On Thursday June 23rd at 7:00pm the dulcet tones of the Harry Potter soundtrack once more signalled the beginning of the annual Media Studies ‘Night at the Oscars’. The red carpet and Oscar-themed light display welcomed nominees from Years 11-13, all hoping to walk away with a coveted gold trophy. Students were nominated in categories which recognised their excellence in video, print and radio and included such accolades as Best Photography, Best Editing and Best Music Video, to name but a few. Particularly nervous were Christopher Daniels and Stephen Hampton in Year 11 who set the record for being nominated for four awards. Happily, they left that evening clutching their awards for Best Sound. Their advertising campaign for a new yoghurt was certainly inspired, not to mention highly amusing, featuring as it did their invented mascot, Mama Fruzzi.
Other noteworthy winners this year included Thomas Smith (Volume music magazine), Graham Borrajo (Juse advertising campaign) and Matthew Brunton, Benjamin Keyworth and Rishi Kotak (Demented film opening sequence). All of these nominees won two awards on the evening, which is testament to their technical excellence, creativity and dedication to the subject. Susannah Pollard, Emma-Grace Roberts and Oscar Wilkie were also recognised in the Best Information film category for their superb production, Addiction, a short film which examined the effects of alcohol on a whole family. This was an extremely worthy production which has received interest from charities in Leicestershire wanting to use it as an educational tool.
Our Media technician, Alan Ball, was taking part in his first Oscars’ ceremony and produced fine-looking showreels which really showcased the students’ work in the best light. As one parent commented after the evening’s events, the Ratcliffe College Media Department really does put on ‘a good show’!