Mike Humphries-The winning entry displayed good natural sound, shot selection and pacing throughout. The editing was tight, clean and felt seamless. While some entries were decidely flashier than this one, this editor made great storytelling choices that did not draw attention to themselves. "A New Home" is an outstanding example of a general news piece, with great nats and sequences throughout the story. "Girl Scout Cookies," a quieter companion piece to "A New Home" that deals with a returning Marine veteran's visit with a Brownie troop, is another great story with a well-cut interplay between the Marine and his young supporters.  Both of these stories typify the quality of work done by this editor.  An excellent entry.
The runner-up was also very, very good. The editor made good use of effects as storytelling tools without going overboard with them. The tension that the editor built up using slow motion and great shot selection during "Just a Matter of Time" was palpable -- although the judges were very disappointed that the second part of this story wasn't included in the entry! This editor's use of effects in "Red Light -- Green Light" also worked as very effective storytelling tools. Another very, very good entry.
The rest of the entries all displayed many good qualities. Each had at least one really good story. Most had several.  However, many of the entries suffered from an overuse of effects that didn't propel the story and, in some cases, really detracted from it. Many times less is more.

Stephanie Ottjepka-The stories in the winning entry were clean, the shot selection was intelligent, the effects were appropriate and non-distracting, the music was used sparingly, natural sound pacing was nice and variety was good.
The winning entry's under-deadline story was impressive. It had a nice beginning, with a surprise. The pacing with the natural sound was excellent and the overall story was told well.
The other story that really stood out was "Girl Scout Cookies." I loved the use of cutaways. The editor's choice of shots really made the story. The editor gave the story a certain emotional depth. This editor understands pacing and good shot selection.
The runner-up's entry also had a depth to it that was carried through the whole entry. I was very impressed with "Just a Matter of Time," the news feature. How many news teams can make a compelling story out of a phone
call? I had chills when I watched it and the tease at the end really had me hooked. That piece had magic. It really showed good editing skills.
All of the entries had strong stories, but only three entries had solid editing for every story. I saw many examples of effects used that did not advance the story, were distracting, and were not stylistic.
The finalists' tapes also had examples of creative shot selection to explain abstract concepts or to cover part of a story for which there was not obvious video. They did so with maturity, adhering to ethical standards and maintaining an appropriate style.