Student Video Competition

[Mr. Bruns]

		Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Engage your students in Campaign 2016 with StudentCam, a project based learning experience that provides students with a platform to have their opinions heard.   C-SPAN is excited to launch this year's StudentCam competition, our national contest that invites all middle school students (grades 6-8) and high school students (grades 9-12) to create a short video that reflects on this year's topic. The StudentCam 2017 theme: "YOUR MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON" What is the most urgent issue for the new president and Congress to address in 2017?   A total of $100,000 in cash prizes is awarded! Students compete for a chance to win one of 150 prizes, and teachers also have the opportunity to win one of 53 faculty advisor prizes. Competition Guidelines: Students may compete individually, or in teams of either 2 or 3 members. Documentaries must be the original work of students; however, teachers may provide guidance and critiques. All documentaries must include supporting C-SPAN video that relates to the chosen topic. Winning StudentCam documentaries will thoroughly represent a variety of viewpoints related to the chosen topic, including those that may oppose the filmmakers' points of view. Documentaries must be between 5-7 minutes in length. *End credits, if applicable, are permitted to run longer than the allotted 7 minute time frame. Entries must include sources, either end credits or an emailed works cited list. Video submissions and entry forms can be uploaded directly online at www.studentcam.org. Deadline for students to submit entries is Inauguration Day, Friday, January 20, 2017. Looking for tips on how to create your StudentCam documentary? Clifton Raphael, a video production teacher at Jenks High School in Oklahoma and a successful faculty advisor in C-SPAN's StudentCam competition, has prepared a series of video tutorials featuring testimony from his students who have first-hand experience in creating documentaries for StudentCam competitions. We hope their shared experiences will prove helpful as you plan, shoot, and edit your own documentary.   In addition, the following handouts may be helpful as you enter the planning phase of StudentCam. They offer details of the competition, as well as tips on generating ideas for the documentary, researching, conducting interviews, filming, structuring, and editing the final project. Essential Elements in Documentary Filmmaking (Google Doc) Sample Lessons and Rubrics StudentCam Information Sheet for Your Interview Subjects (PDF) You can find a complete list of rules and requirements, as well as all past winning videos atwww.studentcam.org.   Teachers, if you would like to receive a FREE printed version of our 18"x 12" poster to display in your classroom, please email us with your preferred postal address. 2017 StudentCam Poster (.PDF)     If you have any questions, please email [e-mail] or call our Education Hotline at 800-523-7586. Have a great school year and we hope you'll consider entering StudentCam 2017! Warm Regards, C-SPAN's Education Department