MediaMagazine Production Competition Winners 2015-2019

Watch the winning videos here.

Documentary – Judged by Mark Reid​

Winner

• Lulu Senft, Ed Day (Graveney) for ‘London and the Blues

Click on here to see the winning film.

Shortlisted

• Amritha Vadi (Farnborough) for ‘Memories’
• Eli Beristain (Haydon) for ‘Pueblo’
• Reme Dickinson, Rebecca Sanassy, Nathan Goodison (Dunraven) for ‘Vision’

Film Openings – Judged by Ian Wall

Winner

• Scarlett Murphy, Gabriell Jackon, Khalil Seyidor (Hurtwood) for ‘Bastion of Blood’

Click on here to see the winning film.

Shortlisted

• Gelsomina de Lucia and Tayla Humphris (Jesus and Mary) for ‘Dormant’
• Antonio di Lena, James Mitchell, Jenny Buzagio, Alex Chatterji (St John the Baptist) for ‘The Cost’
• Alistair Price, Ignacio Flores, Edward Rowe (Latymer) for ‘Payoff’
• Oliver Davis, Charlie Walker, Robert Tann, Lily Stojsavlijevik (Claremont Fan) for ‘PSA’
• Julia Stakhorska (Ashbourne) for ‘The Visioner’

Short Films – Judged by Ian Wall

Winner

• Chris Bailey, Dominic Berry et al (Bradfield) for ‘Borderline’

Click on here to see the winning film.

Shortlisted

• Hannah Gautrey (Long Road) for ‘Loot’
• Sam Hunt (Wootton Upper) for ‘Desperate Abyss’
• Sam Wells, Matthew Hooks (Graveney) for ‘None of a Kind’
• Kitty Eaton-Kent (Finham Park) for ‘Distractions’
• Ed Kondracki (James Gillespies) for ‘Night Sky’
• Alexander Frey, Harry Gadsby, Scott Howard (Ringwood) for ‘Left Overs’
• James Naughton, Natasha Lopez, Lauren West (St John Baptist) for ‘Day in, Day Out’
• Isobel Stocker (Farnborough) for ‘Itch’

Music Videos – Judged by Lindy Heymann

Winner

• Alexander Day (Ringwood) for ‘Hunger of the Pines’

Click on here to see the winning film.

Shortlisted

• Ellie Robson, Jonathan Foulston, Zahra Mukadam (Great Baddow) for ‘Fast in My Car’
• Katie Gass, Luke Lindsay, Santiago Giraldo, Henry Hawkins (Hurtwood) for ‘Let Me Think About it’
• Cameron Perry (Berkhamsted) for ‘Geekin’
• Josh Stevenson, Matthew Romo, Harry Kettensis, Ysabel Hudson-Searle (Latymer) for ‘Teen Spirit’
• Finley Jeffrey-Geen, Ollie Rouse, Matthew Hill, Brendon Beavis (Long Road) for ‘Smokey Joe’s’
• Shuhina Parvin, Aklima Begum, Shujata Begum, Farhana Uddin (Mulberry) for ‘We Get By’
• Mia Barrett, Joseph Serfaty (JFS) for ‘Walking on Water’
• Vedant Desai, Shyam, Brandon, Keval (Alperton) for ‘Powerless’

Special Creativity Awards – Presented by Jenny Grahame

• Cameron Perry (Berkhamsted) for ‘Geekin’
• Hannah Gautrey (Long Road) for ‘Loot’

Click on here to see the winning films.

Watch the winning films here.

Music Video

Winner

• Something About You  Aaron Daniels (Maidstone Grammar School)

The Judges said:

A really beautiful video which demonstrated exceptional animation technique and a consistent style that was very engaging and tied in well to the song. We can’t wait to see how Aaron develops his techniques in the future, and hope he’ll continue to experiment with style and form.

Finalist

• Back Home: Matt Tam (Berkhamsted School)       
• Seaside: Jordan Hooper-Shearme (Berkhamsted School)           
• Falling For You: William Craig (Great Baddow High School)
• White Light: Grace Phelps, Dom Drumm, India Edwards (Hurtwood House)         
• Youth: Ben Radcliffe, Max Boast, Ksenia Tamarova (Hurtwood House)       
• Dull Boy: Jonah Winchcombe, Harrison Screen, Owen Cooney, Darren Sims (Little Heath School)
• Say Please: Rebecca Miles, Alice Fernandez-Bowyer, Hira Syed, Sophie Tyler (Little Heath School)
• How About Now: William Skelton (Royal Russell School)
• Sun Goes Down: Eddie Rowe, Ignacio Flores, Mario Louka (The Latymer School)          
• Trip Switch: Amber Mota, Shayam Utting, Alistair Price (The Latymer School)

Opening Sequence

Winner

• Offline: Jess Durand (St Mary’s, Gerrards Cross)

The Judges said:

This was a really interesting concept set up in a bold and economic style. Sound, editing, cinematography and design all interacted very well. We’d love to see how Jess develops in the future, perhaps working with actors to get us inside the head of the main character.

Finalist

• Dog Tag: Vinay Bhudia (Alperton School)                 
• Nine: Ryan Evans, Ollie Munday-Rowe, Zander Allman-Varty, Milo Gammond (Claremont Fan Court School) 
• Connect 4: Sarah Olivier (Great Baddow High School)      
• Sync Corps: Claudia Kingham, James De Winton, Henry Russell (Hurtwood House School)
• Tipping Point: Honor Mewis, David Heal, Mingyu Xia (Hurtwood House School)
• Silent Install: Daniel Smith, Josh Caplan, Sonny Lieberman, Regine Kahlun (JFS)          
• Algorithm 404: Alex Nicolaides, Matthew Davies,  Jerom Thambipillai (The Latymer School)         
• Amen: Liam Buckland, Vincent Davenport (Windsor Boys School)

Creativity Awards

• Sync Corps: Claudia Kingham, James De Winton, Henry Russell (Hurtwood House School)

The Judges said:

Strong cinematography and choreography made this film a genuinely thrilling opening, with some superb editing and jump-out-of-your-seat twists, and chilling performances. It would be great to see them experimenting with more dialogue in the future, to add to the believability of the set-up.

• Colours: Abida Sultana, Salma Ahmed, Rezwana Begum, Fabiha Kamaly (Mulberry School)

The Judges said:

This lyrical and visually stunning video made impressive use of different techniques and editing, which complemented the rhythm of the song, with a fine central performance and the confidence to use big close-ups. We hope they’ll continue, and not be afraid to focus on mastering just a few different techniques really well.

Special Commendation

• Strings of a Soldier: Chris Bailey (Bradfield College)

The Judges said:

Chris has been a regular MediaMag winner and is a powerhouse of creative and brilliantly researched ideas. This hugely ambitious video took us back to the American Civil War, with a massive cast, immaculate mise-en-scene, stirring cinematography and haunting music – a big step forward in a really promising career. Be inspired!

Watch the winning entries here.

• Will Smith and Jake Flack, Long Road Sixth Form Centre, for 'Nest'

Judge's comments on 'Nest': This moving documentary from Long Road Sixth Form College was well put together and enveloped the audience in a real emotional journey.

• Freddy Bartle-Jones, St John the Baptist School, for 'Fast Car'

Judge's comments on 'Fast Car': This animated music video from St. John the Baptist School had a lovely original concept, well executed with a lot of heart. The content and approach was very entertaining.

• Oliver Loom, Nathan Henton, Joe Kiff and Harry Hazell, Great Baddow School, for 'Avenue'

Judge's comments on 'Avenue': A comic music video from Great Baddow School – the filmmakers captured the massive energy and enthusiasm of the band, a great interpretation which was fun and lively.

• Ryan Ng, Royal Russell School, for 'Truth'

Judge's comments on 'Truth': This trailer from Royal Russell School featured beautiful photography and excellent editing and strong sound design, using song, effects, dialogue, and shock sound track.

Watch the winning entries here.

Winner – Best Short Film

Azra Hinton and Jack Williams, St Dunstan’s School: The Freeze.

Judges’ comments: This had us completely. Brilliant post-apocalyptic scenario in moody black and white, with a fantastic twist at the end, and a great final line.

Winner Best Music Video

Jack Edmondson, Noa Craig and Emilio Francischelli, the Latymer School: Sweet Dreams

Judges’ comments: Very fresh, very humorous, very Devo-like! Great design of props and costumes, and brilliant use of simple studio setting to create lots of charm and energy.

Winner Best Documentary

James Copley, Churchmead School: Campaign of three ads for The National Sleep Foundation

Judges’ comments: Excellent communication of the Foundation’s message, clearly, simply, and in a very fun way, targeting young people really well. The last ad is the standout – this young man has a future in comedy!

Winner Best Cinematography

Ravi Ghelani and Shimran Valand, Beauchamp College: Incognito trailer

Judges’ comments: Incredibly slick trailer for an action thriller. Beautifully shot and performed, and especially well lit. Just enough of the narrative to give you a taste, but not so much that you think you’ve seen all the best bits!

Winner Best Editing

Rebecca Folkard, Lewis Bell, Chorlene Bron-Monnier and Jordan Kemp, Lingfield College: White Noise

Judges’ comments:Very simple but very effective, with great use of animation and effects. Imaginative use of different cities and locations, and tells the story of the song very well. A real buzz and energy.

Special Award for Creativity

Lili Vicens, St John the Baptist School: Everything

Judges’ comments: All in French, with subtitles – our first ‘European’ entry! A young girl in therapy daydreams about Life with a capital L. Lovely homage to French New Wave cinema but yet entirely original.

Watch the winning entries here.

Short Film

WINNER Looped: Joshua Hughes, Orleans Park 

Joshua has shown huge regard and proficiency in every department. He’s used all the tools available to him to make a cracking short film. The story is high concept – a student stuck in a groundhog day loop. But then huge thought and effort has gone to the sound design of the film, there’s fantastic cinematography, made use of interesting locations, there’s even a scary antagonist and terrific fight scene. The filmmaker is going to give Christopher Nolan a run for his money, that I’m certain of!

17 and Deaf: Neil Thomson, Hills Road Sixth Form College 

A beautifully made documentary short with an inspiring and articulate main character. The filmmakers have approached this with confidence and maturity. 

The Juggler: Esme Merrell, Long Road Sixth Form College

A terrific silent film with a really high concept. The filmmaker throws a spotlight on the struggles of a working mother with enormous insight and empathy. 

Kamikaze: Rajab Mahmood, Cadbury College

This is a very haunting short film, a final letter to a boy’s mother and a drastic religious act which beautifully juxtaposes image and voice over. 

The Tape: Lewis Gadsby, Sawtry Village Academy

Wow! What a slick and stylish thriller, but it’s the opening that shows the filmmaker’s imagination and potential for high concept ideas.

Music Video

WINNER Disco Tits: Mia Smith, Queen Mary College

Disco Tits works on so many levels. The filmmaker has really thought about this, incorporated loads of elements to create a visually exciting, really well edited film with a really strong, bold, contemporary love story – and there’s a twist! 

Big Sis: Mark Garcia, New College Swindon

Great song, lovely moody, atmospheric film. Reminded me of French Wave cinema. I have a younger sister myself, so understood the emotion of the story, but also loved the resolution of the ending.

High Five: Alize Akturk, Latymer School

Lovely cinematography, gorgeous colours, great energy, awesome dancing! 

Super Rich Kids: Terence Clements, Sofie Miller, Vahe Poghosyan, Shea Salvi, Hurtwood House School

Gorgeous looking music video, haunting story with a soulfulness. Particular mention to the production design team here and editors.

I’ll Be By Your Side: Rachel Bruder, Great Baddow High School

Looks like this was a lot of fun to shoot! Great energy here, and loved the underwater shots.

Production Design

WINNER Serious: Phoebe Cramp, Lea Di Giovanni, Dmitry Tkachev, Ben Winterman, Hurtwood House School

I think the film that most impresses in this category with its bold and confident style is Serious. Each character has been given their own identity through really clever costume and make-up. There’s a real sense of high fashion with a nod to the past. And there’s that set design, which makes us feel we’re in Brooklyn in the 1980’s. 

Sight For Sore Eyes: Areej Mehdi, Greenford High School

Terrific costumes and make-up – witchcraft and blood – what more could you want! 

Another Circle: Will Joseph, Sam Cowan, Millfield School

Took me back to messing about in chemistry lessons. Loved the close ups of all the different experiments. 

Robotica: Luca Stefanutti, Richie Batey, Max Behan, Tom Palliser, Claremont Fan Court

Beautiful sense of architecture and space here coupled with the slick suits. Looking very sharp and contemporary.

For Caroline: Kitty Eaton-Kent, Finham Park School

A really well written and acted personal drama but the sense of the home as a character is really strong here. 

Cinematography

WINNER Domestic: Ella Thrasher, North Bristol Post-16 Centre 

The cinematographer has created a visually stunning film. Photography is used to tell the themes as well as the story, and there’s an awesome focus-pull on the street shot. We go from colour to the black and white world of the woman’s home. But it’s the fact that we barely see the actors, but concentrate instead on the household objects whilst the drama plays in the background or is reflected in the household objects.

Dystopium: Finn Waring, Tonbridge Wells Grammar School

This is epic cinematography. I don’t imagine you had a million quid to spend on this, but it looks like you did. Um, have you thought about talking to Ridley Scott?

Bear: Erin Shrieves, Highams Park School

As well as being a gorgeous documentary short, this is fantastic to look at. And it’s the boldness of using so many different forms that makes it particulary impressive.

Dead Cats, Dead Rats: Ludo Bolgianni, Rafi Jaetke, Lara Pratt, Katherina Suess, Hurtwood House School

Cinematography is really slick here – looks gorgeous, love the use of space, and using images here to tell a story of cat and mouse – I mean rats.

Editing

WINNER Never Forget Me: Simran Shergill, Churchmead School 

The way the pictures are cut together tell the story brilliantly and elicit terrific suspense and fear. A masterclass in genre and narrative storytelling.

Switch: Amelia Gallagher, Durham Sixth Form Centre 

Bold cutting together of images here. Particularly interesting the way you cut to close-up images. Lovely pacing here.

Memories: Jack Wiltshire, Chipping Campden School

Wow, has this already been sold to Apple? If they don’t want it, I’m sure John Lewis will buy it from you! This is so moving, what a great story. Lovely energy to this.

Implant: Louis Pilling, Long Road Sixth Form College

This is such a terrific short film, but the editing choices are important story elements, particularly in the way the pace is picked up as the controlling implant gets Ellen to do whatever it says. 

(Judged by Tom Woodcock and Andrea Joyce of Long Road Sixth Form Centre, with comments from Claire Pollard and Jenny Grahame of MediaMag)

The Barney Oram Award for Creativity

WINNER Northern Line 123: Finlay Sales, Hillview School

This was a stand-out entry. It evoked such emotion in us, which is what great filmmaking is all about. Aesthetically it was a triumph. It created a visual representation of the internal workings of the narrators mind which was at times disorientating and overwhelming and then moved to soothing and beautiful. There was a raw honesty to the piece that really resonated with us as viewers. The topic is very current and the approach to it was very creative. We felt this entry completely captured the essence of creativity and is a very worthy winner of this first Barney Oram Creativity Award. We’re confident Barney would have been equally impressed with this entry, and offer our congratulations to the creator of Northern Line 123.

Launch: William de Bretton Gordon, Chipping Campden School

A deceptively simple idea which told its story economically and effectively. It made great use of props and mise-en-scene, with a completely unexpected finale.

Happy Valentines: Jack Williams and Azra Hinton, St Dunstan’s School

Again, a simple concept with loads of attention to detail and a great line in deadpan performances. These boys have a great future in comedy.

Hyper: Joe Fuller, Tonbridge Wells Grammar

This was a worthy runner-up.Its unconventional approach to a somewhat conventional subject matter was very creative and discombobulating. The use of sound in the piece, too often neglected, was particularly creative and worthy of note.

Amrak: Jude Lacey, Orleans Park School

We loved this and laughed a lot. A brilliantly simple narrative concept, tightly edited with excellent and well-directed performances from the cast. Witty, professional and the reverse epitome of its title.