Conference Location/Hotels

How does the SCMS Board make decisions about conference locations?

We aim to rotate the meeting location each year. However, fewer cities and hotels can accommodate our annual conference than you might expect. Cities are selected based on several criteria: affordability, sufficient meeting space, accessibility to reasonably priced transportation, local attractions, local laws, fair practices, and other critical concerns such as accessibility, sustainability, and fair labor practices.

In certain years, especially in a seller's market, we might choose a location outside of the usual rotation if it offers a significantly better deal for our members. When possible, the Board elects to hold the conference outside the United States. It is a sincere wish to do this more often but it is not always cost feasible.

How are conference hotels selected?

The Board of Directors employs a Director of Conferences & Events to collect bids from various hotels. Hotels are invited to bid based on SCMS's specialized needs, including the total number of meeting rooms, exhibition space, room rates, quality of accommodations, technology capabilities as well as other critical concerns mentioned above regarding locations. This involves finding the most reasonable rates while meeting all our requirements, as well as negotiating rates for technology.

Proposal Submission

Do I need to be a member of SCMS to submit a proposal?

Yes, you must be a member to submit a proposal. We do still encourage our members to include guests from outside the field as panel, workshop, or roundtable participants.

How do I submit a proposal for the SCMS conference?

To submit a proposal for the conference, individuals must register as a member before submitting a proposal online. If an individual is part of a panel, workshop, or roundtable, the organizer or chair is responsible for submitting all papers or participants within the panel, workshop, or roundtable. It is the individual's responsibility to send all the required information to the organizer for input. Individuals can submit an open call paper proposal directly online.

Is the proposal deadline firm?

Yes.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend the conference. Should I submit a proposal anyway?

Please submit proposals only if you plan to attend the conference.

If you are uncertain about whether you will have the time to be able to finish a paper, or secure funding, it might be best to wait until next year to submit your proposal. Additionally, please ensure that your schedule can accommodate any days of the conference. While we understand that not all attendees can stay for the full 4-5 days, we cannot guarantee scheduling your paper or presentation on a specific day. If you believe you will not be available any day from Thursday to Sunday, please do not submit.

Processing, reading, evaluating, and scheduling each paper, panel, and workshop takes considerable time. Submitting a proposal that you cannot fulfill wastes the time of the Program Committee (who work on a volunteer basis) and the administrative team.

Conference Participation

How may I participate in the conference? Please note that there are rules/policies in the section below that impact your ability to participate in each of these methods.

There are several major ways that one can participate in the SCMS conference.

• Present or Co-present a paper. Papers are formal presentations of original research that are either read or delivered. Papers are expected to be original research. This may be the exploration of a previously unresearched topic, or the reevaluation of existing work in light of new evidence or methodologies. Papers are often, but not always, portions of book chapters, dissertations, or scholarly articles. Paper proposals are judged on their potential contribution to the field of cinema and media studies.
• Participate in a workshop. Workshops are interactive discussions facilitated by the chair or co-chairs. They should emphasize potential participation by all session attendees. Workshops typically focus on professional development, pedagogical issues, institutional issues (preparing dossiers for tenure cases, mentoring graduate students and junior faculty members), disciplinary and administrative issues (developing an academic program in film or media, academic freedom, departmental governance on issues of pedagogy and so forth), and so forth. There may be a workshop on a scholarly topic but it must make clear how it will involve participants beyond discussion. When proposing a workshop, the proposer should make clear how attendees will be involved. This might involve sharing best practices, working on a text together, role-playing an interview, or any other productive interaction.
• Participate in a roundtable. Roundtables are discussion sessions with a chair and four or five speakers who speak for no more than 5 minutes each and then participate in a discussion facilitated by the chair or co-chairs. Roundtables typically focus on scholarly topics. There may be a roundtable on a professional/pedagogical issue: it is more a question of format than topic. When proposing a roundtable, proposers should make clear what expertise each speaker brings and what aspect of the topic they will each address. Furthermore, while the purpose of the roundtable is to foster discussion amongst the speakers about the topic, the format should also allow time for comments and questions from the audience.
• Chair or Co-Chair a panel, workshop, or roundtable.
• Serve as a respondent to a panel.
• Attend conference panels, workshops, and roundtables as a registered conference attendee without presenting.

Frequently asked questions about participation rules/policies:

What is the One-Role Rule and how does it impact my eligibility?

To support broad participation across the membership, SCMS limits members to one role during the conference. You may serve in only one* of the following capacities:

• Presenting or co-presenting a paper on a panel
• Participating in a workshop or roundtable
• Serving as a respondent to a panel
• Serving as a chair or co-chair of a session in which you are not a participant

*Exception for Chairs: Conference presenters, including respondents, cannot be session chairs for any panel other than the one on which you are participating. However, you can be a chair of the panel, workshop, or roundtable in which you are participating (serving as chair and presenter/participant/respondent).

Can I submit multiple proposals to participate in the conference?

No, you must choose one route. You may propose participating either via a paper or a roundtable/workshop presentation. If you select a paper, you must further decide if your paper will be submitted open-call or as part of a pre-constituted panel. You may not submit in both paper categories.

Can I submit material shared in prior presentations and publications?

Papers presented at SCMS should be original and not previously presented at another conference. Material that has been accepted for publication (but not yet printed) in a journal or anthology may be presented.

How do co-presented papers differ from solo presentations?

You may choose to co-present a paper with multiple authors. However, please note:

• Co-presented papers are given the same total time as individually presented papers: 20 minutes.
• All co-presenters must be SCMS members and must register for the conference by the deadline in order to be included in the printed and online schedule.
• If you co-present a paper, that counts as your one role in the conference.

Pre-Recorded Presentation Accommodation for Limited Exceptional Circumstances

POLICY: What is the Society's policy on pre-recorded presentations for participants unable to attend in person due to legal travel restrictions or other limited exceptional circumstances?

SCMS continues to operate with an in-person conference model due to both practical and financial realities. That said, the Society recognizes that a very narrow set of exceptional circumstances may prevent some accepted participants from attending in person. We offer an accommodation to give a pre-recorded presentation for:

• Sudden or emergent medical situations arising shortly before the conference (within two weeks)
• Disabilities, including ongoing or chronic health conditions
• Legal or logistical barriers that make travel impossible (e.g., visa denials or government-issued travel advisories)

This includes international members who cannot secure a visa and those advised against domestic travel due to current legal or health-related concerns. Scheduling conflicts, financial limitations, or general travel inconvenience do not qualify.

PROCEDURE: My circumstances qualify for a pre-recorded presentation accommodation. How does a pre-recorded presentation work while ensuring session quality and fairness?

• Pre-recorded presentations should be no longer than 17 minutes (standard presentations are 20 minutes) to allow time for playback setup and any technical transitions during the session. This helps ensure the session runs smoothly and stays on schedule, and we appreciate your understanding of the additional logistics involved. The formats of workshops and roundtables are not conducive to pre-recorded presentations, so this accommodation is not recommended to be applied in those categories.
• Presenters that qualify for this accommodation may choose to submit a video or, alternatively, arrange to have their paper read aloud by another registered participant as a substitute—ideally a member of the same session. This option should be coordinated with the session chair in advance, and the substitute reader will not be expected to participate in Q&A.
• Chairs should download and test the video file before traveling to the conference. We recognize this places added responsibility on the chair, but to maintain session quality and fairness, advance coordination is essential and this remains the most workable solution.
• Live remote participation (e.g., Zoom presentations or live video Q&As) will not be permitted due to limits on bandwidth, cost, and on-site staffing.
• All presenters, including those submitting videos or using a substitute reader, must be registered for the conference.

SCMS is counting on members to carefully consider whether this accommodation applies to you and use it only when truly necessary. These are exceptions—not alternatives to in-person participation. We recognize that political, legal, and public health conditions may continue to affect travel, and SCMS leadership is monitoring these developments. We appreciate your understanding as we work to support members facing significant barriers while also preserving the viability of the conference and the organization.

Please note that SCMS staff cannot assist with coordinating pre-recorded presentations. It is the responsibility of the member submitting a video to work directly with their session chair and fellow panelists to determine an equitable plan to implement this accommodation in advance of the conference. SCMS staff can assist with locating your chair's contact information in the directory or answering general questions as needed.

Do I need to get approval from the SCMS office to give a pre-recorded presentation or have someone read my paper?

No. If you meet the criteria for the accommodation, you do not need to seek additional approval from the SCMS office. The responsibility for coordinating a pre-recorded presentation—or arranging for a substitute reader—rests with the member claiming the accommodation, along with their session chair and fellow panelists. As stated above, SCMS is counting on members to use this option only when truly necessary. These are exceptions—not alternatives—to in-person participation.

Does submitting a pre-recorded presentation reduce the registration fee?

No. All presenters, including those submitting a pre-recorded presentation due to the limited accommodations outlined above, are required to register at standard conference rates. Registration fees help support the overall cost of producing the conference, including staff time, infrastructure, and contracted services, regardless of whether a presentation is delivered in-person or via video.

Can I present remotely for reasons other than what you have mentioned?

No. SCMS is only offering the option to submit a pre-recorded presentation in the noted, specific cases. We understand that members may face a wide range of personal or professional challenges, and we don't take these lightly. However, our goal is to preserve the integrity and energy of the in-person conference experience, which relies on live engagement, shared presence, and informal exchanges that help foster a lasting intellectual community. Expanding participation beyond allowing pre-recorded presentations in these limited cases would significantly change the nature of the event and stretch already limited resources.

Will my pre-recorded presentation be listed the same way in the program as an in-person one?

Yes. Pre-recorded presentations that meet the eligibility criteria and are part of the official program will be listed alongside all other presentations. There will be no notation in the schedule indicating that a presentation is pre-recorded.

However, please be aware that some colleges and universities may not consider pre-recorded presentations equivalent to in-person participation for purposes such as tenure or promotion review. Other scholarly societies have raised similar concerns, noting that physical presence-including participation in Q&A, peer panels, and networking—is often seen as an essential part of representing your institution and contributing to the field. Additionally, some institutions may require that video presentations be clearly noted as such on a CV. We encourage you to consult your institution's specific guidelines on this matter.

If my circumstances qualify for the pre-recorded presentation accommodation but I cannot prepare a video, can I instead have someone read my paper on my behalf?

Yes. Presenters that qualify for this accommodation may choose to have their paper read aloud by another registered participant serving as a substitute. Ideally, this substitute would be a member of the same session. This option should be coordinated with the session chair in advance, and generally follows the same procedures as pre-recorded presentations. If you meet the criteria for the accommodation, you do not need to seek additional approval from the SCMS office. The responsibility for coordinating arranging for a substitute reader rests with the member claiming the accommodation, along with their session chair and fellow panelists.

SCMS staff cannot assist with coordinating substitute readers. The substitute reader will not be expected to participate in Q&A on behalf of the paper they are reading, and should not be asked to coordinate audio/visual content in addition to reading the paper. If you would like to have audio/visual content as part of your presentation, please prepare a video. Substitute readers are only allowed if you meet the qualifying exceptional circumstances outlined in the pre-recorded presentation accommodation policy. If using this option, please ensure that your paper can be read by your substitute within the time limit of twenty minutes; you may want to shorten your work accordingly.

Please note that some institutions may not view substitute readings as equivalent to in-person participation for purposes such as tenure or promotion. We encourage you to consult your institution's specific guidelines on this matter.

Given everything happening in the world right now, has SCMS considered whether holding a virtual conference this year might be a more responsible option?

Under the terms of our contracts with the hotels, AV company, event services company, and catering providers, we are only able to cancel without significant penalties in the case of a force majeure event (such as a natural disaster or pandemic). If we were to cancel the in-person event outside of such circumstances, the financial consequences would be severe—hotel penalties alone could total $500,000 to $675,000. For this reason, holding the in-person conference is the only financially viable path forward.

Why doesn’t the Society offer a fully hybrid model, where every session is streamed?

A true hybrid model requires more than individual Zoom accounts. Each conference room would require dedicated cameras for streaming, microphones, monitors, high-speed internet access as well as qualified A/V technicians present throughout the day to manage the additional equipment and troubleshoot issues. In addition, between hotels charging exorbitantly high fees for bandwidth and staffing costs that dramatically increase when each concurrent session requires support, for an academic conference of our size, these added requirements quickly escalate the AV budget by hundreds of thousands of dollars. We do not believe this is financially feasible or sustainable for the Society and its members. Hybrid at scale is most definitely an aspirational goal but in this current economic climate it is not yet possible.

A final factor to consider is security. Managing secure access to live-streamed sessions is a serious concern at this scale. We must also consider that in increasing access via a “streaming” hybrid model, not all presenters or conference participants would be comfortable sharing their work via live-stream or having their sessions recorded as we saw with the virtual conferences.

If “true” hybrid isn’t feasible, could we just add a Zoom option in each room?

At first glance, Zoom would appear to be an easy and inexpensive solution for transforming an in-person conference into a hybridized version. However, when we scale it to our conference size, the reality is very different. Each concurrent room--~26 in our case)--would require a dedicated laptop, external webcam and tripod, external microphones, a paid virtual platform host, and a strong internet connection (with additional bandwidth fees). Additionally, each room would require staff to monitor and troubleshoot throughout the day; what’s more, we would need to hire separate staff to manage this portion because the main staff would be supporting the in-person conference running simultaneously. Even at the lowest priced tier, the operating costs still increase drastically. Equipment rentals, staffing, and dedicated bandwidth would result in additional costs estimated between $200,000-300,000.

An added factor to consider is user experience. Frustration is the most common sentiment of attendees who participate in virtual conferencing. From common complaints of poor camera angles that make it hard to see slides or speakers, to muffled or dropped audio, to frozen screens, or entire sessions derailed while presenters troubleshoot technology, we cannot guarantee that the costs will ensure a satisfying experience for members. Once again, similar to “true” hybrid, increasing operating costs also requires increasing overall registration fees significantly. Adding $200,000+ to the conference budget translates to roughly an extra $150 per registrant and, again, that would be the lowest-tier option.

While SCMS’ pre-recording accommodation ensures that my paper can be included on the program, it does not provide the same level of engagement or interactive participation as other hybrid models. This raises questions for me about accessibility and inclusion. Please explain the reasoning behind this approach?

Pre-recording is now a common solution for societies that cannot withstand the financial and logistical demands of hybrid conferencing but still want to offer presentation opportunities to its members. An accommodation designed to broaden access for members who want to present their work but are unable to attend in person because of travel safety concerns, we know that pre-recording cannot remedy the very real barriers that prevent in-person participation. However, at this time it is the only fiscally responsible method we possess without drastically increasing conference registration fees to absorb those added costs mentioned earlier in the FAQ. Pre-recorded presentations can be captioned, reviewed for quality, and made available asynchronously, reducing the risk of technical failures and providing consistency for all attendees. While it does not replicate the immediacy of live participation or offer the opportunity for immediate feedback, pre-recording offers the most workable balance of cost, accessibility, and reliability for an organization of our size. Lastly, regarding feedback, we understand that Facetiming or doing a “quick Zoom” Q&A during an in-person session may appear harmless, but please remember that bandwidth is expensive and that outside of whatever amounts we’ve negotiated with the hotel, dipping into that bandwidth affects other panels presenting simultaneously.

Will there be a hybrid option in the future?

Because of significant cost barriers, the current model remains primarily in person. Moving to a hybrid format would require broader structural changes, additional staffing, and robust, targeted financial support from the membership. Right now, the actual cost of running a hybrid conference is well beyond what we could reasonably ask members to cover through registration fees. It's important to note that SCMS already subsidizes the annual conference. Registration fees cover only part of the total cost, the organization currently absorbs the rest to help keep the event accessible to as many members as possible. At this time, offering a hybrid option would mean taking on substantial financial losses while delivering a conference experience that doesn't meet the standards members expect. As an organization, we can't adopt a model that would jeopardize our long-term stability. We encourage members to take full advantage of the dedicated annual Virtual Symposium, which supports broad participation in SIG and Caucus meetings and programming outside of the in-person conference.

Panel Types and Participants

What is the difference between a "pre-constituted panel" and an "open call"?

Pre-constituted panels can be formed in two ways. In the first case, several individuals who are interested in forming a panel might meet at the conference, on-line, or through some other means. They discuss their panel, designate a chair, and send in their proposal as a pre-constituted panel—usually consisting of four papers, or three papers and a respondent. In the second case, an individual may attempt to organize a panel by posting a call for papers on the conference "bulletin board" in the months prior to the proposal deadline. People contact the organizer with suggestions for papers, and the organizer selects those people she or he would like to participate on the panel. The organizer also informs those people who have not been selected in a timely fashion. The organizer then submits the panel by the proposal deadline.

The open call is the opportunity for individuals to submit papers that are not part of a pre-constituted panel. If an open call paper is accepted, members of the Program Committee and conference staff will assign it to an open call panel with other papers on similar topics or research methodologies.

At the conference, there is no distinction made between panels that were pre-constituted and those that have been created through the open call.

What makes a successful proposal?

A good proposal will clearly and succinctly identify several key elements:

1. the thesis of the argument or research to be presented;
2. the scholarly context of the paper's thesis and/or intervention; how does this thesis forward previous understanding? Why is it important? And
3. the methodology of the research/analysis; how will this paper accomplish its goals?

This latter point might entail identifying new evidence or a new methodology. In addition, effective abstracts are well written, present a synthesized version of the paper-to-be-presented and conform to the length requirement of the proposal system. Abstracts should be articulated to the format in which the research will be presented (individual paper, workshop, roundtable, pre-constituted panel). If you are unfamiliar with writing a conference paper proposal, we suggest that you show your abstract to an experienced colleague for editorial suggestions and guidance.

In addition, on July 19, 2018, Pamela Wojcik, Miriam Petty, and Nick Davis held a Facebook Live discussion on what makes a successful SCMS conference proposal and answered members' questions.

What are the responsibilities of the panel, workshop, or roundtable chair?

Panel Chair: Whether they have organized the panel or volunteered to chair, the panel chair has three primary functions. First, the chair introduces the panel and the individual panelists. It is recommended that the chair contact the panelists prior to the conference to get a brief biographical statement that can be used for the introduction. (This often includes information about affiliations, rank, recent publications, and current research interests.) Introductions of any individual should last no more than one minute. Second, the chair is responsible for ensuring that panelists adhere to their time limit. The time limit for paper presentations is twenty minutes. Chairs will usually notify the presenter with a pre-arranged signal if they are approaching the time limit. It is the chair's responsibility to make sure that no presenter exceeds the allotted time, which might impinge on the time of the other presenters. Third, the chair facilitates questions and discussion after all papers have been delivered. Finally, the chair also clears the room promptly to make way for the next session. The chair of a pre-constituted panel is responsible for informing their panelists that their panel has been accepted or rejected.

Workshop or Roundtable Chair: The workshop or roundtable chair's role is similar to that of the panel chair, although the workshop or roundtable chair is more active in facilitating interaction and dialogue between the participants and the audience.

What is a "Respondent"?

A respondent is an individual who generally possesses specialized knowledge of the panel's topic. A respondent usually reads all of the papers prior to the conference and attempts to draw out particular lines of thought shared by the presentations to arrive at some broader conclusion.

Do I need to indicate on my proposal that my panel will have a respondent?

Yes. Your proposal should indicate that your panel includes a respondent and provide that individual's relevant information when it is submitted.

As the chair of my panel may I also serve as respondent?

No. It is assumed that the respondent provides objective feedback on the papers presented on the panel. As chair (and in most instances, organizer) of a panel, it is assumed you might not have the necessary distance from the papers to provide objective commentary.

Presentation Compositions

How do workshops differ from roundtables?

Workshops are interactive discussions facilitated by the chair or co-chairs. They may include additional speakers but should emphasize active participation by all session attendees. This can involve sharing best practices, working on a text together, role-playing an interview, demonstrating a technique, or engaging in other productive interactions. Workshops typically focus on professional development, pedagogical issues, institutional matters (such as preparing dossiers for tenure cases, mentoring graduate students and junior faculty members), and disciplinary and administrative issues (such as developing an academic program in film or media, academic freedom, and departmental governance on pedagogical issues). While there may be workshops on scholarly topics, they must clearly outline how they will involve participants beyond mere discussion.

Roundtables are discussion sessions with a chair and four or five speakers who speak for no more than 5 minutes each and then participate in a discussion facilitated by the chair or co-chairs. Roundtables typically focus on scholarly topics. There may be a roundtable on a professional/pedagogical issue: it is more a question of format than topic. When proposing a roundtable, proposers should make clear what expertise each speaker brings and what aspect of the topic they will each address. Furthermore, while the purpose of the roundtable is to foster discussion amongst the speakers about the topic, the format should also allow time for comments and questions from the audience. Neither workshops nor roundtables should have people presenting papers or speaking more than 5 minutes to open a conversation.

How do workshops and roundtables differ from panels?

Workshops and roundtables consist of 4-6 participants, including the chair. Participants do not read papers but make very brief opening remarks. These sessions are designed to be interactive and discussion-based. Panels, on the other hand, have 3-4 speakers, including a chair and possibly a respondent. Each panelist presents a 20-minute paper, followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.

How many participants may be on a pre-constituted panel?

Optimum number of panelists: Four presenters (includes chair if presenting) or three presenters (includes chair if presenting) and a respondent. Panels with fewer than four presenters or more than four presenters are at a disadvantage in the selection process.

How many participants may be on a workshop or roundtable?

Workshops and roundtables have 4-6 participants, including the chair.

How many individuals from a single institution can be on a panel, workshop, or roundtable?

No more than two individuals from any single institution should be included in any proposed panel, workshop, or roundtable.

Does my panel need to have a respondent?

Panels with four paper presentations should not have a respondent due to the time constraints of the one-hour and forty-five minute sessions. The audience usually serves in this role by asking questions and making comments about the papers. However, panels with three paper presentations should have a respondent to use the session time efficiently. Also if a presenter withdraws from a panel with only three presentations, a panel with a chair, two presenters, and a respondent is still viable.

After Proposal Submission

May I contact the SCMS office after the proposal deadline to make sure they've received my proposal?

This is not advisable due to the high volume of work faced by the SCMS office when proposals are submitted. If every member who submitted a proposal contacted the office to confirm receipt, it would result in thousands of emails, significantly increasing the workload and potentially causing delays.

May I change the name of my paper, panel, workshop, or roundtable after it is submitted?

No. Please proof read your proposal carefully. Due to the volume of papers, panels, workshops, and roundtables at the conference, it is not possible to make individual changes after submission.

May I request a day and time for my presentation?

No, requests for specific times or days for presentations are not allowed due to the large number of participants. The conference program is carefully planned like a puzzle, and a great deal of thought and effort goes into its arrangement. It is not easy to move things around.

Program Committee and Proposal Review

What is the Program Committee and who is on it?

The Program Committee is charged with selecting the best proposals to create the annual conference program. At least four members of this committee are also members of the Board of Directors. Other members of the Program Committee are selected from the membership to balance the diversity and expertise represented by the Committee as a whole. The individual who serves as Program Committee Chair alternates between the president-elect and a member of the Board of Directors. The Program Committee is made up entirely of volunteers. You, as a member, may volunteer to serve on the Program Committee and are encouraged to do so.

How are proposals judged?

After your proposal is submitted online, the Program Committee Chair then assigns the proposal to a team of two readers from the Program Committee. The readers evaluate the proposal individually and then compare their respective scores. Readers look for originality, scope, and depth of research, and attempt to assess whether the paper will make a contribution to the field. Secondarily, the readers consider whether the proposal has followed the rules for submission. A joint score is forwarded to the Program Committee Chair.

The Program Committee Chair will only weigh in on a decision in the event of a radically split vote (e.g., one committee member thinks a proposal is great, the other thinks it is terrible). The Chair does not overrule the decisions of the readers. The Program Committee Chair is responsible for creating panels from the open call and assigning the panels, workshops, and roundtables to time slots and rooms. Time and room assignments are based in some measure on equipment needs, and efforts are made not to have too many panels, workshops, or roundtables on similar topics competing in a single time slot or bunched together on a single day. Because of the complexity of putting the program together, requests for special times or days cannot be honored.

Are the proposals of professors or senior scholars given preference over graduate students and independent researchers?

No. All proposals are examined for their merits. The Program Committee welcomes proposals from individuals at all levels within the field of cinema and media studies as well as the work of independent scholars and researchers.

Why was my paper, panel, workshop, or roundtable proposal rejected?

There may be many reasons why a proposal was rejected. It is possible that the readers did not feel the proposal made a contribution to the field, or that it was one of several proposals on the same topic. It is possible that the proposal replicated work that was presented at a recent SCMS conference. Finally, it is possible that the proposal did not follow submission guidelines in some way. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of submissions, the Program Committee cannot provide feedback on a proposal.

My proposals are never, or almost never, accepted. What am I doing wrong?

First, ask yourself whether you are carefully following all the submission procedures. Second, ask yourself if the work is original or if it is simply a rehash of existing work. Third, ask yourself if your proposal is suited for the SCMS conference or if it might not find a more logical fit with another conference (e.g., a conference on journalism, rhetoric, etc.). Finally, ask a peer who has been "successful" at having her or his papers or panels accepted to see copies of those proposals for tips.

Will I receive any feedback on my proposal?

SCMS does not currently provide feedback or comments on any conference proposals.

Substitutions and Cancellations

What if someone has to drop off my panel after I submitted my proposal or after it was accepted? May I substitute another presenter and paper?

No, all proposals must go through the review procedure, and you cannot substitute someone at a later point. It is advisable to have a full complement of four presenters on pre-constituted panels so that if one individual has to drop out, you will still have a panel of three.

What if my proposal was accepted but I have to cancel?

We understand that unforeseen circumstances—such as health issues, family emergencies, or legal travel barriers—may occasionally prevent someone from attending. If this happens, please notify the SCMS office right away or submit the cancellation form , and inform your session chair as soon as possible. If you are the chair, contact your panelists and see if one of them can step into your role. Then, be sure to notify the SCMS office of the change.

If you are interested in submitting a pre-recorded presentation in lieu of canceling, please review the Pre-recorded Presentation Policy to check if your circumstances qualify for this accommodation. Please note that SCMS reserves this accommodation for a narrow set of qualifying exceptional circumstances. Scheduling conflicts, financial limitations, or general travel inconvenience do not qualify.

We rely on the commitment of our presenters to uphold the quality and continuity of the program. Last-minute cancellations create challenges for your fellow participants and the organization as a whole. While we know true emergencies happen, habitual cancellations may result in future proposals receiving less favorable consideration.

If I cannot attend the conference and do not qualify for a pre-recorded presentation, is there any way someone else can present my paper or I can present remotely via Zoom?

No. SCMS policy requires the paper author to be registered and physically present at the conference to give the paper, except in the rare exceptional circumstances that qualify for the pre-recorded presentation accommodation. Live, remote presentations (via platforms like Zoom) are not permitted. For more information, see the Pre-recorded Presentation Policy above.

Conference Presentations

May I substitute a different paper than the one indicated in my proposal?

No. Your paper (or panel, workshop, roundtable) was judged and accepted on the merits of the proposal. You cannot substitute something different after your proposal has been accepted.

How long should my presentation be?

Paper presentations on panels should last no longer than 20 minutes, including both orally delivered material and any visual clips. Due to the limited time, most papers aim to make only two or three major points. Clip time should be factored into the total 20 minutes.

Individual presentations during workshops and roundtables should be no more than 5 minutes in length. These sessions are intended to open up a topic or issue for discussion and to include attendees during the majority of the time slot. Workshops and roundtables should not be panel in disguise.

Please Note: Panel, Workshop, and Roundtable Sessions are one hour and 45 minutes long. When there are more than three or four presenters, the chair is responsible for allocating equal time for each. Sessions run concurrently and continuously throughout the day. Given that sessions are scheduled back-to-back in our meeting space, rooms must be cleared promptly at the end of each session to accommodate the next panel, workshop, or meeting.

Can I present a paper in a language other than English?

No, papers must be presented in English unless they are part of a special conference event approved in advance by the Conference Program Committee, and a translator has been arranged in advance.

Disclaimer of Liability

The views and opinions expressed during talks, programs, webinars, and associated events of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) represent the perspectives of individual participants. It is explicitly stated that these views and opinions do not purport to represent or reflect an official stance of the Board, its officers, SCMS staff, or committee volunteers.