1st Quarter |
| Spot News - Che Lowenstein, KOIN-TV/Portland, OR "Happy New Year" |
| Judged at KNXV-TV Phoenix, AZ |
| Judges: Jim Manley, Chris Zang, Johnny "Beau" Beyerle |
| The judges picked "Happy New Year" as the national winner in the spot news category. It had all of the elements of a great story including moments, characters, pacing, and just all around good storytelling. The photojournalist battled the elements to tell the story of a car wreck that had halted traffic to a standstill in the middle of a snowstorm. The judges liked the fact that instead of focusing on the wreck (something we've all seen a million times), the photojournalist and reporter told the story of the people stuck in traffic. The judges said "this was a classic example of looking beyond the story in front of you and telling the story that the viewer cares about and can identify with." The judges also felt special mention should go to a couple other stories that stood out including "No Justice, No Peace" and "Lamoyne...Lit." In both cases the photojournalists went above and beyond to tell compelling spot news stories. In the end, the judges felt "Happy New Year" won out because of its outstanding storytelling and nearly flawless photojournalism. |
| General News -- Mike Rose, WTVF-TV/Nashville, TN "Cow" |
| Judged at KUSA-TV Denver, CO |
| Judges: Tom Cole, Dave Delozier, Eric Kehe, Byron Reed, Corky Scholl, Brian Willie |
| First of all, there were many good stories that showed great commitment. But the story we thought showed the most was the Dead Cows. The photographer got there early, developed the story and stayed until their bloated carcasses were hauled away. We could only imagine the conversation he/she had with the assignment desk asking for more time out in the field. The photographer tastefully shot the story even though it could have been offensive to viewers. The photographer made a great moment with the reveal. He held onto the secret just the right amount of time. It was very funny and stood out from the other stories in this particular category. |
| 48 Hour Feature - Corky Scholl, KUSA-TV/Denver, CO "Coach Lou" |
| Judged at KDVR-TV Denver, CO |
| Judges: David Heacock, Tom McDonald, Eric Hoffman, Byron Stewart |
| We came to our decision based on our three favorite pieces, with "Coach Lou" picked as a top 3 among all of us. It was well shot and edited and told a great story, with a nice surprise at the beginning. Some of the others may have been just as good, with funnier moments, but it seemed to touch all of us. Nice job!! |
| In Depth - Gary Knox, KARE-TV/Minneapolis, MN "Princess Gabby" |
| Judged at KCNC-TV Denver, CO |
| Judges: Dale Atchison, Eric Blumer, Steve Fedoriska, Everett McEwan |
| Princess Gabby was a good example of in depth photojournalism. It was journalism because it informed us of an extremely rare medical condition. The photojournalist captured, and made use of, natural moments and sounds. Plus there was good lighting on the interviews, solid sequences and steady shooting. Gabby is a young girl. Her personality belongs to her. The reporter and photographer did not "get in the way" of her story. |
2nd Quarter |
| Spot News -- Nathan Sharkey, WTVF-TV/Nashville, TN "The Wind Shifted" |
| Judged at WFMY-TV Greensboro, NC |
| Judges: Jeff Skordas, Matt McKinney, Steve Kiggins, Dave Renner, Frank Mickens |
| This was a very strong story from beginning to end. The ability to tell the story through the eyes of the young woman that was watching the events unfold was the key to making this the winner. We really liked how the emotion built through the piece... and then climaxed with such strong reactions from the main character. Each shot from the fire helped to bring the events closer to viewer...and reinforce the reaction from the central character. There was a solid beginning, middle, and end... and the use of natural sound and reaction helped maintain the pace and keep the viewer interested. Very nice job of sticking with the character and telling us a story... and not falling into the trap of trying to interview a lot of different people and losing focus. |
| General News -- Everett McEwan, KCNC-TV/Denver, CO "Rescue Dogs" |
| Judged at R-News Rochester, NY |
| Judges: |
| The judges really like the story subject and commented that it made for any interesting story. The story was well done throughout. There was solid pacing through the entire story. The photographer and reporter worked well together and that translated into a nice stand-up. The pictures and sound blended well with the script. Both the reporter and photographer put their best foot forward. The judges did feel that the closing shot was adequate and could have been a bit stronger, but overall they loved the story. |
| 48 Hour Feature - Mike Rose, WTVF-TV/Nashville, TN "Book Jump" |
| Judged at KVUE-TV Austin, TX |
| Judges: Quita Culpepper, John Fisher, Shelton Green, Allison Olson, Woody Pisano, Todd Rogenthien |
| The judges were surprised at the number of nat sound pieces that won their respective regions. They had a very hard time picking a winner. There were 5 contenders in the end, and four of them were nat sound pieces. It came down to one nat sound piece (Book Jump) and one reporter/photographer piece (Drinking with the King). Ultimately, "Book Jump" was selected as the winner. The judges felt the amount of action/reaction and natural moments edged "Book Jump" slightly ahead of "Drinking with the King". One judge selected the winner beacause, "I felt involved. I felt like I was right there with the rest of the kids." "Book Jump" was a very entertaining piece and had all of the right sound to drive its message home. The photojournalist obvously worked hard to find all of the right shots and crisp, clean sound, but more importantly he found the right characters to deliver the story to the viewer. |
| In Depth -- Nathan Sharkey, WTVF-TV/Nashville, TN "Jamie's Last Battle" |
| Judged at WRAL-TV Raleigh, NC |
| Judges: Richard W. Adkins, Robert Meikle, Tom Normanly, Courtney Davis, Megan Hughes |
| The In-Depth category was not an easy decision for the judges. Two stories rose to the
top. As one judge put it; "arms and legs were flying, a serious choke hold turned the tide and
we were able to beat the majority into agreement." The judging panel was impressed by the level
of photography and said, "It was great to have such a battle for the top slot, it means there was
some great news photography in all the stories."
In the end, the judges said that it came down to the fact that this is a news photography contest, and shot-for-shot, they felt "Jamie's Last Battle" had excellent photography. They felt the photographer did an excellent job when faced with very difficult conditions. The photographer had to overcome the monstrous task of concealing the main subjects face, but at the same time including the main subject in story. Excellent framing and wonderful sequencing made this story work. This is a story that did not use fancy post-production editing, mood music, or technical gimmicks. The judges said "the photography and editing sucked you right in to that family setting, and just as you got comfortable, the story stole your heart." The emphasized that the teamwork between reporter and photographer/editor was evident, each shot counted in the story for something. The story continued to un-fold as each second ticked by. In summary the judges said "this a great example of the type of TV news that can and should be done by all TV stations in the country." |
3rd Quarter |
| Spot News -- Craig Norkus, KARE-TV/Minneapolis, MN "This is Ugly" |
| Judged at KVBC-TV Las Vegas, NV |
| Judges: Matt McColl, Joe Schrage, Rich Gacovino, Carlos Spann, Mark McBride, Don Lyle |
| 'This is Ugly' wins because the judges felt that the video is what carried the story. * Excellent, clear natural sound and solid editing were factors as well. * It shows that spot news stories don't have to contain 'official' soundbites from public information officers. * The judges also wanted to recognize 'Provo Canyon Rescue' because of the comprehensive treatment of the subject matter. * The photojournalist did a great job gathering all the elements of a big story. |
| General News -- Ted Nelson, WTVF-TV/Nashville, TN "Pardon Me" |
| Judged at WBFF-TV Baltimore, MD |
| Judges: Stan Heist, Bryan Barr, Paul McGrew, Chris Overbeck |
| The judges said the general news catgeory in the 3rd quarter TVQCC national judging was full of great stories.� The judges selected "Pardon Me" as overall winner.� They felt it really stood out�from the rest, because of its news value.� That along with the natural sound and creativity put this piece on top in the national judging.� The judges said, "Every shot was executed cleanly, the microphone was moved to get great clean sound bites.� This story moved because of the audio."� They also felt,�the moments were engaging, and that "Pardon Me" was presented seriously enough to be a quality general news piece.� The judges also felt "Serving Those Who Served" was another excellent story with good moments and good storytelling and deserved mention.� "Serving Those Who Served" also stood out due to the movement of the microphone. |
| 48 Hour Feature -- Gary Knox, KARE-TV/Minneapolis, MN "So Big" |
| Judged at KMBC-TV Kansas City, MO |
| Judges: Tim Twyman, Lazaro Abalos, Jason Rhodes |
| The judges named "So Big" national winner in the 3rd quarter of the national quarterly clip contest, because it was perfect from beginning to end.�� The judges liked this story best because it was the complete deal.� "So Big" had a good beginning, middle and end.� The story was focused.� "So Big" also had solid�reaction and natural moments.� The judges also added that the story was solidly shot and edited.� The judges also said, "while there were stories in the competition which were more compelling in subject manner, none were as well executed.� The team of journalists made the most of their story for the day!" |
| In Depth -- Kurt Austin, KGW-TV/Portland, OR "Training of Citizen Soldier" |
| Judged at KTVI-TV St. Louis, MO |
| Judges: |
| The judges in the In-Depth category selected "Training of Citizen Soldier"* as the national winner in the Quarterly Clip Contest. They felt that the photographer's effort really stood out. "Citizen Soldier" had great shot composition and perfect sequencing. This was helped by good shot variety. There was a good mix of shots off the tripod, off the shoulder as well as shots from low angles. Furthermore, the judges said the story had a good personal angle, which helped tell the story of their training better. |
4th Quarter |
| Spot News -- Dan Bolsem, KCCI-TV/Des Moines, IA "Rosemount Fire" |
| Judged at KING-TV Seattle, WA |
| Judges: Tim Jensen, Kim Griffis, Saint Bryan |
| "Rosemount Fire" stood out to the judges because of its solid, well composed fire shots with the matching, compelling action. The photography reinforced the story of a destroyed church and loss. the judges felt there was a nice use of natural light The photographer did a good job of finding a story behind the flames and the firefighters, with the characters to make it personal...making the viewer care about the human loss beyond just another burning structure." |
| General�News -- Jonathan Malat, KARE-TV/Minneapolis,�MN "Church Move" |
| Judged at KOKI-TV Tulsa, OK |
| Judges: John Gibson, Doug Johnson, Aaron McColloch, Sean Squire |
| The judges at KOKI felt�all of the stories were good and offered something different, but in the end, they felt two stories really stood out.� The judges struggled choosing between "Church Move"�and "The Greatest Gift".� The judges said "both stories were done really well and the apparent effort involved with turning both was inspiring".� The judges made their decision based upon how the stories could have been improved upon.� They felt "Church Move"�needed very little improvement if any improvement, thereby getting�the vote as the best of a very good field.� In the end, the judges�were drawn to "Church Move", because of "the photographer's effort, shot composition, and dedication to interviewing people in their element".� They also felt the photographer used�his file video very effectively.� |
