1st Place
Blair WaltmanDecibel at Austin PBS
Judges Comments
A beautifully-shot and relatable story of one man's struggles. I appreciate the multiple reveals of who Joseph is throughout the piece. I also appreciate the restraint in not needing to answer every question from the viewer (i.e., previous job, where's the rest of the family, etc.). Rather, the story focuses on his aspirations. During my first listen, I was unsure if Joseph's opening is an effective tease into the piece. The "thinking outside the box" doesn't answer the question that comes up to the viewer when Joseph says, "It's a huge passion." What's a huge passion? The visuals of him cooking and the title that opens up eludes to it, yes. I just think there's another line from other parts of his interview that can be a better opener. Minor critique. Well done. A lovely portrait of a person that makes you want to spend more time with him (and try his food!). I liked that the interview shot was in the kitchen--I might have gone with a slightly shallower depth of field to really focus in on his face. Really enjoyed watching this.
2nd Place
Keith Lane
Judges Comments
A heartbreaking and crucial enviromental justice story that needs more attention. I admittedly struggle with how to rank this among video-exclusive pieces, as it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. With that said, we don't experience enough of these kinds of multimedia stories. In our increasingly video-heavy reliance on media consumption, it's a pleasure to consume a story through well-written text story accompanied by highly crafted photography and poignant audio clips. Beautiful photographs of a story that is too often overlooked. I appreciated hearing the voices of the people photographed.
Judges: Anna Clare Spelman/Filmmaker, Andrew DeVigal/University of Oregon