EagleVision film won seven awards at the UIL state film competition in Austin. The team had three of the top six documentaries, one top six narrative, and three of the top six traditional animations.
“I think that this particular group of kids is special; they really put in the work,” EagleVision director Neda Morrow said. “They put in a lot of extra time and energy to make these films . They do things with excellence, which is something that’s really important to me; if we’re gonna do something, we need to do it with excellence.”
Junior Sydney Hines is the executive producer of EagleVision. She assisted in other member’s films while directing one of her own. She made “Pray for Joe: a Story of Recovery” alongside Bailey Park which placed 5th.
“I feel like we work really well together as a group to help each other and make our projects look the way we want,” Hines said. “This is definitely our best year by far, but we can always get better.”
Sophomore Jocelyn Smith and junior Kylie Gordon worked on a documentary called “The Way God Made Me,” which placed second. The film focused on volunteer Jimmy Crosby from the Dave Powell food pantry.
“It was very fun getting to know Kylie and I’m super glad I worked with her on the film,” Smith said. “We worked well together and I can’t wait to see if I get to work with her again next year. Sydney and Mrs. Morrow were also a big help in the production process. Mrs. Morrow would watch and critique the film from a faculty perspective, while Sydney critiqued from a student perspective.”
Senior Julia Montgomery and junior Xander Denman made a traditional animation named “Snow Baby,” which placed third. This film is about a snowman and his struggle to find friends.
“My experience working with Julia was extremely fun and she was amazingly funny,” Denman said. “The film as a whole was a fun experience and I think our results were justified.”
The UIL state film program includes four categories: digital animation, narrative, documentary, and traditional animation. Films have to go through three rounds of competition before the final six are chosen for the state championship in each category.
“I am so proud of the EagleVision students,” Morrow said. “They had more films at state than anyone. They are an awesome group of kids, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.”
Final placements included:
Narrative Film:
“Shopping Trip,” 4th place, directed by Jaida Jones, Ashlynn Blankenship, Lili Miller, and Rea Wood
Documentaries:
“The Way God Made Me,” 2nd place, directed by Kylie Gorman and Jocelyn Smith
“From Quarterback to Giving Back,” 4th place, directed by Ben Soares and Alitsa Tovar
“Pray for Joe: A Story of Recovery,” 5th place, directed by Sydney Hines and Bailey Park
Traditional Animations:
“Snow Baby,” 3rd place, directed by Julia Montgomery and Xander Denman
“Insomnia,” 4th place, directed by Alitsa Tovar, Kylie Gorman, and Bailey Park
“Love Notes,” 5th place, directed by Natalie Rodriguez
