17th Annual Video Contest Winners!

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  Grand Prize

  Title: The Order
  Prize: Panasonic PV-GS70 Mini DV Camcorder ($999)
  Producers: Andrew Watson and Josh Camerota, West Chester, PA
  Camcorders: Sony DCR-VX1000, Canon GL1
  Editor: Adobe Premiere

  The basis of a class project depicting a war short, The Order was shot in wintertime on Super 8 film and Mini DV. The well-executed video includes split screen editing for the climax scene, which was composited to allow one person to play the part of two brothers who are fighting on opposite sides in a combat situation. We congratulate Watson and Camerota on an outstanding and poignant video submission.

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  First Prize

  Title: The Ending
  Prize: Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7 and DVD Workshop ($990)
  Producer: Steve Murphy, Choudrant, LA
  Camcorder: Canon XL1s
  Editor: Adobe Premiere 6.0

  How do you know it's time to panic? When the video that you just rented from the corner store features video of you, on the couch, witnessing some very strange goings on. The Ending depicts such a video. A second camcorder, mounted above the television, is the secret to the surreal submission.

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  Second Prize

  Title: The Road Kill Grill
  Prize: Azden 500LT Wireless Microphone System ($825)
  Producer: Mike Konstan, Ron Yarosh and Kathy Yarosh, Apopka, FL
  Camcorder: Sony DCR-TRV900
  Editor: Apple Final Cut Pro 3.0

  A great cross between a Videomaker Workshop video project and a classic MAD TV skit, The Road Kill Grill marries a novel product idea and some smoothly-rendered graphics into a winning video. While the utility of a Road Kill Grill may be limited depending on whether one was in an urban, suburban or rural area, the video does a great job of 'selling' the product.

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  Best Drama/Action Video

  Title: Critical Mass
  Prize: Varizoom StealthZoom and Studio Style Kit ($699)
  Producer: Keith Kooiman, Chaska, MN
  Camcorder: Sony DCR-TRV25
  Editor: Adobe Premiere

  The first of two warfare-related winners this year, Critical Mass depicts two acquaintances who find themselves on different sides of a small nuclear device. A last-minute surprise seals the victory. The project was submitted as DivX, and audio was edited with GoldWave.

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  Best Comedy

  Title: A Fistful of Diapers
  Prize: Pinnacle Edition ($699)
  Producer: Dale Whiting, Colorado Springs, CO
  Camcorder: Panasonic PV-DV52
  Editor: Adobe Premiere 6.0

  A great choice of music that conjures images of the Old West sets off A Fistful of Diapers. Dale Whiting worked with Michael Fleming on last year's Second Prize winner, Acron7m. It's a very funny tale of two dueling dads who find themselves at opposite ends of a changing table, tending to their respective infants' needs while competing with each other.

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  Best Music Video

  Title: Tears in the Rain
  Prize: Trilab Digital Hotcakes Grand Slam ($579)
  Producer: Rob Roy, Hudson, NH
  Camcorder: Sony DCR-TRV330
  Editor: Adobe Premiere 6.5
  DVD authored with Ulead DVD Movie Factory

  Here's a case for the use of video as therapy: Rob Roy is a singer-songwriter who wrote Tears in the Rain to express his feelings after his father passed away. A chromakey effect was utilized for some shots to enhance the appropriately dark, yet sometimes dreamlike video.

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  Best Streaming Video

  Title: The Breakup Film
  Prize: Bogen 700RC2, 756BK Video Kit ($404)
  Producer: Bobby Miller, Newfield, NJ
  Camcorder: Sony DCR-VX2000
  Editor: Adobe Premiere 6.0

  The Breakup Film is a parody of 1950s-era instructional film on "Losing the One You Love". The use of black and white really helps to set off this very funny video, which includes such disparate things as a rabbit with surgical bandages, a floating clock, and self-deprecating voice-over talent.

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  Best Documentary

  Title: Christmas in Shanghai
  Prize: Roadwired Photo/Video Pro Bag, Cable Stable and Attache Laptop Bag ($350)
  Producer: David Ozmun, Arkadelphia, AR
  Camcorder: Canon GL2
  Editor: Avid Xpress DV

  David Ozmun, mass communications faculty member at Ouachita Baptist University, chronicles a trip made with a University singing group to observe the remarkably Western Christmas festivities in Shanghai. We also found it striking that Ozmun reported having no problems traveling with video equipment or shooting in China.

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  DVD-Video Bonus

  Title: Malignant Night
  Prize: ADS Pyro A/V Link Analog-to-FireWire Converter ($279)
  Producers: Josh Murdy, Andover, MN
  Camcorder: Sony CCD-TRV67
  Editor: Adobe Premiere 6.5

  Malignant Night was a notable DVD submission, adding some features that are most commonly associated with Hollywood DVDs. The disc was authored with Pinnacle Impression and includes some interactive functions, including a simple game. Hats off to Josh for pushing the limits of his DVD authoring software.