Five Regional Winners Will Go On to Compete for Statewide Prize
NASHVILLE – Two Knoxville teens will compete for the top prize in the Tennessee Department of Transportation's Between the Barrels Project Orange Video Contest. After tallying the online votes and judges scores, TDOT announced today that Shawn Steffey from Hardin Valley Academy and Kevin Tomczak from Farragut High School are the Knoxville Regional winners of the Project Orange Video Contest.
Steffey and Tomczak’s 25 second winning video entitled “Be” was chosen from among 7 video entries by students across the Knoxville region. The two teens used dramatic time lapse video and compelling dialogue to inform viewers with facts about work zone crashes and fatalities. Their video ends with, Be Smart, Be Safe, Between the Barrels. To view the video on YouTube go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbjSq_cEo8k
“A friend recalled hearing about the Between the Barrels video contest on the radio,” said Steffey. “I decided to enter because I love creating short films.”
The two teens are among five regional winners selected from competitions in the Tri-Cities, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis who will go on to compete for the statewide prize. The statewide winning video will be aired by TV stations across Tennessee beginning April 6 and the winning individual or team will receive up to five $500 gift certificates to Best Buy from the Tennessee Road Builders Association, up to five sets of Bridgestone tires and a spot in the 2009 Driver’s Edge Teen Safe Driving Program (
www.driversedge.com).
The Between the Barrels Project Orange Video Contest was launched in early January, allowing high school students across the state who wrote, filmed and edited a 25 second public service announcement on teen safe driving in work zones to submit their videos. Students then helped determine the winning videos by participating in online voting, which counts as 20% of the overall score.
“This has been a great opportunity for Tennessee high school students to not only showcase their talent and creativity, but also to possibly prevent future vehicle crashes in work zones,” said Christin Hayes, Between the Barrels Statewide Coordinator. “TDOT is extremely proud of the five regional winners, as well as all students across the state who submitted videos and have shown their support for the Between the Barrels program.”
The mission of the “Between the Barrels” program is to increase teen-age awareness of the importance of safety on the roadways, particularly in work zones. Since it was first launched in 2006, the “Between the Barrels” Program has been presented to more than 50,000 students in nearly 200 schools across the state. TDOT and THP volunteer instructors travel to high schools and present the program at no cost to schools, during one class period, in an assembly-type setting. The presentations include a power point, participation prizes, interactive activities including a remote-control work zone simulation, and two very powerful work zone safety videos producedspecific to Tennessee.
The Between the Barrels Project Orange Video Contest is sponsored by TDOT, Bridgestone Americas, The Tennessee Road Builders Association, and WCYB, WBIR, WTVC, WTVF and WREG television stations.
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For more information contact:
Julie Oaks
TDOT Public Information Officer
615-741-9930
Julie.A.Oaks@tn.gov