At an H1N1 media briefing on December 17, 2009, California Department of Public Health (CDPH) director Dr. Mark Horton announced the winners of California Film Festival contest “Lights, Camera, Save Lives!” The winning entry was produced by students from our Turlock Walnut Elementary School. As the gold winner, the school will receive a $500 gift card provided by the nonprofit California Immunization Coalition.
The winner of the statewide contest was judged by the criteria of Message theme (50%), Creativity (30%), and Entertainment value (20%).
The three runner-ups include the Nevada Union High School Film Club in Grass Valley, Modesto Junior College student Daniel Natzke from Ripon, and independent film director Robert Wakamatsu from San Francisco. The contest winners will see their videos played throughout the state on major airways and also on YouTube to capture the attention of all Californians. To view the winning videos visit http://cdphfilmfest.org.
After receiving more than 100 entries the top10 were selected from a panel of marketing professionals and state officials. The public was then asked to vote for the final favorites, and public health experts selected the winning video.“Entrants were required to include one of four H1N1 flu prevention methods in their video: Get vaccinated, wash hands often, cover coughs and sneezes, or stay home when sick,” said Horton. “I was so impressed with the creative ways each of the videos conveyed the prevention messages. I’m sure this work will help remind Californians how they can stop the spread of H1N1.”
About the winners:
The Walnut Elementary School students worked with teachers who included the PSA contest as part of a school project. Teacher Irene Hales said, “The kids really got into making their PSA and were diligent about washing their hands and covering their coughs, and even bragged about getting vaccinated!”
Daniel Natzke, 18, attends Modesto Junior College where he is studying all aspects of film and production. He used clay animation, shooting his comical video “H1N1 PSA: Featuring the Third Little Pig” frame-by-frame. Daniel said the process took two days, and a third day was dedicated to editing.
The Nevada Union High School Film Club students include Alex Ramsey, 14, Casey Martinson, 14, Daniel Lawson, 14, and Ian Lynn, 16. The team created “H1N1 and You: A Public Safety Announcement.” Alex, who organized the video, said, “Our video was inspired by the classic Public Service Announcements of the 1940s and 1950s, but for the more modern theme of the H1N1 virus. It is shown in black and white with silent movie background music to create the atmosphere needed for the video.”
Robert Wakamatsu, 30, said his inspiration for his “Episode H1N1” was to convey a message with humor and tell a story. An independent director, his video depicts an H1N1-infected man spreading germs via a tattoo effect.
“On behalf of the creative team of teachers and the 130 students involved in the Walnut H1N1 Video, I would like to thank you and Turlock City News for all you’ve done to support us,” said Irene Hales. “We are proud to represent Turlock School District and Turlock by winning this state contest.”
Great job and congratulations Walnut Elementary!