EA and USC staging Sims 2 movie contest

Electronic Arts and the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television have announced the Sims 2 Student Life Movie Contest. The competition offers prizes for the best movie made with the Sims 2's built-in video creation tools. The grand-prize winner will receive either $5,000 or a four-week internship with Maxis Studios at EA's headquarters in Redwood City, California.

Sims 2 enthusiasts hoping to grab the grand prize are encouraged submit their homegrown films at the official Sims 2 Web site.

The staff of the USC School of Cinema-Television have put together some guidelines for competitors hoping to impress the school's judges. Films must be under three minutes in length and must feature content appropriate for a teen audience or younger. Submissions will be accepted until May 30.

This is not the first time that USC and EA have collaborated. In March of last year, EA dropped a multimillion dollar donation into the school's coffers. In September, the school opened its EA Interactive Entertainment Program.

In February, USC created an endowed chair for the study of gaming and tapped Bing Gordon, chief creative officer at EA, for the slot.