Film Festival

2025 Burleson ISD Film Festival Contest Rules

The Burleson ISD Film Festival is a filmmaking contest that showcases students’ creativity and production talents. Everyone has a story to tell, and filmmaking can provide an outlet and a fun way to share ideas and creativity. Students with access to an iPhone, Android, Chromebook, iPad, tablet, or high-quality equipment have the tools to plan, shoot, and edit short films!

Theme & Film Requirements

The BISD Film Festival challenges BISD students in grades K-12 to produce either a narrative or animation/stop motion short film. Student filmmakers must incorporate this year’s theme and required elements into their short films.

Theme: Adventure

Required elements:

Prop: Hat
Camera angles/shots: Tracking shot (moving the camera alongside a character, subject, or object)
Line of dialogue: “We/I need to act fast.”
Opening title and closing credits (included in the overall length of the short film)

Students must submit film credits and acknowledge that the film includes the required elements on the Submission Form when uploading for submission.

Film Submission Form

All films must be submitted through the Burleson ISD Film Festival Submission Form by December 3, 2024, at 11:59 pm CST.

Burleson ISD Film Festival Submission Form

All filmmakers must export an HD copy - 1080p - of the final short film for submission (can be saved to a device’s camera roll or computer). Short films may be submitted as a video file or URL link through the Burleson ISD Film Festival Submission Form. An email acknowledgment will be sent upon successful submission of the short film.

Awards Ceremony

The BISD Film Festival Awards Ceremony will be held on January 16, 2025, at the Venue. Finalist videos for the following categories will be showcased at the event:

Elementary Grand Prize Narrative
Elementary Grand Prize Animation & Stop Motion
Elementary Runner-Up Narrative
Elementary Runner-Up Animation & Stop Motion
Elementary Viewer’s Choice
Secondary Grand Prize Narrative
Secondary Grand Prize Animation & Stop Motion
Secondary Runner-Up Narrative
Secondary Runner-Up Animation & Stop Motion
Secondary Viewer’s Choice

Rules & Eligibility Requirements

Rules & Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility is limited to BISD students in grades K-12 enrolled for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Students may use any available equipment to create short films, including a mobile device or Chromebook.

Student filmmakers must incorporate this year’s theme and required elements into their short films. Each short film also requires an opening title and closing credits, which are included in the overall length of the short film. Students must submit film credits and acknowledge that the film includes the required elements on the Submission Form when uploading for submission.

All elementary narrative short films must be between two (2) minutes to three (3) minutes in length.

All secondary narrative short films must be between three (3) minutes to five (5) minutes in length.

All animation/stop motion short films must be between thirty (30) seconds to three (3) minutes in length. All short films must be created and submitted through the BISD Film Festival website by December 3, 2024, at 11:59 pm CST.

Students may create their own music, pictures, videos, drawings, and digital graphics. Any use of copyrighted material without express written permission must be credited in the film. This includes but is not limited to music, pictures, video, and digital graphics. Any videos using copyrighted material without consent or not properly credited in the film will be disqualified.

All content included in the short films must be school-appropriate (no vulgar language, explicit sexual content, excessive violence, etc). The Film Festival committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any short film.

Adult involvement in the project must be limited to teacher or campus sponsors or as on-screen talent or support. Check with the campus for sponsor information or email filmfestival@bisdmail.net.

One submission per student or production team with a maximum of 4 youth filmmakers* on a team. Short films may have more than 4 actors, but only the 4 credited filmmakers* are eligible for the Film Festival awards. *Filmmakers include: students working behind the scenes in producing the short film, writer, storyboard artist, director, editor, sound designer, etc.

All films must be submitted through the Burleson ISD Film Festival Submission Form by December 3, 2024, at 11:59 pm CST. All filmmakers must export an HD copy - 1080p - of the final short film for submission (can be saved to a device’s camera roll or computer). Short films may be submitted as a video file or URL link through the Burleson ISD Film Festival Submission Form. An email acknowledgment will be sent upon successful submission of the short film.

Important Dates

Film Categories

Film Categories

Elementary: Students currently enrolled in grades K-5 qualify for this age group.

Secondary: Students currently enrolled in grades 6-12 qualify for this age group.

Viewer’s Choice: All short films will be posted after the contest submission closes to be voted upon by members of the community and student peers through the Burleson ISD Film Festival website.

Awards

Awards

Winners will be announced at the Burleson ISD Film Festival Awards Ceremony on January 16, 2025, at the Venue. Awards will be presented for the following categories:

Grand Prize in category (4)

Elementary Grand Prize Narrative
Elementary Grand Prize Animation/Stop Motion
Secondary Grand Prize Narrative
Secondary Grand Prize Animation/Stop Motion

Runner-Up in category (4)

Elementary Runner-Up Narrative
Elementary Runner-Up Animation/Stop Motion
Secondary Runner-Up Narrative
Secondary Runner-Up Animation/Stop Motion

Viewer’s Choice in each age level (2)

Elementary Viewer’s Choice
Secondary Viewer’s Choice

Filmmaking Resources

Pre-Production

The Pre-Production phase involves lots of planning! Before we can start recording or editing, we must first make sure we have a solid foundation in the story, script, and support. The first step to making a film is creating a story.

Think of a Story

The first step in the filmmaking process is to think of a story. Where does the movie take place, who are the characters, and what is going to happen to them? These are just some of the questions your story might include. Creating a story can be done alone or in a group with everyone sharing ideas.

Write a Script

Now that you have your story, you can begin focusing on the details. Where would be the best place to record that chase scene? How would you make the audience believe that the actor has superpowers? What kind of discussions will your characters have, and how will they express their feelings? A script will include all of the spoken text that your characters will say, and it can also include descriptions of locations and camera shots/angles.

Draw a Storyboard

A storyboard allows you to visualize your story into scenes and frames. The camera operator, director, and the rest of the team can all be on the same page and have a shared vision for each scene. Growing your knowledge of different types of camera shots, angles and movements will help guide you in creating an interesting storyboard.

View: How to Storyboard

Click here: Blank Storyboard

Make a Plan

So, now you have a story, script, and storyboard, what else could you possibly need? How about Actors, equipment, camera operators, and people to help you make the film! Before you start making your movie, think about what resources you might need and where you can find them. Will you be shooting this film at school, a park, or someone's house? How will you get there and what equipment will you need? Thinking the process through will help solve some problems before they even occur.

Production

You are now ready to start filming your movie! You should have all of your planning done and access to the equipment you will need to set up your shots, lighting, and sound.

Camera Operating

Whether you're using your phone, tablet or digital camera, the guidelines for camera shots, angles, and movements are the same. Understanding the basic shots and camera movements can help you produce a great looking movie.

View: Basic Shot Types

View: Filmmaking Tips - Telling Your Story Through Video

View: The Rule of Thirds

View: Composition Tips

Audio Recording

Remember that half of your movie is sound and the audience wants to be able to clearly understand what the characters are saying. It is good practice to always check your audio level when recording. Make sure there is not a lot of background noise that might distract the audience, and ask the actors to speak up!

Lighting

Great locations don't always come with great lighting. Film makers use unique lighting sources to help get the perfect shot. A white umbrella, a smartphone flash light, or even filming during the "golden hour" are all simple options in addition to flood lights and spot lights. Consider filming a sample to determine your lighting needs.

Animation

Whether you are creating a live action film or an animation, many of the same previously mentioned skills are needed. There might be a few extra items to consider when working on a stop motion animation project.

View: Stop Motion Filmmaker Lesson

Post-Production

Editing

Editing is the process of compiling your clips into a movie. If you have used an iOS device as your camera, then you can use Adobe Premiere Rush or iMovie to edit the shots together to create your film.

Link: Adobe Premiere Rush Tutorial

View: iMovie Tutorial

Sound

Sound effects can make something seem really big, or really close, and the soundtrack helps to set the mood for the movie. Adding sound effects or voice overs during post production is a major part of the filmmaking process.

View: How to Make Sound Effects

Film Examples

Narrative Film:

Animation Film

Mission Clock Tower from iPadpalooza Youth Film Festival on Vimeo.

Judging

2025 Film Fesival Finalists

Congratulations to the BISD Film Festival Finalists! Winning films will be announced and shown on the big screen at the BISD Film Festival award ceremony on January 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the Venue, located at 510 SW Wilshire Blvd.

Nominees in each category are listed alphabetically. Good luck to this year’s BISD Film Festival nominees!

Elementary Animation and Stop Motion

Hero Hat - by Rymon Nakhjavan (Academy of the Arts at Bransom) - Winner
High in the Sky - by Polly Harris and Tristan Johnson (Academy of the Arts at Bransom)
The Adventures of Kyle - by Jack Bugg and Isaac Bradford (Academy of the Arts at Bransom)
The Hat Wearing Bear - by Kambee Craig (Academy of the Arts at Bransom)
The Mystery of the Missing Bunny - by Elena Avalos and Kira Cotham (Academy of the Arts at Bransom) - Runner-Up

Elementary Narrative

Elementary Viewer's Choice

Secondary Animation and Stop Motion

Secondary Narrative

It Takes Time - by Sarah Ramirez, Isabella Molina, Ella Magallan, and Conner Lowe (Centennial High School)
More Valuable than Gold - by Alivia Boden, Pablo Moreno, Sebastian Jenicke, and Malia Valerio (Burleson High School)
Sundial - by Kolbe Brown, Isaiah Williams, Oscar Castro, and Dominic Eleby (Burleson High School)
The Last Kin - by Hudson Brackeen (Centennial High School) - Winner
Why did the chicken cross the road? - by Logan Shipp and Gabriel Shawky (Burleson High School) - Runner-Up

Secondary Viewer's Choice

ELEMENTARY FILMS

Films are organized alphabetically within each category. Click on the title to watch the short film:

Elementary Narrative:

Harry Potter In the Dark Forrest

Skincare Snatchers!

Stargazer

The Lucky Hat

Elementary Stop Motion:

Adventure to the Moon

Beetlejuice

Draco the Bearded Dragon

The Adventures of Kyle

The Big Fall

The Camping Trip

The Case of the Witch Hat

The Circus Adventure

The Cookie Monster

The Crazy Act

The Dude, Deer and Bear

The Gold Dragon

The Hat Wearing Bear

The Mystery of the Missing Bunny

The Night Before Christmas

The Problem

The Shark and the Three Fishy

The Snake Bite

The Space Program

The Three Little Pigs Lost a Hat

SECONDARY FILMS

Films are organized alphabetically within each category. Click on the title to watch the short film. Please note: Some films may contain sensitive material that may not be suitable for younger audiences.

Secondary Narrative:

More Valuable Than Gold

Romeo and Juliet Senior Year