Documentary - Video ( Division 1,Division 2,Division 3,Division 4)Back
Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Midwestern Entry Title: The Glass Age Entry Credit: Javier Contreras, Gerrant Guiste, Abigail Jones, Colin Stevenson Judge Comment: Excellent piece overall. The video opens with strong voices and visuals that instantly pull you in. I really like that the focus went beyond one glass maker and how they felt about their art. By pulling in different narrative strings it became a more complete and compelling documentary. The interviews were really well framed and the interview questions really seemed to pull out some passionate responses. I felt an emotional connection with many of the subjects, which is the hallmark of any good documentary.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Midwestern Entry Title: Rebel Rebel Entry Credit: Alvin Runnels, Jeffrey Sanchez, Logan Spikes Judge Comment: A lot of interesting characters and in a well presented piece. I liked the use of archival footage in the beginning to give a little background on the art of tattoos. It did at times feel to lose it's focus, and their were probably some interviews and onscreen quotes that could have been edited down or dropped all together to make it tighter and less repetitive. Overall a nicely done piece.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: UT-Tyler Entry Title: The Green Room: Tyler's Hub For Alt Music Entry Credit: Nathan Witt Judge Comment: A nice take on an emerging music venue and what it means to the people who go there. The reporter's voice over was a great way to move the story along while still giving space for the people involved to share their stories. While not as technically strong as some of the other videos, the complete story and narrative pushed it ahead.
Competition Comment: Overall I think it's important to take a critical, but respectful eye to the people we are capturing and the interview we are producing. Is what they are saying something other people will connect with? Will it make the viewer feel something? Why is this perspective important? Are my questions producing more than surface-level answers? A good documentary is more than just slow motion footage and fancy camera work. It has to have a strong interview and narrative underneath or it quickly falls apart. The three stories that rose to the top displayed a lot of that, giving the audience something and someone to care about to pull them through the story.
