Avid Creatively Empowers White House Student Film Festival Finalists from Claremont High School

Burlington, MA, 2016/11/23

Short film A Walk, created by students with Avid Media Composer, selected and screened in front of special guests at the White House event

Avid^® (Nasdaq: AVID) today recognizes the students from Claremont High School in Claremont, CA, who were named finalists in the third annual White House Student Film Festival in Washington, D.C. Students Ira Clark, Johnathan Abrolat and Christian Settles used Avid Media Composer^®, the industry’s preeminent editing system, to create A Walk, one of 13 finalists selected from more than 700 entries from across the country to be screened at the festival.

In partnership with the American Film Institute (AFI), the White House Student Film Festival was part of South By South Lawn, an outdoor event celebrating the arts and ideas in America. Special guests at the film’s screening included Modern Family star Ty Burrell, Emmy^® Award-nominated actress Alfre Woodard, Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown and Stranger Things creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer.

“Avid Media Composer is a sophisticated piece of software, able to handle projects of varying complexity with ease, all the while being very accessible even to high school film students,” said Clark. “It was a great surprise to be selected as a finalist and that the judges saw our true vision in our work and the talent that went into creating it.”

The students created A Walk, which sheds light on environmental issues that affect society, under the supervision of educator Sara Hills, who has taught video production at the school for the past three years. The course gives students hands-on experience in Avid’s comprehensive tools and workflow solutions powered by the most open, tightly integrated and efficient platform designed for media. Some of the same tools that powered the top 10 films of 2016, are used by Hills’ students. As an Avid Learning Partner, Claremont High School benefits from Avid’s cost-effective licensing options for educational institutions and has immersed its students in Avid curriculum, inspiring them to pursue future careers in the creative arts and enabling them to benefit from being part of Avid’s preeminent user community.

“Media Composer is the industry standard,” said Hills. “After attending AFI and having experience in the television and film industry, that's what everybody edits on. My goal in rebuilding the program here at Claremont was to give students the tools they can take into the workforce or college. The continuous support we’ve received from Avid has been phenomenal, and played a tremendous role in helping the program reach the next level. Avid’s partnership with next generation creatives is a true inspiration.”

“We’re honored that Claremont High School has chosen to teach its students Avid – preparing the next generation of story tellers,” said Jeff Rosica, Senior Vice President, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Avid. “Our flexible deployment and payment options are designed to allow anyone to tell their story – from industry professionals to high school students. We want to congratulate both the students and educators of Claremont for their achievement and for being a shining example of what’s possible.”