THINK AGAIN AWARDS 2008 Winners

BEST NARRATOR AWARD - Junior section

Very well-produced documentary! Great combination of material, from archival footage to contemporary productions and interviews.

What do you hope that the audience thinks or feels after watching? Your project does a brilliant job capturing history, development, and challenges, and in the future you might consider how to leave your audience with questions that they will carry forward!

- Mr Nathan Johnston, Director & Creator, Inside / Out Cultural Exchange Film Project

Great script! Great narration! Great documentary!

We would like to hear what students think (their perspectives) about Cantonese opera.

To set your documentary mood, you may impress your audience with abeautiful melody or lyrics.

Carefully select an opera to give the introduction to your documentary a strong beginning.

When researching your music it is best to find one peice of music that you can use intermittetly throughout your documentary. Having the same piece of music will give your documentary a sense of unity.

Overall, very impressive!

- Mr Clement Chung, CEO of Wiseman Education

BEST NARRATOR AWARD - Senior section

This clip is a big blow on audience's head. While tourists keep saying that Hong Kong is a world city based on our language proficiency, Hong Kong people demonstrate very little on knowledge of the world. I am impressed by the breadth and depth of the investigation, and the messages presented. I am particularly impressed by the solemn tone carried by the narrator. All in all, well done.

- Dr Anson Yang, Vice Principal, SKH Li Fook Hing Secondary School

BEST DIRECTING AWARD - Junior section

The video creates interest in the topic and help viewers see their complicity, while offering practical solutions. Effective! Good integration of music. Could focus more on envisioning a different future, through creative means, or perhaps gather more comprehensive views on current situation.

- Mr Nathan Johnston, Director & Creator, Inside / Out Cultural Exchange Film Project

Positives:

- Good use of shots and graphics

- Good editing

Things to work on:

- Can reduce the variety of info on the many environmental issues and concentrate on the detail of a few

- Title is deceiving

- Mr Burman Lam, Producer of National Geographic Channel Asia

BEST DIRECTING AWARD - Senior section

The use of dramatizations, victim interviews, and expert opinions is quite compelling. You capture the situation for victims well, and researching public opinion provides an effective an important perspective.

You creatively bring the audience into the experience of victims... similarly, can you imagine creative ways to inspire your audience to think differently about this problem? Or to analyze the causes more deeply?

- Mr Nathan Johnston, Director & Creator, Inside / Out Cultural Exchange Film Project

A through look at one of Hong Kong's greatest social ills: domestic violence.

Excellent research.

Good use of "man in the street" interview techniques well supported by subtitles.

- Mr Phil Knauth, Editor in Chief, English Builder

Domestic Violence Documentary (DVD) - A very creative way to approach this serious subject. The documentary achieved its objectives and made us think about this sensitive subject that happens all too frequently in our society.

Your documentary was also well researched. You also sought to ask people from a variety of backgrounds for their views on the subject. The closing song, combined with the images made us all breath a little easier towards the end!

Well done!

- Mr Clement Chung, CEO of Wiseman Education

BEST EDITING AWARD - Junior section

This video is informative, interesting, well filmed, well documented, and highly interesting.

The use of the chosen music is outstanding, and strongly supports the images.

This video earns my highest respect for all categories, and for its overall impression.

All honours to the Team who worked so well together to produce this better than excellent look at Suzhou.

This video makes we want to invite my wife to come with me to visit this lovely city.

- Mr Phil Knauth, Editor in Chief, English Builder

This documentary is well made. It shows the beauty of Suzhou, both the old Suzhou and the new Suzhou. Both the visual and acoustic effects are effective. Two different styles of music, one appropriate for the old Suzhou and the other for the new Suzhou, are well chosen. The authors are good at showing the meaning of life through very simple things, like two dogs playing with each other which shows how people enjoy life in this relaxing, tranquil city. Good job!

- Dr Qin Jiang, WIDE World, Harvard Graduate School of Education

BEST EDITING AWARD - Senior section

An excellent piece of work. Dare to attempt the documentary films from some very innovative ways. Contents are also very good. Students managed to deliver the messages / information by using a story instead of purely introducing the hard facts.

- Mr Yeung, king-fai, Senior School Development Officer of EDB

BEST EDITING AWARD - Senior section

Positives:

- Great use of interviews.

- Great use of footages for cutaways as it refers to the VO

- Production value extremely high

Good choice of music.

- Strong understanding of when to use and when not to use music.

- Very well edited

- Steady camera work and the shots are framed well.

Things to work on: (When I see a video of higher standards I will judge it based on a higher standard as well. My comments below should be seen equally as complements)

- Style of camera work is extremely repetitive. Close-up zooms to wide, wide zooms to close-up... Can try experimenting with different style or simplify the script if there is really nothing to show.

- Some interviews had the interviewer looking off-camera while others were looking into camera. Try keeping it consistent the next time around.

- Audio taken during the green/blue screen shoot could have been done better.

- While graphics are good to have there must be a reason for it and not just for the sake of looking good. The opening portion looked slick but I didn't really understand why the sequence was done in the way it was done in. The green/blue screening sequence felt disjointed to the rest of the documentary.

- Feels more like a news piece then a documentary because the script was not providing anything new or gave a different perspective on the topic in hand.

- Overall the documentary was solid and very "text book". But didn't make me thing again.

- Mr Burman Lam, Producer of National Geographic Channel Asia

BEST SCRIPT AWARD - Junior section

Good script

- Mr Bill McQueen, Creative Director of National Geographic Channel Asia

BEST SCRIPT AWARD - Senior section

Focusing on what people generally consider as a taboo, this interesting documentary indeed provokes us to think deeply. The interviews conducted on the streets clearly reveal that there are different voices in our society.

Besides, it is thoughtful and professional to show the backside of the interviewees only whenever the discussion revolves around a sensitive issue.

- Madam Lau, shun-hing, Chairperson, Hong Kong Parents Association

BEST MUSIC AWARD - Junior section

This documentary touches our hearts! It talks about love, looks at the sensitive issues surrounding death. The touching background music and captivating images also encouraged us to think about the meaning of life. This was not an easy topic for junior secondary students but you demonstrated a very mature insight.

It is great to share what you have learned. The music at end the documentary was simply stunning and selected with great throught.

Well done!

- Mr Clement Chung, CEO of Wiseman Education Ltd.

BEST MUSIC AWARD - Senior section

A thought-provoking video. Interviewing people from different background make the video a representative one. As for the shooting techniques, the angle from which the shots are taken is selected nicely. A mysterious and spooky atmosphere is created by the background sound effects and the shots taken in dim places, which is good.

- Madam Lau, shun-hing, Chairperson, Hong Kong Parents Association

MOST CREATIVE AWARD - Junior section

Positive:

- Good graphics

Things to work on:

- Audio during interviews can be improved by doing the interview at an alternative location

- Interviews looked staged which is unacceptable in documentary film making

- Mr Burman Lam, Producer of National Geographic Channel Asia

The documentary is creative and interesting. Using cartoon animation to illustrate the change of dynasty is smart and entertaining. The ending does make us think - why products made in China are perceived poorly. It would be better to have a strong ending echoing the beginning.

The documentary only needs a little touch up to make it great! Keep up your good work.

- Mr Clement Chung, CEO of Wiseman Education

MOST CREATIVE AWARD - Senior section

Highly relevant topic that deserves wide dissemination among Hong Kong secondary school students.

The evening news format was very effectively done.

The end of program weather report added a very good touch of realism.

As there was no more than 15 seconds of music, I was forced to rate that category lower than I would have liked.

- Mr Phil Knauth, Editor in Chief, English Builder

MOST ENTERTAINING AWARD - Junior section

An excellent piece of work. Students managed to ask some very good questions, leading the audiences to think again some significant points on the use of casual languages.

- Mr Yeung, king-fai, Senior School Development Officer of EDB

It is very tempting to use causal language after seeing this documentary, so this video must be very effective! It is also entertaining.

It would be great to hear more about the impact of causal language, students, teachers and parents' perspectives on the subject.

Overall, this is a good documentary!

- Mr Clement Chung, CEO of Wiseman Education

MOST ENTERTAINING AWARD - Senior section

The script is absoltuely wonderful. The prose is at times poetic, fluid and is well written. The team must have done a lot of research before filming. It is a well thought out piece of documentary.

It is a very informative and the Hong Kong Tourist Association should consider putting it in their website for reference.

If the quality of live recording can be better, this documentary will go up another notch in quality.

A job well done for all the team members!

- Dr Louis Woo, Non-executive Director of Wiseman Education

Highly imaginative views of Hong Kong, well narrated and informative. Subtitles are excellent.

Excellent editing as the video moves from market to market.

Superb coverage of the topic.

- Mr Phil Knauth, Editor in Chief, English Builder

BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD - Junior section

A very good attempt. Good coverage on the society and its culture. Films too enriched; it would be much better if it focussed on one or two important messages.

- Mr Yeung, king-fai, Senior School Development Officer of EDB

BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD - Senior section

Good choice of subject matter; highly relevant to today's Hong Kong social situation.

Outstanding script and narration.

Very good subtitles; easy to read and accurate.

Highly informative; a true teaching video that deserves wide dissemination.

The song sung by the elderly Maryknoll Convent School student was, in particular, touching, very touching and moving.

- Mr Phil Knauth, Editor in Chief, English Builder

THINK AGAIN AWARD - Science, Technology & The Environment - Junior section

I like the experiment part very much because it takes the audience on a ride and we see the problem "first hand", so to speak. If we want to emphasize the seriousness of the issue, perhaps we should see more "grey" sky. The beginning two minutes look like a travel documentary and it promotes, rather than investigates. The interviews with experts are very convincing for a documentary. The introduction of the team members at the end is very very creative. All in all, well done.

- Dr Anson Yang, Vice Principal, SKH Li Fook Hing Secondary School

THINK AGAIN AWARD - Science, Technology & The Environment - Senior section

Positives:

- That is what I call a great opening!

- Great use of footage

- Great shots and framing

Good music usage

- A video that telecommunication companies can use to educate their consumers

Things to work on:

- The shots of the phone got a little repetitive maybe cut to closer shots of the screen for variety and a better view of what is happening on the screen

- The video suddenly ends, was the ending cut off? If so I would like to see the end of the video.

- Mr Burman Lam, Producer of National Geographic Channel Asia

THINK AGAIN AWARD - Society & Culture - Junior section

Excellent coverage of the material. Informative, covering different forms of politeness not just in Hong Kong, but around the world as well.

Some problem with with noise overriding the narrator now and then.

Good use of subtitles.

Editing was excellent, with varied forms of cuts and fades.

The closing message was well chosen: "Whoever one is, and wherever one is, one is always in the wrong of one is rude". I agree one hundred percent with this point of view.

- Mr Phil Knauth, Editor in Chief, English Builder

THINK AGAIN AWARD - Society & Culture - Senior section

Absolutley perfect- muci/script/editing- it all came together- should be a hard one to beat!

- Mr Bill McQueen, Creative Director of National Geographic Channel Asia

THINK AGAIN AWARD - Sports & Health - Junior section

Good documentary and substance to convey the message that the public has conveniently forgotten to pay attention. Putting positive spin on those who are physically challenged is a good perspective for young people to take. Using good example of the blind collaborating with the lame to cross barriers is a motivating example for young people to build teamwork and be comfortable with their own merits and disadvantages. Good piece to get the public to 'Think Again'!

- Ms Susanna Chiu, Council Member of HKICPA

Positives:

- Wonderful Topic

- Great opening and End

Things to work on:

- Selection of footage limited

- Visuals did not match the VO (voice over). Did not see aquatic sports when it was mentioned

- Mr Burman Lam, Producer of National Geographic Channel Asia

THINK AGAIN AWARD - Sports & Health - Senior section

Very professional doco!! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

- Mr Bill McQueen, Creative Director of National Geographic Channel Asia

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - Science, Technology & The Environment - Junior section

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - Science, Technology & The Environment - Senior section

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - Society & Culture - Junior section

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - Society & Culture - Senior section

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - Sports & Health - Junior section

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - Sports & Health - Senior section