2024 MIDDLE SCHOOL CONTEST DESCRIPTIONS
THURSDAY CONTESTS
CRAZY 8'S MORNING SHOW
Teams will plan, record, and edit a daily-style morning show based on a given prompt, led by a team of hosts with the purpose of informing and entertaining the audience as they get ready for their day. Segments may include news headlines, human interest and lifestyle reporting, sports-related topics, national weather forecasts, and light-hearted infotainment. While it is not required, shows may include occasional commercial breaks. Max TRT: 8 Minutes | Team Size: Unlimited | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
CRAZY 8'S NEWS MAGAZINE NEW!
Teams will plan, record, and edit a news magazine show based on a given prompt, led by a team of anchors and reporters with the purpose of informing viewers on current events. Segments may include in-depth features, investigative reporting, and editorial commentary, with a focus on showing the importance of the events beyond the basic facts. While it is not required, shows may include occasional commercial breaks. Max TRT: 8 Minutes | Team Size: Unlimited | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
CRAZY 8'S SHORT FILM
Teams will plan, record, and edit a short-form movie with a clear, compelling story that can be any genre (drama, comedy, horror, etc.) or form (documentary, live-action, animated) of filmmaking. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Title slate and credits are required and count toward your total run time. Max TRT: 8 Minutes | Team Size: Unlimited | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
CRAZY 8'S VERTICAL SHORT FILM
Teams will plan, record, and edit a mobile-ready, 9:16 ratio short-form fictional movie with a clear, compelling story for vertical social media distribution that can be any genre of filmmaking and based on a given topic. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Title slate and credits are required and count toward your total run time. Max TRT: 8 Minutes | Team Size: Unlimited | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
FRIDAY CONTESTS
MUSIC VIDEO
Teams will produce a visual performance of a provided recorded song, accompanied by cinematic imagery, visual effects, or musicians performing to provide a dramatic visual interpretation of a song. The music video should capture the essence of the song’s message through compelling visuals and storytelling. Teams will be given a folder of songs and lyrics to download that they will use to create the video. Max TRT: Exact Song Length | Team Size: Up to 6 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
SHORT FILM
Teams will plan, record, and edit a short-form movie with a clear, compelling story that can be any genre (drama, comedy, horror, etc.) or form (documentary, live-action, animated) of filmmaking. Like feature films, short films tell closed-ended stories with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. A title slate is required and does count toward your total run time. End credits are not required. Max TRT: 2 Minutes | Team Size: Up to 6 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
VLOG NEW!
Teams will produce a narrative-style vlog based on a given prompt that captures the life of an individual or individuals, and demonstrates their interests and skills while also entertaining the audience. Vlogs may cover various topics including entertainment, lifestyle, and issues, or more. Max TRT: 2 Minutes | Team Size: Up to 6 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
NEWS STORY
Teams will produce a video package, containing interviews, b-roll, natural sound, interviews, voiceovers, and optional reporter stand-ups, presenting a clear and fact-driven style (including who, what, where, when, why, and how) that gives a timely account of a recent, interesting, and significant event or development in your school or community. Max TRT: 90 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 4 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
NAT PACKAGE
Teams will produce a feature story solely driven by sound. These should not include reporter track or voiceovers, but rather tell a complete and compelling story using only interviews/soundbites and natural sound. Topics may range from news to features. These stories should feel complete, even without a reporter closing, so they should close with a strong sound bite. Max TRT: 90 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 4 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
ARTS & CULTURE FEATURE STORY NEW!
Teams will produce a video package, containing interviews, b-roll, natural sound, interviews, voiceovers, and optional reporter stand-ups, focused on arts and culture and the impact being made by a person, group, business, or event. Features should contain less of a news angle and need not be timely. The story should be an in-depth look at a particular subject, event, or location that keeps the audience’s attention throughout, delivering a compelling narrative to create a lasting impression. Max TRT: 90 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 4 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
TELL THE STORY NEWS EDITING NEW!
Teams may write, voice, and edit a feature story using raw interview and b-roll footage provided. Teams will be given a folder of assets to download that they will use to create the feature package. One student on the team will assume the role of the reporter by writing and recording the voiceovers for the project. Max TRT: 90 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 2 Students | Entry Limit: 2 Teams per School
SATURDAY CONTESTS
ANCHOR TEAM
Teams will write a script and record an anchor team segment based on provided newswire copy. Team will rewrite the copy for broadcast, record an edited live take of the anchors and submit it for judging. Graphics are not required for this contest as they will not be a judged criteria. Anchor teams will be judges based on strong delivery, poise, and teamwork on camera. Max TRT: 60 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 4 Students | Entry Limit: 2 Teams per School
SILENT FILM
Teams will plan, record, and edit a story with no synchronized sound for dialogue, but may include music. The music should be an essential part of the story, providing the audience emotional cues for the actions and reactions taking place on the screen. There can be no use of sound effects. There should be an emphasis on body language and facial expression, so that the audience could better understand what an actor was feeling and portraying on screen. A title slate is required and does count toward your total run time. End credits are not required. Max TRT: 60 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 6 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
COMMERCIAL
Teams will produce a 30-second promotional piece based on a given prompt meant to sell a product or service. These can involve actors and live action, or can be completely made up of graphics. It should send a strong message to the audience through narrative, visuals, or both to catch the audience’s attention while also promoting the brand. Max TRT: 30 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 6 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Teams will produce a creative piece highlighting a current issue in society. It should bring awareness to the problem and include a mention of the issue, statistics to support why it is a societal problem, and a call to action. These can involve actors and live action, or can be completely made up of graphics. Max TRT: 30 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 6 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
HUMAN INTEREST FEATURE STORY
Teams will produce a video package, containing interviews, b-roll, natural sound, interviews, voiceovers, and optional reporter stand-ups, focused on ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Features should contain less of a news angle and need not be timely. The story should be an in-depth look at a particular person or persons that keeps the audience’s attention throughout, delivering a compelling narrative to create a lasting impression. Max TRT: 90 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 4 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
MOVIE TRAILER
Teams will produce a movie trailer based on a given prompt that portrays scenes, basic plot, and mood of a fictional film in order to gain audience interest and promote the film. Max TRT: 60 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 6 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School
VERTICAL CONVENTION RECAP NEW!
Teams will produce a promotional video for vertical social media distribution based on a given prompt with the intent to inform the audience of the mission and purpose of the 2024 STN National Convention. The prompt release will take place during the Opening Ceremony pre-show and students will capture content throughout the convention to use in their entry. This is a “free edit” contest, meaning teams will edit on their own and not in the Edit Room. Max TRT: 90 Seconds | Team Size: Up to 6 Students | Entry Limit: 1 Team per School