NEWS STORY

A video package, containing interviews, b-roll, natural sound, interviews, voiceovers, and optional reporter stand-ups, presenting a clear and fact-driven style (including who, what, where, when, why, and how) that gives a timely account of a recent, interesting, and significant event or development in your school or community. Entry Time Limit: 2 minutes or less | Max team size: 4 students

HUMAN INTEREST FEATURE STORY

A video package, containing interviews, b-roll, natural sound, interviews, voiceovers, and optional reporter stand-ups, focused on a person or people sharing their unique experience in an compelling and interesting way. Features should contain less of a news angle and need not be timely. The story should be an in-depth look at a particular person or persons and keeps the audience’s attention throughout, delivering a compelling narrative to create a lasting impression. Entry Time Limit: 3 minutes or less | Max team size: 4 students

SCHOOL/COMMUNITY FEATURE STORY

A video package, containing interviews, b-roll, natural sound, interviews, voiceovers, and optional reporter stand-ups, focused on topics or events affecting your school or community. Features should contain less of a news angle and need not be timely. The story should be an in-depth look at a particular subject, event, or location within your school or community that keeps the audience’s attention throughout, delivering a compelling narrative to create a lasting impression. Entry Time Limit: 3 minutes or less | Max team size: 4 students

ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE FEATURE STORY

A video package, containing interviews, b-roll, natural sound, interviews, voiceovers, and optional reporter stand-ups, focused on the production of artistic and creative works for personal, commercial, and/or social outcomes. Features should contain less of a news angle and need not be timely. The story should be an in-depth look at a particular subject, event, or location connected to arts, entertainment and/or culture that keeps the audience’s attention throughout, delivering a compelling narrative to create a lasting impression.  Entry Time Limit: 3 minutes or less | Max team size: 4 students

SPORTS FEATURE STORY

A video package, containing interviews, b-roll, natural sound, interviews, voiceovers, and optional reporter stand-ups, covering sports, athletes, coaches and other related topics. These should not be game recaps, but rather compelling news or feature stories on a sports-related topic. This is not limited to coverage of a school sport or team.  Entry Time Limit: 3 minutes or less | Max team size: 4 students

PODCAST

A single episode from a podcast produced during the current school year.  The entry should include a host or hosts reporting through discussions, studio interviews and soundbites. The episode should include standard podcast elements, including but not limited to a show intro, music, sound effects, commercials and other creative elements. Due to the Dashboard system, please upload a .MP4 video file with your podcast cover art. Entry Time Limit: 10 minutes or less | Max team size: 4 students

SPORTS PODCAST

A single episode from a sports podcast produced during the current school year.  The entry should include a host or hosts reporting through discussions, studio interviews and soundbites. The episode should include standard podcast elements, including but not limited to a show intro, music, sound effects, commercials and other creative elements. Due to the Dashboard system, please upload a .MP4 video file with your podcast cover art. Entry Time Limit: 10 minutes or less | Max team size: 4 students

SPORTS HIGHLIGHT

A compilation video edited from game footage that showcases the best moments from the sporting event as a reporter delivers key stats and commentary, including scoring plays, key moments, and interesting action that will entertain the audience and inform them of the outcome. The reporter should include an intro and outro, along with background information to frame the highlights.   Entry Time Limit: 2 minutes or less | Max team size: 4 students

WEATHER REPORT

A news segment, containing a reporter stand-up with graphics, covering essential weather information about the daily and weekly forecasts, including temperature, precipitation, advisories, and other weather situations. The reporter should demonstrate the ability to inform, entertain, and connect with their audience.  Entry Time Limit: 2 minutes or less | Max team size: 4 students

LIVE SPORTS

An uninterrupted live to tape clip from a sporting event that is produced using at least one camera, overlay graphics, and a play by play announcer. Entry Time Limit: 3 minutes or less | Max team size: 4 students

SCHOOL PROMO

A creative video used to promote an aspect of your school, including but not limited to a club, team, event, group, or class. These can involve actors and live action, or can be completely made up of graphics and effects. Entry Time Limit: 60 seconds or less | Max team size: 4 students

COMMERCIAL

A 30-second creative piece meant to sell a product or service. These can involve actors and live action, or can be completely made up of graphics. The product or service can be for a name brand, fictional, or something from your school or community, such as spirit gear, fundraiser item, local business or events, etc.  Entry Time Limit: Exactly 30 seconds | Max team size: 6 students

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

A creative piece meant to highlight a current issue in society. These should include a mention of the issue, a statistic to support why it is a societal problem and a call to action. These can involve actors and live action, or can be completely made up of graphics. Entry Time Limit: Exactly 30 seconds or Exactly 60 seconds | Max team size: 6 students

VLOG

A vlog is a personal video where creators filming themselves while talking about a subject or doing something relevant, then published to the web. A vlog can be instructional motivational, documentary, or comedic. It may include video, text, images, and other fun features that help you make your point and entertain your audience.  Entry Time Limit: 3 minutes or less | Max team size: 6 students

VERTICAL SHORT FILM

A motion picture shot and edited in 9:16 vertical aspect ratio with the intent of posting to social media. These can be any genre (drama, comedy, horror, etc.) or form (documentary, live-action, animated) of filmmaking.  Movie title graphic and credits are required and count toward your total run time. Entry Time Limit: 60 seconds or less | Max team size: 6 students

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

A short-form nonfiction story with a clear, compelling story that focuses on a subject and reflects an authentic exploration of a person, topic, place, or theme. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Movie title graphic and credits are required and count toward your total run time. Entry Time Limit: 5 minutes or less | Max team size: 6 students

DRAMA SHORT FILM

A short-form fictional story with a narrative plot structure, focusing on a compelling character or cast of characters portraying real-life situations involving confrontation and conflict. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Movie title graphic and credits are required and count toward your total run time. Entry Time Limit: 5 minutes or less | Max team size: 6 students

COMEDY SHORT FILM

A short-form fictional story created with the intent to amuse the audience and provoke laughter. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Movie title graphic and credits are required and count toward your total run time. Entry Time Limit: 5 minutes or less | Max team size: 6 students