Students were encouraged to become the protagonists of their life stories as they move forward in their education and careers
On April 7, the media arts program held its award forum to honor the achievements of the students in the program. Recent graduate Ysabeaux Ng opened the event with a short speech that encouraged the students, both those who were graduating and those who still had time ahead of them in the program, to become the protagonists of their life stories.
“Love is and should be at the center of all the storytellers do. The screenwriting process has taught me that love is not synonymous with ease, omission, validation, or agreement,” said Ng. “I've learned that an essential aspect of real love is allowing someone to be their own protagonist. A protagonist can't be passive.”
Ng continued, “As you move forward, your insecurities will tempt you to blame others for what your life becomes. I implore you not to fall for that trick. If you forfeit your responsibility for the choices you have made, you forfeit your role as protagonist. You forfeit your story. Don't forfeit your story. . . .Yours is a story I want to see.”
Professor Brad Barber, who announced the Excellence in Media Arts Fiction awards, expressed how proud he and the other media arts faculty are of the students in the program.
“I want to make sure you know how proud we are of each of you for making it this far and for persevering with faith, with hard work,” he said. “We appreciate all your hard work, and we're just lucky to witness it here.”
Vera Hinkley Mayhew Screenwriting Contest
Feature Script Category:
First Place: Kiri Case, “Stuck in December”
Short Script Category:
First Place: Ysabeaux Ng, “A Faded Yellow”
Second Place: Zachary McDaniel and Tara Judkins, “Edgar”
Third Place: Hannah Broadbent, “Sub-par Employment”
Web or Podcast Category:
First Place: Meg Farnsworth, Judsen Barnett, and Amity Fulmer, “Psychomanteum”
Aperture Media Journal Awards
New Media:
First place: Isaac Mumford, Painting with Light
Essays:
First place: Emily Thomas, “Finding Sovereignty in Film”
Second place: Bridger Neberker, “I’ll Be Back”
Third place: Jinhee Nelson, “Film and Civil Rights”
Screenplays:
First place: Jeff Belza de Jesus, Control
Second place: Vance Reynolds, Bounty Boyfriend
Third place: Maximillian Wright, Maria's Day Out
Animation “You Done Good Kid” Award
Cameron Unson
Jordan Anderson
Emily Beatty
Samuel Arnett
Excellence in Media Arts Fiction
Andrew Widman
Anna Nate
Avery Olsen
Bailey Pack
Blake Mower
Brandon Carraway
Chad Harvey
Diana Jones
Emily Ann Colton
Eric Byrd
Erin Gibson
Eva Hansen
Gigi Valentine
Grant Weber
Ian Wood
Indiana Jones
Isaiah Rogers
Jason Gibbons
Jay Seamons
Jeff Belza de Jesus
Josh Clark
Josh Fish
Josh Garcia
Ka’eo Drumwright
Keegan Markham
Lille Knnudsen
Lincoln Wagner
Logan Larsen
Makenna Buhler
Marissa Lundeen
Matt Mitchell
Max Wright
Meg Farnsworth
Micah Gondola
Miriam Arce
Noah Rasmussen
Ricky Villanuevo
Sarah-Ann Moran
Steven Bartholomew
Tara Judkins
Tim Ballard
Yazmin Ruiz
Ysabeaux Ng
Zachary McDaniel
Excellence in Media Arts Non-Fiction
Anna Allred
Kate McKellar
Maddie Beckstead
Emma (Wheeler) Volz
Blake Knecht
Excellence in Media Arts Critical Studies
Ka’eo Drumright
Ellie Harrison
Ethan Headlee
Liv DeMartini
Jenna Woolley
The Media Arts Women and Film Scholarship
Blake Knecht
Emma (Wheeler) Volz
Keegan Markham
Jenna Woolley
Meg Farnsworth
Media Arts Outstanding Student Award
Finalists
Chad Harvey
Brandon Carraway
Carson B. Shields
Winners
Anna Allred
Kate McKellar
Sophie Whitaker