The SEVA — or Student Educational Video Awards — Story
For more than 20 years, SECC has worked with students and teachers exploring the value of video production. The annual SEVA or Student Educational Video Awards contest has expanded from about 50 entries to more than 375 and nearly 1300 students, parents and teachers attended the 2011 Award Night event.
Open to all Sacramento county students (K-20), the contest celebrates the talents and visions of student video producers. Winners and participants are recognized at SECC's SEVA Award Night and winning videos and producer interviews are shown on cable and online. In addition, student work entered in the contest sets the stage for the Student DV program topics and interviews. SECC produces the program to showcase digital video programs created by Sacramento students — which allows their creations to go beyond the walls of their classroom via cable TV and online.
The contest’s success is due in part to special partnerships and grants between businesses and nonprofit. For example, business partner Wells Fargo, provided a grant to help fund the contest and the annual Award Night.
And SECC and Sacramento’s News10 worked together to create the Digital Journalist Program that educates teachers and students about the skills needed for today’s multimedia journalists — skills that students can also use for related career fields. The program provides video kits that contain all the equipment students need to start shooting.
Now in its fourth year, the Digital Journalist Program helps increase student media production and participation in the SEVA contest. Students have the opportunity to use video to share their visions and stories with the entire community on News10, SECC’s cable channels and online. Since many schools do not offer video production or equipment as part of the regular curriculum, these kits provide a unique opportunity for students and teachers to explore video production.
Distributing the kits led to the realization that both teachers and students crave more video instruction and guidance. The SEVA Training Series grew from this need, and now SECC provides training for students and teachers either at their school site or at evening events. The 2011 series begins September 7 with an evening at the News10 studio where Nick Monacelli, Multimedia Journalist for News10, presents a simple process to create a short campus news report.
> SEVA entries are due at the SECC office by 7:00 pm Friday March 2, 2012
> Link to the SEVA 2012 online entry form
> SEVA 2012 release form (pdf)
> 2012 Award Night is Monday evening, May 7, 2012, at Sacramento State University
> Watch the 2011 SEVA winners and Award Night Live
in the Video Gallery
Create Your SEVA Video in Nine Steps
Creating your first SEVA video? This video, featuring Carnegie Middle School video production students, walks you through nine simple steps to build a SEVA entry.
> Watch video
Basic Lighting, Sound and Camera
Doug Niva, SECC
Learn the basics about lighting, microphones, cameras, framing your shots and shooting interviews.
> Download pdf
Audio for Video
Franklin High School video teacher Brad Clark shows viewers how to get great audio for your video productions. Topics include microphone types, recording patterns, adapters, connectors, wiring, location and narration recording techniques.
> Online in the Video Gallery
> Learn more from Brad Clark on his blog
Creating Your Own Music
Mark Tulga, Carnegie Middle School band teacher
Learn how Mark Tulga teaches Apple’s GarageBand to his music students so they can create original music to integrate with media.
> Watch video
Creating a Daily Campus Newscast
Brian Weitzel, Carnegie Middle School teacher
Brian has helped his students produce a daily newscast for several years. Explore the value of a live, school site broadcast and get tips to start a newscast at your school.
> Watch video
Building a News Story
Nick Monacelli, Multimedia Journalist for News10
This SEVA Digital Journalist Training Event explores the elements involved in building a news story including camera, lighting, audio and writing techniques and more.
> Online in the Video Gallery
Copyright, Fair Use & Royalty Free Resources
Gail Desler, Elk Grove Unified School District
Explore the distinction between material that should be licensed, material that is in the public domain and copyrighted material that is subject to fair use. Learn about royalty free resources for your classroom and the SEVAs.
• General Info About Copyright & Fair Use
• SEVA Copyright Policy and Releases
• Creative Commons & Free Music Resources
• Royalty Free Buyout Music Resources
• Licensing Music Resources
• Creative Commons Image Resources
> Download pdf
Filmmaking in the Classroom
Gail Desler, Elk Grove Unified School District
In a rapidly changing world and workforce, students need multiple literacies, including media literacy. Explore the case for filmmaking in the curriculum and shows some simple, free programs for bringing this 21st century literacy into your teacher's toolkit.
> Watch video
SEVA Grade Levels
Elementary: K-3
Elementary: 4-6
Middle/Junior High: 7-8
High School: 9-12
College/University
SEVA Categories
- Documentary: An in-depth educational study about classroom curriculum topics, issues or people in current events or history.
- Instructional: Provides "how to" advice or teaches a subject or skill related to an educational topic.
- Public Service Announcement (PSA): A short promotional piece about an educational topic. Must be thirty seconds (:30) or one minute (:60) in length.
- School News: Campus news programs or coverage of an event in your school such as a concert, play, theater production or other activity.
