Multimedia contest launched

4 May 2009

 

Click the image to play the multimedia contest intro video


A new multimedia contest has been set up to put talented young filmmakers and science communicators in touch with ATLAS, and to help bring the work of the collaboration to the attention of a new generation.

The contest was conceived by ATLAS photographer Claudia Marcelloni and engineer Neal Hartman, under the oversight of ATLAS Outreach Coordinator Michael Barnett. The rules of the contest have been left deliberately vague, to avoid influencing the creative direction of the entrants. “We have very little description about what the multimedia should be,” says Claudia, stipulating only that, “We’re aiming high … I really expect to be surprised.”

The idea is that entrants, who must be over 18, produce a “multimedia project about ATLAS” which is under five minutes in duration. Their piece can be predominantly fictional or more documentary-like in its approach, but it must be based on or around the ATLAS experiment – from the physics and engineering to the human aspects of it.

The creator of the winning entry will be awarded a three month paid “multimedia internship” at ATLAS in the autumn when the LHC is fired up for the second time and the first collisions are seen. They will witness the excitement and exasperation of these intense months first-hand, and will document these unique moments in a second multimedia offering.

Part of the inspiration for the idea was the success of the LHC rap, according to Claudia: “It was able to educate and give the correct information, but in a very loose format that appeals to a young target.”

The ATLAS Outreach Communication Plan identifies one of its key demographics as youngsters at the age where they may be considering a career in physics – the next generation of potential particle hunters. “This target audience speaks a very different language to the general public,” says Claudia. “They do things in ways that people in their 30s or 50s might not really appreciate.”

Claudia recognises YouTube as “one of the main effective media out there” for interfacing with this demographic. Its content is made up not only of home videos and TV clips, but also, increasingly, of quality original short films and works of art. Vimeo is another video-hosting site that has a reputation for more artistically inclined creations, such as the time-lapse movie of the creation of the ATLAS mural.

Claudia and Neal are no strangers to this world themselves. They have competed in 48-hour film festivals – where teams are given just 48 hours to come up with an original short film, based on given ingredients – in San Francisco. Neal helped the CERN filmmaking club organise the CineGlobe international film festival, held in November 2007 at CERN, and last October he organised a 48-hour contest in Geneva.

ATLAS collaborators can help publicise the event to creative youngsters in their own institutes by downloading and displaying the official competition poster. The closing date for the competition is June 15th, and registration details, a full break-down of the rules, and the publicity trailer can be found here.


Josef Kristofoletti painting the ATLAS mural


More Info
Inspiration: This type of project has been implemented many times, but never specifically for Science education, and especially not with subjects as topical as ATLAS and the LHC.  Examples of other programs include:

Program: Project:Direct
Source: http://www.insidefilm.com/news.html
Facts of Interest: Winner is partially selected by Youtube voting, winner is invited to Sundance

Program: Apple Insomnia Film Festival
Source: http://edcommunity.apple.com/insomnia_fall07/contest.php
Facts of Interest: Program is limited to student entries

 

 

 

Ceri Perkins

ATLAS e-News