News Bytes

The first-ever Middle School Media Festival was hosted at SCDS on May 13, 2011. Festival organizer, SCDS Tech Specialist Ethan Delavan, reports that nine schools from Woodinville to Portland participated:

•    Eton School
•    Open Window/Vista Academy
•    Billings MS
•    Whitman MS
•    McClure MS
•    Seattle Academy
•    Woodinville Montessori
•    Catlin Gabel
•    SCDS

There were over 120 entries, 55 of which made it past a panel of 5 judges to be featured in the festival. These were mostly videos, shown in 3 screenings. But they also included websites, games, photos, posters, brochures and electronic music.

Some 50 students visited SCDS to join in the festivities. 14 of the entries, voted on by the attending audience, will go on to be shown in the lobby of the Cinerama during the Northwest High School Film Festival. One of these pieces, “Cyberbullying” from Whitman, won Vicki O’Keefe’s “Upstander Award,” which honors films that encourage respect for others.

There was a panel discussion with five young media makers. Two of them were high school filmmakers. One was a high-level game designer from Airtight Games. One was a film publicist from the National Film Festival for Talented Youth. And one was a photographer and teacher.