Schools across the South of England will join Media4schools and Sony UK in March 2009 to celebrate the success of its young filmmakers. The annual ceremony will take place on Friday 13th March at Sony Basingstoke.
This year, a number of special-prize categories will be recognised, including Best Camera Work, Best Edited Film, Best Overall Film as well as the Champion Teacher Award. This prize is presented to the teacher whose achievements leading his/her media crew are deemed the most distinguished overall among the media4schools network.
The media4schools Awards will feature films produced by primary schools, secondary schools and colleges across Hampshire, Berkshire, Middlesex and Dorset. The ceremony will be attended by media4schools’s distinguished sponsors and supporters.
Media4schools Managing Director Phill Hanlon said: “ This is a very special occasion for all the participant schools, we look forward to welcoming them to the ceremony, congratulate them on their success and sharing their celebrations”.

Click here to download the application form.

Media4School Awards 2008

Filmmakers have been celebrating after scooping prizes at this year’s glittering media4schools Awards at Cineworld Cardiff. With an audience of over 300 guests made up of schools, VIP Guests and Sponsors, outstanding talent in media production was showcased and recognised.

Now in its sixth year, the 2008 media4awards show organised by media4creative, a Cardiff based production and Training Company, was the most successful yet, with support from high-profile companies and organisations including overall sponsors Sony and Cineworld.

Media4creative has run school and community film training programmes since 2003, aiming to inspire young people through digital media. An ongoing relationship with Sony means that the latest media equipment is always on hand for students, and has led to some great achievements – including the foundation of a training facility within the Sony UK Technology Centre, Pencoed.

The ceremony opened with a dance display from Llynfi Dance Academy of Maesteg to include European Street Dance Champions ‘Essex Crew’ before Ben Voisey Divisional Manager of Saville Audio visual presented the Best Camerawork Award to Marshfield Primary School.

Olympic medallist, Jamie Baulch presented the Award for Best Edited Film, which was scooped up by Machen Primary School. The General Manager of Cineworld Cardiff presented the Best Overall Film to Rhiw Syr-Dafydd who collected a digital camera.

The secondary school categories were next, the tension mounted as schools awaited the judges’ result. Highlights included a prize presented to Radyr Comprehensive School by Helen Butler Director of Communications: an invitation to observe the European Tour Production Team at work. But the biggest winners were Fairfield High School, who won a Sony Camera Kit for Best Overall Film.

The award for Best Animation was supported by Costain and was won by Caerphilly Youth Forum. The glamorous Andrea Benfield from ITV Wales Tonight gave the Award for Best Presenter to Cory Bridgeman and Louisa Sham from Porthcawl Comprehensive School; they won a day at ITV Studios. Allen Pritchard Blaenau Gwent’s 14-19 Programme Manager presented the award for Best Edited Film, in which Barry Comprehensive School won with “Balloon”.

The overall sponsors Sony presented two awards; Best Camerawork to the Cardiff 14-19 Film Crew with “Learners Voice Conference”, and Best Overall Film to Fairfield High School with their film “Innocence”.

The 2008 Film Awards saw the launch of a fantastic Animation “Look @ me now!” which was scripted by local poet Patrick Jones and led by media4’s talented animator Meical Roberts. Other sponsors at the event included Boomerang who supported the Award for ‘Best Onscreen Performance’ in which Hayden Pullum of Barry Comprehensive was rewarded with a day at the Boomerang studios in Cardiff. Whitchurch High School won Top Moviemaker Award, which was supported by Careers Wales Cardiff and Vale. The Vale of Glamorgan Council and Admiral supported the two regional categories for Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Sports Council for Wales and ConstructionSkills also supported Awards and Business in the Community sponsored the “Best Community Film” Award which recognised the hard work and commitment made by Tonypandy Community College.

The 2008 awards were a huge success, and a testament to the wealth of talent emerging from Wales and the South West of England. We very much look forward to new talent for 2009!!

Media4schools Awards 2008

The Media4schools Awards 2008 will be held at Cineworld Cardiff on Thursday 4th December.

The updated deadline for entries is Friday 31st October.

Good Luck to you all!!!

Media4schools & Media4communities Awards 2007

Date: 1st November 2007

Filmmakers have been celebrating after scooping prizes at this year’s glittering media4schools and media4communities awards at BBC Cymru Wales.

Now in its fourth year, the 2007 media4awards show organised by media4creative, a Cardiff-based production and training company, was the most successful yet, with support from high-profile companies and organisations including overall sponsors Sony and Working Links.

Media4creative has run school and community film training programmes since 2003, aiming to inspire people through digital media. An ongoing relationship with Sony means that the latest media equipment is always on hand for students, and has led to some great achievements – including the foundation of a training facility within the Sony UK Technology Centre, Pencoed.

Sony’s support for the projects demonstrates their commitment to the community, and to young people in particular, and has helped media4 go from strength to strength, with the recent addition of new training facilities at Sony’s Basingstoke and Weybridge sites.

Commenting on the company’s involvement with media4, Steve Dalton, Managing Director of Sony UK Technology Centre, said: “The value of these activities cannot be underestimated, the winning film “Bottom Line” by Llantwit Major originated as a response to issues raised by their local PACT meeting. The aim was to make a film to highlight the issues that affected them and their community, they even managed to secure £5,000 of lottery funding to support their goal. This is simply a fantastic example of what we can all achieve given the right environment. At Sony we believe strongly in working in partnership with our communities especially when it comes to the ongoing development of our children who are the next generation. media4 has, and continues to deliver a unique opportunity, something we are proud to be part of”.

The ceremony opened with the primary school categories, where Best Camera Work and Best Overall Film were won by Victoria and Trelales schools, who collected prizes from Saville Audio Visual and Cineworld. The Best Edited Film award was presented by BBC Cymru Wales, to Machen Primary

The secondary school categories were next, and tension mounted as schools awaited the judges’ results. Highlights included a spot prize, presented to Whitchurch High by Golf Development Wales: an invitation to the next year’s Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open, including a tour of Sky and European Tour Productions’ outside broadcast units. But the show’s biggest winners were Llantwit Major School, who won a Sony Studio kit and an Apple 24” iMac for Best Edited Film and Best Overall film.

New for 2007, the Best Animation Award was supported by SETPOINT Wales, while Cardiff Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s regional awards recognised winners from St Richard Gwyn RC School and media4’s Extended Opportunities course.  Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg came top in the Careers Wales Cardiff and Vale category, and teachers were also praised for their vision and enthusiasm, in the First Campus Champion Teacher Award.

2007 saw new support from South-Wales based companies, with Admiral presenting the Business Award to Pontllanfraith Comprehensive and SEO Site Builder recognising Glyn Derw High School for their impressive website.

Bringing glamour to the proceedings, Justina Simpson of ITV Wales News presented the Award for Onscreen Presentation to Treorchy Comprehensive. Best Camerawork, sponsored by Sony, went to Cowbridge Comprehensive for “The Inevitable Story”

The media4communities awards began with a dazzling display of martial arts by Karate World, and the ‘Little Ninjas’, before Sony presented the prize for Best Camerawork to Tredegar Development Trust, for ‘The Domino Effect’.

Garren Morgan and Hannah Yates were joint winners of the Best Presenter Award, supported by Capital TV, for their charismatic appearances in the film ‘Breaking the Mould’. media4communities themselves supported the Community Champion Award, recognising individuals who have supported community media projects.

Business in the Community, in their own special category, honoured filmmakers for short documentaries about responsible business practices, and the spotlight turned again to animation, when SETPOINT Wales presented a second award, to young people from Caerphilly.
Finally overall sponsors Working Links presented two awards; the Community Impact Award to Tredegar Development Trust, whose film impressed the judges with its tangible impact on the lives of local residents, and the Best Overall Award, to Rhondda Cynon Taff Youth Offending Service, for their film Open Eye TV, a documentary on reformed young offenders.

The 2007 awards were a huge success, and a testament to the wealth of talent emerging from Wales. “It’s a great chance for schools to celebrate their achievements, and this year’s standard has been higher than ever” was the verdict of Schools award producer Ria Charlton, while Jenny Harris, producer of the Communities awards, praised the work of community filmmakers; “the judges had a hard time selecting the winners, and that is a great tribute to the quality of films entered this year – well done to you all!”