BYU’s premier a cappella group recognized for best male collegiate album and best religious song in prestigious a cappella recording awards

On Friday, April 24, the College of Fine Arts and Communications hosts three convocation ceremonies in the de Jong Concert Hall to honor this year’s graduates. The first convocation ceremony honors graduates of the Department of Art and Department of Design and begins at 8:00 a.m. The speaker for the ceremony is Mark Graham, Professor of Art and Area Head, Art Education. Student of the departments of Dance, Music Dance Theater, Theater and Media Arts and the School of Music will be honored during the second convocation, which begins at 11:00 a.m. Kory Katseanes, director of the School of Music, is the keynote speaker. The final ceremony commences at 2:00 p.m. and the keynote speaker is Dr. Ed Adams. This convocation also marks the first for the new School of Communications. The Department of Communications recently achieved school status and was renamed the School of Communications. Associate Dean Dr. Ed Carter is delighted to be part of this historic event and hopes that students will remember the people that have made the new school possible. “The School of Communications has a bright future,” said Carter. This first convocation under the label of School gives students, staff and faculty the opportunity to reflect on the service and sacrifice of many dedicated individuals over the last 80 years. The strength of the School is the people who teach, study and work here, and I look forward to decades of continued progress.” As supervisor and an advisor for the CFAC Advisement Center, Julee Braithwaite is extremely grateful to help students along their journey towards graduation. “I am most pleased that as an academic advisor, I may have perhaps played a small part in guiding students towards their graduation goals,” said Braithwaite. “I recognize that the accomplishment of graduation is a result of much personal determination, self-discipline and dedication on the students’ part and hope that as they move on to new opportunities, they will enjoy a sense of satisfaction in the things they learned, created and achieved while here at BYU.” Family and friends who can’t be present at the convocations can view all three ceremonies online by clicking here.

A new database of student created films is now available for use by Brigham Young University students and fans alike, the Department of Theatre and Media Arts announced on Friday at the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts and Communications Center 50th Anniversary Gala. Created to allow all to see the student work created here at BYU, the database already hosts over 150 films and can be accessed online at studentfilms.byu.edu. More films will be added each week by the TMA department and alumni who wish to submit their former work. “This website is an effort to help show people what the BYU Media Arts program has done in the past and what we are capable of doing now,” said Kyle Stapley, Media Arts Program Coordinator and lead for this project. “By focusing specifically on student work that has been done here at BYU, we hope that this project will also act as a recruiting tool to help bring in additional talent to our renowned programs.” Brigham Young University has a long, rich history in the creation and education of film. BYU was one of the first universities to create a formal department for the production of motion pictures, founded in 1953. Currently, the BYU Media Arts Program and the Center for Animation have won over 30 National and Regional Student Emmys in the past 12 years making BYU one of the most well-respected Film and Animation programs in the nation. Those who visit the new website will find that there are different types of films to enjoy such as fiction, non-fiction and animation films. In addition to these, a portion of the website is dedicated solely to BYU Final Cut Films. These films are deemed the best student-produced, student-created fiction films, documentaries, commercials, and animations are created here at BYU. According to Stapley, these films include Mr. Bellpond, which won two Student Emmy’s in 2012, and even go back as far as The Phone Call and Johnny Lingo, films done through the BYU Motion Picture Studio back when the Motion Picture Studio was connected to BYU. “Another exciting option for those who visit our new website is to view the work done with Aperture, our student-ran journal of media arts,” Stapley said. “You can go here to read papers about media art, film, sound, etc. In this way we are able to combine critical studies with the actual production of film.” “Getting this website up and running in the format and in the depth that we have now is a great start,” Stapley said. “But, with the potential for additional opportunities that we are now realizing, we see this project getting much bigger in the future. Just to give you an idea, I know our students are starting to get really interested in creating web series. So, in the future, we might be using this website to launch those kinds of projects.”

Brigham Young University students and alumni took up much of the screen time at this year’s LDS Film Festival, highlighting the talent and skills being nurtured here. Christian Vuissa founded the festival in 2001 while he was still an undergraduate studying media arts studies at BYU. The festival is now a major event that showcases an impressive array of feature films, special screenings and short films. Although it was originally founded for LDS filmmakers to network with each other and showcase their work to an appreciative audience, the event has quickly turned into an opportunity for all likeminded individuals to promote their filmmaking trade. BYU students and alumni have taken part of the event every year since its inception. This year, three BYU alumni went home with awards from the festival: Third place in the Short Film Competition — Without a Rope, by Nick Dixon, who also received an audience choice award. Honorable Mention in Short Film Competition -White Earth, by Christian Jensen Third Place in the 24-Hour Filmmaking Marathon — Tooth Fairy: A New Hope, group led by Raven Alard “Winning these awards is a great recognition,” said Nick Dixon, the creator of Without a Rope. “It's nice to know the work we put into the film was appreciated and that our hard work paid off. A lot of time and energy went into making the film, so getting recognized is really gratifying.” Cokeville MiracleCokeville Miracle Other films made by Theatre and Media Arts students and alumnus included: Feature Films Freetown, Director: Garrett Batty; Writer: Melissa Leilani Larson, Garrett Batty; Producer: Adam Abel, Garrett Batty The Cokeville Miracle: Director: T.C. Christensen, actors included Kym Mellon, Barta Heiner Austenland: Director: Jerusha Hess; Writer: Jerusha Hess; Associate Producer: Jared Hess Meet the Mormons: Director, Blair Treu (Many media arts alums on the crew) Glimpses Beyond Death’s Door: Writer, Director, Producer: Brandon Smith; Executive Producer: Ron Brough The Heart of the Matter: Director: Jessica Mockett; Producer: Jessica Mockett, Nathan D. Lee, Jordan Harker; Director of Photography: Travis Cline Untitled Girl’s Camp Movie: Writer, Director: Maclain Nelson; Producer: Jake Van Wagoner, Lisa Clark, Hailey Smith, Clare Niederpruem; Executive Producer: Maclain Nelson; Director of Photography: Joel Remke; Production Designer: Anne Black Mythica: Director: Anne Black; Writer: Anne Black, Jason Faller, Kynan Griffin; Producer: Jason Faller, Kynan Griffin; Director of Photography: A. Todd Smith Survivor: Writer, Director, Producer: John Lyde; Executive Producer: Jason Faller, Kynan Griffin Short Films Newsies: Director: Jeff Parkin; Producer: Jared Cardon, Jeff Parkin, Babetta Kelly; Director of Photography: Jacob Schwarz White Earth: Writer, Director, Producer: J. Christian Jensen; Director of Photography, Editor: J. Christian Jensen Without a Rope: Writer, Director: Nick Dixon; Producer: Willem Kampenhout; Executive Producer: Tom Russell, Courtney Russell, Tom Lefler; Director of Photography: Gary Groth; Production Designer: Gina Thompson; Original Score: Spencer Russell; Editor: Jonathan Ying. Presentations and Panels Christian Vuissa Jerusha Hess Garrett Batty Studio C A complete list of all those honored at the festival can be found by clicking, here.

Each year the Utah Division of Arts & Museums awards $10,000 fellowships to two individuals in recognition of their artistic excellence. This year, BYU professor Daniel Everett has been chosen for his work across a broad range of media including photography, video, sculpture, and installation. Everett is an artist and assistant professor of new genres in Brigham Young University’s Department of Art. Over the past few years, his work has been featured across the United States and Europe, bringing international and national attention back to Utah and BYU. “What the Utah Division of Arts & Museums does for artists is incredible and I'm extremely grateful to be a recipient of this award,” said Everett. “Utah has not always been such a welcoming place for contemporary art, but right now there is a growing group of very involved people working to change that. I think what they're doing is wonderful.” Artists practicing in a variety of media such as painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, craft, and new genres apply for the fellowship each year. By only selecting two winners, this award shows the professionalism and quality demonstrated through the winners’ work. “I was quite surprised by the announcement,” said Everett. “I'm not exactly sure why I was chosen, as there are certainly a range of equally qualified artists. All I can say is that I take art seriously and work very hard at what I do.” In addition to awarding for excellence, the fellowship is also a way to encourage the careers of the winners. Everett hopes to use the award money to finalize two new bodies of work for exhibition. “My only real aspirations as an artist are to continue working in a sincere and dedicated way and pushing myself forward. I hope to be a part of a larger dialogue and one of the ways I see to achieve that is through exhibitions.”

Dubbed as “a love story that isn’t spoiled by the trailer,” the new musical Single Wide has attracted national attention, awards and the opportunity to be performed Off-Broadway in the 2015 New York Music Theatre Festival (NYMF). What started as a joint project between Brigham Young University’s George D. Nelson, the head of the playwriting program in the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, and Jordan Kamalu, a commercial music major in the School of Music, is now exploding into a star-studded venture. Jeff Whiting, a BYU Music Dance Theatre alumni and acclaimed Broadway director has just signed on to direct Single Wide’s world premiere at the NYMF festival in New York in July. “I’m honored to have been asked to help develop Single Wide and take it to the stage in New York,” said Whiting. “I love the piece! I think the story is going to translate well on the stage in the context of the dialogue and the music that’s been created, it’s going to make a real big splash in New York.” In addition to this privilege, Single Wide received the Blanche and Irving Laurie Musical Theatre Award from The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). This award recognizes the best new musical to be written and performed on a university campus in 2014-2015. Excerpts from the musical will be showcased at the KCACTF national festival in Washington D.C., this April. Single Wide follows a community of single women living in a trailer park in the southern United States. Katy, a single mother, living with her own single mother, is trying to get her son out of their “single wide” situation. For her, this means hard work and avoiding men, especially the type that left her there in the first place. But when her son befriends the reclusive new move-in two trailers down, she sees something different in him that makes her take a second look. “At the core of this musical is the story of an unlikely family that begins to come together. No one could have done this better than George,” said Whiting. “George has this ability to really create dialogue that sounds like people, the way they actually exist in their world. Then it’s Jordan’s score that really makes it fun. His music gives wonderful life and vibrancy to this piece. Their collaboration is what makes this project so brilliant and clever. “ “It’s thrilling that Single Wide has won these recognitions,” said Nelson. “These honors belong to our entire department and the atmosphere here that is supportive and conducive to the development of new works. I hope these awards are momentum-building.”

The Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts and Communications presents the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center 50th Anniversary Gala and Festival of the Arts, on Friday, April 3. The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., with a gala reception in the B.F. Larsen Gallery in atrium of the Harris Fine Arts Center. The festival will feature 32 performances on 10 different stages across campus showcasing BYU’s premier student ensembles performing theatre, music, dance, film screenings and visual art exhibitions. Tickets for general admission to all events including the annual BYU Alumni Association Traditions Ball are $15. A $5 discount is available for students and alumni of the College of Fine Arts and Communications. Tickets can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone 801.422.2981 or online at byuarts.com. Dress for the event is formal. Nearly every student ensemble will perform at the festival. Performing groups include: Ballroom Dance Company Broadway Cabaret BYU Philharmonic BYU Singers Concert Choir Contemporary Dance Theatre International Folk Dance Ensemble Living Legends Songwriter Showcase Synthesis Theatre Ballet Vocal Point Wind Symphony Young Ambassadors Check out the detailed event schedule, which includes performance locations and times, at hfac50.byu.edu. Reserved seating is not available for any event, except for tickets purchased separately and specifically for the full-length production of The Winter’s Tale in the Pardoe Theatre. All other performances and film screenings last one hour. The festival is scheduled to allow attendance to three different events and the ball. Lines will form outside each venue prior to the start of the event. The celebration of the Fine Arts Center’s 50th anniversary began at the start of the academic year with an alumni lecture series, special student exhibitions and will end with a commemorative magazine. The anniversary was also the focus of the BYU Spectacular! last October. Stephen Jones, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications, views the building’s celebration as a special message to the thousands of alumni and students who found a home in what he believes is the center of cultural life on campus. “Your subsequent influence throughout the world has led millions to come to appreciate the power of the arts and communications,” said Jones. “This year, we invite you to reconnect to this place and to faculty, events and friends who have been a part of your journey.” Jeff Martin, festival producer and producer of performing arts of BYU, looked for ways to include the Wilkinson Student Center in the festivities as it was dedicated the same weekend as the Harris Fine Arts Center in 1965. “We have been planning the anniversary celebrations for approximately three years,” said Martin. “It’s going to be a wonderful night for celebrating BYU’s rich history of producing both arts and artists alike.” Source: BYU News

Innovative integration of stage and screen for 'Our Town' wows national audience

The Brigham Young University Department of Dance and Department of Theatre and Media Arts, in collaboration with Michigan State University, present Theatre Engine: FlashMob, a multi-media performance that combines live dance with smartphone technology on Thursday and Friday, March 26 and 27, at 7:30 p.m., in the Margetts Theatre of the Harris Fine Arts Center at BYU.

The BYU Department of Design wrapped up this year’s Graphis awards with 19 of their 21 entries selected to be featured in the Graphis magazine.

Brigham Young University and four ElevenNEWS at Noon students won a grand total of five Gracie Awards in the student-level competition this year. The Gracies focus on recognizing exemplary programming created for women, by women and about women. Since 1975, these awards have been presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation to honor programming and individuals in radio, television, cable and web-based media. The numerous winners in this year’s competition highlight the caliber of students and quality instruction that can be found at BYU. “My education at BYU has allowed me to go beyond the classroom; the hands on opportunities to work in the lab and with professors have taught me so much,” said Rebecca Woahn, a senior in the journalism emphasis and Gracie winner. “I graduate in August and as I've been interviewing for internships and jobs, people are always impressed by the experiences that we have as undergraduates here at BYU.” For Lauren Butterfield, it has not only been receiving the Gracie Award that will forever be memorable, but also the experiences that she has had along the way. “I received the award for a story very close to my heart,” said Butterfield. “The story was about my 5-year old friend who not only fought cancer twice, but has beaten it both times. She is an inspiration and hero to me and it means so much that through her, I won a Gracie, which is all about the empowerment of women. I feel very blessed.” Below is a list of the Gracie Awards presented to BYU this year: CoogTube Outstanding Sports Program Brigham Young University Aubree Jones Outstanding Reporter/Correspondent Brigham Young University Lauren Butterfield Lifesaving Bond — Outstanding Soft News Feature Brigham Young University/KBYU Rebecca Woahn Outstanding On-Air Talent: Sports Program Brigham Young University/KBYU Tawny Zambrano Outstanding Director — News Brigham Young University/KBYU Each winner will receive their award at a ceremony in New York City in late June.

The dream of starting a successful children’s publishing company is finally coming true for BYU graduates Ben Ehlert and Mitch Stevens, as their company, Dreamling Books, prepares to release its first book. The Boy Who Spoke To The Earth is a children’s book written by adventure photographer Chris Burkard and illustrated by Disney interactive artist and alumnus of the illustration program, David McClellan. The story follows a young boy who is on a long and difficult journey to find happiness. With the help of the Earth, the boy travels far and wide as the Earth show him his greatest creations. In the end, the boy discovers that there is happiness all around him and that he just needed to open his eyes. “This is our first book and we couldn’t be more excited about it,” said Stevens. “The Boy Who Spoke To The Earth is very inspirational and has great messages for both kids and adults. It encourages them to explore the outdoors and find joy in the journey.” Dreamling Books | Our Story from Dreamling Books on Vimeo. While studying at BYU, Ehlert and Stevens took Writing for Children and Adolescents from English professor Rick Walton. Professor Walton’s class affected them in such a strong way that they both became passionate about children’s publishing. “If it wasn't for Rick Walton, I never would have let the idea writing stories even become a reality in my mind,” said Stevens. “The first time I ever read one of my stories out loud was in his class, everyone laughed and applauded. I was shocked. But that was the first time I felt accomplished in story writing. It was an amazing feeling that has stuck with me over the years.” Elhert and Stevens’ friendship with Walton and their love for BYU is still strong as Dreamling Books continues to work with both the illustration and editing programs here at BYU. “We have been super lucky to work with the BYU editing and illustration programs,” said Stevens. “We pull many of our interns from both these programs. I know that BYU helped cultivate our dreams while we were here. I think that we are just trying to pass this message along to others.” Dreamling Books is currently running a Kickstarter to help raise funds to publish its first book. To help support Ehlert and Stevens’ cause and get your own copy of The Boy Who Spoke To The Earth visit their page here. The Kickstarter ends on April 3, 2014.