24th Annual Polk County Public Schools Video Contest

24th Annual Polk County Public Schools Video Contest On May 3, 2016 we shall gather at Victory Church behind the Lakeland Square Mall for the Polk County version of Academy Awards Night. The Video Awards Ceremony is a star-studded gala at which we honor the best in TV production from around our district. This multimedia extravaganza will include lavish praise, enthusiastic applause, childish shouts of glee, certificates, and trophies. In accordance with the evening s importance, please honor yourself and your school by dressing as formally as possible. Our ceremony has two programs. At 5 p.m. we shall honor all of our elementary schools, and at approximately 7 p.m. we shall celebrate the success of our middle and high schools. All TV production teams and their teachers are encouraged to attend so we can celebrate our successes together and so that everyone can see what other schools are doing. Parents are also welcome, but students will be held responsible for their parents behavior. Even administrators will be admitted. Schools may enter videos in any or all of 10 categories but may submit only one entry per category per school. Judging will be based on recognized television production standards as described in the ITV Best Practices document. This document, as well as copies of the specific scoring sheets that judges will use to evaluate videos, is posted in the Video Awards section of the ITV website: http://www.polk-fl.net/itv While technical merit (sound, lighting, editing, etc.) is very important, a strong emphasis will again be placed on creativity. One school may enjoy an equipment or facility advantage over another, but people are creative, not equipment. Honorees for television production students of the year should be leaders who are in good standing in all their classes. Students honored by their schools will be presented with medallions and certificates, and will assist in the distribution of category awards at the ceremony. 1

General Contest Rules All entries must be uploaded as separate h.264.mp4 movies to ITV s Video Awards server. If a category involves more than one clip, put all the clips in the same movie, but use graphics between clips to separate them (Clip One, Clip Two, etc.). Put no more than 5 seconds of black between clips. In category one (Daily News Show), entries for Shows 1, 2 and 3 must be separate movies. Put any credits at the end rather than the beginning of your entry. Slate Graphics 5 seconds before each video entry begins, identify on-screen the school, the category, and the title. In category 1, identify the date the news show aired. Every video entered in categories 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 must have a title. In categories 4, 5 & 6, instead of a title, identify the anchors names. Only school board personnel, currently enrolled students, and school board equipment may be used in the production of all videos, although people outside a school may be used as on-screen talent in creative entries like music videos, commercials, and short films. Home video and computer equipment is also acceptable, but professional recording, editing facilities, or equipment may not be used. ITV personnel cannot provide hands-on production of entries however, schools may request ITV s assistance with aerial footage and is admissible. All videos must have been produced after March 6, 2015. News Shows entered in Category 1 must have aired as is during the 2015-2016 school year. Do not alter a news show after airing it to make it look better for the contest. 2

The timeline for submission of video entries has changed this year. To facilitate the judging process in a timely manner, new submission deadlines have been put in place to encourage schools to work on entries throughout the year. Video entries must be submitted online to the ITV server by the following dates: Due Date October 30, 2015 December 17, 2015 February 15, 2016 March 7, 2016 Categories Due News Show 1 (required) News Show 2 Commercial (Cat. 2) News Show 3 Academic Promotional Video (Cat. 9) Student of the Year Music Video (Cat. 3) Male Announcer (Cat. 4) Female Announcer (Cat. 5) Announcing Team (Cat. 6) Digital Footprint Awareness PSA (Cat. 7) Documentary (Cat. 8) Short Film (Cat. 10) The Video Awards Competition itself consists of 10 categories at all three grade levels. Category 1: Daily News Show (as judged by 3 shows)--limited to schools that produce a daily news show except in unusual circumstances. There must be no show content, including bloopers or credits, after the 8-minute mark) Category 2: Commercial/PSA (30- to 60-second maximum) Category 3: Music Video (5-minute maximum) Category 4: Male Announcer (5 clips of the same male) Category 5: Female Announcer (5 clips of the same female) Category 6: Announcing Team (5 clips of the same two anchors) Category 7: Digital Footprint Awareness PSA (3-minute maximum) Category 8: Documentary (10-minute maximum) Category 9: Academic Promotional Video (5-minute maximum) Category 10: Short Film (10-minute maximum) The judges will identify those entries that meet a threshold of 70% of best practices for each category. This group of entries will be labeled as Outstanding and there is no limit as to the number chosen as Outstanding. Outstanding entries will be recognized at the Video Awards Ceremony by means of a short video with accompanying graphics. The entry for categories 2-10 with the highest overall score from the Outstanding group will earn a Best designation and receive special recognition at the ceremony. The only category that will have more than one school recognized for top honors is Daily News Show. 3

A special designation of Judges Award for Excellence will be awarded to the runnerups in all tie-breaking situations in categories 2-10. TV production crews who produce a Best entry will come to the stage at the Ceremony with two spokespersons allowed to step to the microphone. Those students who are not dressed for the occasion or who are chewing gum are asked not to speak. Inappropriate remarks may result in the revocation of an award and/or disciplinary action. This is a very public event that gives our entire school system a chance to shine. Three tiers of winners will be chosen in Categories 2-10: Best (the entry that averages the highest score in all rounds of judging) Judges Award of Excellence (entries placing first in any round of judging) Finalist (entries averaging 80% and up) Outstanding (entries averaging 70-79%) Note: All entries are subject to earning a Judges Award of Excellence, regardless of the average score. For example: If an entry earns an average score of 75%, but came in first in a round of judging, that entry earns a Judges Award, not an Outstanding. Best in Show will be determined by adding up the following: Category 1 Points Categories 2-10 Points Superior 7 Best 5 Excellent 6 Judges Award 4 Outstanding 5 Finalist 3 Entry 4 Outstanding 2 Entry 1 The following method will be used to break point ties for Best in Show: 1. News Show Ranking (if still tied see #2) 2. Total Number of Bests (if still tied see #3) 3. Total Number of Judges Awards (if still tied see #4) 4. Total Number of Finalists (if still tied see #5) 5. Total Number of Outstandings (if still tied see #6) 6. Total Number of top rankings in each round of judging for the entire contest 4

v Category 1: Daily News Show (8-min. max) News shows are the focal point of school television production. Videos entered in this category must include actual daily news shows, which were broadcast as is over a school s closed-circuit television system during the current school year. Do not submit shows that are more than 8 minutes long. The 8-minute deadline includes credits and bloopers. The scores will be determined by averaging the three shows that are submitted. Motivational Power (25%) Graphics (25%) Comprehensiveness (25%) Three tiers of winners will be chosen: 1. Superior (all schools averaging 90% or higher) 2. Excellent (all schools averaging 80-89%) 3. Outstanding (all schools averaging 70-79%) Schools should produce news shows every day of the week, although exceptions for special circumstances are allowed. Schools producing news shows four or fewer days per-week on a regular basis are not eligible to enter Category 1. All Daily News Show entries need to be uploaded to ITV servers as separate.mp4 files. See entry labeling instructions on page 2. v Category 2: Commercial/Public Service Announcement (30 or 60 sec.) Videos entered in this category should promote any school activity or worthwhile cause, including sporting events or teams, club functions, field days, yearbook purchases, library/media center use, fund raising, public service, or any other school/community functions. Motivational Power (25%) Clarity of Sales Message (25%) Creativity (25%) 5

v Category 3: Music Video (5 min. max) Videos entered in this category should combine any style of music with a selection of video scenes smoothly edited together. Music videos need not tell a story or make a point, although many times having them do one or the other does make them more entertaining. Entries involving original songs performed by students often score higher if the singing or instrumentation is good. Creativity (50%) Artistic match between music and video (20%) Technical Merit (30%) The use of software like Garage Band, Soundtrack, media like Digital Juice, and web sites like www.freeplaymusic.com and www.videoblocks.com are sites to find music. Although software like Garage Band and Soundtrack, and some pay-for-media sources like Digital Juice and videoblocks.com have no copyright restrictions, beware that other sources of music, including www.freeplaymusic.com often include varying levels of usage restrictions. Some music sources, for instance, demand fees if their music is going to be entered in a competition, broadcast on the Internet or cable, or played at a live performance. Although our competition is non-profit and offers no cash prizes, our ceremony is indeed a live performance and we are definitely simulcasting it on cable and on the Internet. If you plan to pattern the music video after the artist s performance of the song, written copyright permission is required. There will be no bonus points awarded for original music videos. v Category 4: Male Announcer (same male; 5 clips) A sense of humor can be a positive attribute for any announcer, but beware of distracting silliness. Showing your nominee in a variety of settings is strongly encouraged because doing so demonstrates versatility, strength for any announcer. Clips should be approximately 1-2 minutes each. Please edit out sections of the clips where other people are talking or where the announcer is not on the screen. Arrange the clips in order, with clip 1 providing the strongest evidence of the announcer s skills. Avoid showing anchor team clips. Eye Contact (25%) Enthusiasm/Personality (25%) Versatility (25%) Voice Inflection, Speaking Rate, and Clarity (25%) 6

v Category 5: Female Announcer (same female; 5 clips) A sense of humor can be a positive attribute for any announcer, but beware of distracting silliness. Showing your nominee in a variety of settings is strongly encouraged because doing so demonstrates versatility, strength for any announcer. Clips should be approximately 1-2 minutes each. Please edit out sections of the clips where other people are talking or where the announcer is not on the screen. Arrange the clips in order, with clip 1 providing the strongest evidence of the announcer s skills. Avoid showing anchor team clips. Eye Contact (25%) Enthusiasm/Personality (25%) Versatility (25%) Voice Inflection, Speaking Rate, and Clarity (25%) Category 6: Announcing Team (same two anchors; 5 clips) v The key in this category is a natural, unforced interaction between the anchors, but avoid silly or sarcastic bantering. Clips should be approximately 1-2 minutes each. Arrange the clips in order, with clip 1 providing the strongest evidence of the announcers skills. Eye Contact (20%) Enthusiasm/Personality (20%) Voice Inflection (20%) Team Interaction (40%) v Category 7: Digital Footprint Awareness PSA (3-min. max) Videos in this category should include scenarios of students making good and bad choices when using the Internet. Students should be aware of the repercussions of posting personal information and images to the web. Digital footprints remain on the Internet forever. Comprehensiveness (50%) Creativity (25%) 7

v Category 8: Documentary (10-min. max) Documentaries include videos that deal with sports seasons, programs, people, places, and issues. Traditionally, documentaries that deal with larger social issues and topics outside the school setting seem to have a better chance of winning if they are produced well. Comprehensiveness (25%) Clarity and Organization (25%) Importance of Topic (25%) v Category 9: Academic Promotional Video (5-min. max) Entries in this category should promote an academic standard by hooking students into a lesson. For example, Bill Nye the Science Guy uses creative approaches to explain the fundamentals of science, Reading Rainbow promotes the love of reading with creative book reports presented by students. Students are encouraged to collaborate with academic-area teachers so these videos may be used in classrooms. Motivational Power (50%) Creativity (25%) v Category 10: Short Film (10-min. max) Films should tell a narrative story utilizing the standard three-act structure: a beginning, middle, and end. Make sure that all dialogue is clearly heard, and be realistic about limited human attention spans. Remember that these short films are being produced for a school audience, so exercise restraint when choosing topics or shooting scenes. Entries in this category may be comedies, dramas, computer animations, or non-computer animations. Videos should be produced in good taste and have the approval of the school s administration. Script/Continuity/Storytelling (25%) Acting (25%) Entertainment Value (25%) 8

Copyright Guidelines Written permission from copyright holders is required for entries that include copyrighted songs or videos. The Fair Use provision of U. S. copyright law does allow schools to incorporate portions of songs as long as those portions are less than 10% of the original. Regardless of length, copyrighted music may not make up the entire sound track of an entry without written permission. The online entry submission form includes a place for attaching permission documentation. That form also includes a place to indicate that an entry has no copyrighted content. Please remember that entries cannot be accepted without this documentation. ASCAP is a source that can help you locate where to apply for permission to use a copyrighted song: https://www.ascap.com/home/ace-titlesearch/index.aspx Enter the name of the song in the search bar, and contact information should appear for that song. When you do make contact, ITV recommends using every communication avenue possible, including telephone calls, e-mails, and US Mail. Keep written records of your attempts and continue to contact them until you have received a written reply. ITV also recommends that students and their parents get involved in the effort to acquire permission. In your application for permission to use a song, spell out the details of how you will be using it for a non-profit school project and that your teaching students how to edit, write and plan a video production. Attaching a storyboard might help. Indicate that this video is being entered in a local contest that broadcasts winning entries on the Internet and on the local government television channels. Music can also be purchased from companies like Digital Juice and Videoblocks.com, and can be downloaded from Web sites like www.freeplaymusic.com but read all use guidelines carefully to insure you are complying with any restrictions. The best way to avoid the challenge of applying for written copyright permission is to use programs like GarageBand and Soundtrack. Students may use either program to create their own music. Student bands and school music groups may also write and perform their own music. Creating original digital content is an important 21 st century skill. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) also identifies the importance of teaching students respect for the creative property of others. Pictures and videos downloaded from the Internet for use in news shows, documentaries, and the anchor categories do not need written permission because of standard news industry practices. However, these videos and pictures will still need to be cited while they are on the screen with a lower third that states photo or video courtesy of Schools will need written permission for copyrighted pictures or videos used for categories 2, 3, 7, 9, & 10 because these categories are not news-oriented. 9

2016 ITV Student of the Year ITV encourages students and teachers to take their own pictures or create their own drawings where possible. The Television Production Student of the Year (SOTY) application will be submitted online by 5 p.m. Friday, February 15, 2016. Go to the following link: www.formstack.com/forms/itv-soty2016. The form will require you to submit a digital, close-up picture of your student in the.jpg,.gif, or.bmp format. This picture should be taken or scanned at nothing smaller than 1024 X 768 pixel resolution so that the picture appears in high quality in our program. Also insure that lighting is adequate. An audio recording of the student pronouncing his or her name is required. In the space provided in the online form, write a short 3-5 - sentence letter of recommendation indicating why this student is your school s choice for the student of the year honor. Focus the recommendation on the student s character and skill in television production. This letter will be included in the program. Our SOTYs will again play a prominent role in the ceremony, including opening the envelopes announcing the Best of each category It is very important that your SOTY be at the ceremony. Please confirm the May 3, 2016 ceremony date with students and parents, who are, of course, also strongly encouraged to attend. We ask that you not choose a student who cannot participate in the ceremony. 10