Video Editing

This division recognizes visual journalists who, working through the medium of video, tell stories that are relevant to their communities, helping them understand trends and issues to make informed decisions. Judges will look at the unique role of the editing process in the production of visual stories. Judges will look at the technical excellence of the final product. Still, the critical factor will be the journalism demonstrated and the audience’s ability to understand the story and how it relates to them. 

The Video Editing division is open to anyone in a storytelling environment (Broadcast, Newspaper, Digital Newsroom, etc.). Please read the descriptions carefully. This contest focuses on the craft of video editing. 

Entries in this category are primarily made by individual journalists, except for the team category. Entries in this division are segmented into two categories, Editor and Solo Video Photojournalist.

  • A Solo Video Photojournalist. is someone that primarily works alone and produces nearly all their stories as a one-person-journalist. All entrants must have filmed 90% of the video and be the sole editor.
  • An Editor is someone who crafts the story in the edit and is solely responsible for every action in the edit. For these categories it does not matter who filmed the video; we only judge the craft of editing.

There is a limit of four entries per category in each individual story category in the Video Editing division per individual contestant. Compilation categories count as a single entry.

Any individual can submit an entry to the NPPA Video Editor of the Year Award.

One significant change you should note: If the entrant’s name is mentioned in the story entry, you can leave it in. For example, if the reporter says, “With photographer John Doe…,” the photographer’s name does not have to be edited out of the entry. 

You are highly encouraged to write up a summary of your entries and, in some categories, this is mandatory. 

Please refer to the Guidelines section of the competition website for more details, and contact [email protected] for more information or questions about the contest.

Team Edit

This category is for a team of editors producing an entry. This would be ideal for a team assignment or a documentary in which multiple editors contributed significantly to the entry. Stories may be hard or soft for this category. Your submission must include a writeup explaining how you worked as a team on the edit. Entries may be of any length.

Social Edit

A story specially edited and formatted for viewing on social media and not meant for broadcast. Your submission must include a writeup explaining why this edit is primarily for social channels. Entries must be 90 seconds or shorter. 

Bumps/Teases/Pre-Show Edit

This category should demonstrate your ability to tease a story or a show. You can enter one element or a combination of tease elements; however, they must all tease the same story or show. This category is for teases and not stories. Entries must be three minutes or shorter. 

Deadline Edit

A deadline story is a news story (for example: feature, hard news, investigative) edited in less than 1 hour.  The clock begins for this category when you place your first edit on the timeline, not when you first ingest media. The emphasis of judging is on storytelling elements (sequencing, natural sound, etc.), though judges will look for creativity as well. Entries must be three minutes or shorter. 

  • Editor
  • Solo Video Photojournalist

General Hard News Edit

A timely, serious news story (not soft or humorous) that covers a planned or unplanned news event, an issue, or person or topic of general interest and importance. Follow-ups or sidebars to spot news are eligible. General news stories should contain no music, except when it’s part of the story’s natural sound. Stories must be filmed, edited and broadcast within 24 consecutive hours. Entries must be five minutes or shorter. 

  • Editor
  • Solo Video Photojournalist

General Soft News Edit

A timely news story, soft or humorous, covering a planned or unplanned news event, an issue, or person, or topic of general interest and importance. It can be a follow-up or sidebar to spot news. General news stories should contain no music, except where it’s part of the story. Entries must be five minutes or shorter. 

  • Editor
  • Solo Video Photojournalist

Hard Feature Edit

Hard Features are stories that are serious (not soft or humorous). The photojournalist puts considerable time and effort into the production of the story. Features that score highly show imagination and creativity. Entries must be ten minutes or shorter. 

  • Editor
  • Solo Video Photojournalist

Soft Feature Edit

A news story, sensitive or humorous, appeals to the viewer’s emotional side, and the photojournalist puts considerable time and effort into producing the story. Features that score highly show imagination and creativity. 

  • Editor
  • Solo Video Photojournalist

Hard Photo Essay Edit

A news story demonstrating exceptional use of natural sound, sound bites, sound effects, and/or music. Stories in this category are serious (not soft or humorous). Stories with any narrative are not allowed in this category. Entries must be ten minutes or shorter. 

Soft Photo Essay Edit

A news story demonstrating exceptional use of natural sound, sound bites, sound effects, and/or music. Stories in this category should be light-hearted, upbeat with a general overall happiness feel. Stories with any narration are not allowed in this category. Entries must be ten minutes or shorter. 

Sports Edit

Any feature story about participants/athletes or those involved or interested in a sport or sporting event. Does not need to focus on the outcome of the game. The spirit of this category is to encourage stories about the emotional side of sports, not focused on the competition itself, highlights or postgame soundbites. Entrants should make an effort to avoid stories that aren’t really about the sporting event itself. Entries must be ten minutes or shorter. 

Investigative Edit

An Investigative story covers a single news story that demonstrates how an editor enhances journalistic enterprise on an important issue. It may be divided into a series aired/broadcast successive days. If so, edit the individual parts together, leaving five seconds of black between each piece. Entries must be thirty minutes or shorter. 

Effects Edit

A Story entered into this category must show how an editor uses effects to materially enhance a story.  This could be as simple as using wipes or as complicated as creating animations with another program such as After Effects or Motion. The best entries will have a seamless integration between these elements and the rest of the edit that enhances the overall story. Simply adding graphics to a story is not enough for this category. Your submission must include a writeup notifying judges of all elements you did not produce, especially if you’re using templates to achieve a particular effect. Entries must be ten minutes or shorter. 

Editor of the Year

This award recognizes an individual’s high level of skill and professionalism across multiple categories.

Anyone who enters at least six of the individual categories (including categories which must be included in the reel noted below) is eligible for Editor of the Year. Judges reserve the right not to watch a compilation in its entirety if they have already reviewed  the submitted stories in their individual categories. 

There is a limit of 4 entries in each of the individual categories, but for the EOY composite, a maximum of two per category may be used, in the following order:

  1. Bumps/Teases/Pre-Show Edit
  2. Under Deadline Edit
  3. General Hard News Edit
  4. General Soft News Edit

The remaining two to four entries in a composite reel should consist of at least  one entry per category, from any two to four of the following categories as required to reach a total of six entries in the composite reel: 

  1. Social Edit
  2. Hard Feature Edit
  3. Soft Feature Edit
  4. Hard Photo Essay Edit 
  5. Soft Photo Essay Edit
  6. Sports Edit
  7. Investigative Edit
  8. Effects Edit

Stories must be entered under the same categories they were submitted as single entries, e.g. a Sports Edit single entry may not be submitted as a Soft Feature Edit in your EOY portfolio. Failure to follow this rule will result in disqualification.