K so give everyone a Sony Handycam then. That's still miles better than that crap. Giving them a go pro (a tool that anyone can use out of the box) completely insults the years of learning that these filmers have regarding white balance, aperture, focus depth, etc. A good filmer knows how to get the best out of his gear, that's a big part of what separates them from the millions of GoPro wielding gapers.
Not to mention that audio accounts for a big chunk of the filmmaking process, something that the sony cam doesn't do well, really barely at all.
If want an editing contest, give them the same batch of stock footage, but don't cripple them filming wise by giving them a GoPro.