Contest Guidelines
Contest Guidelines For all
Entrants may submit in multiple areas, but only one entry per person in each area.
Contest Area guidelines and criteria
Short film
Guidelines:
- Film must be 7 minutes or less,
- Must be uploaded to a video-sharing site like YouTube: attach the link; do not send the video as an attachment
Criteria for judgment:
- Creative elements
- Technical elements
- Theme/storytelling
Coordinator: Prof. Frances Roberson (froberson@atu.edu)
Newspaper article
Guidelines:
-
Article can be news, sports, feature or opinion
Criteria for judgment:
- Lead: Lead is original and fits well with the rest of the article. It invites readers into the article and does not mislead readers.
- Focus: Focus of article is clear. Everything contributes to the article’s overall angle.
- Organization: Article is strongly organized with clear transitions and logical connections that create a sense of being tightly woven together.
- Writing style: Writing is strong and effective with a variety of sentence structures. Article is tightly written and utilizes active verbs and vivid word choice. Article demonstrates original writing.
- Mechanics: Article is free of grammatical, spelling, word usage and punctuation errors.
Coordinator: Prof. Tommy Mumert (tmumert@atu.edu)
Photograph
Guidelines:
- Photos can be color or black & white.
- Image size limited to 5MB (physical photo size is at the discretion of the photographer)
- Photo must be shot during the current academic year.
- Editing and image cropping are not allowed: the image must be presented as it was originally taken with the camera.
Criteria for judgement:
- Focus
- Composure
- Creative approach to subject
Coordinator: Dr. Hanna Norton (hnorton@atu.edu)
Short play
Guidelines:
- Plays should be 10 pages or fewer
Criteria for judgment:
- Structure
- Is there a beginning, middle, and end? Does the main character change in some way?
- Creativity
- How is this play somehow unique?
- Stageability
- Could this play be acted out at most high school or college theatres?
Coordinator: Dr. David J. Eshelman (deshelman@atu.edu)
Short speech
Guidelines:
- This speech will have a “Tell Us About Your Hobby” theme.
- Write and present a short (2 – 3 minute) speech about your favorite hobby.
Your speech should have:
- An introduction where you tell us your name, what grade you’re in, your school, your hobby, and how long you’ve done this hobby.
- A body where you tell us what your hobby entails and why you like it.
- A conclusion where you sum up your speech.
- You should practice lots so that you sound poised, confident, and enthusiastic about your hobby.
Criteria for judgement:
- Organization of your speech
- Verbal Delivery (enthusiasm, volume, articulation, and rate)
- Non-Verbal Delivery (gestures, facial expressions, and how well you use a prop that relates to your hobby)
Coordinator: Dr. Virginia Jones (vjones7@atu.edu)
TV News Package
Guidelines:
- Package length must be :45 to 1:30
- Package must include voice-overs, soundbites, and b-roll
- Must be uploaded to a video-sharing site like YouTube: attach the link; do not send the video as an attachment
Criteria for judgement:
- Camera:
- Focus, white balance, exposure, framing, audio, shoots b-roll from varying angels and focal lengths.
- Script Writing:
- Reporter tracks include a lead (current situation or problem), background information (the “why”), supporting facts or details, and future developments (what’s next). Clear story angle. Soundbites are short and give perspective or opinion.
- Editing:
- Uses b-roll that matches script. Uses Nat sound. Avoids jump cuts and frames of black.
Coordinator: Prof. Christie Kellar (ckellar1@atu.edu)
Yearbook Spread
Guidelines:
-
Spreads should be 1-2 pages from a previous or upcoming yearbook, all the student’s own work.
Criteria for judgement:
- Layout and design
- Photography
- Headlines/captions
- Relation to yearbook theme
Coordinator: Prof. Megan Toland (mtoland1@atu.edu)
** Prizes will be awarded to the entries that meet criteria, as determined in the sole discretion of the competition organizers. The organizers reserve the right not to award a prize in any category if, in their judgment, no entry meets the criteria for award in that category.