Technology in Motion: Student Films Garner $400,000 in Technology for Schools
At the 2009 National Educational Computer Conference (NECC) in Washington, DC, 28 schools received awards and prizes in Sony Creative Software's second student digital video contest. Their schools will receive $400,000 in software and equipment.
The Technology in Motion content challenged high school and middle school students to produce a digital video that addressed this year's theme of "community of the future." Hundreds of entries were judged by film and audio industry professionals, who selected the top 3, which were then voted on by the public.
The grand prize winner was Full Circle, which came from Pacific Coast High School in Tustin, CA. Second place went to The Future, from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, CA. And third place went to 2048: A Rock Opera, from Red Bank Middle School in Red Bank, NJ. Twenty-five fourth-place winners were also announced.
"Sony Creative Software is pleased to support this second national Technology in Motion competition. The program provides students and teachers with the latest software tools for video storytelling projects and effectively invigorates video education curriculums," said Dave Chaimson, vice president of worldwide marketing for Sony Creative Software, in a statement released this week. "We are proud to support educational initiatives, such as Technology in Motion, year round and congratulate all the students and faculty for their hard work and production achievements."
The total prize pool for the 28 winning schools was $400,000 in equipment and software for the schools. The grand prize received about $50,000 in prizes; second place tool $40,000 in prizes; third place received $30,000 in prizes; and the 25 fourth-place winners each received $10,000 in prizes.
The prizes for the top-3 winners included video, audio, and DVD mixing, editing, authoring, and scoring tools, as well as hardware, including Sony Vegas Pro 8 Promotional Edition software, Sound Forge 9 site licenses, ACID Pro 7 site licenses, Cinescore, Handycam Camcorders, and accessories. Fourth place winners received prize packages that included Handycam Camcorders and Vegas Pro 8 Promotional Edition software.
Further information about the competition, including streaming videos from the winning entries, can be found here.