CCM Media Production students win 10 awards from NATAS Ohio Valley Chapter

CCM Media Production students win 10 awards from NATAS Ohio Valley Chapter

The awards recognize CCM Media Production student work in a variety of award categories

Media Production students from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music won 10 Student Production Awards from the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). Including the winning projects, CCM Media Production received 20 award nominations that span 12 categories from non-fiction and fiction to arts/entertainment and sports.

The videos were created and produced by CCM Media Production students, and also feature work by CCM Acting and Theatre Design and Production students as well as students and faculty from CCM Percussion. Some of the videos are available to watch via CCM's YouTube channel (see below).

"Receiving nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is a tremendous honor and testament to the quality education students are receiving in CCM Media Production," said Donald Hancock, Associate Professor of Film and Television Production. "Multiple projects that received nominations include collaborations with students in CCM Acting and CCM Theatre Design and Production, which is a major component of the project's success. Personally, as an advisor on numerous projects, I enjoy connecting the students and seeing their creativity shine."

"I know that this isn't possible without the support of my colleagues Joe Brackman, Kevin Burke, Drew Thomas and Melissa Godoy, who are intentional about providing critical feedback and resources," Hancock added. "As our program continues to grow, being recognized in this way supports that we're providing quality experiences for our students."

The NATAS Student Production Awards nominated CCM Media Production projects in the following categories:

Non-fiction - Short Form:

• WINNER "In Full Bloom - The Story of Jessica Dimon" | Kaitlyn Dankworth, director and editor
• "CCM Faculty Spotlight: Adam Goh, Percussion" | Seth Johnson, producer | WATCH
• "Artist Cody Gunningham" | Bryn Mosure, director; Brooke Paciolla, producer; Marcus Peterson, audio; Moses Foreman, videographer; Blake Freechtle, videographer

"Getting to work with Jessica Dimon and Bloom OTR was such an amazing experience that has helped me further understand my passion for media and how important sharing the stories of others truly is, said Kaitlyn Dankworth, director of "In Full Bloom." "Without the help of my faculty advisors and peers, this project wouldn't have been nearly as successful; thank you!"

Non-Fiction - Long Form:

• WINNER "BLINK: A Spotlight on CCM" | Annie Thompson, producer; Derek Stacy, producer | WATCH

Arts/Entertainment/Cultural Affairs or Music Video:

• WINNER "Knots" | Skye Wheeler, producer; Julez Schwartz, assistant director; Noah Anderson, videographer; Aidan Britton-Heitz, editor; Taylor DeBoo, gaffer
• "CCM Percussion Ensemble performs Katahj Copley's 'Astral Planes'" | Seth Johnson, producer | WATCH
• "softmaxplus" | Blake Freechtle, director, producer, videographer, editor; Nick Henderson, gaffer; Chengxi Li, assistant camera; Noah Anderson, camera operator

Fiction - Short Form:

• "Break In Up" | Gavin Arellano, director; Jackson Diol, videographer; Dylan Kondor, producer; Ben Kegg, grip; Sam Hopper, gaffer; Joel Berg, audio; Daniel Martinez, videographer; Patrick Comunale, PA, actor; Kiki Hellerman, PA, actor

Fiction - Long Form:

• WINNER "The Middle" | Megan Benzing, director; Aidan Britton-Heitz, videographer; Kamaryn Madry, producer; Tatiana Wallace, producer; Griffin Tierney, assistant director, Noah Anderson, editor; *This project also features CCM Acting students Miranda Myers and Gavin Elbert
• "Al Coda" | Logan Keller, director; Noah Anderson, videographer; Aidan Britton-Heitz, producer; Bobby Dean, editor; Ellie Bishop, assistant director; Claire Gundersen, composer; *This project also features CCM Acting student Carson Mehlbauer.

"As a senior whose first big project was my capstone short film, it was definitely a challenging start - but also an incredibly collaborative experience," says Megan Benzing, director of "The Middle." "Everyone involved brought passion and creativity, and I learned so much about production by working on set alongside such talented people. Having access to the Media Production division's video, audio and lighting equipment, along with the mentorship of my professors, gave me the real-world experience I needed to grow as a filmmaker. I'm truly grateful to be part of such a supportive community."

Sports Story, Sports Program or Live Sporting Event/Game:

• WINNER UC Women's Soccer vs Kansas St | Ethan Herzog, producer; Katie McDonie, director; Chase Younts, play-by-play; Alex Perez, color analyst

Public Service Announcement (PSA) or Commercial:

• "Roads, Rivers and Trails" | Nicholas Murphy, cinematographer; Aidan Britton-Heitz, director of photography

Audio/Sound:

• WINNER "Al Coda" | Haseeb Ahmad, post audio mixer; Joel Berg, production sound mixer; Hannes Elvström, score engineer; Claire Gundersen, composer

Director:

• WINNER "Al Coda" | Logan Keller, director
• "Knots" | Skye Wheeler, director

Editor:

• WINNER "Al Coda" | Bobby Dean, editor
• "Pining, Ohio" | Emma Underwood, editor; Chengxi Li, editor; Kimberly Dinh, editor; Taylor DeBoo, editor; Logan Myers, editor; *This project also features CCM Acting students Iris Shipley, Amanda Sant and Kiki Hellerman

Photographer:

• WINNER "Al Coda" | Noah Anderson, director of photography
• "Roads, Rivers and Trails" | Nicholas Murphy, cinematographer; Aidan Britton-Heitz, director of photography

Writer:

• "Merry Kegmas" | Aiden Harbaum, writer; *This project also features CCM Acting students Carson Mehlbauer and Lily Villaflor

About CCM Media Production

CCM's Media Production Division emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning that is student-centered, professionally relevant and focused on creative content development.

CCM Media Production is student centered with small class sizes and an innovative, flexible curriculum that reflects the dynamics of industry demands and student needs. CCM's Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Media Production features five curricular tracks, allowing students to specialize in:

• Audio
• Broadcast News
• Film and Television
• Multimedia
• Sports Media

Students in CCM's Media Production Division acquire the hands-on skills and digital portfolio necessary to transition successfully into the professional world. In addition to classwork, students are connected with professional internships that are integrated into the curriculum. The division's award-winning, full-time faculty has extensive professional media backgrounds that allow them to emphasize current professional media production tools and techniques while providing students with connections to the industry.

CCM also offers an Academic Minor in Media Production, which prepares students in the integrated media arts of film and digital cinema, television and broadcast media news, audio production and new media design.

Featured image at top: Behind the scenes of the making of "The Middle." Photo/provided.

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