Cut! Short Video Competition Seeks Young Talent

MEDIA RELEASE

April 23 2008

Cut! Short Video Competition Seeks Young Talent

The Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology) Cut! National Secondary Schools Short Video Competition is back for its fifth year, and organisers are hoping for another successful event after a record number of entrants took part in 2007.

Registrations are now open for the 2008 competition, which is free to enter and open to any production team of students who are currently enrolled in and attending a New Zealand secondary school. The films can be either drama (‘short film’) or documentary. Cut! judges were highly impressed by the standard of work produced last year, and are anticipating more quality entries.

‘We’re definitely looking forward to seeing another bumper crop of talented young filmmakers’ said Margi Moore, Wintec Media Arts Head of School.

Ten finalists will have their films screened at the Hamilton Rialto Cinemas, and there will be a range of great prizes – details to be announced soon. Last year prizes were presented in a variety of categories, sponsored by Lapshop, Techniq, Ricoh, Avid, Panasonic, and Elsevier.

Competition guidelines are also aligned with level 2 and 3 NCEA media studies requirements, giving students the opportunity to take their school work beyond the curriculum, get feedback from industry professionals and see it on the big screen.

Duration of entries should be between four and eight minutes and can be submitted on miniDV tape or DVD. The closing date is October 22, with the winners being announced at the Rialto Cinema screening in Hamilton on November 16th.

Cut! is organised by Wintec’s School of Media Arts. To register for the competition or find more information about CUT! 08, visit www.wintec.ac.nz/CUT! or email Dawn.Tuffery@wintec.ac.nz.

Wintec's Bachelor of Media Arts (Moving Image) has the ScreenMark, the screen industry's seal of approval. ScreenMark is a quality assurance endorsement by the New Zealand Screen Council. It is given only to qualifications of the highest standard that prepare graduates for work within the screen industry.
In its report, the Screen Council praised the BMA (Moving Image) for its facilities, staff dedication and overall excellence in training. The accreditation process took almost a year.

See below for last year’s winners and finalists:
Category Winner Prize
Best Original Score Ben Childs
“Bounce it, Bounce it, Bounce it.”
Middleton Grange School, Chch
iPod shuffle
6h recording time in Wintec recording studio
Best Performance Gisborne Boys’ High School
“Tumatauenga: Te Hokinga Mai”
Ricoh Digital Camera
Best Cinematographer Chloe McLean
“Revenge”
Karamu High, Hastings
Panasonic Digital Video Camera
Best Script Chloe McLean
“Revenge”
Karamu High, Hastings
Lenovo Laptop from Lapshop
Best Editor Ollie Neas
“When the Teacher Leaves the Classroom”
Nelson College
Ricoh Digital Camera
Best Director Isaac Strati
“Elliot”
Christchurch Rudolf Steiner
Wintec Scholarship to study in the School of Media Arts, Wintec (first year)
Best Documentary Gisborne Boys’ High
“The Teredo Worm”
Apple iMac computer and Cut express editing software. (For school.)
Best Drama Christchurch Rudolf Steiner
“Elliot”
Apple imac computer and Avid Media Composer editing software. (For school.)
iPod Nano (for individual)

ENDS

© Scoop Media