Digital Story Fest FAQs

Download this information as an accessible pdf.

The Basics

Submitting

The Scholarships

Attending the Fest

For Staff/Faculty

For Transferring Students or Students of MSU and UCD

Contact Us

The Basics

What is the Digital Story Fest? When is it?

The Digital Story Fest is the College’s annual “film festival” that celebrates the work in digital storytelling of its students, staff, and faculty. This year marks the 10th annual event and the second in-person event since the start of COVID-19.

The event takes place on May 4, 2023, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. MST in the Confluence Assembly Room. Please come early to grab popcorn and take a photo on the red carpet!

What is a digital story? How do I create and edit one?

Digital storytelling is the use of computer-based tools to create an edited video that tells a story. Digital stories are used when a person's voice and experience are just as important as the focus of the story.

We explain the process of making a digital story in documents found here. As a CCD community member, you also have access to one-on-one support from our Digital Zone coaches during our hours of operation, listed at ccd.edu/excel.

What should my video/digital story be about?

This year, we are welcoming all digital stories between 1-5* minutes in length that tell a story. Instead of categories, we encourage participants to consider our theme: Origins. The connection between a submitted video and the theme “origins” can be subtle or strong, depending on the interest of the participant. The stronger the connection, the better the digital story will tie into a unified program with other stories exploring the same idea. The five scholarships of $850 each will be awarded to the student videos that achieve the top five highest scores on the rubric.

Sometimes people know exactly what video they want to submit. Perhaps it was a school assignment. Perhaps it was a personal story they created for their friends and family. And sometimes people need a little inspiration. For those in need of inspiration, we offer the following excellent examples of the variety and style of past digital storytelling participants:

*The Digital Zone may consider stories longer than 5 minutes if the content remains compelling throughout and requires the extended duration to provide maximum impact to the audience.

Who can help me make a digital story and submit it to the DSF?

Digital Zone coaches can! You can find them in Confluence room 414 along with open computers to use. The Digital Zone offers free one-on-one digital storytelling support with walk-ins or online scheduled appointments.

Submitting

Does my digital story have to be professional-looking?

Many students tell us they worry their digital stories aren’t strong enough to win a scholarship. This is a festival to celebrate the work of students who are not production professionals. We encourage every student who has made a digital story to submit it.

There is no risk in submitting, only in not submitting and losing the chance to win an $850 scholarship!

How do I submit to the Digital Story Fest?

You can click here to be taken directly to the Submission Form. You can also find the link from the CCD Digital Storytelling Webpage and scroll down to the bottom of the page. From there, you can click on the Purple Box labeled “Submit Your Digital Story!”. All you need is the link to your digital story.

How do I find the CCD photo release form?

The photo release form is embedded in the submission form for the Digital Story Fest. By signing the form, you successfully fill out the release required to have your story screened at the event. If you need the release form for other purposes, it can be found at this link.

What is closed captioning, and why do I need it?

Closed captioning is the text version of the spoken part of a television, movie, or computer presentation. Closed captioning was developed to aid hearing-impaired people, but it's useful for a variety of situations, including second language learners.

At the heart of the Digital Story Fest is the consideration of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In the summer of 2021, the Digital Zone team decided to request closed captioning to submissions to make the event more accessible and inclusive.

Where did the categories go, and why is there now a theme?

In Fall 2022, the Digital Zone assessed the data of the past two years of Digital Story Fest submissions. We became aware that the categories were creating inequities in the scoring of each submission. Students did not have an equal chance to win a scholarship depending on the category in which they submitted, and only a few of the top scoring videos were receiving the scholarships.

For many, the categories served as a reminder of the use of digital storytelling in all academic disciplines. They also served to inspire students with topic ideas. Therefore, we decided a theme would replace the inspiration and help tie the program together as a curated experience for our audience.

Can I submit my digital storytelling assignment from class to the Digital Story Fest?

Yes, if it is between one (1) and five (5) minutes long and a digital story. Videos that are a few minutes longer as the result of the assignment requirements may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Digital stories have a narrative element; they tell a story. We celebrate your use of video in the classroom all year long, but the Digital Story Fest is reserved to celebrate only digital stories rather than non-narrative videos. Recorded PowerPoint presentations do not qualify as a digital stories, often due to their structure and lack of editing tool use.

Can I reuse a digital story I submitted for another scholarship? Can I submit a digital story made last year (or earlier)?

If your video was made since the last Digital Story Fest (May 5, 2022) and tells a story, we encourage you to submit your digital story. Any videos made later than last year’s event are not eligible.

When is my submission due?

For the Digital Story Fest 2022, the last submission will be accepted by 8:00 a.m. MST on Monday May 1, 2022. We encourage you to submit as soon as you are ready and not wait until the day it is due. Early applicants receive special perks during the in-person event.

What criteria are being used to judge submissions?

Each judge is given a rubric to use for judging submissions eligible for scholarships, which you can find in the documents listed here. Judging criteria includes:

  • Clarity of Content: The content of digital stories should be clear/purposeful and reflect a deep knowledge of or commitment to the subject matter.
  • Originality of Content: The content reflects originality either in the choices of subject matter, the approach to the subject matter, or the tools used to tell a story about the subject matter. The content provides an interesting glimpse into the mind or the imagination of the creator.
  • Video Production: Applicants edit videos that optimize the use of tools to create cohesive digital stories.
  • Visuals: Visual content (such as photos, videos, animation, and graphics) supports the message of the film and adds layers of meaning.
  • Audio: Audio content (such as music, voiceovers, and sound effects) should add layers of meaning to the video’s message, create tone, and engage the viewer.
  • Credits: Proper attribution of work is given, including credit for on and off-camera work, as well as resources utilized in the digital story to establish academic integrity and validity of work

The Scholarships

What is the difference between the Biannual Digital Storytelling scholarship and the Digital Story Fest?

The Digital Storytelling scholarship happens in the Fall and Spring terms and awards up to two CCD students $500. These digital stories are only seen by the reviewing committee. They also list prompts that can be used to inspire the content of the video. For this reason, the rubric for this scholarship is a little different.

The Digital Story Fest is an annual event that offers five scholarships of $850 for each winner of a category. These digital stories are screened for the event’s audience and sometimes shared online in perpetuity.

Who is eligible for the Digital Story Fest scholarship?

Current CCD Students are eligible to win DSF scholarships. Transfer students, graduating students, concurrent students, staff, or faculty members are not eligible for DSF scholarships but may be recognized with screenings in the festival. Students need a current (Spring) or future (Summer) balance at CCD in order to accept the scholarship award.

If I win, how and when will I receive the scholarship? Is it a cash scholarship or only for school fees?

The winners of each scholarship will be announced on May 4th, and the scholarship will be issued by Financial Aid within the week following the event. It is not a cash scholarship; it is award money added to your Financial Aid package or outstanding balance for Spring or Summer term enrollment.

Can group video projects split award money? In any amount?

Digital stories made by a group (of four or fewer contributors) will be submitted by one person but must clarify (via email to ccd.excel@ccd.edu) the names and S# of the other student(s) who should split any scholarship money, if awarded. This must take place by the submission deadline of May 1, 2023 at 8 a.m. MST. Any splitting of scholarship award money will be in equal parts and only to students eligible for this scholarship.

Are there examples of digital stories I can watch?

Yes! Digital story examples can be found from clicking here. The link will take you to the Featured Videos section of the Digital Storytelling page on CCD’s website where you can see past winners and other exemplary digital stories.

Do I have to attend the festival to be eligible to win the scholarship?

You are encouraged to attend the festival to see your work on the big screen, but it is not required to be eligible to win the scholarship.

Can I apply multiple times to the DSF?

Each digital story you make can only be submitted once to the Digital Story Fest. If you have multiple digital stories to submit, you can fill out the submission form for each one. There is no limit to the number of videos a student can submit; however, each video must adhere to the expectations listed above to be eligible for consideration.

Is it possible to win multiple scholarships in the same year?

Students are only eligible to win one scholarship per Digital Story Fest. They can submit multiple times to increase their chances of earning a scholarship. Their highest scoring video will be considered for a scholarship.

Attending the Fest

How to watch the Story Festival?

The Digital Story Fest 2023 will be an in-person event for any community member to attend. A livestream may be available as the result of a collaboration with broadcasting students on campus. Any livestream information will be made available on the event page..

Will the event be recorded and accessible online afterward?

Portions of the event will be recorded and uploaded later on our featured videos page.

Who can come to the festival?

Anyone! We hope to see all the applicants who submitted to the Digital Story Fest as well as any friends, family, faculty, and staff.

Does it cost anything?

The event is completely free to attend! There is no entrance fee, no popcorn fee, or any other fee associated with attending.

Can I bring food?

We will have fresh popcorn available for free for those attending the event. If you would like to bring your own food, we request that it does not disrupt the event or other attendees.

What is the dress code for the event?

Come as you are, but if you would like to wear fancier clothing, be our guest! We will have a red carpet with a photo backdrop in the lobby, and we know you will look great in whatever [school-appropriate] outfit you decide to wear!

Do I need to RSVP to attend, or can I just show up?

We encourage you to RSVP to help us anticipate the number of people in attendance, but you may also just show up and be welcomed. RSVP information will be found on the event page closer to the event date.

For Staff/Faculty

Can CCD faculty/staff submit videos to the DSF?

Yes, they can! Faculty and staff are not eligible for scholarship-earning categories, but we want to celebrate the culture of digital storytelling across our community. That includes the work of faculty and staff.

Faculty and staff are also welcomed to receive digital storytelling professional development throughout the year through the Digital Zone. Sign up through the TLC’s Workshops on Demand form and schedule your first training today!

For Transferring Students or Students of MSU and UCD

Can MSU and UCD students submit digital stories?

We welcome and recognize that MSU and UCD students can make digital stories, too. If the videos submitted meeting the above requirements and score highly on the rubric, they may be screened within the program for special recognition. These students are not eligible for scholarships.

Contact Us

Who do I contact for more information about submitting my digital story?

You can contact ccd.excel@ccd.edu for questions about the Digital Story Fest and submitting a story. You can also visit Confluence building room 414 and meet with a Digital Zone coach to get information or help to submit your story.

Who do I contact for accommodations?

You can contact ccd.excel@ccd.edu for all accommodation requests. We ask that you contact us via email by April 14, 2023 to give us the best chance of fulfilling that request.

Who do I contact for support creating my digital story?

Digital Zone coaches can support you from start to finish on your digital story at Confluence room 414 during our hours of operation posted on the EXCEL page.