Sony Creative Software reveals finalists for High School Film Contest

Sony
Creative Software, a provider of consumer and professional video and audio
editing software applications, revealed the finalists for its Technology in
Motion: Vision of the Future student film contest announced last February. The
contest provided all of the tools for high school students to develop video
production skills while predicting the future of technology through their short
films. While hundreds of schools participated in the program, the three
finalists are Alpha School by students from Lisbon
High School in Iowa,
Contact by students from Ashland High School in Ohio
and TECH 178 by students from Tandem Friends High School
in Virginia.

Alpha School is a 2D black-and-white animation that looks at the bleak
consequences humans will face if we make ourselves tools to technology, rather
than making technology “an aid to man,” as described in the film’s
closing scene. Similarly, Contact is a live-action film that showcases a group
of teens trying to free their community from a state where human contact is
forbidden in favor of communication solely through computerized methods. The
film TECH 178 features two friends discussing their different views of the
future through paper puppetry and live action sequences.

“Through the Technology in Motion contest, Sony Creative Software and our
partners sought to expose students to the technical fundamentals of film
production as well as nurture creativity, innovation and leadership
skills,” said Dave Chaimson, vice president of global marketing for Sony
Creative Software. “We applaud all entrants for their efforts and hope
that they will continue to grow their creative skills and contribute their
talents to the film world.”

Presented by Sony Creative Software and Intel, with the support of the International
Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and Edutopia magazine, the contest
offered participating high school students the chance to experience the process
of producing a professional project from start to finish using the Sony Vegas
Pro 8 video and audio production platform, which was just honored at the National
Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2008 tradeshow with a Best Choice award from Student
Filmmakers magazine and a STAR Award from TV Technology magazine. From
script to screen, students conceptualized, produced and edited short films that
present their own visions of how technology will shape their future.

An expert panel rated the three finalists from the submissions entered into the
contest, judging entries on creativity and originality. The three
finalists’ videos have been posted online to http://www.techinmotioncontest.com,
where public voting will determine the final ranking of the top three
finalists. All three finalists will receive prize packages from Sony that will
be presented at the National Educational Computing Conference in San Antonio June 29 –
July 2. The grand prize winner will receive two Sony VAIO laptop computers, a
video camera, software and accessories worth more than $25,000 USD. Total
prize packages awarded to the three finalists are valued at over $70,000.