A silent video with two characters — one making good financial choices and the other spending without restraint — and a light-hearted piano soundtrack won Ruth Everett a $1,000 check in the short film competition organized by Utah Community Credit Union.
UCCU holds a yearly short film competition for students, letting them put in motion how they think they can Be Money Smart. The Grand Prize is $1,000 and fiscal superstardom.
Everett, a 13-year-old student of Mapleton Junior High, won this year’s short film competition. She described the process of making the film.
“I moulded the figures out of clay,” Everett said. “After that, I set up the sets and took pictures of them. Then I downloaded the pictures with the right length onto my computer. I ended it all when I edited it.”
Everett said she had known about the competition for three years and had never done anything about it. She said she did not think she could win the competition and the win came as a surprise to her.
Everett said anyone can win so long as they try no matter the age.
Judith Everett, Ruth’s mother, explained the general criteria of the competition.
“They look for three minutes or less videos and videos that teach children how to be smart with money,” the mother said. “The film must be on kids’ level because the maximum age is 18.”
Judith said that even though they brainstormed ideas, Ruth did the work on her own and spent about 10-15 hours on the project.
Kevin Banks, UCCU marketing manager, explained the essence of the competition.
“Utah Community Credit Union’s BeMoneySmart Short Film Competition is a program set up to facilitate financial literacy and the benefits it has on an individual and also a community level,” Banks told the Daily Herald. “UCCU received many entries and they were all well thought out and put together in a clear and creative manner. Ruth Everett’s 2011 Short Film Competition Grand Prize Winner film stood out due to its creativity and simplicity.”
According to the Daily Herald, Banks said Everett’s film is entertaining for adults and children because both groups are able to grasp the concept of saving money. UCCU has been holding the BeMoneySmart Short Film Competition for the last three years in an attempt to raise financial awareness and thrifty spending in Utah’s youth.
