Even under normal circumstances, there are plenty of obstacles to telling a great story through video.
Adding the pandemic and attending class virtually to those obstacles, two groups of students from Kealakehe Intermediate School’s digital media class — called Hawk Media Productions — were still able to overcome them all. Each won first place at the 18th annual ‘Olelo Youth Xchange Student Video Competition in late April.
Marlon Utrera Jr., Hiilei Bunghanoy-Aiu and Mahina Tehaamatai won in the Junior Expert category, posing the question, “How will we define the new normal?” while Tania Araki, Marleigh Casey, Ailani Joella Cruz and Kirra Mahi Antolin claimed the top spot in the Substance Abuse Prevention category by tracing the path of a student dealing with substance abuse in her home.
Starting in December, a polished project didn’t come easily for either group; both went through multiple ideas and attempts before settling on their final choice.
“I think we went through three ideas,” said Utrera. “We just tried them, videoed them, but nothing was really working out.”
“We went through four different ideas before we actually thought the idea we had would work the best,” added Araki.
Having to work with their classmates exclusively online in the early stages of their projects added another hurdle to the creative process. Fortunately, their teacher Mathieu Williams found resources to make the process easier, including an app called Mural, which was instrumental in helping the groups to share ideas until they could meet in person.
“It’s a storyboarding tool that pushed me to help them be engaged and be active participants within learning,” said Williams. “A very visual thinking tool, it really engages the mind beyond just linear text on a white piece of paper.”
The new tools helped students to remain engaged and better manage their time in a period where both remained hurdles within classrooms. Creating a meaningful experience, even in a virtual classroom, was an aspect Williams deemed crucial in his class.
Eventually, restrictions were relaxed enough that the groups could come into school to film, edit and use the production facilities that includes a studio housed in the school’s library. While much of the outside focus has looked at the end product, Utrera and Araki mentioned enjoying the work and camaraderie gained in pre-production.
“I think my favorite part of the process was just getting closer to everyone on my team,” said Araki. “Once we talked to each other and got to know each other and got to know each other’s ideas, it brought us closer.”
“Finally realizing that getting a solid foundation is the key to moving onto the next steps, it was an eye-opener to me,” added Utrera. “Finally realizing that the pre-production part is really important, I enjoyed, surprisingly.”
The video made by Utrera’s group used campus beautification as an example of using unity to define a new normal, while Araki’s group aimed to highlight how substance abuse’s affects those growing up around it.
Upon the projects’ completion in the spring, the teams submitted their work into the competition to be judged against more than 700 other submissions from around Hawaii. While Utrera — just relieved to finally have the project completed — was surprised when his group’s video was selected as the winner in their category, Araki and her teammates were confident in their chances.
“Our expectation was, of course, to win first place,” said Araki of her group’s thoughts tuning into the awards show. “They didn’t even have to say our whole school name; they just had to say Kealakehe and we were all just jumping and screaming.”
Both Araki and Utrera called attention to the trusting the process learned in class and working through failure as critical to their groups overcoming obstacles to make the project a success. Abandoned ideas, redrafted scripts and virtual classes were simply part of the process.
“Just because one idea doesn’t work doesn’t mean that the whole idea fails,” said Araki. “You can always come up with different ideas and different ways to do something.”
“We really focus on making sure that every student understands the process,” added Utrera. “Relying on the process is what pushes us forward.”
Those interested in viewing the 2021 Youth Xchange Award Show and the winners’ submissions can do so at https://olelo.org/yxc2021/.