IM—IT

 

Information Systems Student Video Competition—Win $1,000!

Sponsored by the Association for Information Systems (AIS)

The ‘I am IT’ (or simply I M IT) video competition is a fun, creative, and rewarding way for you to show current and future college students why Information Technology (IT)/Information Systems (IS) is a rewarding (both financially and intellectually) career choice.

 

To enter this competition, make a 2 to 5 minute video to be shared on YouTube and/or other media (My Space, Facebook, etc.) promoting why IT / IS is cool and why college students should consider majoring in and beginning a career in IT. The video should emphasize what you think IT/IS is; give examples of some of the interesting things that folks in IT/IS  do, what career options there are, what the salaries might be, etc. You can include examples of social networking, virtual worlds, and other cool technologies. Be creative, current and humorous!

 

Further Particulars

 

Submissions are accepted from individuals or groups (who will share the prize), and can use any commonly-recognized video format with good quality. This will rule out the use of cell-phone videos, but those from a reasonable-quality digital camera will work. We would prefer DVD quality (640x480) but creative quality will count for more than technical quality. For best results, use good lighting and avoid noisy locations. We encourage you to post a smaller version on YouTube. However, you will need to send us a link on your entry form and also send us the full-quality version either on physical media (DVD, CD, or flash drive) or through a service such as “Yousendit.com.” You do not have to sign up; you can send the file (up to 100 mb) right from Yousendit’s home page by filling out the form. Make sure the notice is sent to galletta@katz.pitt.edu (be sure to include both double consonants) and upload the file. We will acknowledge receipt. If you have used physical mail and want your media returned, please furnish a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope that will fit the media.

 

Language: We expect that the winning video will be shown mainly in English speaking countries, where the shortage of IS students appears to be most critical. Entrants should take this into account (e.g., English subtitles for non-English elements).

 

Software: No fancy software is needed. Just use your camcorder and hook it up to your computer by following your computer’s and camcorder’s instructions, and then you can edit the movie with free software such as iMovie (Mac OS x) or Windows Movie Maker (included in XP and Vista). You will find excellent prompts and help files, and a lot of help on line. For tips on how to make and upload a YouTube video, visit: http://www.youtube.com/t/howto_makevideo.

Need more encouragement to participate?  You can win some $$$. AIS, the premiere world-wide association of information systems faculty, will be giving out prize money for the best videos. First prize is $1,000; second prize is $500; third prize is $250 and there are four honorable mentions of $50 each.

 

You are encouraged to cite employment and other statistics that help make a good case. We have some materials posted at our enrollments wiki (http://enrollments.aisnet.org) that can serve as background information. Please note our new student brochure available on the wiki’s home page.

 

Videos should be uploaded to a web site, and instructions for entry and online application form can be found on this site (see buttons at the left). Entries are due no later than November 10, 2008. (note the new deadline)