The stories that made the final cut were, "Kitty Kitty," "Top the Cops, "A Day with the Heels, "Can't Fly Out," and "Sounding Better." "Top the Cops" was shot very well, but needed more natural moments, reactions, and a personal story with a stong ending. "Can't Fly Out" was a very nice, well shot feature. It had a beginning, middle and end, plus some cute moments. "A Day with the Heels" was a great 24 hour effort by the videographer to document Tar Heel fan's excitement while winning a national championship. "Kitty Kitty" also required long hours. The videographer worked overnight to capture what happened in a vet hospital. The difference between the two was that the "Heels" fan story was "made for TV." The standard celebration in the streets and a staged event at the end (which was weak.) Even though it did capture the excitement, there was nothing journalistically special, nor was a personal story told. Fan reaction, is just that....fan reaction. It was a very good effort and shot well, but "Kitty Kitty" was the winner. This story involved real human (or pet) drama. It drew the judges in the most with a variety of emotions and story lines. It was driven by natural sounds, moments, and sound bites. It involved both "action" (trying to save pets) and "reaction" (joy and sorrow.) The videographer was given access and used it well. He (or she) captured the efforts of the vets and the helplessness of the pet owners. That is why the judges picked "Kitty Kitty" as the winner. It was the strongest journalistically and strong visually. However, it was not perfect technically. It did have a few unneeded and distracting slow motion shots and black and white shots. Effects can be distracting when they get in the way of reality. Good job otherwise.
