Sample email sent out on 11/21/11

 

Greetings 2011 PCT Hiker

As you may know, a "Class Yearbook" PCT video has been produced for each of the last eight years.  It is a compendium of still images and movies submitted by hikers who were on the trail during that year.  The final product runs about 60-75 minutes in length and becomes another lasting memory for all those on the trail that year.  These videos are available for download on line (as an iso file) and can be burned to DVD. They are found here  http://planyourhike.com/ media/pctdvd.php


This year, we (Tequila Kid (Jack) and Boo Boo (Barb)), will be putting together the 2011 production.  For it to succeed, we will need your best images and HD videos (if you have any)


THE 2011 VIDEO WILL ONLY BE AS GOOD AS THE IMAGES THAT ARE SUBMITTED - PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THIS REQUEST.


CLASS OF 2011 VIDEO - SUBMISSION GUIDELINES We are looking for your best images and any quality HD video you may have shot on the trail this season -  You need not have hiked the entire trail to submit images .  Since we will be culling through thousands of images, we request that you limit your submission to your best 100 shots PLUS any and all shots of other hikers and trail angels.  This includes all of your pictures of the Southern Terminus Monument (Campo, CA) and Monument 78 (Canada).


Here is what we are looking for:

1)  Any images you have with a "PCT" sign in them - (this can include "PCT" painted on the road) [NOTE: We were going to make a collage of signs but never did - so you likely will not ask for this] We found that asking for images of THEM will improve your submission rate - see the second email.

2)  Anything unique, like someone postholing in snow,  floundering in a Sierra river, or eating five pounds of pancakes.

3)  Your best Nature shots and images of the trail -  Rattlesnakes, Bears, Flowers, and the trail, especially your snow images!

4)  Sunrise / Sunset shots, Weather shots, camp and campfire shots, forest fires, rescue operations etc.

5)  All of your images that include fellow hikers or trail angels (we are hoping to get everyone into this program at least once). - Include your best Monument images.

6)  HD Video - Wildlife, hiker antics, anything that captures the trail experience.  Any format is acceptable.  Put these videos in the respective folders along with your still images.  Please specify location as well as names of hikers if known.  Note:  We may accept Standard Def video if the content is exceptional.  If that is what you have, send it in!  

7)  Rule #7 (of course) anything you might have that you think might be interesting but not listed in 1-5 above


THE DETAILS:

Please keep your images full size.  We will be producing a high def production and will not be able to use any images shot at 640X480 (unless they are Reallllly good!).  JPEGs are the best format but we can work with most any file format.  It is fine to clean up images if you wish with photoshop or other imaging software but please resave at the best quality.  HD movie clips too can be submitted in most any format - no pre-editing required.

PLEASE, if you can, sort your images into subfolders as follows: This is extremely important for you, maybe omit the "if you can" part!

1)  Southern California (Campo to Kennedy Meadows) In the PCT books, it is Campo to Walker Pass

2)  Central California (KM to Sonora Pass) Central CA is listed as Walker Pass to Interstate 80 at Donner Pass

3)  Northern California  (Sonora Pass to the Oregon border) Donner Pass to Oregon Border

4)  Oregon

5)  Washington

Keep the original file name and date stamps on all images and video clips if possible.  And, optional, it would be wonderful if you went through and added to the image name, an identifier such as P00634-Mather Pass.jpg or P00034-Tom at KM.jpg.  Otherwise it would be just as good to make a key to your shots by writing down the image name and a short description of where it was taken (on paper).

Once you have made a package of your best stuff, either burn it to a CD or DVD.  If you don't have a burner, you can copy it to a flash card or thumb drive and mail it to us.  Note:  All physical drives will be returned but CDs and DVDs will not.  Please include your picture description (again, if possible), and your email address so we can contact you if we have any questions about any images.

Please DO NOT EMAIL IMAGES - They are too big for our mailbox.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS JANUARY 15, 2012

MAIL TO: Jack Ross, address here   Encinitas, CA  92024  
We will verify receipt by email of all media sent. (this could be optional - took some time)

MUSIC:   Do you have any music suggestions?  And please don't request " 500 Miles by the Proclaimers (click here) "  we are sick of it!  But we do want to hear from you if there are songs that you might think would fit well on a production of this sort.  We are researching music now so, sooner is better than later on this. Email your music suggestions now (  jackandbarbpct-donotuse@gmail.com  )  Don't send any mp3s please, just name of song and artist.  We can audition the songs on YouTube.  We are open to just about any genre - Rock, Techno, New Age, Jazz, Classical, Folk etc and will be choosing about 30 different songs for the finished production.


We plan to put together a super class video but the quality of the finished product will be dependent largely on the images and video we receive - Please take a couple of hours of your time to put together your best shots for the production.


SPREAD THE WORD!  Our email address list is limited so, if you are in contact with anyone who also hiked the trail this season, please pass this on.  Better they get this email multiple times than not at all.


Thank you, TK and Boo Boo

RETURN