Avid has launched a contest that challenges students to submit their best reels for judging by today's hottest film, TV and broadcast news professionals. Beginning August 20, 2007, students aspiring to greatness in film, video and broadcast news editing will be able to upload one-minute reels to Avid.com. All entries will be judged by a team of industry professionals, who will award one grand prize winner and two runners up in two categories - Film/Video and Broadcast News. The reels will be judged on the creative and technical merit of the editing.
Both grand prize winners will take home the coveted "Avid Billy" Award for editing, as well as a $3000 USD online credit to build their own home studio package - comprised of select Avid(R), Digidesign(R), M-Audio(R) and Softimage(R) products of their choice. Additionally, all grand prize winners and runners up will have their reels displayed on Avid.com and shared with Avid's community of more than 10,000 professional customers, via various Avid promotional vehicles. Most importantly, all contestants who submit reels will have their work exposed to some of today's most popular filmmakers, editors and news professionals.

This year's judges include:

-- Avi Youabian, editor of the 2007 Academy Award winning short action film "West Bank Story," several primetime TV shows, music videos and the forthcoming ABC Pilot "Hot Shots."

-- Scott Boyd, editor of the hit TV show "Heroes." Boyd was nominated for Emmys for his editorial work on the made for TV movies "Flight 93" and "Faith of My Fathers."

-- Blaise Labbe, news director at KWTV in Oklahoma City, OK. Since 2003, Blaise has lead KWTV to become one of the top three CBS affiliates in the country. Under his command, KWTV has won the best rated late newscast in the country three times - a first for an Oklahoma news station.

"When I was graduating from film school a few years ago, the connections I made with professionals in the industry were so valuable. I'm excited to see the raw talent out there and potentially help the industry's next big star make some credible inroads in Hollywood," said Youabian, now a seasoned television and film editor and alumni of USC's School of Cinematic Arts. "For anyone wanting to jumpstart their career and take it from the classroom to the big time, making industry connections through programs like the one Avid is creating is the way to go."

Labbe said, "The best advice I can give any student looking to build a name in broadcast news editing is to make connections and learn the tools and skills that the industry demands you have. This contest marries those two concepts and provides an enormous stage for up and comers to display their work for thousands of potential employers."

The contest, open to all students with a valid student ID, will run through November 1, 2007. Winners will be notified and announced on or around December 1, 2007. Avid products must be used in the creation of the reel for an entry to be eligible. No purchase is necessary to enter or win the contest. For more information on the contest and complete contest rules, please visit: http://www.avid.com/promos/backtoschool/contest.asp.