Seven out of the eight UIL contest films have placed in the top six in the state and will receive their final ranking at the state ceremony on Feb. 28. These films included one narrative, three documentaries, and three traditional animations.
“This program is really growing and it’s growing because the kids have bought into what it means to do something well,” Advisor Neda Morrow said. “It’s really teaching kids to be excellent.”
The team created three documentaries showcasing people in the community. One of the films created is “Pray for Joe: A Story of Recovery” directed by junior Sydney Hines. This film tells the story of firefighter Joe Yeakley and his story of recovery after facing severe burns in a collapsed burning building.
“By far, my favorite part of creating our UIL films is growing a connection in our community,” Hines said. “For every time we film a new documentary, our staff learns a new story and learns about the people behind it in our town.”
The film “The Way God Made Me” directed by Kylie Gorman, tells the story of Jimmy Crosby and his incredible journey as a person with special needs. The last documentary “From Quarterback to Giving Back” was co-directed by senior Ben Soares and Alitsa Tovar. This film discusses football star Ronald Stanley and his journey from state-winning quarterback to hometown doctor.
Four animation films were produced this year, with three making the top 6. The films “Snow Baby” by junior Xander Denman and Julia Montgomery, “Insomnia” by juniors Alitsa Tovar, Kylie Gorman and Bailey Park and “Love Notes” by sophomore Natalie Rodriquez. “Sketch” made it to the third round.
“My favorite part of the process was probably writing the stories,” Montgomery said. “I get so excited that I can share a little part of my brain with people.”
“EagleVision is definitely one of the most important pieces of my life,” Hines said. “Not only do I love producing, watching, and sharing films, I love the bond our staff shares and the lifelong memories I’ve been given the opportunity to make with each of them.
The narrative film “Shopping Trip” was created in partnership with the theater department. The EagleVision crew filmed and edited while the theater department wrote, acted and supplied props for the film.
“Helping with this film was a whole new experience,” senior Ashlynn Blankenship said. “I am used to the stage so working with a camera made this whole film very exciting.”
The films go through three increasingly difficult rounds of judging. In each round the films are judged by a panel of three judges. All films are available to watch on the EagleVision Media Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@EagleVisionMedia
“I really love this program because it teaches kids hands-on skills,” Morrow said. “It teaches them to appreciate and strive for excellence which is something I want kids to do. I am just ridiculously proud of all of them.”
