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The Rules

Provided as a reminder to guests, and as inspiration to others.

How It Works: Clips are played in random order by an operator/projectionist, with no introductions (unless the person bringing it wants to give a setup). In an evening we view three "sets" of clips, each lasting 45 minutes to an hour, with breaks in between.

Clip Length: Three minutes or shorter. Not three and a half. Not four. If there's a sequence, or a musical number, that lasts longer than three minutes, select a segment of the whole that's shorter than three minutes. You can do it. (In 2008 we introduced the option of clips longer than three minutes, subject to approval by the host, who insisted that clips adhere to established standards of awesomeness.)

Number of Clips Per Person: Officially, one. Many of us get carried away and bring three or four (or eight) clips. If you bring more than one clip you'll be asked to rank them in order. Whether we get to all of your clips depends on how many people attend, the total number of clips, and the energy in the room.

Clip Eligibility: Theatrically-released feature-length motion pictures. No shorts. Nothing direct-to-video. No television programs. There are decades of international and Hollywood cinema to choose from. If you feel the rules are too stringent, throw your own clip party.

Providing Clips (new rules): Clips are now digitized weeks in advance (originally by the host, but now mostly by the party guests themselves), edited together in Final Cut and presented in uninterrupted batches. We've settled on a 25-second pause between clips, bridged by a slide containing trivia or commentary about the clip we've just watched. This adaptation came about due to the preponderance of DVDs at the 2003 party, which due to their FBI warnings (about engaging in this exact sort of behavior) and elaborate logo and menu sequences, dragged between-clip pauses to a crawl.

Preparing Clips (old rules): Cue your VHS tape to a couple of seconds before your clip is supposed to begin (The tape often rolls back when you eject it). For laserdiscs and DVDs, note the minute and second when the clip starts (or, for CAV laserdiscs, the frame number). In some cases you'll be lucky and the scene will begin at the start of a chapter. At the party you'll be asked to fill out a form for each clip. The most important part of the form is the "stop clip after" section, so that the video operator knows when to stop the clip without you having to shout out "stop."

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