BYU Advertising Student David Weibell Speaks On Collaborative Film That Won the Award of Excellence at the BEA Festival of Media Arts
Alongside friends, communications student David Weibell worked on a short film adapting the Bible story of the prodigal son to modern times. Their short film won the Award of Excellence from the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts.
“My role on this project was as a production assistant, helping with lighting setups and moving gear, as well as a behind-the-scenes photographer,” Weibell said. “We had so many people involved in the project that we needed to divide up the work so that everyone had their job.”
At the time of the project, Weibell was a senior in BYU’s advertising program. Weibell and a group of students from a content creation class enjoyed working together so much that they planned to continue after the class concluded.
The group met regularly to discuss the script and project details, with Professor Chris Cutri leading an all-student crew. Under Cutri’s mentorship, a project that started as a way for friends to make something together turned into a full production.
“As I thought of ideas of what we could do, I was thinking about President Reese’s admonition to do scholarship around issues surrounding the family,” Cutri said. “I always felt the prodigal son story would be a good topic to explore in relation to the notion of families. With that said, I did not want to do an exact re-telling of the narrative but rather a re-imagining of it.”
Cutri’s passion for the story and strong leadership inspired his students to contribute their own ideas to the project.
“A lot of the story idea came from Professor Cutri because we wanted to learn from him and see how he approaches his film projects,” Weibell said. “Throughout the brainstorming process, he included us by sharing his thoughts and then asking for feedback and ideas that we thought would strengthen the concept.”
Rather than retelling the parable scene by scene, the filmmakers wanted to imagine the untold experiences of the father and son during their separation.
“We explored the pain and yearning the father experiences for his son, and the hardship of the son's decision. Throughout the piece, the son is being called home, yet he does not listen,” Weibell said. “It really is a beautiful concept because it focuses so much on imagining what could have happened while the son is gone in a way that the Bible story does not.”
Beyond the film itself, the biggest takeaway for Weibell came from the work required to make it possible.
“Film is a medium that you have to make happen otherwise it will not exist. It takes work, and we have to be the ones to step up and do it even though it is not easy,” Weibell said. “Professor Cutri was a great example of this because he stepped up to the challenge of developing a story and planning all the logistics when we asked to make a film with him. To me, that was incredibly inspiring.”
Just as important as initiative was collaboration.
“We all have strong artistic views and opinions, but a project won't be successful if everyone tries to be the star,” Weibell said. “It requires us to commit to working as a team, and a large part of that is sharing thoughts and ideas while also being willing to yield when the success of the project requires it.”
As he reflected on the award-winning project, Weibell pointed to the emotional weight of the film as a reason for its success.
“I would say this film was successful because it sits with the struggle and the heartbreak that sets up the reunion to have much more of an impact,” Weibell said. “It takes a story that only occupies a few verses in the Bible and expands it into a full narrative that is steeped in human emotion.”
The project taught Weibell lessons that extended beyond lighting and camerawork — he learned the importance of taking initiative, trusting collaborators and embracing the difficult work that meaningful storytelling requires.
For students considering similar projects, Weibell encourages them to pursue their ambitious creative works with confidence.
“My advice to anyone thinking about working on a project like this is to fight to make it happen,” Weibell said. “Know that the process will be more work than you expected and that things will go wrong, but also know that the struggle comes with a significant sense of meaning and fulfillment. Dig in and push through because it's worth it to make something that matters, especially when you get to do it with your friends.”
Watch the award-winning short film “A Sort of Homecoming” here.
