icademy Video and Photography Contest

Rules

To participate in the Conexiones iCademy Awards competition:

1. Identify individual students (photographic essays) or create teams of 2 - 5 students (Digital Stories).
2. Students and parents complete the image and video release form and returns to teacher. Teacher mail the forms to:

The Applied Learning Technologies Institute
Attention iCademy Awards
Skysong
1475 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257

3. Review the rules, rubrics and resources available on the icademy.asu.edu website.
8. Conduct research, develop a concept, plan, and create the project.
9. Submit your entry by February 28, 2009 through the iCademy.asu.edu website.

A completed entry consists of the following items:

Digital Stories
Photo Essay
Digital Video
Photograph and essay

10. Keep the original high quality version of your work. The winners will be asked to submit a high quality version for presentation at the MEC conference. If submitting a digital video, export a copy of your movie to DV tape. If submitting a photo essay, keep the highest quality digital copy of your picture.
11. Cross your fingers and wait, as the judges make their final decisions. An independent panel of judges will select the winners utilizing the contest rubrics. The judges are selected from sponsoring organizations and have experitese in water issues, media and technology. The winners (top 3 in each division) will be notified by Febraury 28, 2009. First and second place teams from each division will be invited to attend and present at the MEC 2009 conference at ASU.

TEAM REQUIREMENTS & EXPECTATIONS

Team Composition
• Each team must be comprised of 2-5 students and 1 certified teacher.
• A team may also include 1 adult volunteer (optional and pursuant of you school or district policy).
• Teams may be comprised of students from within a single classroom or from multiple classrooms and 1 teacher

Teacher Requirements
Teachers may provide guidance, administration, and practical assistance to their teams. Coaches may help students form teams and locate resources (human, technical, and information). Teachers and coaches may NOT work directly on the videos or photographic essays. Teachers can work with multiple teams.

The teacher must:
• be certified and working in a teaching or resource capacity (e.g., teacher, librarian, technology coordinator, etc.)
• obtain support from his/her principal or authorized school administrator
• obtain a signed permission form from the parent/guardian of each student member of the team, and make available upon request
• provide his/her active email address at enrollment
• serve as the point of contact for the team
• maintain a file of parent and student image and video release forms, and make available upon request

Student Requirements
Students are responsible for the actual design and development of their Entry, including the selection, research, and development of its content. Each student must make significant contributions to the success of the team and be a full participant in the development of the Entry.
Each student must:
• be enrolled in an Arizona public or charter school
• be a member of ONLY one team

Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation for digital videos and photo essays is available on the icademy.asu.edu website. Teams should review the Evaluation Criteria thoroughly before developing their entries.

Contest Areas and Divisions
• Digital Story – short (2 - 5 minutes)
• Photographic Essay (photograph and 650 word essay)

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Content
• All content must be original and developed solely by students enrolled in the team.
• Content may not contain profanity, vulgar language, nudity or statements that promote hatred towards any individual, race, or community.

Use of Copyrighted Materials
• Content must be the original creation of the team.
• Plagiarism or copyright violation will result in disqualification.
• All music used in the videos must be created by the students.

Student Safety & Privacy
In order to prevent the publication of personal student information projects may NOT contain any of the following:
• Student last names
• Student email addresses or personal contact information

Technical Requirements

Digital

Movies must be submitted online in QuickTime, MPG or WMV format. The recommended movie size is 320 x 240 and can not be larger than 30 MB. Note: Winners will be required to provide the movie in its original format upon request.

Photographs

Photographs must be no large than 8 x 10 inch submitted on line in a high quality JPG format. Essays will be cut and pasted into an online form.

Calendar
• 10/1/09 Program Starts
• 3/5/10 Submission Deadline
• 3/9/10 Winners Announced
• 3/15/10 - 3/17/10 Winners at MEC
tips and tricks

A Steady Shot

While the handheld camera can create excellent effects in video and film, (think of The Blair Witch Project, who's use of a handheld camera built a sense of doom in the audience early in the film) it can also appear shaky, and annoying. Yes, the principles of Dogme 95 require the use of handheld cameras, but Dogme 95 filmmakers are generally well seasoned filmmakers, not beginners.

A tripod's main function is to keep the camera in a fixed position and a fixed plane. Movement on the tripod should generally be done slowly, and with ease so the viewer can focus on the image without a major headache - that is, unless style dictates otherwise. Sooner or later the tripod will become your best friend because of its ease of use and accessibility when on the field. Once again, the right tripod for you is a hotly debated phenomena only you can truly answer.

The monopod, much like the tripod is an exceptional tool that can when utilized correctly only improve your video. Unlike the tripod's static shot nature, the monopod is a hand-held semi-mobile device meant to counterbalance your camera as it moves across a plane. Keep in mind, because the monopod is a handheld device, your shot selection must be walked through before recording. If you choose not to practice your shot before commencing, you might find the erratic nature of your composition to be disheartening.

The Stedicam though like the monopod in its ability to use motion effectively is mounted on the shoulder and chest area thereby utilizing the body weight of the cameraman to create a smooth, fluid motion during shooting. Robert Rodriguez makes excellent use of the stedicam in his 2003 motion picture "Once Upon A Time in Mexico". The stedicam is not an easy or cheap piece of equipment to come by, so its use should be considered with hesitation if your current production is your first, or if you have any doubts about its proper place in your video.

The dolly - whether it be based on a track, or counterweighted to a camera for a birds-eye shot is perhaps the smoothest, most professional, and most expensive way to ensure your motion shots turn out nicely. Most manufactured dollys' are complex, and difficult to operate. If you read the credits list on some movies, you'll notice dolly operator as a credited person - imagine, a single person per tool! There are ways to get a very similar look and feel to dolly motion without big, heavy equipment such as a tripod mounted on a wheelchair, or a skateboard. Once again, the path of your shot should be practiced thoroughly before recording with special consideration taken to mind for obstacles and imperfections along your path.


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