1995. Twenty-Seventh Annual National Council on Family Relations Media Awards Competition

Abstract

Francisco A. Villarruel, Kathleen G. Zawacki, Ronald J. Wilson, Yolanda Sanchez, June Pierce Youatt, Daniel F. Perkins, Marjorie J. Kostelnik, and Harriette P. McAdoo The 1995 annual National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Media Competition was hosted by the Department of Family and Child Ecology and the College of Human Ecology, Michigan State University, during May and June of 1995. The purpose of the annual competition is to (a) evaluate the quality and conceptual content of videos, (b) endorse excellence in the production of films with themes relevant to family issues, (c) promote the ef fective use of these resources, (d) encourage high standards in the development of creative learning opportunities, and (e) disseminate media competition results. Entries solicited were placed in one of the following 15 categories: Addiction/Substance Abuse; Aging; Contemporary Social Issues; Families with Special Needs; Family Violence/Abuse; Human Development Across the Life Span; Human Reproduction and Family Planning; Marital and Family Issues and Communications; Mental Health, Stress, Transition, and Crisis Management; Diverse Family Systems; Parenting Issues; Sexuality and Sex Role Development; Teenage Pregnancy and Sexuality; STD/AIDS; and Other (e.g., Public Service Announcements). The categories Human Development Across the Life Span and Other were combined because of the low number of submissions within each of these categories, leaving a total of 14 categories for the competition. Guidelines for submission required that all videos be first-time entries to the competition, carry a release date of no earlier than January 1, 1994, and be available for purchase, rental, or loan on a nationwide distribution basis. Each producer/distributor could submit only one entry per category. All entries, which were to be 1/2 videocassette recordings, were to be received by March 15, 1995. A total of 107 entries (videotapes) were received. The judging panels included university faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students from several academic departments at three Michigan universities: (a) Michigan State University and Michigan State University Extension, (b) the Department of Consumer Resources and Technology at Western Michigan University, and (c) Central Michigan University. Following the viewing of each entry, each judge was asked to independently make both quantitative (79 possible points) and qualitative assessments. The evaluation form consisted of four major quantitative categories designed to measure the entries based on: (a) content (30 possible points); (b) general issues (9 possible points), which included length, pacing, and flow; (c) artistic quality (20 possible points); and (d) ability to meet stated goals (20 possible points). This section was followed by an overall rating that was the sum of the four categories and a qualitative section that asked judges for comments on the major strengths and weaknesses, as well as suggestions for improvement. The following list identifies the Winner, Runner Up, and Honorable Mention recipients for each of the 14 categories. The synopsis, goals, and objectives of each entry were provided by the producer/director and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of NCFR, the competition coordinators, or the judges. Purchase and rental prices are provided courtesy of the producer. Intended audiences are noted in the following manner: PG for primary grades, JH for junior high, HS for high school, C for college, G for general, P for parents, and PRO for professionals. An additional category, Other, was specified by some of the entrants and is indicated with a brief description of the intended audiences. 1. Addiction/Substance Abuse * WINNER: Women of Substance (29:55 minutes). Producer: Robin Smith and Rory Kennedy, 1077 30th St., Washington, DC 20007. Distributors: Third World Newsreel, 335 West 38th St., New York, NY 10018; and CorVision, 1359 Barclay Blvd. …