Southland pupils shine on screen

They may be younger than the Lord of the Rings movies but a group of Waihopai School pupils has impressed the Weta Workshop production team.

The school beat more than 400 entries to win the Supreme Weta Workshop prize at this year’s Movie and Digital Excellence (MADE) awards.

The year four children shot and edited their videos and images themselves using an iPad.

Teacher Linda Compton said the school’s pupils had been competing in the MADE competition forseveral years.

Waihopai School has won category prizes before but this was the first time a Southland school has won the overall prize.

‘‘It encourages them to be digital citizens,’’ Compton said.

Caitlin Crawford, 10, Olivia Thomas, 10, Grace McCleery Smith, 11, won Best Documentary years four to six and overall winner for Diabetes . . . a journey. The short film explores Caitlin’s journey with the illness and what it’s meant for her.

McCleery Smith and Thomas were responsible for shooting and editing the video. ‘‘It’s about how her life’s changed and how she can still do a lot of things,’’ McCleery Smith said.

Natalie Smith, 11, was chosen as the best young actress nationally for her sign language interpretation of the song My Hometown. Waihopai School’s adaptation of the Bruce Springsteen hit focuses on the Christchurch terror attack.

A third-year teaching student who’d been working at the school suggested they ‘‘sing’’ the song in sign language. Because sign language is his first language, Andrew Boutillier had been teaching the children at Waihopai School to sign.

He said people need to use their whole body to express the message they’re signing and it’s Smith’s ability to do this that won her the best actress award.

Matthew Carpenter, 10, and Lochie Payne, 11, placed third in the Most Powerful Digital Image category. Their entry was also inspired by sign language, with the letters for the word ‘‘sign language’’ place over the actual word.

The group travelled to Tauranga on Friday to receive their prizes during an awards ceremony at the Baycourt Theatre.

The MADE awards is an annual event that rewards the digital excellence of school-going children.

ROBYN EDIE/STUFF Waihopai School won big at this year’s Movies and Digital Excellence awards. From left are Natalie Smith (best actress), Lochie Payne (third place, most powerful image, pictured above), Olivia Thomas, Caitlin Crawford and Grace McCleery Smith (best documentary years four to six; and overall supreme winner).