The Elizabethtown College Department of Communications hosted the second annual video festival earlier this summer for high school students in several surrounding counties. Nearly 100 students from local school districts such as Hempfield, Waynesboro, Donegal, Dallastown, and Lancaster participated, utilizing the department’s state-of-the-art facilities to gain invaluable experience in real-world media operations.
The genesis of the program originated in 2018 when Matthew Binder, the Broadcasting and Communications Technology Teacher at Hempfield High School reached out to Etown Professor of Communications Kirsten Johnson to pitch his ideas for a collaborative event that would familiarize high school students with the concept of working with those coming from a multitude of backgrounds and skill levels.
“This is a great event that allows students from several different districts to come together on our campus and spend a fun and educational day creating short videos,” Johnson said. “Everyone had a great time, and the videos they produced were amazing! I’m hoping we can continue to host this event for many years to come.”
Divided into assorted groups during the morning session, the high school students worked together to plan, shoot, and edit short films. The festival consisted of three competitions for grades 7-9, grades 10-11, and seniors. The winner of the senior video contest earned a unique “trophy” – a nonfunctional Canon SD tape handheld camera signed by each student in the group.
The students ended their day with a short film festival in Gibble Auditorium in the afternoon. After each group presented their work, they voted for their favorite video from each category.
Solanco School District took home the camera for display, with the understanding that it will be returned to the festival next year along with an additional item attached. The traveling trophy will continue to be passed on to participating schools with the opportunity to add something each year.
About Etown’s Department of Communications
Etown’s Department of Communications prepares the next generation of digital leaders with graphic design, public speaking, media, writing, video, and audio production skills. Each student compiles a portfolio of work samples from class assignments, internships, and professional work, in student media and organizations such as JayFirm, the student-run public relations organization, the student newspaper, and radio/TV stations.
The department offers the following majors: Digital Media Production, Journalism, Media Analytics and Social Media, B.S., and Public Relations.
