AFI Screen Education

Congratulations to Grand Prize Winner Jonathan Weisbrod of Union, NJ! He’ll take home the Sony DCR-SR45 HDD Camcorder video package and AFI Membership!

Special Acknowledgements and AFI Memberships also go to:

Screenname “dessina” for “Oakland, CA Slang” and Trisha Stortz for her Decorah, IA profile, “Decorah’s Nisse”

Many thanks to all who entered! Be on the lookout soon for another AFI ScreenNation Video Challenge!

AFI ScreenNation is seeking to provide national, state and local youth film festivals and Summer programs an exhibition space online for the work of young filmmakers. Festival organizers can use the embedding and playlist features of ScreenNation to upload and archive projects on their websites and student filmmakers can embed ScreenNation uploaded videos directly to their Facebook, MySpace or any other social networking pages.

A special call goes out to youth film programs to exhibit the best of their programs on their own Featured Channel on ScreenNation. Featured Channel owners get rotating front page placement on ScreenNation, help promoting upcoming calls for entries and deadlines and are able to access a suite of AFI produced filmmaking resources including videos from the ScreenNation LEARN section and a downloadable 35-page resource guide that all can be embedded on your festival website! Preview these resources here.

If you run a local, state or regional youth media festival or are involved with a thriving student filmmaking program for grades 7-12 and are interested in giving your students a national stage for their movies under the banner of The American Film Institute, drop the Screen Ed Center a line.

In addition to offering free upload and hosting of student films ScreenNation offers a host of filmmaking tips and tricks video tutorials produced by AFI for the novice filmmaker. Check out the ScreenNation LEARN section for videos on every step of the filmmaking process from Scripting and Production to tips on organizing your Edit.

The entry period for ScreenNation’s first Challenge “Hometown Claim to Fame” closes today. Just a few hours left to enter to with a Sony HD camera package. If you haven’t seen the videos yet submitted and rated your favorites yet, Check it out! The winner will be announced next week.

ScreenNation has it all this summer movie season, Comedy, Drama, you name it! Looks like you filmmakers have been very busy since school let out. Let’s take a look at some of the best work
uploaded to ScreenNation over the last few weeks.

First up is user jedoles of 328 Studios with their take on the the NBC show THE OFFICE. This comedy/documentary spoof looks at a day in the life of the filmmaker and makes excellent use of a roving camera.

You might ask ‘Where is the love in Elk Grove?’ after seeing FREE HUGS from user 999SHAWN of Dirty Snow Flake Productions. Funny short film or biting social commentary? We can’t decide! What do you think? Will somebody please give this kid a hug?!

What is a Summer movie season without some suspense, a cliffhanger and some special effects? Marcus08’s homage to the exploitation film genre MIGHTY DEADLY Pt. 1 has all these and more including some nice lighting, scratchy film look and a real GRINDHOUSE feel. OK Marcus, you got us! Where’s part two?

So far so good! Keep those camera safely rolling this Summer. Remember less than a week to enter the ScreenNation Hometown Claim to Fame Challenge for the chance to win a Sony HD camera package.

Warren Beatty has been selected by the American Film Institute’s Board of Trustees to receive the 36th AFI Life Achievement Award. A consummate film artist, Warren Beatty has left his distinctive mark on American film during nearly a half-century of acting, producing, directing and writing. In an era that saw the redefinition of the studio system, the rise of independents and the dawning of the digital age, Warren Beatty has created a body of work that transcends trends and remains timeless.

Tune in July 8, 9:00 p.m., USA Networks

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 14TH

Submissions for AFI ScreenNation’s 1st Challenge, Hometown Claim to Fame are now being accepted through July 14th, winner announced July 18th. Young filmmakers age 13-18 are challenged to produce a documentary about what is special, historic or noteworthy about their hometown. Videos must be 3-5 minutes in length and have interviews with at least 3 people. Summer session teachers and film camp administrators are encouraged to incorporate the ScreenNation Challenge into their programs.

Winning video entry will receive a Sony DCR-SR45 ~HDD Handycam Camcorder w/ 30 GB Hard Disk Drive and Tripod. Challenge info and rules.

Production tips and tricks including how to shoot an interview can be found in the

AFI ScreenNation LEARN section.

The entries submitted so far certainly show the filmmaking skill and storytelling spirit that make the filmmakers of ScreenNation special.

Early stand-out Challenge entries include :
The Kenya Water Project. A documentary about local efforts to positively effect the lives of people on the other side of the world.

Civic outreach is also the topic of another stand-out Challenge entry called The Rollins Project.

You can see all the videos submitted to the ScreenNation Challenge here.

As the school year winds down, consider engaging your students with one last ScreenEd project.
The AFI ScreenNation “Hometown Claim to Fame” Challenge is live and odds are pretty good right now that one of your students can win a Sony HD camcorder package for their 3-5 min video about what is special about their hometown. Deadline for this challenge is June 30th.

Also look for upcoming ScreenNation challenges hosted by celebrities like Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Rudy) and Jennifer Love Hewitt (Garfield , Ghost Whisperer). And remember, the ScreenNaton LEARN section is a good place to find production tips and tricks videos anytime!

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Our friends at the SlickRock Film Festival in Visalia, California have wrapped-up their annual event last week and have submitted some best in show videos to ScreenNation via their ScreenNation channel . Many stand-out films from SlickRock this year include THE FIGHT a very funny homage to silent films produced by students at Sierra High School.

Fresno Christian School submitted JACK’S NOT A DULL BOY, a very creative music-less music video to SlickRock, that shows the real power of editing. Both of these films are featured on the ScreenNation Homepage.

Do you run a local, state or regional student film festival and want to showcase student work on AFI ScreenNation? Consider a content partnership with ScreenNation, contact Frank Guttler at the AFI ScreenEd Center for details.

AFI ScreenNation Inaugural Filmmaking Challenge

Submissions for AFI ScreenNation’s 1st Challenge, Hometown Claim to Fame are being accepted now through June 30th, winner announced July 15th. Young filmmakers age 13-18 are challenged to produce a documentary about what is special, historic or noteworthy about their hometown. Videos must be 3-5 minutes in length and have interviews with at least 3 people.

Winning video entry will receive a Sony DCR-SR45 ~HDD Handycam Camcorder w/ 30 GB Hard Disk Drive and Tripod. Challenge info and rules.

Production tips and tricks including how to shoot an interview can be found in the

AFI ScreenNation LEARN section.

The American Film Institute (AFI) is proud to announce AFI ScreenNation™, the first online video posting-and-sharing community for middle and high-school students, aged 13-18.

We invite you to be among the first web users in the country to preview AFI ScreenNation™ .

To get started right away, you may access AFI ScreenNation™ at:
Site: http://screennation.afi.com
Here are some suggestions for exploring AFI ScreenNation™:

• Browse the videos which are already posted.

• View exclusive AFI “Learn” video production how-to tips.

• Create an account in order to upload your students’ projects.

• Encourage your students to upload their movies, created in school or on their own.

• Once they have posted a video, encourage them to embed those films onto their own social networking pages and blogs.

Every video uploaded to AFI ScreenNation™ will become eligible for year-end prize packages honoring exemplary student filmmaking. And, in the next few months, AFI ScreenNation™ will offer exclusive “Challenges” in which young filmmakers can compete for special prizes and recognition.

AFI ScreenNation™ is designed for young filmmakers 13-18 years of age. Those who support student filmmakers, such as teachers and other educators, film/media program leaders, youth film festival organizers, can also utilize the power of the AFI ScreenNation™ site and its tools in order to collect, exhibit, share and archive student video projects. Having young people submit their projects by uploading them to AFI ScreenNation™ and sending you a link allows you to send playlists to content evaluators or festival judges.

Organizations that use AFI ScreenNation™ in this way will be eligible to apply for exclusive Content Partner status, which brings with it a range of benefits and opportunities. For more information on Content Partnerships contact Frank Guttler (fguttler@afi.com)

AFI ScreenNation™ is the ultimate expression of AFI’s commitment to K-12 education. Organized since 2000 in its AFI Screen Education Center, this work has been made possible through the generous support of the Best Buy Children’s Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, other generous supporters of the American Film Institute.

This exciting new resource has been designed for you and your students. Let us know what you think.

Welcome to your ScreenNation!

We just wanted to take a moment from our testing of our new soon to be released video sharing site AFI ScreenNation (more on that later) to plug some upcoming conference workshops and sessions.

We’re proud to present for the first time the classic 1-day ScreenEd workshop at the California Computer Using Educators Conference in Palm Springs on

Thursday March 6th 8:30-4:30.

Additionally, we have a 1-hour informational concurrent session on Friday, March 7th from 3-4pm at the Convention Center.

Seats are still available for the workshop.

Click here for registration info.

Heading to San Antonio for NECC this summer? Don’t leave town without checking out our concurrent session on

Wednesday, July 2nd 1:30 -2:30 .

We’ll have lots of new resources and goodies to preview and showcase including an update on the launch of ScreenNation and a new series of tutorial videos.

Click here for more info.

AFI is seeking seeking partner organizations to encourage participation in the site’s ongoing film challenges and competitions. In exchange, AFI ScreenNation™ will promote your program, site and festival competitions.

Partners will also benefit from exposure generated through widespread publicity.

What the American Film Institute is seeking:

- Encouragement to your young filmmakers to post on the site. Or for you to directly upload films to AFI ScreenNation.

- For you to email general promotion and challenge announcements to your listserves.

- Carry AFI ScreenNation news and features in newsletters.

- Cross link AFI ScreenNation with affiliate websites.

- Encourage constituents / festival entrants to enter AFI ScreenNation competitions.

Possible benefits the American Film Institute can offer you:

- A partner link and logo on the AFI ScreenNation™ website.

- A rotating featured partner link.

- National exposure for your student filmmakers on a distinguished AFI-branded site.

- The ability for young filmmakers to embed their AFI-posted films onto their own sites: Facebook, MySpace, personal websites, blogs – wherever they socialize online.

- Support for your festival or project via a co-branded and custom-skinned page on AFI ScreenNation Your student filmmakers may also be featured on this page, receiving national recognition.

- Opportunity to propose challenges with AFI that, if accepted, would be co-developed and co-branded with your organization.

If you run a local, state or regional youth media festival or are involved with a thriving student filmmaking program for grades 7-12 and are interested in exploring the benefits of partnering with AFI and giving your students a national stage for their movies under the banner of The American Film Institute, drop the Screen Ed Center a line.