Zijje Cao proves design is not limited to drawings.

Zijie Cao, graduate student in architecture, won first place in the student category of the Society for Moving Images about the Built Environment [SMIBE], 2010 Short Film Competition.

“I think doing video is very special because it has time, it’s not the same of drawings or words, it adds something more and is very beneficial,” Cao said.

Cao’s two-minute video, “Ames Railway Corridor,” was selected from the top five student entries to receive the grand prize.

The film focused on the history and development of downtown Ames, and studied the railway corridor.

The film competition featured two categories: general and student. The judge’s panel was composed of artists, architects, designers and editors.

The panel judged video on the originality of story, effectiveness in expressing the “personal infrastructures” theme
 and the quality of execution to blend rigorous craft with intelligent storytelling.

First the judges picked five films from the student category out of the 208 total submissions. These five films moved on as finalists before deciding on a winner.

“Ames Railway Corridor” was selected among the finalist as the winning film.

Cao chose his topic because of the relationship between trains and community of Ames.

“It was interesting how the railway engages in peoples lives, the benefits it has and how people become accustomed to the railway,” Cao said.

The competition was not only a fun experience for Cao, but also a chance to learn about culture through the different films.

“I am really excited, I can‘t believe I won. But it is really good because a lot of people competed and I learned a lot so it was very helpful,” Cao said.

The hardest part of the project was creating a character to narrate the story.

“I have never done that before, writing stories wasn’t really my thing,” Cao said.

Submissions could be produced in any motion image medium, and were intended to enlighten and entertain with stories about infrastructure on a personal or public scale, according to the SMIBE website.

Cao, created the award winning video as part of an assignment in course titled Studio and Media I: Mapping, Programming and Building.

The assignment addressed the programming of a long-term project — the functional and intangible activities that happen in a space. Marwan Ghandour, associate dean of architecture, taught the class.

All of finalist videos will be screened at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, Los Angeles, Calif.; and the Graham Foundation, Chicago, Ill. The films will also be online.