The 2018 digitalswitzerland video competition is open: Prepare your smartphones and ideas!

Smartphones are often the first entry into the digital world, providing entertainment, communication and information. Whereas the written word dominated much of the twentieth century, images are now the main force. Take a look round wherever you are and you will see people on their phones – talking, listening, watching. At the same time, phones allow unbelievable digital creativity, using different apps.

Films prompt reality

Apple’s smartphone made headlines for the critically praised feature-length film, Tangerine, filmed entirely with the mobile device. In turn, director Steven Spielberg consulted with a team of futurists including computer scientists, philosophers, artists and architects to create the high-tech world in the year 2054 for sci-fi blockbuster Minority Report. The movie, released in 2002, creatively portrayed and accurately predicted several technologies, including multi-touch interfaces, retina scanners and crime prediction software. The movie inspired many entrepreneurs to develop new technologies based on the film’s vision. Such is the power of film!

This is why in 2017 digitalswitzerland, in partnership with LerNetz, launched a video competition for the national Digital Day. Last year, it was largely successful in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, with celebrities like Bastian Baker and Fabian Cancellara involved in the prize-giving. Schools in Sargans, Küsnacht and St Gallen were among the winners.

What does a playground 4.0 look like?

In 2018, we are running the competition again and are aiming for more schools in more regions of Switzerland. The theme this year is centred on what a digitalised playground (“playground 4.0”) looks like. Children and teenagers in primary, secondary I and secondary II can enter the competition alone or with their class. The idea is to produce a 90-second film, using a smartphone, with a vision of what a playground 4.0 may look like. Will it be completely connected? Will children spend all their time on SnapChat and Whats App? Will future playgrounds be no wifi zones?  A jury composed of teachers, teachers’ representatives and business executives will judge the films.

Pedagogic prizes

The first prize for all levels will be a CHF 2’000 cash prize. Other prizes include a workshop on computational thinking, and different guided visits such as to the Museum of Digital Arts in Zurich. The competition will close on September 30th and prizes will be attributed on Digital Day, October 25th.

Digital Day October 25th

Under the claim “Experiencing digital together”, the second edition of the national event will be the day to learn, try out and think of how new technologies are used today. Education, robotics, virtual reality, cybersecurity, eHealth and other hot topics will be presented and discussed in various locations throughout Switzerland. A great opportunity to understand that digitalisation is not a “Minority Report”.

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