In June, SkillsUSA Digital Cinema students from across the country went head-to-head in a Digital Cinema challenge sponsored by “Sneak on the Lot,” an organization that offers young people a “safe and effective way to express themselves through film and the arts while providing an unmatched leadership training environment.” While the free event was not an official SkillsUSA competition, SkillsUSA’s Digital Cinema technical committee played a huge role in making sure the event was a fun and successful way for students who missed out on this year’s canceled SkillsUSA Championships to gain some recognition for their burgeoning filmmaking skills.
Students from 16 states participated: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. As part of the challenge, students were asked to create their films in the style of one of the following directors: Steven Spielberg, Nora Ephron or Alfred Hitchcock. Students weren’t told beforehand which director would be chosen, so they had to be familiar with each director’s style before the challenge began.
Submissions were evaluated on camera movement, composition, blocking, lighting, pacing, music and creativity, and more than $20,000 in gear and training opportunities were awarded to the winners.
Congratulations to the winners listed below. (The individual creators are solely responsible for each video’s content.)
1st Place: “Neighborhood Watch”
Vancouver School District #37 (Vancouver, Wash.)
https://theater.sneakonthelot.com/videos/433059526
2nd Place: “Oblivious”
Har-Ber High School (Springdale, Ark.)
https://theater.sneakonthelot.com/videos/433015307
3rd Place: “Drive”
Cypress Bay Television (Weston, Fla.)
https://theater.sneakonthelot.com/videos/433059356
Sneak On The Lot is hosting a series of seminars and contests that will focus on various filmmaking skills leading up to the 2021 state and national competitions. They will be hosting an introductory seminar on Tuesday, August 4, at 7:00 pm EDT for all those interested in participating.
To register, visit: https://sneakonthelot.com/free-seminars-form/.
