Attention Connecticut high school students – this is your chance to shine in front of a statewide audience, promote safe driving and have a little fun!
The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - with the support of The Travelers Companies, Inc. and WFSB-TV- is launching it's second annual video contest for high school students, and wants all aspiring producers, actors and directors to participate.
You write the script. You direct the actors. You edit the film. And in the end, you can help save lives through the promotion of Connecticut’s distracted driving laws.
If your video is chosen as a winner, it will be aired on WFSB-TV, featured on DMV’s Web site, and a special ceremony will be held to honor your work. In addition, your school will receive a monetary prize from Travelers to promote teen safe driving in your school.
So, grab your camera, prepare the set and settle into the director’s chair! Take advantage of this opportunity for fun, and send an important message on teen driving safety.
PLAY THE PART
Car crashes are the leading cause of death among teens in the United States. We want teenagers to change that statistic. One of the major reasons why teens get into accidents is because they are driving while distracted from passengers or because they are talking or texting on their cell phones. There are passenger restriction and cell phone laws in place to protect teens on the roads as they undertake the responsibility of driving.
WHO CAN ENTER
Those eligible include: students ages 15-18 enrolled in a public or private high school located in Connecticut, or students ages 15 to 18, receiving home-schooling in Connecticut.
DMV employees or relatives of DMV employees, its prize sponsor(s) employees and their relatives, and judges of this contest and their relatives, are all NOT ELIGIBLE to participate. The term “relatives” includes spouses, grandparents, parents, siblings, children and grandchildren.
HOW TO ENTER
Each contestant or group of contestants may submit only one entry. Students may participate individually or in teams of no more than five students. To submit an entry, each entrant must produce (write, shoot and edit to final production) their own 25-second public service announcement (PSA). The PSA must be exactly 25-seconds in length and must mention at least one of the following topics that relate to the following teen driving laws:
The PSA can also include other aspects of distracted driving, such as:
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Adjusting a radio iPod or changing CDs in a car player
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Reaching for an item on the floor or under the seats
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Reading materials or writing notes
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Taking hands off the wheel to steer with knees while doing something else
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Arguing with another passenger (such as a sibling who are legally able to be in the vehicle during the second six months after a teen receives a license)
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Breaking up fights between siblings
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Eating
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Cleaning the inside of the windshield
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Applying makeup
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Fixing or inserting contact lenses
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Reaching for the glove compartment
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Polishing, clipping or filing your nails
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Waving to pedestrians
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Checking out an accident
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Losing attention while traveling through a work zone
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Combing or brushing your hair
The contest starts September 18, 2009. Entrants will mail a complete entry to:
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles,
Attn: Corporate and Public Relations Unit,
“Teen Driving PSA Contest”
60 State Street
Wethersfield, CT, 06161
A complete entry consists of:
1) Completed entry form.
2) Signed release form by entrant and his/her parent or legal guardian.
3) Appearance releases signed by everyone who appears in the PSA .
4) 25-second PSA. PSA’s must be submitted on DVD in both the original format and an MP4.
Entries must be postmarked or received by DMV Corporate and Public Relations Unit by 4:30 p.m. EST on December 30, 2009.
JUDGING THE ENTRIES
Entries will be judged by a panel of state employees, contest sponsors, high school educators, and students. Up to a maximum of three finalists will be recommended by the panel based on the following criteria:
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Overall impact: dynamic persuasive/informational emotionally moving/content focused message (message must cover topics specified in the contest rules) (50%)
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Originality: concepts/ideas format (25%)
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Cinematic Style: camera angles editing/acting direction/lighting (25%)
Once the panel recommends three finalists, DMV will make the final decision on the first, second and third-place winners.
DMV will select and announce the first, second and third-place winners no later than March 8, 2010. The decisions of the DMV are final.
PRIZES
The winning video will be aired as a PSA on WFSB-TV.
First place winners will each receive a Flip Video Camera.
In addition, monetary prizes will be awarded by Travelers to the high schools of the top-three winning students (not directly to any student entrant). The prizes will come with the stipulation that the money must be used for a teen safe-driving educational program to benefit students in the winning student’s high school or a nearby high school in the instance of a home-schooled student. The prizes will be awarded directly to the schools.
The prizes are for $4,000.00 for first; $3,000.00 for second and $2,000.00 for third.
The winning high schools must submit a five-page report is to be submitted to the DMV and its sponsoring partner by December 2010 on how the money was or will be spent on the program and a description of the program.
HELPFUL HINTS
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Double check spelling and grammar.
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Do NOT use copyrighted music in your video.
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Do NOT portray a teen smoking or drinking alcohol in your video.
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Double check the accuracy of any statistics, quotations and facts that are used in the video.
QUESTIONS
If you have questions, you can e-mail DMV at dmvteencontest@ct.gov.
Check out the 2008-2009 Winners
