PADC Skulls releases call for entries with the earlybird deadline of August 22nd
After a short hiatus due to a global pandemic that put somewhat of a spanner in the works for awards shows worldwide, the PADC Skulls are set to make their return in November 2021. The experience has allowed the committee to reset, review and make some significant changes to this year’s format.
The PADC has released their Call for Entries today. Work must have been first published or aired between 31st July 2019 to 1st August 2021. All work entered in last year’s Skulls Showcase will be automatically added to the final 2021 entry submissions. If you entered last year, there’s no need to enter again.
Earlybird Call for Entries close August 22nd with final entries in by August 29th (late fees apply after August 22nd)
Judging will take place 10th and 11th of September with the awards night on November 12th.
Josh Edge, Club President, said: “We’re always looking at the role the Club plays in the lives and careers of commercial creators in Perth and WA. The world of creativity, design and digital is almost unrecognisable from even a few years ago, but the role of a strong idea and a well-crafted piece of communication has never changed. Our job is to make sure that these ideas are held up and celebrated in the industry, because ultimately great ideas are what our careers are built on!”
To that end, the award categories have been refined, streamlined and reshuffled to better reflect the work that is being done in Perth advertising and design.
“We’ve intentionally blurred the lines between online and traditional formats in terms of film, radio/audio and design,” said Edge. “Everything is online now, the delineations between work that appears on Youtube and during Masterchef are pretty redundant. Even the differences between branded podcasts and 30 second radio ads are becoming less important. So we’ve streamlined the categories down to a length format, and broadened the charity/NFP definitions to ‘Work for Good’ categories across all formats.”
One of the biggest changes has been to re-incorporate the Diamond Skulls back into the main Skulls show, but Edge says this is an experiment that the Club is open to get feedback on.
“Personally, I loved the existing Diamond Skulls format, but with pressures on sponsorship, costs and the original relationship with the Emergence Festival changing over time, we thought it was time to consolidate the two award shows into one big show. The more people we can have, together in a room, the better. But we’ll certainly take on board any feedback that our members and the industry has.”
The Diamond Skulls has also become a paid entry, with $50 for PADC members and $100 for non-members.
“The idea is that creative professionals use the Diamond Skulls to show off a folio of their best work, regardless of the agency or production company submissions,” says Edge. “This is your opportunity to take charge of your career and your creative reputation, and show the stuff that you feel best represents your professional output and favourite work.”
The judging format is another big change from recent years, with COVID restrictions having an obvious impact on the ability of the Club to fly to different countries. This year the Club will be running online judging video sessions from all over the world, with a panel including members from the worlds of advertising, design, digital marketing and production.
“We’ve been looking at the judging format for a couple of years now,” explains Edge. “With the rise of teleconferencing and the ability to talk to each other in real-time, in large groups and video sessions, we figured we’d potentially get better bang for our members’ bucks using remote judging technology – plus get better access to some big names and some ex-Aussie luminaries stranded on opposite ends of the globe. Again, open to feedback from our members, but we’ll be using it as a learning opportunity in 2021.”
The Club has decided to allow ALL entries from the 2020 Skulls Showcase to be re-entered in this year’s show, free of charge. This means that the 2021 Skulls will feature work that has run from back in August 2019, up until August 2021.
“If you’ve entered the Showcase, your work will be in the 2021 Skulls by default,” explains Edge. “However, it will only be entered in a single category at our discretion for free. If you’d like to enter Showcase work in multiple categories, you’ll have to pay to enter in those additional categories, and they can be entered like any other piece of work. If you need help, or to find out where your 2019 work has already been entered this year, you can email Club Manager Tia Brazier at admin@padc.com.au and me at president@padc.com.au”.
If you didn’t enter the Showcase at all last year, you can also enter work from August 2019 onwards in this show for the usual charge.
The 2021 PADC Skulls Call for Entries book is now live, with design by PADC member Joseph Dennis, Gabi Fountain and overseen by PADC Club Vice President Melissa Radman. Download it here to get started.
Skulls submissions can be started on the PADC Awardforce platform. Remember that you can start uploading your entries (or even just credits and other details!) well before the deadline to avoid the last-minute uploading and payment crunch.
Remember to make sure you’re a paid-up PADC member to save on entry fees and discounts on tickets the Skulls Awards night.
The PADC wishes to thank its Skulls Partners; News Corp, Nova FM, PAV Events, Cherubino Wines and Gage Roads Brewing Co.
For any enquires, contact Club Manager Tia Brazier on admin@padc.com.au.
