CMU-Q student creates two winning videos for Snapchat contest

Over the winter break, Reem Al-Haddad, a junior in the Information Systems Program at CMU-Q, learned about a Snapchat video contest hosted by social media icon Mohammad Al-Dosari. She used her imagination and technical knowledge to create two videos. The videos, which star her younger siblings, tied for first place in the contest.

How did you find out about the competition?

My brother watches Mohammad Al-Dosari on Snapchat and since he knows I like filming, he told me about the contest. The competition was to film a short funny commercial for Al-Dosari’s new product, a snack called “Dr. Puffs.”

How did you get your ideas?

The fishing idea just came to my mind. I chose Souq Al Wakra to film the video, which shows a little boy and girl attempting to catch fish from the sea. The girl was not successful, but the boy was catching many. The secret is that the boy was using Dr. Puffs as bait.

My second idea was “Qatari Mario,” with a little boy moving through different levels around Doha and collecting Dr. Puffs. I created a storyboard and on the filming day, I went to the Corniche, Souq Waqif, and Msheireb. In the end, the boy wakes up and all the puffs he collected fall on the floor.

How did you learn you had won?

In the first round, Al-Dosari used an Instagram poll to eliminate 20 videos, leaving only seven. Out of the seven, two were my videos. For the final round, he started a live video on Instagram. When he totaled up all the scores from the judges, my videos tied for first place. He had no idea that the two videos came from the same person.

Where did you learn how to make a film?

It started when I was younger, and I used to film my sibling to produce mini-series and fun videos. It was mainly self-taught but last semester I took a film micro course with a professor from Pittsburgh. He taught us how to do film animation in Photoshop. I was amazed to know about such a feature, which I applied in one of my winning videos.

Do you use your creativity and love of film making in your courses?

I love filming and I can use that in almost everything I do. For example, in freshman year, I took a course where each group had to choose one technology and make a video about how to use this technology.
That was the first time I filmed for CMU-Q and the topic was facial recognition. I gathered people in the walkway to show how this technology is implemented in airports.

More recently I took the web accessibility course, where we had to design websites for disabled people. It gave me the idea to make a video on how autistic people use websites and how bad websites affect them.

What would you say to prospective students who want to know if they can express their creative side at CMU-Q? 

This is especially true in the design courses in information systems. Also, participating in clubs helps you explore creativity. I’m president of the Carnigraphy Club that does Arabic calligraphy, and I am also involved in the Art Club.

There are many courses that give bonus and extra credit related to art, which allows you to express yourself and be creative. This is especially true in psychology courses and design courses in Information Systems. Also, participating in clubs helps you explore creativity. I’m president of the Carnigraphy Club (@carnigraphy) that teaches students Arabic calligraphy, and I am also involved in the Art Club. I encourage students to show off their creativity wherever they can as this adds to their university experience.

Reem Al-Haddad will be teaching a StuCo (Student College) course on mobile filming in fall 2020.