THE 9TH ANNUAL TOWER OF YOUTH TEEN DIGITAL REEL SHOWCASE & AWARDS (9TDR) WILL TAKE PLACE SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1 – 5 PM, TO HONOR AND AWARD MORE THAN 2 DOZEN REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH MOVIE MAKING ARTIST TEAMS, AND THEIR MENTORS, FOR THEIR PRIZE WINNING 3 MINUTE, COMPUTER MEDIA CREATIONS. THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRY SUBMISSIONS IS MARCH 18! ENTRIES WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM MEMBERS OF THE SACRAMENTO SIERRA DIGITAL ARTS STUDIO PARTNERSHIP (see www.caldigarts.org).

THE EVENT

Preceded by a 2 hour digital media industry super star Career Vision Presentation session on the future of state of the art professional work in the giant field of digital media, Sacramento celebrity moderators will introduce the youth winner’s works to the big screen. Relevant state and national corporate sponsors of the event, FedEx/Kinkos, Discreet, SMUD, Rudolph and Sletten, Fry’s Electronics, InterWest Insurance Services, SMUD, Sprint PCS, Adobe Systems, Macromedia, Blockbuster, California Cable TV Association, Panasonic Broadcast and others will award the tens of thousands of dollars in digital software, hardware, and cash to the entry winners and their adult mentors. The competition works are submitted in five regular content categories: Perspectives on the Environment; Short Story – animation & live action; Public Service Ad/Commercial; the Wonder of Sound and Music; and The Art of Partnership. A sixth Special Civic Category, “Beating Stereotypes” allows a unique second entry to be submitted by teen teams that are otherwise limited to only a single entry in this competition.

THEATRON TRAINING

A series of artist youth and mentor training sessions, THEATRON, are held on the campuses of CSUS, Cosumnes Rivers College and UC Davis, precede the TDR and are open to all interested learners. These focus on overall production planning, Story Telling in Media, Sound Design and individual consultations with professionals prior to finalization and submission of the entries.

THE VISION AND FRAMEWORK

Youth wielding the power of new computer technology will ultimately become the new “landlords” of communication arts and interconnectivity in the world. Our region’s schools and pioneering teachers are encouraged to break open, pioneer, the visual and audio learning and production pathways to the realization of major school reform! Economic and community development are the major goals of this inevitable venture that is embodied in the organization of the Sacramento Sierra Digital Arts Studio Partnership. This multi-county regional partnership, one of five in the state, exists among high schools, community youth programs, digital media and communication technology industries, colleges, and universities was established by a new State of California law, the Digital Arts Studio Partnership Act, calling for school and after school workforce training for teen youth 13-18 years old and their mentors in emerging digital arts technology and aesthetics!

THE CONTEXT

Each year the Tower of Youth produces this showcase event to exhibit the best professionally juried works submitted by the youth attending Sacramento – Sierra region wide high schools and the rare community-based after school training programs. These works document the evolving state-of-the-art available to our student community, a sensitive marker of growth, inertia, success and challenges that the educational field of digital arts media experiences.

THE PRODUCTION

The eight prior Teen Digital Reel programs including the Career Vision Presentation industry speakers can be viewed by clicking to (link here). Steaming video examples of the winners can be seen in the 8th Annual TDR Winners.