For Students

Video Contest

2010 Video Contest

Sponsored by The Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation.

Prizes:

TOPIC:

The Nanny State: Is Government Regulation Threatening Your Personal Freedom?

Governments around the world sometimes react to recessions, external threats, and social inequities by implementing policies and regulations they claim will make us safer and more secure. Inevitably, in choosing this approach governments are also making trade-offs. Is your personal freedom under threat from these measures?

Some questions to think about:

• How do governments attempt to protect, govern or control individual behaviour?
• What are the intended and unintended economic, political, and social impacts of increased regulation and control? Who bears the costs, and who receives the benefits?
• Under what conditions does government have a role in protecting individuals?
• Under what conditions does government intervention make us less safe?
• At what point do restrictions encroach on personal choice? In what circumstances should they?

Some topics you may choose to consider:

• Public health interventions: state-provided health care, mandatory or government subsidized vaccinations, anti-smoking laws, prohibition of drugs and other substances etc.
• Safety restrictions: helmet laws, banning handheld cell phone use while driving, seatbelt laws, etc.
• Banned products: bottled water, junk food in vending machines at schools, BPA plastic, trans fats etc.
• Restricted freedom of expression: internet regulation or censorship, religious expression (e.g., avoiding the term ‘Merry Christmas,’ prohibiting nativity scenes or Christmas trees in public spaces) etc.
• This is not an exhaustive list – get creative with your video focus.
  

Videos may examine specific areas of regulation or address a broader scope of the effects on personal freedom and choice.

Application Rules:

Entries
Step 1: Video and Concept Paper
Deadline: November 30, 2010

Before you create your video, summarize your ideas in a concept paper. Your concept paper must include a focus statement, an approach statement and a brief description of the video’s storyline and timing (maximum one page), and will be compared with your completed video by our judges. (See our Student Guide for details.)

Then it’s time to get filming! Videos can be a maximum of 3 minutes long and must comply with all YouTube™ and legal guidelines.

Once your video has been posted to YouTube™, you must submit the URL and your concept paper using the online form. All submissions will receive a confirmation email, and you will then be asked to declare that you have full legal rights to all video content.

Step 2: Get Your Friends To Vote.
Viewer’s Choice voting begins as soon as your video is uploaded on YouTube™. The videos with the most "Likes" on December 15th, 2010 will win cash prizes of $750. In the event of a tie, the award will go to the video with the most views, so get your video posted early. Note: the number of “Dislikes” each video receives will not be considered in determining the Viewer’s Choice winner.

Eligibility:
The contest is open to students worldwide. A student is defined as someone who attended school in the 2009/2010 school year or is enrolled to attend in 2010/2011.

Submissions will be considered from secondary and post-secondary (undergraduate and graduate) students in all disciplines.

A secondary school student is defined as someone who attended secondary school in the 2009/2010 school year or is enrolled to attend in 2010/2011. Students completing secondary school in 2010 should enter in the secondary school category.

A post-secondary student is defined as a person who is enrolled in a post-secondary institution in the 2009/2010 school year or is enrolled to attend in 2010/2011.

Judging Criteria:

A panel of judges will determine the award winners based on originality, clear expression of ideas, production values (including lighting, focus, sound, graphics), quality of story, and understanding of the topic. Videos will also be assessed on their fulfillment of the concept paper.

General Rules

• Viewer’s Choice winners are not excluded from winning judged prizes.
• Team entries are allowed, however, only one prize will be awarded for each winning video.
• Limit of one entry per student or team.
• Entries will be accepted in English and French. 
• Finalists will be asked to submit a copy of their video on DVD or miniDV tape.
• Entries must comply with all YouTube™ and legal guidelines.
• All entries become of the property of The Fraser Institute. In addition to receiving cash and electronics prizes, winners may have their videos presented at Fraser Institute student events.
• Failure to follow these rules may lead to disqualification from the contest.
  

Need help getting started? Check out our Student Guide or our Teachers' Guide to the Video Contest.

For more information call: 1-800-665-3558 Ext. 569 or email lisa-diane.fortier@fraserinstitute.org.

Winners of the 2009 Video Contest

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 Student Video Contest, What is the Appropriate Role of the Government in the Economy?

View the winning videos.