The DoD Visual Information Production Awards are an initiative of the ASD(PA). The competition was created in 1998 as an outgrowth of DepSecDef Management Reform #9, which had to do with audiovisual materials created within the Department.

The principal purpose of the awards program is to recognize effective, purposeful use of the production medium, to include achievement of communication objectives and appropriate use of the potentially powerful – but relatively expensive -- information and training tool that the production represents.

The competition traditionally ran on an 18-month cycle, which is more appropriate than a 12-month cycle because of the typical pace of production creation and acquisition activity within DoD. The 2010-2011 competition will run on a 24 month cycle. This is the ninth competition. It is open to productions created between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011. Entries to the competition are submitted through Service run feeder programs using similar rules and objectives.

Titles compete in four principal categories – Training, Recruitment, Internal/Public Information, and Documentaries -- and can also win separate Creativity and Special Mention Awards. The title with the highest points total out of the four first place winners is automatically named “Production of the Year” and receives an additional award.

One award is presented for each winning title to the production activity that created the production. Only the first place and Production of the Year trophies are presented at the formal awards ceremony. The second place, third place, Creativity and Special Mention awards are sent to the responsible Component VI Management Office for distribution or presentation.

Entries are judged by a panel composed of professionals from local and national organizations with expertise in the fields of instructional design, media production and educational technology.

The entries are judged on a weighted scale on, in descending order of importance --

• Achievement of Purpose
• Appropriate Use of Medium
• Creativity and Originality
• Production Value, (for example: editing, lighting, writing, composition, and so on).