2024 Middle School Winners

Benjamin Kurian is in the 8th grade at Olentangy Liberty Middle School in Powell, Ohio. He has earned top placements in the World of 8 Billion since his first time entering the contest in 6th grade. He continues to participate because he believes it is a great experience to research a topic, create a video, write a script, and experiment with creative editing. This year, he wanted to make a video on invasive species because it was a topic that he wasn’t as familiar with. Through the process, Benjamin uncovered a lot of new information about invasive species and how they impact our ecosystems. He was aware of the concept of tagging animals, but as he dove into the research, he uncovered how this innovative solution can provide more information about the lives of invasive species.

Throughout his participation in the contest Benjamin realized that population growth can affect nearly all areas of life, and he was driven to use new technology and creativity to spread his message. He first started working with video editing during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been steadily building his skillset. This year, he created his video using computer-generated imagery (CGI) with a free, open-source animation software called Blender. Using online videos, he taught himself how to use this new style of video creation. He learned to make and render fish, water movements, and other special effects, which he really enjoyed. As always, Benjamin said it was a challenge to concisely fit all information he wanted to share into a one-minute video.

Besides being a filmmaker, Benjamin is also a talented multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer. He has been playing the piano for ten years and also practices the violin, drums, and bass guitar. He enjoys playing music with his brother, Alex, composing music for quartets or string orchestras, and creating soundtracks for other video projects. His projects have won top prizes in C-SPAN’s student film contest, and was most recently awarded second place for his video “Who Do I Want to Be?” about the disconnect between students’ career aspirations and industry needs. Benjamin’s advice to future participants is to “always put 110% effort in and go the extra mile,” even when parts of the process get tedious, like the animation. As all of his videos so far have been shot on an iPhone, he is excited to use his prize money towards new film and recording equipment. You can view more of Benjamin’s work on his website.