NECC; National Educational Computing Conference, Booth #9054 — Sony Creative Software, a leading provider of professional video and audio editing software applications, today announced the winners of its first national student film contest, Technology in Motion: Vision of the Future. Selected from hundreds of film entries created with Sony Vegas Pro 8, Ashland High School in Ohio is the grand prize winner for its submission, Contact. Second place was awarded to the film, Alpha School, from Lisbon High School in Iowa, while TECH 178 from Tandem Friends High School in Virginia won third place.

Details about the next contest, Technology in Motion 2: Community of the Future, were also announced at the NECC 2008 show. Technology in Motion 2 expands from the format of the first contest to allow both middle schools and high schools to enter the student film contest.

The Winning Films

Contact is a live-action film that showcases a group of teens trying to free their families and community from a dark world where human contact is forbidden in favor of communication solely through technology.

Alpha School is a 2D black-and-white animation that looks at the bleak consequences humans will face if we make ourselves tools to technology, rather than making technology "An Aid to Man," as described in the film's closing scene.

TECH 178 features two friends discussing their different views of the future through paper puppetry and live action sequences.

Cat Green, a senior at Ashland High School, directed the grand prize-winning group from her school. Green cited science fiction novels and films as inspiration for Contact. She motivated her team to complete the project under tighter deadlines than ever before in their video production classes, planning, shooting and editing the film in less than a month to meet the entry deadlines.

"When we first heard about the Technology in Motion contest, my class feared that there simply was not enough time to finish the film. One classmate even said, 'You just can't do that'. As soon as she said it, I knew we had to," said Green. "Now, thanks largely to the success of this film as well as other projects completed over the past two years, I look forward to moving to New York City this fall to attend the School of Visual Arts and further pursue my passion in film."

"Sony Creative Software congratulates the students from Ashland High School for their grand prize winning entry and applauds all participants in the first Technology in Motion contest," said Dave Chaimson, vice president of worldwide marketing for Sony Creative Software. "We believe technical literacy is a crucial component of modern education and are pleased to help students develop these skills through our film contests and software donations to schools around the country."

Technology in Motion 2: Community of the Future Student Film Contest

The next student film contest, Technology in Motion 2: Community of the Future, is a complete educational program designed for teachers to use in multimedia courses as a structured curriculum to engage middle and high school students (grades 6-12) in professional video and audio production. For complete contest rules and instructions on how to enter, please visit the contest Web site: www.techinmotioncontest.com

Sony Creative Software will send each school that submits eligible and qualified contest registrants one Technology In Motion launch kit, which includes a free copy of its Vegas Pro video and audio production software and Cinescore professional soundtrack creation software, which includes royalty-free Cinescore music themes, Vegas Pro and Cinescore video tutorials and a curriculum guide to structure the production process. Participating schools submitting film entries created with Sony Vegas Pro will have a chance to win prize packages worth a combined total retail value of $400,000 in multimedia hardware and software.

About Sony Creative Software

Sony Creative Software inspires artistic expression with its award-winning line of products for digital video, music, DVD, and audio production. Sound Forge, ACID, and Vegas software have defined digital content creation for a generation of creative professionals, amateurs, and enthusiasts. These signature product lines continue to advance the art of providing powerful, accessible tools to unleash the imagination. Today, there is a Sony Creative Software application for every level of expertise, including a full line of consumer software based on the company's professional applications. In addition, Sony Creative Software produces the extensive Sony^® Sound Series collection of royalty-free loops and production music, Sony Pictures Sound Effects Series exclusive sound effects, Vision Series video creation assets, as well as www.ACIDplanet.com, the internet's premier site for independent music and video artists. As a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the company also develops applications that enhance the experience for users of Sony hardware devices including the PSP^® (PlayStation^®Portable) and Sony Ericsson mobile phones. Sony Creative Software customers span the globe and include seasoned professionals in the film, television, video game, and recording industries, students and educators, hobbyists and enthusiasts, and young children exploring music creation.