FAQ
What is The Media League?
The Media League is a free varsity creativity league — an organized, web-based competition between high school Media Teams.
Is The Media League only for High School students?
Yes.
What is a Media Team?
Think of it this way: the best athletes are on your school’s sports teams, right? Well, a Media Team is for the most creative kids in school. For the most artistic and digitally savvy to make their mark.
Who can play
Beatmakers, musicians, singers, rappers, DJs, video-makers, actors, writers, poets, visual artists, digital artists, comedians, dancers and more...
How do you play?
Each game has a theme, like Digitopia or Living Fashion. Each Media Team creates and uploads 3 pieces of media inspired by that theme to The Media League’s highly social website. Fans watch, and rate and share that media, and a score is produced. From that score come standings, and from those standings playoffs, and from those playoffs – champions. Check out the Dashboard or a Game page to see the league in action.
Why should I be a Player?
Are you super-creative? Do you aspire to be a professional artist or designer or musician or journalist or filmmaker or comedian or rapper or some other kind of creative professional? Or maybe you already are? Do you want to represent your school as one of its most talented creative students? Do you want your creative work to be seen, heard and recognized? When it comes to creativity, have you got game? If you answered YES to any of those questions then The Media League is the place to you.
How many players on a team?
Typically, six to 10. More or fewer is OK too though.
Who wins?
The team that gets the highest score wins each game. The teams with the highest scores over the course of the season get into the playoffs. The winner of the playoffs is the champion.
How do you score points?
The more views and shares your team’s media gets the higher your score will be. Also, your media will be rated by other students, and the higher your rating is the higher your ranking will be in the Media League standings. It’s the combination of your rating, your views and your social shares that determines your score for each game. The
When does it all happen?
2013 is The Media League’s inaugural season. The regular season started in January. Teams can join the league at any time.
How long does a game last?
2 weeks. The first week is for making media and the second week is for sharing, promoting and rating media. At the end of 2 weeks the team with the highest score wins the game.
How many games in the Media League season?
There will be 6 regular season games. Then the top teams (Division winners and wild cards) will go into the playoffs. There will be a semi-final and a championship game.
When do the playoffs start?
May.
We missed the first regular season games. Can we still start a team and participate in the league?
Absolutely. Playing Media League games is mostly about the fun of creating the best creative work you can, so we welcome everyone. And even if you join late, if your team rocks you and you get a lot of support from your school you might even generate enough points to sneak into the playoffs.
How do I start a Media Team at my school?
You need a Coach. This means asking a cool creative teacher at your school to sign up on this website as a Coach. That’s it. Once you have a coach you sign up as a player, get your most talented friends to sign up as players, deck out your team page and jump into the action. It’s that simple.
And you say it’s free?
Yes it is free to all participants. No cost to school or student. Each team will have a sponsor, however. Teams can find their own sponsors or request that The Media League provide one, which we will do.
How do I sign up?
Just click on the yellow Join Now button at the top of this page.
What is a Fan?
Fans are students of a school with a Media Team. Fans have a huge role in the success of their school’s Media Team. This is because there are three different factors that determine scores and standings: ratings, views and shares. The more you watch and share the videos and other stuff your Media Team produces – on facebook, YouTube, twitter and elsewhere – the higher your team will score! Fans can also rate, view and share media produced by any other Media Team in the entire league.
How do I get to be a fan?
Just click Join Now and register. It only takes a moment. Then start supporting your team!
What’s with making creativity competitive? That seems dumb.
We like it actually. Lots of people do. Not all the time, of course. But sometimes. We think it brings out the best in people, and as long as it’s healthy, respectful and rewarding, we’re all for it!
Can I be a fan and not a player?
Definitely. Fans are what the league is all about. You can support your school, your friends, and your Media Team by sharing its media. You can also view and rate any media from any team. And comment and chat…you know the drill. All the good stuff. Just register as a Fan and select your school to start supporting your team.
Who owns the media that the players create?
They do. As part of the terms of participation, however, their work is licensed to The Media League on a non-exclusive basis. In other words, it will always live here, but you can take it away and it’s yours.
Do we need to have a Media Lab at our school to be eligible?
Not at all. Team Players can use their own gear: smart phone, laptop, camera, brain, etc. Most people are already minor media-making masters these days anyway.
How much effort is required?
Players can put in as much time with their teams and creations as they like. At least one volunteer coach is required on average 1-2 hours a week throughout the season (25-50 hours total) to keep things on track.
What are the responsibilities of a Media Team Coach?
Each Media Team Coach has 4 primary responsibilities:
- Choose the members of the Media Team (Tryouts)
- Choose an Assistant Coach
- Promote successful Media Team collaborations
- Publish Media Team content to the Media League website
Who gets to be a Coach?
Teachers do.
Is coaching a Media Team like coaching an athletic team?
No. Unlike the Coach of a sports team, who is typically involved with every aspect of his or her team’s play, a Media League Coach is far more hands-off. Students will create their work in their own way, and although they will likely ask their Coach for creative advice at times, it is not the Coach’s responsibility to actively direct or manage the team’s creative efforts, but instead to ensure that students are committed to excellence and that they support each other.
What is an Assistant Coach?
The Assistant Coach is a dedicated promoter of the Media Team within the school and the wider school community. This role is ideal for a student who aspires to work professionally in the media or creative industries. It should be someone who is by nature a ‘go-getter’. The Assistant Coach will get the word out when it comes to attracting potential players for a team as well as promoting the team’s media through student networks. He/she will be key to driving viewership and generating fans to support his/her Media Team and generate high scores. A large school could even have more than one Assistant Coach.
What is a Booster?
A Booster is a supporter of a media team who is not a student. It could be alumni, a teacher at the school, a parent, sibling, friend or even cousin of a Player or of a Fan.
Are there official rules for The Media League?
There certainly are. Just click Rulebook on the footer below.
Who Invented The Media League?
We did.
What if we have more questions?
We welcome your questions and we will respond.
You can reach The Media League at info@themedialeague.com