Thanks to all who entered our fall digital contests

Thanks to all who entered our fall digital contests. We look forward to announcing winners, sharing feedback and using this process to help prepare for a rollout of our full online contest platform in early 2013.

Instructions for accessing the digital submission platform for uploading your contests were sent out via the FSPA listserv on Monday, Oct. 8. Email fspa@jou.ufl.edu if you did not receive them.

The submission deadline has passed.

So take a look at the prompts and get working on your entries! Participation in this round of contests is FREE — and we really want publications to enter and get familiar with our new online system.

Thanks for your patience and for all your do to support great scholastic journalism in the Sunshine State.

Each member publication may submit one entry per category.

NEW! Video Election Package — Write, shoot and edit a 2:30 max video package for your school that covers the 2012 election season. The specific angle of the package is at your discretion, but it should appeal to a campus audience. Do not include any look live pitches to or from anchors. Reporter track/stand-up should be included. Staging of any kind and copyrighted music and/or image is strictly prohibited.

NEW! Yearbook Student Life Spread (Coming of Age) — Everybody has them, and the birthdays in middle and high school are some of the most important of a person’s life. Create a student life spread with the theme “Coming of Age.”

NEW! Computer-drawn illustration — Your publication is running a story about the TV show Glee. Create an original computer-drawn illustration (max size: 8 x 10) to accompany the piece. The artist should include a 100-word statement explaining his/her inspiration.

NEW! Multimedia Event Coverage — Cover a single event through multiple forms of media (You must include at least two of the following: audio, video, text, photos and/or graphics). You will upload a single URL in which all of this content is hosted. A single event is defined as something that occurs on a single day or night. (“Homecoming” would not qualify, though the game on Friday OR dance on Saturday would.

Back to School Photo — A candid news or feature photo from the first day of school. This cannot be posed and must represent the start of a new school year. Should also include accurate caption information.

Freshman First Impressions Story — Tell the story of back-to-school through the eyes of one or several freshmen in a feature story of up to 600 words.

Bright House Sports Network is the exclusive sponsor of our sports video contest.

Sports Video Package — Write, shoot and edit a 2:30 max sports feature package for your school news program previewing a fall sports program. Highlights set to music are not considered a feature package. Do not include any look live pitches to or from anchors. Reporter track/stand-up should be included. Four team members maximum. Staging of any kind and copy-written music and/or images are strictly prohibited. Sponsored by Bright House Sports Network.

Literary Magazine Page — Create a single page (max size 10 x 12 inches) based on the word “Beginnings.” Your page can include artwork, poetry, prose or any other form.

Entries will be evaluated as All-Florida, Excellent, Honorable Mention or no award given. All judging will be done by out-of-state advisers or non-advisers/working professionals. Each entry will be evaluated on a 10-point scale using five specific criteria; and participants will also receive written feedback on their work.

To help acquaint users with the new digital system, all entries in this round of contests will be free to members. The full slate of contests will go live in January/February. This is a a test-run for that operation, so we strongly encourage you to participate.

Best of luck!