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!”