Calling Student Filmmakers: Make a Video and Win Cash

There is no question students at UMass Boston are creative. For the last two years, students have sung, danced, and even created beacon-like robots in their efforts to show why UMass Boston is special to them.

Now, for the third straight year, the My UMass Boston Student Video Contest will give students a chance to win cash by creating 30-second videos capturing their campus experiences. A panel of faculty and staff members will judge all eligible entries on overall quality, creativity, strength of the message/story presented, and quality of videography and editing.

This year, the UMass Boston community will also have a chance to vote for their favorites. Whoever receives the most “likes” on the UMass Boston YouTube channel by the end of the voting period will receive the People’s Choice award, worth $100.

Because a filmmaker could win the first place award and the People’s Choice award, this year winners can receive up to $500.

Cash prizes are as follows:
First place: $400
Second place: $300
Third place: $200
People’s Choice: $100

Senior Albert Chen came in third place the first year of the contest, and won the contest last year.

"The My UMass Boston video contest was a fun opportunity for me to share my unique perspective of UMass Boston with the world. The contest allowed me to share my story beyond words, through music and imagery," Chen says.

“There is no stronger tool than to give prospective students the opportunity to hear directly from current UMass Boston students. The My UMass Boston video contest gives our students a way to express themselves, and YouTube is the perfect platform for prospective students to take part in the process and learn about UMass Boston along the way,” Director of Undergraduate Admissions John Drew says.

The deadline to enter is Monday, April 23 at 5 p.m. Entries that use copyrighted music will be deemed ineligible. Eligible videos will be posted on YouTube on Tuesday, April 24. Online voting will be open until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 4. The winners will be announced at a pizza party in May.

To read more about the contest and the online voting component, and to download an entry form and copyright-free music, visit the My UMass Boston website. Anyone who has questions can contact myumassboston@umb.edu.