Are you as excited as we are?!

And how else can we show our support, you ask? Well, we first want to again acknowledge and thank all of the submissions that we have received and each [STARTFEST] Featured Finalists will have their own special day all about them! We will post information all about their submitted film, who they are and how deep their dedication to film is! Exciting, isn’t it?

Our Facebook and Twitter will highlight each [STARTFEST] Featured Finalist with ”did-you-know’s”  and other interesting information  Follow us on Twitter @StudentArtFest, check us out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ and our website  at http://www.StudentArtFestival.org!

See you all of the 7th!

We have had an incredible turnout for our FIRST annual [STARTFEST] competition!  With over 100 submissions totaling over 300 minutes from High Schools and Colleges all across the state, we have been overwhelmed by the talent displayed by these students.

We would like to recognize each and any every student, teacher, family member and friend who helped turn film ideas into film reality. This is not an easy accomplishment! Through your hard work and determination you were able to create something out of nothing. You created a film! We would also like to acknowledge your courage in submitting your film to [STARTFEST]. Many students work long hours to create a film only to have it seen by friends and family, you did one better. You took the risk and let your film be not only seen by someone outside your social circles, but critiqued by industry professionals, and that takes guts!

To show our gratitude for participating, we would like to invite each and every Student Director and Sponsor Teacher to attend the screening for FREE! Located in the historic district of downtown Deland, the beautiful Athens Theater will host [STARTFEST] 2013 on June 7th.  Click here to reserve your free tickets

We encourage you to invite your fellow cast, crew, faculty, friends and family members to enjoy the screening with you and vote on their favorite film to receive the audience award trophy. Students, Seniors and Groups of 8 or more get a discount! Click here to pre-order tickets

So without further ado, click here to view the finalists! (in random order)

They did a real scientific study to examine how students learn best. So they divided them up into two groups, told the first group to focus as hard as they could on making each pot as perfect as possible. Then they told the second group not to worry about making them perfect and not to fear making mistakes….

Guess who made the better pots? Guess which students will make the better films by following the same principle? Those who produce and and create and shoot and work, learn, grow, improve, repeat.

But more importantly than just making films and videos, is to get your work out there! Having a Youtube channel for all your work is great and all, but you can do better than that. THINK BIG SCREEN! We want to get your work onto that screen. Red carpet, popcorn, balcony seating and all.

The best part about submitting your work to festival is that you never know the opportunities for awesomeness can emerge! It’s all about getting as many eyes on your work as possible, because you never know who could watching. Exposure is essential.

Startfest is here to get student filmmakers the exposure they deserve!
But we wanna do much more than that too. Because we put your work directly in front of the experienced eyes of our diverse team of judges, we gaurantee a deeply constructive feedback sheet for students about their submission.
Pretty rad right?
Oh, one more thing… we are the only student festival that does this.

Still wondering whether you should submit or not..?
Did I mention the prizes?

STILL not sure…?
Nope, didn’t think so

 With  $73 million gone from Seminole county in the past five years alone, only five school districts in the state receive less money per student. We are now spending some $600 less per student than we did five years ago.  And yet against the odds, Seminole county for example has managed to maintain “A” ratings in all their schools. And as a fairly recent graduate of SCPS myself, I am not writing on this subject from a distance. I can personally vouch for the vital impact the arts – especially video production – classes have had in making me who I am today as well as my experience with excellent, staff and personell with teachers invested in students despite the lack of state investment in them. The atmosphere in many aspects was one straining to do more with less  as the predominant concern is “teaching for the test” as standardize test scores reign supreme in the eyes of the state. These are increasingly out of touch  as a tool of assessment (one wonders if they were ever in touch)  because in no way do they grasp the diverse and dynamic impact of the teachers in classrooms or the individualized needs, learning patterns and interests of every student. And the budget cuts only stain all parties involved.  In no way is the dynamism of developing children cultivated with these cuts, they merely stifle creativity and close doors to opportunity and innovation.

Studies have reflected raised stress and anxiety, surely contributed to by the mandates that interfere with what teachers try to accomplish. And everyone knows that the arts are the first on the chopping block, usually with Film/Television/Media Production as the primary casualty! Considering how indisputably infused our society is with video and all forms of media production and communication, denying kids the chance to learn and create in these mediums is to make students illiterate in the new media of their generation. Its as fundamental as that.

 The crumbling of access to arts in schools opens a void in meaningful youth education that only has hope to be filled via NGO’s, non-profits  and other arts conscious organizations. Everyone here at Startfest has lived and worked in diverse areas of the arts and have experienced firsthand the incalculable personal impact they inevitably have. We all share an enormous appreciate and passion for the arts and everyone  and thus strive to share that potential with youth by bridging the gap and connecting students with exhibition, feedback, networking, awards and opportunities that might not otherwise exist for students in the current circumstances.

Such is our goal, so if you feel the same to any degree please take a step towards a future infused with the arts!

Most importantly SUBMIT! your films!

then equally as importantly Donate! & Sponsor!

Any little bit is an investment in your own opportunity,  and if you are a student in Florida, and if you aren’t its an investment in the community, education and ultimately and the future.

If you can get behind any of this, connect with us, with a message or a simple Like or Follow.

Its the best ways to let us know you care too.

We have compiled a team of adjudicators from across the country and all areas of film and television production, to make them available for direct interaction with students and their work in a way that is unprecedented for a youth film festival.Our thorough, and transparent judging process truly makes Startfest stand out from any other competition out there, and the best bit is, EVERY SUBMISSION GETS FEEDBACK!

So instead of sending the passion project you have slaved over for the entire summer into the festival circuit ether hoping only to receive an auto-reply rejection email with no explanation, why not submit your work to Startfest and KNOW that you will receive a fair and helpful assessment of your hard work by industry professionals!! And since you can get a promo code from our Facebook page and submit for free, yeah, its worth it.

Here are some one-on-one interviews with judges:  Ken Lowry, Leonard Wilkes and Laila Silva 

Plus check out the must-see Judging overview page that covers everything about our Judging process and personell.

Cheers!

THIS AIN’T YO MOMMA’S FILM FEST!

Local Festival Connecting Students with Industry Professionals Despite Cuts in Art Education

Orlando, FL – (October 3, 2012) Where can Florida high School and college students learn from a head camera operator with CSI? An editor with The Voice? An MTV music video producer? Or a director with CBS News? Student Art Festival (STARTFEST) bridges the gap between young, aspiring filmmakers, and leading industry professionals. “It’s the first film festival specifically designed for students,” says Kyle Snavely, President of STARTFEST and former video production teacher. “From my years teaching at both the high school and college level, I realized there needed to be a place where students can compete against their peers, AND receive valuable, constructive feedback from people who know what they’re talking about!”

“It’s very encouraging to young filmmakers,” explains Amelia Langston, a Senior TV Production student at Oviedo High School. “Not only is it just for students, but we get the opportunity to have our films viewed by professionals. That’s unheard of in most film fests.” Amelia is one of over 1.5 million students currently attending high school or college in the state of Florida that are seeing their arts programs cut. Since 2008, Florida schools have seen more than $2.1 billion being cut from state education spending, according to the state education department. Seminole County is facing a $22 million budget deficit this year. The District budget experts sent a list of 33 possible cuts, and at the top of the list is eliminating art, music, technology and/or reading teachers.

Because of these cuts, Kyle see’s a future where more and more students look outside the classroom for education. “The Internet has provided us with a way to reach out to students like never before. Students are able to learn from helpful articles and interviews, download important pre-production documents, submit their film and have it evaluated, all from their computer. It really is amazing!”

Student Art Festival was founded in January, 2012 to provide high school and college students with education, exhibition and recognition in the arts. Students can submit online now until February 28th and the screening will be held at the Athens Theater in downtown Deland June 7th and 8th. For more information, visit www.StudentArtFestival.org

If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Kyle Snavely, please call at (321) 285-9237 or email Kyle at KSnavely@StudentArtFestival.org

The cut can make or break any film. No matter whether the footage shot on your phone or a Panavision, the film really starts to live  in the editing room.

Becoming aware of how powerfully the edit of your footage can shape and build the experience for the audience is crucial to crafting exactly the story you want to tell.

Here’s a resource that covers the editing from raw footage to finishing touches.

http://lifehacker.com/5785558/the-basics-of-video-editing-the-complete-guide?=nightschool/

Ok you’ve done the shooting and the long picture editing hours are over but you still need the perfect soundtrack eh? Well, allow StartFest to be of assistance! Here are some great Royalty Free Music link that has a compilation of sites where you can find every type of tune to find the right sound for your project for free! Music can really make a massive difference and the right music can bring your film to the next level!

http://www.seabreezecomputers.com/tips/freemusic.htm

Three-point lighting is a basic lighting setup that every filmmaker should be comfortable using. It is a simple (versatile) system which forms the basis of most lighting. The technique uses three lights called the key light, fill light and back light. Once you understand three point lighting, you are well on your way to producing better films and videos.

Check out this excellent 12 minute video tutorial from Bill Simmon.

3-point Lighting Explained