During January 2025, McKinley’s High School Tiger Media Learning Center students participated in the SHOOTS Summit, a three day event held at Moanalua High School. There were over 687 total participants at the event including 12 students from McKinley High School, nine from Tiger Media Productions (TMP) pathway and three from Graphic Tech. MHS entered in the Personal Vlog, Silent Film, Music Video, Weather Report, Double Spread Layout and Marketing Design Team and got 2nd place for Silent Film and 1st Place in Weather Report.

The SHOOTS Summit is a media contest and conference organized by Hawaii Creative Media, a group of video production teachers, in collaboration with the Hawaii State Department of Education, as well as HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai’i and Olelo Community Television. This year marks the third year McKinley High School has participated in the SHOOTS Summit. Mara Kaizawa, the adviser of Tiger Media Productions, said this year’s SHOOTS Summit was larger than last year’s, and Moanalua High School Performing Arts Center maxed out its capacity when the event was held. A school from Texas also joined this year’s SHOOTS Summit, turning it into a national competition for the first time.

In the competition, teachers and advisers are not allowed to assist students in any way except for answering technical questions and acting in videos for students from other schools. Kaizawa said watching her students was both exciting and nerve-wracking, because they got a chance to showcase the design skills they acquired, Kaizawa said one of the groups she was watching submitted their work with only 15 seconds left on the clock.

“That was also very nerve-wracking,” Kaizawa said. “I didn’t know if they would make it in time or not but they were able to submit it, so that was good.”

The day of the event consisted of an introduction ceremony for the schools. The first day and following day students were given a set amount of times to complete their category, using their given prompt. The categories TMP students competed in were Music Video, Personal Vlog, Silent Film and Weather Report. Graphic Tech students competed in the Double Spread Layout and Marketing Design Team categories. For students not competing in their category at the time, they got to participate in guest lectures and learn from professionals in different fields relating to film or graphic design.

Devan Coloma and Cheska Orias (both c/o 2026) competed in the Double Spread Layout category. Coloma was in charge of designing the layout and making graphics for it, while Orias took the photos and wrote the captions. Both of their first times competing in the SHOOTS Summit.

“[Lacy Solis, graphic art teacher] said we would be getting there for free, as the original cost is around $70 dollars to enter,” Coloma said. “Since it was free I could gain more experience in graphic design, overcome challenges and work with other people.”

Coloma said they took the theme which was “SHOOTS Summit” and put different components of film and design into the layout, making it look like it would be part of a yearbook. It was formatted like a storyboard, as on the right side had pictures of participating TMLC students with their experiences, and next it was various pictures of activities happening during the event. Despite not placing, Coloma was still happy.

“There could be a lot more changes, but I’m happy we submitted it.”

Coloma said if given the chance, he would participate again, also adding that if there is an opportunity to do something people should do it.

“Despite the stress it was really fun,” Coloma said. “There’s just something about stressing out with friends that makes it enjoyable.”

Jacqueline Gaoteote, Lily Vanairsdale and Vaimoana Langi (all c/o 2025) competed in the Silent Film category placing 2nd place. Gaoteote said it was a great opportunity to add to her portfolio before she graduates and time to make some memories.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity, so I would take any category [if I competed again,]” she said. 

Gaoteote said since she and her team competed at a different high school, it was a foreign setting for them as they had to come up with things on the spot. The theme for the Silent Film category being “So Ono,” Gaoteote and her team had to use the food brought by Kaizawa. Needing more props her team went to the concession stand to get a tray, while also making a sign and faking a mustache with paper and markers.

“We tried to see if we could film in the kitchen, but it was off limits, so we had to improvise,” Gaotetoe said. “We just opened the door to show her [the actor] exit the kitchen.”

Gaoteote said she felt really good about the event overall and grateful for Bob Morikuni, athletic director at MHS, for driving them to and back from the competition and enjoyed going as a group to the competition.

“This was a good opportunity to set a tone for later because I do want to grow in this career,” Gaoteote said.

Elven “Nev” Truong and Carissa Anne Ulep (both c/o 2025) competed in the Weather Report category placing 1st place during the awards ceremony.

“The moment the [announcer] said ‘Home of the Tigers’, we knew we won,” Truong said.

Truong said Ulep was mainly in front of the camera as the actor, with himself as the editor working the graphics. He said he only

had to do one take of Ulep talking about the weather, and he relied heavily on the graphics during the editing. 

“It was difficult trying to figure out how to make some of the graphics,” Truong said. “We had a time limit and it made it [harder] to try to figure it out.”

Throughout the entire process Truong enjoyed working with Ulep, along with the awards ceremony being a welcoming experience where everyone got along; despite it being in the morning there was a lot of energy going around.

“If you have opportunity to [do the SHOOTS Summit] you should use it to your full potential,” Truong said.

Kaizawa said most students were competing in the SHOOTS Summit for the first time, and said participating made students reexamine the way that they created and executed their designs. Kaizawa also said she noticed that her students who placed in the competition approached their work in a new perspective afterwards, and their victories encouraged them to strive higher.

“To know that you made something that took first, second or third in the entire state, that’s a confidence booster,” said Kaizawa.