Joe Dever Award for Best Transmedia IP in Fantasy
1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose of the Award
The aim of the Joe Dever Award is to honour the best transmedia IP (Intellectual Property) of the year in the fantasy sector, chosen according to the criteria set out in Art. 3, and as defined in Art. 1.4.
1.2. Organisation of the competition
The contest is organized by Lucca Crea. Ownership of the award, its logos and trademarks, as well as total discretion over the rules and regulations, are reserved to Lucca Crea.
Lucca Crea also reserves the right to modify the Rules and Regulations of the award and the following articles at any time, totally or in part, by giving notice through its official communication channels.
The Jury may propose changes to the Rules and Regulations by submitting duly dated and recorded requests. All proposed changes will be assessed, and possibly implemented, by Lucca Crea.
1.3. Awards
The Joe Dever award prize is awarded annually.
The publishers/distributors/creators of the award-winning IPs may use the corresponding logo on the packaging of the award-winning products, for communication and marketing activities, as indicated in art. 5.
1.4. Participation Requirements
The competition is aimed at IPs with a transmedia vocation that meet the following requirements:
- being present on the market in the Italian language, and/or including an Italian translation of all the elements necessary to enjoy them (game rules, novelisation, screenplay, dubbing, etc.);
- having a product released in the year in which the prize is awarded. The aforementioned product must not belong to the IP’s medium of origin and must have been localised in Italy in the year of nomination;
- being published between the end of the Lucca Comics and Games Festival in the preceding year, and the start of Lucca Comics and Games festival in the current year; (see below, point 1.6);
- being related to the world of fantasy and the fantastic.
1.5. Finality of decisions
The Jury’s decisions regarding the eligibility of IPs for the competition, the selection of the finalists, and the choice of the winners are unappealable.
1.6. Duration of the competition
The contest period starts with the closing of the last edition of the Lucca Comics & Games event (generally, in November of each year), and ends with the beginning of the following year’s edition of the Lucca Comics & Games event.
2. The jury
2.1. Composition
The Jury is appointed annually by Lucca Crea and consists of a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 9 members, including a President and an Award Coordinator, also chosen and appointed by Lucca Crea.
The Jury is composed as follows.
- Three special members of the Jury, that are:
- one member of the Dever family,
- the Director of Lucca Comics & Games or his/her delegate,
- the Award Coordinator.
- A President of the Jury.
- Three to five ordinary members.
Upon renewal of these Rules and Regulations, the Award Coordinator is appointed in the person of Alessandro Stanchi and the President of the Jury in the person of Paolo Cupola.
2.2. The Jurors
Lucca Crea will chose the jurors among personalities, professionals and scholars working in the industries of games, videogames, cinema, audiovisuals, music, illustration, fantastic literature and culture, as well as experts in the economy and business of culture.
The Organisation reserves the right to select personalities and professionals from industries outside the ones listed above, based on the specific theme of the current edition of Lucca Comics & Games.
2.3. Duration of the assignment
The special members of the Jury, identified at the revision of these Rules and Regulations, will hold office indefinitely, up to a maximum continuous period of 30 years. The offices mentioned above are renewable, with no limit on renewal.
The President of the Jury will stay in office for three years and may be reappointed without limit. Ordinary members of the Jury remain in office for a maximum of two years.
Ordinary members of the Jury ending their term of office may only be reappointed at the end of a one year break.
2.4. The President
The President acts as the Jury’s spokesperson, manages the voting process, moderates discussions, prepares the justifications for the awards and drafts the final document stating the reasons for the Jury’s choice.
The President of the Jury is chosen by Lucca Crea.
2.5. The Coordinator
The Coordinator, supported by the structure of the Lucca Comics & Games festival, is in charge of organising Jury meetings, coordinating internal Jury communications, reminding the Jurors of deadlines, and organising the award ceremony.
The award’s Coordinator is chosen by Lucca Crea among its collaborators with at least 5 years (not necessarily continuous) seniority.
3. Criteria for selection
The Jury shall consider whether, and to what degree, the IP meets the following requirements:
- Transmediality
- Innovation
- Overall quality
- Cultural impact
- Market impact
- Ability to unite different user groups
- Ability to attract new user groups to the genre
- Capacity for inter-generation and inter-culture engagement
4. Process of the works
4.1. Announcement of the competition and of the Jury
The competition is officially announced every year, by the month of July, except for its first year (2017).
By the time the competition is announced, the Rules and Regulations and the composition of the Jury for the year will be established, and shall remain unchanged until the Award Ceremony of the current edition.
4.2. Selection of the finalists
Lucca Crea will propose to the Jury up to 5 IP considered worthy of the Award: to this end, the Organisation has until the end of June each year to propose its choices to the Jury.
By the end of June each year, the Jury may also propose up to 3 IPs deemed worthy of the award.
The selection of the finalists, and later the of the winner, will take place without the need for any registration in the competition by the potentially interested publishers or producers.
4.3. Selection of the winner
By the month of September of each year, the Jury will meet (in Lucca, in physical mode, and/or in telematic mode), and will select the winning IP of the Joe Dever Award, according to the criteria indicated in art. 3 of the present Rules and Regulations.
4.4. Announcement of the winner and award ceremony
The winner will be announced by the Organisation of Lucca Comics & Games, through its communication channels, during the award ceremony of the festival in Lucca.
4.5. Disagreements within the works
For any disagreement that may arise during the works of the Jury, the Coordinator shall have the final say; his or her vote shall count double in cases of irremediable divergence of opinions within the works of the Award.
5. The Logo
5.1. Use of the logo
Lucca Crea shall produce a set of guidelines for the use of the logos it owns and is responsible for.
The publishers of the winning and/or finalist IPs will receive authorisation to use their respective logos, according to the guidelines, for product promotional materials related to the winning IP, or the IPs shortlisted as finalists.
The Organisation reserves the right to take legal action against publishers who use the logo without permission, or in a way that differs from what is indicated in the guidelines.
6. Funding of the competition
6.1. Management charges
Lucca Crea, as the organizing body of the award, will bear all management expenses.
6.2. Communication dedicated to the award
Lucca Crea, as the organizing body of the prize, will be in charge of communication, commissioning its own news and press channels.
