Animation
Original animation, 3 minutes max

Announcements/Daily News Shows
Full or continuous segment of one daily announcement/news show. 10 min. max, as it originally aired—no compilation shows

Commercial
30 or 60 seconds, original material to promote or advertise a particular product, service, event or entity.

Documentary
10 minutes max. Full production or continuous segment of an investigative or informative documentary video.

Human Interest/Feature Story
3 minutes max. This is a non-fiction category.

Music Video
Any original or rights-cleared music per STN “Use of Copyrighted Materials” policy, original video, 5 minutes max

News Story
2:30 minutes max

Humorous Production
3:30 max. Any parody, satire, original scene, etc., designed to entertain or evoke laughter.

Original Short Film
Fiction or non-fiction, humorous or dramatic. Original or public domain scripts. All video must be original, 5 minutes max

PSA or Promo
30 or 60 seconds, all original material intended to educate, inform, or persuade a target audience.

Show Opening
Student-produced opening for any show, 45 seconds max

Sports Event-Live Coverage
5 minute minimum, 10 minute maximum segment of unedited continuous coverage. Must 100% student-produced, including all camerawork, announce, commentary, etc.

Sports Feature Story
3 minutes max. Non-fiction. Focuses on sports-related topic. Does not include “breaking” sports events covered by #13.

Sports News Story
2 minutes max

Weekly Show
An entry consists of a student-produced news program or opening segment of a longer news program, not shorter than five minutes and no longer than 15 minutes in length.

Monthly Show
Send one show as it originally aired—no compilation shows— not less than ten minutes, not longer than 30 minutes

Weekly or Daily Live Show
An entry consists of a student-produced news program or opening segment of a longer news program, which was taped live as it went out, includes live anchors, and at least one live remote. This must not be shorter than five minutes and no longer than 15 minutes.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CATEGORIES

Commercial
30 or 60 seconds, original material to promote or advertise a particular product, service, event or entity.

Human Interest/Feature, News or Sports Story
3 minutes max. Non-fiction.

Music Video
Any original or rights-cleared music per STN “Use of Copyrighted Materials” policy, original video, 5 minutes max

Original Short Film
Humor or drama. Fiction or non-fiction. Original or public domain scripts. All video is original-5 minutes max

PSA or Promo
30 or 60 seconds, all original material intended to educate, inform, or persuade a target audience.

STN News Challenge
STN Sports Challenge
Once a year, teams of four students can enter the STN News Challenge and the STN Sports Challenge. Broad topics are announced on the STN website, and five days later final stories must be postmarked an on their way to the STN office. Schools may enter one team in each "Challenge" category. The top five "finalists" are announced on the website, and the winner is announced and screened at the STN National Convention. The Challenges take place between October and January. See the STN poster and website for specific dates. Note: There are separate STN Challenges for middle schools. They take place at the same time as the high school contests.

Anchor
Students in this contest must write their newcast and deliver it on-camera. Wire copy is provided for the newswriting portion of this event.

Broadcast Newswriting
A number of wire copy news stories are given to the students, who then have to write an entire newscast utilizing at least three of those stories.

Collaborative Commercial
Three students, each from different schools, collaborate to produce a commercial as assigned by the moderator. Students are placed on teams in a drawing held prior to the convention.

Humorous Feature
This contest is actually completed prior to the convention, and final productions are dropped off for judging, which occurs on site. Schools may enter teams of three. A general assignment will be posted on the STN website about a week before the convention. Note: Judging in this event will include student input. Stay tuned for more details.

Live Reporter
Students who enter this event are given a press release about a news event. They have 45 minutes to write their story, then present it on camera, as if they are reporting from the field. They also conduct an interview on the spot with a news source of their choosing, and then field a question from the "anchor" before wrapping up their report.

Music Video
Teams of up to four receive a CD with a song, plus printed lyrics, and produce a music video entirely on site. Note: In 2008, more than one song will be provided for teams to choose from.

PSA
A broad (usually one-word) topic is given to teams of two or three. Those teams then shoot and edit a 30-second spot that delivers a spot with a strong impact. Note: This contest often allows teams to shoot one night, then edit the next day.

Spot Feature
Teams of two receive a topic and produce a 90-second feature package on site.

Stand-Ups
Teams of two (reporter and photographer) receive a TV news story script with a hole in it. That's where the stand-up goes. Students must shoot a stand-up that acts as a bridge or a transition in the story, paying attention to location as well as execution of the stand-up.

Sweet 16
This is the newest contest added by STN, and it challenges schools to enter their entire staff (and teachers) in a one-day production contest. Entrants receive a one-word theme and have 16 hours to produce an entire show built around that theme. The Sweet 16 takes place at the STN convention, beginning and ending the day before the convention. In 2008, the contest will have TWO categories: "Sweet 16/Broadcast Journalism" and "Sweet 16/Movie Production." The Broadcast Journalism event will require teams to produce a journalistic program about the theme word. The Movie Production event will provide a script which each team will produce. That script will have an open ending that teams can interpret and complete any way they prefer.

"Tell the Story" Editing
Since the theme of the STN convention is "Tell the Story," this contest takes its name from that theme. It is an editing competition. Teams of two receive a raw footage tape, are given time to watch it and plan their final edit. They then have only 90 minutes on the computer to actually edit the story. Note: All teams receive the same raw footage.

TV Graphics
Students are given a "real-world" assignment to create four types of TV graphics for use in a newscast. This event only gives entrants 90 minutes to complete the assignment. It requires familiarity with Photoshop.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CATEGORIES

Anchoring
The same basic approach it taken as in the high school anchoring contest above. Students are asked to write their script, then read it on camera.

In-Camera Feature
Teams of three are challenged to cover a topic without the benefit of editing. This means planning each phase of the shoot is very important. This one is done entirely on site.

This is STN's highest honor for overall programs. Schools submit their best show for judging by professionals. Winners are announced at the annual STN convention. There are now five categories, based on frequency of airing: Daily, Daily Live, Weekly, Bi-Monthly and Monthly. Note: Daily Live is a new category for 2008. Schools will submit two consecutive shows for that category.

Student-produced films of no longer than ten minutes can be entered. Schools may enter as many as three films. Within a few weeks of the annual STN convention, ten "official selections" of the film festival are announced. Those ten are screened at the festival, which takes place at the convention each year. Awards are presented for Best Picture, Best Director, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, and Original Score.