Halloween PSA Challenge

Congratulations to all 2024 winners!

Best Ghost:

Manners at Ghost Manor: Mischief & Misbehavior

by Londonderry HS Film Club

Best Use of POV shot:

VR Halloween by Salem High School CTE

3rd PLACE:

Halloween Safety Tips 101 by Salem High School CTE

2nd PLACE:

The Candy Rapper by Merrimack High School

1st PLACE:

I Should’ve by Manchester School of Technology

Honorable Mentions:

Death by Kiss by Concord High School

Old Man Albert by Salem High School CTE

Sock Puppet Safety by Concord High School

________________________________

What is a PSA?

A public service announcement is a message spread in the interest of the public. Their objectives are to bring about awareness and change public attitudes, opinions, or even behavior towards and issue. These can be instructional, or even shocking to elicit emotion and action.

Please read:

NH Media Teachers group has two contests - the PSA challenge in the fall and the NH High School Short Film Festival in the spring.

We want to remind everyone that this is first and foremost a PSA challenge, not a narrative short film challenge. Meaning - the goal of this challenge is to create a video that informs and hopefully changes behavior or thinking of the viewer for the better. Ask yourself throughout the filmmaking process - Is this a PSA? Does it have a problem, solution, and call to action? If you have an awesome horror film idea that doesn't fit into the format of a PSA, we encourage you to make it for our main film festival in the spring,

the New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival!

SUBMISSION LINK AT BOTTOM

2024 Rules and Guidelines

Submission DEADline: Thurs, October 24, 10pm

The 2024 Halloween PSA Challenge is similar to prior years. The three big requirements this year are students: must make a PSA based on one of the topics listed below (same as last year). PSAs must include a ghost/spirit/ethereal being, and PSAs must include a POV shot. More details are below:

Students must first choose one of these topics to make a PSA for:

Jack-o-lantern carving safety tips

Applying or removing makeup safely

Stranger Danger

Suspicious Candy

Costume Safety

Trick-or-Treat Etiquette

"Ghost" Requirement

This year students must include some kind of ghost/spirit/ethereal being. It is not a requirement for this entity to be seen on camera. Think Ouija board, haunted house, haunted person (exorcism), haunted item....You get the idea. If you prefer to show the entity on screen, you of course can do that as well. Make it simple as you want (white sheet over a person's head) or extravagant (Think the movie 13 Ghosts). I think an argument could be made that zombies are ghosts so we are allowing the use of a zombie for your ghost character if you'd like to go that route.

POV Shot Requirement

The last major requirement is students must include at least one POV (Point of View) shot in the film. A point of view shot is shot through the eyes of a character. POV shots show what the character is literally seeing but can also really convey a character's mental state and thoughts. Maybe a character is feeling a specific way, maybe a character can see something that no one else can, maybe something directly physical is happening to the character. I encourage you to get creative!

SAFETY AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1. Do not do anything that puts another person in danger

2. DO NOT BRING ANY WEAPONS (REAL OR FAKE) ON SCHOOL PROPERTY.

3. No nudity

4. Gore is okay but remember this is a PSA and must come across accordingly – see rule 1

5. No copyrighted music

6. Must be 90 seconds or less

7. Films must have been produced after June 2024

8. Open to NH students only, enrolled in a NH High School or home schooled

9. Students must fill out required forms here

10. Must have an adult supervisor "sign off" on film (Have them fill out required forms.)

11. Must have verbal consent of any actors on screen

12. Must be HD - Do NOT submit 4K or UHD video

13. Must be under 1 GB (try .mp4)

14. Do not include credits. There is a form for you to fill out that will ask for the appropriate information.

Submissions are judged on technical execution but most importantly, PSAs are judged on how effective the messaging is on viewers in raising awareness about the student's chosen topic.

2024 Winners

Please see our Youtube page for all of 2024' PSAs.

I Should've

Manchester School of Technology

Nathaniel Sherwood, Connor Maguire, Conner Hinckley, Ash Fernandez, Santiago Hernandez, Travis Gibney, Corbin Shuman

1st Place

The Candy Rapper

Merrimack High School

Carter Williams, Trey Nichols

2nd Place

Halloween Safety Tips 101

Salem High School

Finneas Davy, Mckayla Phillips,

Carlos Cruz

3rd Place

Not sure where to start? Read here:

Choose your topic
What are the problems that can occur in this topic/situation?
How can a viewer help prevent danger in this topic?
Develop a story that brings awareness to your topic.
Start with a statement like:
- You may think being a Martian is easy... or;
- When you are the last robot on Earth... or;
- When you have been stuck in a spaceship for 900 days and everyone looks like...
Show the problem(s).
Show how to prevent the problem or resolve the problem.
Create a Call To Action. This is what to do, who to call, or where to seek assistance for your problem.
A call to action can sound like this: If you are experiencing transdimensional phase-shifting, now there is help...
End with a memorable image. For example, an alien sitting in a support group, with tears of relief.

PSA Making Tips:

What is something dangerous/bad about your topic?
What behavior do you want your viewers changing?
Then develop a story to bring awareness to that topic.
Show the problem in that topic - why is this dangerous/bad?
You can show statistics to make an impact.
Give the viewer a call to action or a way to correct that behavior.
How does the viewer help/correct their behavior? Make an impact?
A call to action can include a tagline, a website, a phone number, somewhere for the viewer to go or an action for the viewer to take.

SUBMIT HERE

REQUIRED FORMS

Any questions email Aleesha at:

nhhssff@gmail.com

And Happy Halloween!

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse