Contest opens September 22, 2009 and runs through until October 22, 2009.
  
  
• We will select our top five finalists on October 22, 2009, and post them to the website for one week.
  
  
• At the end of the week (October 29), we will announce the winner based on the number of views.
  
• Suckiness clause. In the event that all videos totally suck, Jawbone.tv reserves the right to declare the contest a bust and give the winnings to charity.
  
  
• Prizes.
  
  
• 1st place
• $500 Cash.
• Dramatica Pro from Write Brothers (Value $269.00).
• Action Method from Behance - One Year License (Value $99.00).
• One Month All Access Pass – TheAuteurs.com (Value $18.00).
• Short Films and Music Video DVD Packs from Stash DVD Magazine (Value $88.00).
• 2nd place - 5th place
  
• Short Films DVD Pack from Stash DVD Magazine (Value $39.00).
• One Month All Access Pass – TheAuteurs.com (Value $18.00).

JAWBONE.TV'S SCARIEST STORY EVERY TOLD VIDEO CONTEST - OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

1. Description of the contest
Jawbone.tv’s Scariest Story Ever Told Video Contest (the “Contest”), sponsored by Jawbone.tv and Swarm Entertainment (the “Sponsors”), having their headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is designed to provide a forum for creative storytellers to exhibit their talents by submitting originally recorded videos that exhibit a talent for scaring people (the “Video”). Up to five (5) finalists will be selected by Jawbone.tv, with final placement determined by audience voting. The first place winner will receive a monetary prize of US$500 plus assorted sponsor gifts. The second, third, fourth and fifth place winners will receive sponsor gifts. In addition, entrants’ submissions may be showcased in various media at Sponsors’ sole discretion.

2. Eligibility Criteria
The Contest is open to anyone who satisfies the following criteria ("Eligibility Criteria"): (a) those who are, as of the date of entry, at least 18 years of age and have attained the age of majority in their country of residence; (b) those who are not employees of Sponsors and their parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, participating vendors, promotion or advertising agencies, or any other company involved with the design, production, execution or distribution of the Contest (all of the above, together with Sponsors, collectively referred to as "Promotion Entities"); and (c) those who are not an employee's immediate family member (parent, child, sibling, and spouse), regardless of where they live, or an employee's Household Member. "Household Member" shall mean people who share the same residence at least 3 months a year (whether related or not).

3. How to Enter
The Contest begins at 9:00:01 A.M. EDT on September 22, 2009 and ends at 5:00:01 P.M. EDT on October 22, 2009 (the “Submission Period”). To participate in the Contest, entrants must upload the Video to their preferred video site, and submit to Jawbone.tv an email containing a link to the video. Participants should consult with their preferred service for compression and technical settings. In the event of broadcast, all finalists must have a high-resolution, broadcast-quality version readily available and submit all relevant paperwork in regards to clearance of all elements included in the Video submission(s). All entries must either be in English or contain English subtitles. By entering this Contest, all entrants agree to these Official Rules. Entries must be received via email by Sponsors no later than 5:00:01 P.M. EDT on October 22, 2009. Sponsors are not responsible for late, lost or misdirected entries, for incomplete entries or for entries not properly uploaded. Entries may only be submitted in the name of one individual. Entrants are permitted to submit multiple Videos.

4. Judging
Immediately following the end of the Submission Period, five (5) finalist’s Videos will be selected by Jawbone.tv as eligible for the grand prize. Sponsors reserve the right to name fewer than five finalists and/or not to name any finalists at all if, in its sole discretion, an insufficient number of qualified Videos are received. Winners will be notified by email at Sponsors’ discretion. Decisions of the judges are final and binding. Finalists must execute and return all documentation required by Sponsors in order to claim prizes.

5. Prizes
The first place winner will receive a monetary prize of US$500 plus assorted sponsor gifts. The second, third, fourth and fifth place winners will receive sponsor gifts. In addition, entrants’ submissions may be showcased in various media at Sponsors’ sole discretion. Total approximate retail vale of all prizes is US$1,100. All fees, expenses and administration not listed above are the sole responsibility of the winners.
All taxes on prizes (including, without limitation, income taxes) are the sole responsibility of the winners. Prizes may not be substituted or transferred, except that Sponsors may substitute a prize of equal or greater value in their sole discretion. The prizes referred above are personal and cannot be transferred to third parties. The opportunity to have Videos reviewed by media and climate change experts for the Contest constitutes consideration for the activity carried out by entrants in designing and creating the video and performing any activity relating to the Contest.

6. Ownership of Material
All Videos must be entirely the entrant's original work and must not infringe the intellectual property, industrial property or other rights of any third party, without regard to the entrant's country of residence. Winning entrants agree to execute any documents that Sponsors deem necessary to prove and claim exclusive ownership by the entrant. Sponsors reserve the right at any time to disqualify any Video that it determines, in its sole discretion, is not original and/or does not meet the requirements of these Officials Rules. Sponsors do not make any claim to the copyright of the winning material. Winning entrants must comply with usage rights, including possible broadcast, contained herein, in order to claim prizes.

7. Publicity
Entrants grant permission to Promotion Entities to use, publish and display their name, likeness and/or entry, as well as any footage, stills, recordings and/or photographs of them recorded or taken during or for the purposes of the Contest (or any reproduction or modification thereof), in any manner and medium throughout the world for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law. Entrant agrees to execute and sign additional publicity release documents if necessary.

8. Conditions of Participation
As a condition of entering the Contest, entrants will be required to indicate and affirm their agreement with these Official Rules. Entrants must also abide by the decisions of the judges and Sponsors, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to the Contest and agree that no correspondence will be entered into. Return of any prize/prize notification may result in disqualification from the Contest and selection of an alternate winner. Any winner who cannot be contacted within ten days of first attempted notification will forfeit their prize. Winners will be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release and, where legally permissible, a publicity release within ten days following the date of first attempted notification. Failure to comply within this time period may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Alternate winners will be selected according to the Contest Judging Criteria. To the extent permitted by law, the entrants agree to hold Sponsors, their affiliates, subsidiaries, agents, directors, officers, employees, representatives, and assigns harmless from any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by the entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or use or acceptance of any prize won. Sponsors are not responsible for any typographical or other error in the advertising or administration of the Contest or in the announcement of a prize. An entrant may be prohibited or disqualified from participating in the Contest, or may be required to forfeit any prize awarded to them in the Contest if, in Sponsors’ sole discretion, (a) Sponsors believe that the entrant has attempted to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, engaging in deception, not adhering to the content requirement or otherwise violating these Official Rules, (b) Sponsors believe that the entrant does not satisfy the Eligibility Criteria, (c) the entrant does not satisfy any other criteria or agreement in these Official Rules (including, without limitation, executing and returning any documentation required by Sponsors), or (d) the entrant is convicted of, or pleads guilty or no contest to, any felony or any crime of moral turpitude, fraud or misrepresentation.

9. Privacy
In entering the Contest, entrants will be required to provide Sponsors with, or Sponsors will need to collect, certain personally identifying information ("Personal Information"). Entrants agree and consent to Sponsors using and processing such Personal Information for the promotion and administration of the Contest, to claim or defend its rights in any disputes arising in connection with the Contest, and to comply with any requests received from public authorities (“Permitted Purposes”). Entrants also agree that Sponsors may provide their Personal Information to third parties, including Sponsors’ agents and contractors, for the Permitted Purposes. Sponsors will delete all Personal Information within a reasonable time after the conclusion of the Contest. The processing of all Personal Information will take place by electronic and manual means in compliance with all security measures required by applicable laws. Personal Information will be accessible within Sponsors’ organization only by those persons who are responsible for using and processing of the Personal Information for the Permitted Purposes. Entrants acknowledge that the use and processing of their Personal Information is necessary for the administration of the Contest. The failure by entrants to provide all requested Personal Information will result in ineligibility to participate in the Contest.

10. Recourse to Judicial or other Procedures
These Official Rules shall be construed in accordance with, and any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Official Rules, their subject matter or the Contest, shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada.

11. Warranty and Indemnity
In entering the Contest, entrants certify that they satisfy the Eligibility Criteria, that their Video is original to them alone, that they are the sole and exclusive owner of all IPR and that they have the right to submit the Video in the Contest and to transfer the ownership of the Video and of all IPR to Sponsor. Entrants agree and warrant that they shall comply with all the terms and conditions of these Official Rules and that they shall not enter any Video that infringes any third party IPR. To the maximum extent permitted by law, entrants agree to keep Sponsor indemnified at all times from and against any liability, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs and expenses resulting from any of the entrant's acts or omissions in connection with their participation in the Contest and/or a breach of any warranty set forth herein.

12. Severability
If any provision(s) of these Official Rules are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect.

13. Winners List
For the names of the Finalists and the grand prize winner, log onto www.jawbone.tv on or about October 29, 2009, which information will be available for a period of up to 60 days.