eMagine: The Biggest Night for Video

Story by Fabian Rosales »

Each year the Audio/Video Production II class enters a competition called the eMagine Media Festival. The event is hosted by Olathe Northwest. Each year teams enter different videos in various categories including: P.S.A. (Public Service Announcement), commercial, short film and music video. This year, for the first time, the EHS video crew submitted in a new category – documentary. Along with this, there are animation, graphic design, and website design events. The competition took place March 24.

The deadline for submission was February 8. Then, on March 9, judges released the top five videos in each category. The team had four videos make top five. “Curtain Call” by Seniors Lindsey Fry, Fabian Rosales, and Junior Meadow Meier, “This Isn’t Normal” by Senior Anika Jobe and Junior Kelby Dressler, “In and Out” by Seniors Leslie Douglas, Phillip Pyle, Haley Hoffman, Fabian Rosales, and Kayla Hernandez, and “Apidiscenol” by Seniors Andrew Harmon, Abby Hollinger, BerShawn Leflore, and Eian Han.

“I was very excited,” said Lindsey Fry, Sr., “I thought it (Curtain Call) would do better in eMagine rather than Kansas Turnpike.”

Earlier in the year, students in Audio/Video Production II made PSAs for the Kansas Turnpike competition relating to safe driving.

“I wanted to do something, to try and prove myself because I haven’t done a big project yet,” said Kelby Dressler Jr.

Mr. Robinson, like last year, decided to invite a group of Video I students to the Oscars-like event.

“I can’t wait until next year,” said Josh Stadick, Soph., “I believe that there are a lot of categories that we, as a school/class, could enter and win.”

The event had somewhat an Academy Awards feel to it. Olathe Northwest provides a red carpet and photos. Each got to see the competition and their videos.

“It blew me away. It was amazing to get to see everyone’s video because you realize everyone is the same as you,” Dressler said.

During the moments leading up to the announcement of the winners of each category, a lot of students were nervous.

“I sat by Phillip [Pyle] and Haley [Hoffmann]. As it got closer to announcing top three, we all got nervous and we all held hands waiting for our video to get called,” said Kayla Hernandez, Sr.

At the end of the night, “Curtain Call” and “In and Out” won second place in their category.

“I was very nervous, but also excited,” Fry said, “When they called third place I thought to myself ‘we have two more shots,’ then they called ‘Curtain Call’ for second place, I was so proud of our team.”