Bill Marsh video contest coming to conclusion

Public voting has come to an end on the Bill Marsh Video Scholarship Contest, and the top five finalists have been announced.
In the scholarship contest, students were challenged to create a video that told a captivating short story.

Bill Marsh placed the 15 submissions on its website, and for the past several weeks, the public has been able to visit the site and vote for his or her favorite film(s). On Oct. 28, the last day to vote, the top five films were Harold Kranick Jr. and Joseph Caraccio, both of Traverse City, Julia Ensign of Interlochen, Austin LaCount of East Jordan and Derek Malpass of Charlevoix.

The top five finalists will win scholarship money in varying amounts: first place will win $2,000, second and third place will both win $500 and fourth and fifth place will each win $250. Contest rules allowed the students to pick their own subject matter, but required that a new Bill Marsh vehicle be shown somewhere in the film and offered music from local musicians to use as a soundtrack. The response was varied.

“We had a couple of kidnappings, we had murder, we had a love story, we certainly had humor, we had a terrific Charlie Chaplin,” said Bill Marsh marketing director Michael Kent. “We saw some goofy things, we saw some serious things, but for the most part there was humor in the videos. Not all of them, but most of them had some kind of humor in it.

“We did not want (Bill Marsh) to be the cornerstone of the video. We didn’t want a commercial. We wanted them to tell a story. We wanted the kids to have some fun with it – and I think most of them did.”

“It’s a blast,” said Harold Kranick, Jr., a senior at St. Francis in Traverse City. “Our school counselor e-mailed me and my dad and suggested (participating). I also make homemade videos and I thought it wouldn’t hurt – it would give me a chance to work with others I haven’t worked with before. I knew right away that I wanted to use Charlie Chaplin. The most difficult thing was putting the whole thing together – the old-time movie, the old-time music, all that. I dress up like Charlie Chaplin for the TC Film Festival, for the Cherry Festival, for little parties here and there.”

For Traverse City West Senior High School student Joseph Caraccio and his team, it was not only fun, it was a class assignment.

“Our (video production) teacher asked us to do it. The scholarship money was an added bonus,” he said. “We worked on it for a month and a half in class, over an hour a day. It took three weeks to film, and the remainder of the time, which was another 15-20 hours, (we spent) editing, – getting the right shots and transitions. It took probably 40 hours.”

“There were some pretty good videos. All of them were good,” said Kranick, who spent two weekends filming and eight hours editing his video. “I’m more excited than surprised (to be a finalist).”

Caraccio’s group of four plans to split whatever scholarship money they win. Caraccio in particular plans to use his for college, but that’s not the only thing for which it can be used, Kent said.

“The intent is to advance their education. It doesn’t have to go to a college; if someone wanted to use it for (private high school tuition) or a trade school, that would be fine, too.”

Kranick plans to use his winnings for college tuition as well.

“I’m looking at going into broadcasting, specifically for radio. I’m also looking at the priesthood.”

All five finalist films will be screened at the State Theatre in downtown Traverse City on Friday, Nov. 4, said Kent.

The screening promises to be a special event, featuring not only the movies but coffee from Old Towne Coffee as well as snacks, Kent also said.

“The event is free and open to the public. We’d love to fill up (the State Theatre) and show support (to the finalists). They’re not all Traverse City; they’re around the area. One student submitted from Rockford. A lot of kids put a lot of effort into this. It was a fun project to work on; it was always meant to be fun for the kids. I’m anxious to see what happens at the final judging. We’ve got some good contestants. If the public wants to see the final contestants on the big screen, what better place to be?”

At the screening, judges (Traverse City producer Rich Brauer, TV 9&10 anchor Michelle Dunaway, nationally-known screenwriter and Traverse City Film Festival judge Rebecca Reynolds and Bill Marsh marketing director Mike Kent) will rank the five finalists’ films based on a specific set of qualifications.

“Judges will be asked to make their final determination based on quality of the story, quality of video, production techniques, effective use of music and the presence of a Bill Marsh vehicle in the film,” Kent said.

To watch the finalists’ short films or for details on the screening at the State Theatre, visit