Mike Humphries-"Where Are You?" deals with a man impatiently waiting for his girlfriend to arrive at a train station so he can propose to her. The editor was able to use great natural soundbites and "moments" to convey the suitor's initial frustration at the train's delay and, eventually, his joyful proposal (and her tearful acceptance). Good shot variety and clean editing made this a deserving 1st Place entry.

"Balcony Seat" was a very close 2nd Place story. The editor made great use of natural sound, a wide variety of shots and good story structure to introduce the viewer to a man with a ringside seat to the chaos of Denver drivers trying to negotiate a snowy hill below his apartment balcony. The story had a definite beginning, middle and end, and good storytelling decisions are evident throughout the piece.

A World War II bomber crewman finally comes home for burial in "Not Going to Forget." The editor was able to respectfully tell the story with excellent natural sound, shot selection and minimal dissolve effects. The caring and maturity of the editing made this a very solid piece.

Last-minute Halloween costume shoppers are the subject of "Slow News Day." The editor put together a tightly crafted story with good natural sound and shots throughout. In less capable hands, the two standups in the piece could've looked hokey, but the editor used just the right touch to make them work well.

The winning entries in this category really stood out from the crowd. Many of the other pieces let technique intrude on the story through the overuse of effects and clichéd choppy natural sound and quick edits. Many of the effects were simple in quality, but not in quantity. The winning entries showed restraint and maturity in the storytelling decisions made by the editors.

Stephanie Ottjepka-"Where Are You?" really drew you in to the anticipation, and it had nice moments. Many of the edits cut before the track or bite referenced them. An example would be the edit of the girl looking down before you hear "some people on top waiting." This kind of pacing and the shot selection set this piece above the rest.

"Balcony Seat" also had a nice feel to it. The pacing of the edits served the story. The edits were not fast and jarring, and I could really see what was going on. There were some real nice moments, like the guy yelling "What?!" and the window curtain closing.

"Not Going To Forget" told the story well. The dissolves worked, the use of stills were nice, and the natural sound sequencing did not distract from the story.

"Slow News Day" had good sequencing that helped convey the story. While I usually don't like playful standups, I thought the editing made them work. The double image was done real well.