Digital Media Showcase

The 2025 District Digital Media Showcase will be presented virtually on Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 at 6:30pm.

The sixteenth annual Digital Media Showcase features student work created in digital media classes throughout the Sweetwater Union High School District. Student work in photography, graphic design, and video are all celebrated. Industry professionals judge the student submissions and awards are given to the top entries!

Entry Deadline is Sunday, April 13, 2025

Digital Media Showcase -Entry Guidelines:

1. Follow the File Naming Instructions. Teachers screen and select best work before submitting.

      2. Complete the Online Entry Form for each submission.

        3. Teachers submit work electronically.

          Teachers may submit entries using designated Google Drive folders, please contact Steve Exum if you need assistance.

          Teachers may submit up to 15  entries per class period and a maximum of 4 per student provided they are in different subcategories. Please screen content and select quality work.

          For group projects, the teacher and the team leader submit the entry in representation of the group. By submitting it is concluded that all group members have been advised of the entry and all agree to submit. Only one prize per group will be awarded.

          Submission to the show grants permission for the images to be used to promote and advertise the arts in our schools.

          File Naming Instructions:

          Name your files with the following conventions. ALL ARE REQUIRED. No Spaces in File Name, use hyphens (-)

          • List the two character Category.
            For example V1 for video documentary

          • List the three character School Name. 
            For example CPH for Castle Park High

          • List the Teacher Last Name.
            For example Exum for Steve Exum

          • List Student Name. 
            (No spaces or hyphens in name but capitalize first and last name.)

          • List Title Name. 
            (Short tile please.)

          • Make sure the File Extension is included. 
            For example: .jpg, .mp3, .mov

          • Example of a correct file name:
            • V1-CPH-TeacherLastName-JoeStudent-CoolVideo.mov
            • Note: Use hyphens (-) in between, no underscores (_)

          Divisions

          There are two divisions:

          • MIDDLE/JUNIOR HIGH for students in grades 7 and 8

          • HIGH SCHOOL for students in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12

          Video Category

          All video submissions must be no longer than 5 minutes. Submit entries as uncompressed data files in .mov, .mp4, .m4v, or .avi, format through Google Drive.

          • V1 VIDEO – DOCUMENTARY
            • Informational material which documents a story or event. Persuasive. 

          • V2 VIDEO – JOURNALISM
            • Reporting timely news, such as a real or fictitious event. Non persuasive.

          • V3 VIDEO – LIVE-ACTION NARRATIVE
            • Tells an original story, including actors portraying characters. No longer than 12 minutes. 

          • V4 VIDEO – STOP ACTION
            • Contains all or most visual elements created through the use of stop action photography sequencing. 

          • V5 VIDEO – EXPERIMENTAL
            • Any work that doesn’t fall into any other category. 

          • V6 VIDEO –COMMERCIAL
            • A 30-60 second video commercial Design that helps sell or promote goods, services, entities or messages.

          • V7 VIDEO – PSA
            • A 30-60 second public service announcement. 

          • V8 VIDEO – MUSIC VIDEO =
            • A compilation of still or action images that tell a story through music. 

          • V9 VIDEO – VIDEO – TUPE PSA
            • TUPE is a program that educates our students on the dangers of tobacco and nicotine use and explores anti-vaping themes. 
            • Projects cannot show students using tobacco/vaping products or parphanelia or put student in compromising positions.
            • Projects must include the escape the vape logo and the SUHSD logo. Logos can be downloaded here.

          • V10 VIDEO – NEWS PRODUCTION
            • School news shows including anchoring, segment reporting, set production, sound, editing, etc. Teacher’s name in File Name. Teacher to submit all names associated with the production submitted. Winners will receive a certificate. 

          Sound/Music Category

          Discontinued.

          Digital Design Category

          Digital Design submissions need to be provided uncompressed in a freely-accessible file format such as .jpg, .eps, .pdf, etc.

          • D1 DIGITAL DESIGN – VECTOR ILLUSTRATION
            • Digital illustrative work created with Vector based software. Files must be .ai .eps or .pdf

          • D2 DIGITAL DESIGN – PIXEL ILLUSTRATION
            • Digital illustrative work created through manipulation of photographic imagery composites. Files must be .jpg, .png 

          • D3 DIGITAL DESIGN – PROMOTIONAL WEBSITES
            • Promotional websites, microsites, landing pages etc launched to promote a product or service or portfolio. 

          • D4 DIGITAL DESIGN – PUBLICATION
            • Graphic design for catalogs, brochures, manuals, instruction booklets, reference guides and company reports consisting of multiple page layouts.

          • D5 DIGITAL DESIGN – IDENTITY
            • Logo Design, Stationary Package Design, Signage. 

          • D6 DIGITAL DESIGN – ADVERTISING/PSA
            • Design that helps sell or promote goods, services, entities or messages. Magazine ads, Posters, Flyers etc. 

          • D7 DIGITAL DESIGN – ANIMATION/MOTION GRAPHiCS
            • Design that moves—animated characters, title graphics, to include Motion Graphics. 

          • D8 DIGITAL DESIGN – Applied Print Graphics.
            • Graphic design for items that don’t fit within other graphic design categories such as tickets, menus, mugs, shopping bags, clothing, coins, stamps 

          • D9 DIGITAL DESIGN – TUPE BILLBOARD
            • TUPE is a program that educates our students on the dangers of tobacco and nicotine use. Cannot show student use or put student in compromising position.
            • Students will develop a billboard design that promotes anti-vaping themes. Include escape the vape logo and the SUHSD logo. Logos can be downloaded here.

          Photography Category

          Digital Design submissions need to be provided in a freely-accessible file format such as .jpg, or .png.

          • P1 PHOTOGRAPHY – Abstract
            • Open photography category. (Non Representational) 

          • P2 PHOTOGRAPHY – BLACK & WHITE
            • Open black and white photography category. (no portraits) 

          • P3 PHOTOGRAPHY – PORTRAITS
            • Open to color and black and white portrait photography.

          • P4 PHOTOGRAPHY – DIGITAL MANIPULATION
            • Open to digital photos altered through photo editing software. Consists of original source imagery. 

          • P5 PHOTOGRAPHY – PHOTO ESSAY/SERIES
            • Open to photos related to each other by subject, technique, or purpose. Please combine photo series as one photo collage. 

          • P6 PHOTOGRAPHY – DOCUMENTARY/PHOTOJOURNALISM
            • Open to documentary based subject matter. Must include caption and 100 word minimum statement on the topic. 

          • P7 PHOTOGRAPHY – MOTION/SPORTS
            • Open to sports/action photography. 

          • P8 PHOTOGRAPHY – NATURE
            • Open to nature based photography both landscape and animal. 

          • P9 PHOTOGRAPHY – THEME- GRATITUDE
            • Open to a single photograph, series/collage, and write a 4-5 sentence (min) paragraph explaining the subject matter; what are you grateful for. 

          • P10 PHOTOGRAPHY – TUPE
            • TUPE is a program that educates our students on the dangers of tobacco/vaping use and anti-vaping themes. 
            • The focus of this category is to tell the story of the effects of vaping/tobacco use and/or products on the environment. Could be global, local, or as close as the immediate environment such as the home.

          Acceptable File Formats

          STILLS

          File Format: JPG, PNG

          Resolution: 72 DPI (minimum)

          Colour Mode: RGB

          File Size: 20 MB maximum

          MOTION

          File Format: MP4, .MOV

          File output: 720


          Submitting

          Work submitted must be under the teacher’s discipline within the district. Videos must be from video teachers, photo from photo etc 

          Submissions must follow the naming convention. Work will be disqualified for not following the naming convention 

          A student can submit to all categories and all sub categories, but only one entry per student per sub category. 

          Teachers

          List of Digital Media Teachers at each school site.

          2022 DMS entries.

          2023 DMS entries.

          Resources