Whether you’re full-timing or freelancing, contests are a great way to keep your creative juices flowing.

They give you deadlines, they give you more work to add on your reel, and sometimes, they even pay off.

So grab your camera and get moving!

5. MacGruber Viral Video Contest

Universal and Rogue Pictures are offering $10,000 for “viral videos” that incorporate lines of dialogue from the upcoming film MacGruber. To get inspired for this one, you’re probably gonna have to watch the trailer for the film. (Don’t worry–it seems to have something for everyone, from Ryan Phillippe to huge explosions). Incidentally, the trailer itself is the product of a video contest, so you know they mean business.

4.  BigStar.tv $50,000 Online Film Festival

Have you ever made a short film and thought “This is so good, someone should give me $50,000 for all the trouble I took to make it”?  Well, your prayers have been answered.  The BigStar Online Film Festival is taking submissions of 5-minutes or less in any genre, through the end of 2010.  Compared with “offline” industry festivals, the $25 entry fee is not bad (that’s a 200,000% return on your investment).

3.  Video Meets Baby Boomers

The Lean Forward Media Project, in partnership with 24/7 Real Media, is taking 3-5 minute documentary-style submissions that illustrate how the 50+ crowd is using technology.  $10,000 and other prizes.

2. Aflac 10 Second Challenge

Quick and easy: Aflac, an insurance company, is crowdsourcing  videos that explain what Aflac does in 10 seconds.  $25,000 grand prize, details here.

1. The Living Climate Change Video Challenge

I like this one because it lends itself to Baraka-esque experimentation.  Living Climate Change, an online community hosted by IDEO and Design21: Social Design Network, is offering $3,000 to strike up a “conversation” about climate change effecting the future.  Yeah, I can dig it.