Video production students won $800 in combined prize money at this summer’s OC Fair Film Festival.

Some of the projects were originally produced as mandatory music video assignments in Brian Devaney’s video production classes, who competed against each other for top honors in a schoolwide festival.

But Devaney, pleasantly surprised by how well “The Departure” music video and others turned out, urged his students, including Stallion alumni Brandon Scarpato, Riley Glenn (11), and Ryan Luxon (12), to enter the Saddleback Film Festival.

Unfortunately, the Saddleback Film Festival was canceled due to lack of funding, so Devaney mentioned the OC Fair as a possible venue and encouraged his students to submit their work.

At the fair, Scarpato and his fellow classmates won a prize for their music video, “The Departure” on Tuesday July 8th.

Scarpato, Glenn and Luxon competed against many other students for first place in both the “Music Video” and “11th/12th grade” category. After winning both categories they were eligible for the “Best in Show” award. To their surprise they not only won the award for best music video, but they also placed first in the “Best in Show” and “11th/12th grade” categories.

“It was a really great feeling to just have all of our hard work pay off,” said Luxon.

The overall message in “The Departure” is to always live life to the fullest and live for today.

Theirs was not the only honors claimed by Mane Event staffers. Ashley Benton (12), Mia Satterwhite (12), and Kelsey Shima (12) all won First Place, Juror’s Choice, and Best Cinematography for their PSA “Beautiful Inside and Out.”

Will D’Epaigner (12) won 3rd place for acting in his PSA “Through the Tunnel,” and Brandon Scarpato won 3rd place for his PSA “Texting & Driving.”