Wednesday, March 11, 1998
Oscar Junior
FILM: The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honors student
filmmakers, including two of UCLA’s own.
By Lonnie Harris
Daily Bruin Contributor
As the genial emcee reads from the list of nominees, a hush
falls over the capacity crowd. At long last, one film is singled
out as the best of the previous year, and the director quickly
makes his way onto the large stage to accept his prize. He proceeds
to thank his parents and his crew, all the while having his picture
taken by photographers kneeling by the stage.
Though this scene will be replicated literally dozens of times
this year at various award shows and banquets, the festivities held
two nights ago at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City had one
major difference: all the winners were university students, and all
were being honored for film projects produced at their schools.
The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has been presenting
College Awards for the past 19 years, in an attempt to single out
worthy student efforts from around the nation and to encourage
young filmmakers to keep applying their trade, despite the extreme
competitiveness found in the entertainment industry.
Awards are distributed in nine categories: Music, Traditional
Animation, Non-Traditional Animation, News, Sports, Magazine Shows,
Comedy, Documentary and Drama. First-place winners in each category
receive a $2,000 cash prize. Second-place winners receive $1,000
and third place $500. In addition to the monetary awards, first and
second-place winners, including UCLA students Marc Marriott and
Mark Dale Levine, also receive the Eastman Product Grant from
Kodak, which provides free film stock for further projects.
The evening itself is designed to honor creativity and
perseverance among college students. The show was hosted by
television staple Art Linkletter, and celebrity presenters included
Nancy Cartwright ("The Simpsons"), Larry Carroll ("CBS News"), Amy
Pietz ("Caroline in the City"), Victoria Rowell ("Young and the
Restless") and special-effects expert John Dykstra ("Jurassic
Park").
The hope is that the effort of the Academy will enable young
filmmakers to continue working, which in turn allows them more
opportunities to succeed in Hollywood and beyond.
"Although we are best known for the Prime Time Emmys, the
College Awards is one of our most important events," said Academy
President Meryl Marshall. "Educational services are key to bringing
new voices into the industry."
All in all, 344 eligible films were sent to the Academy judges
for consideration from 135 universities nationwide. Out of these
films, only six could ever become first-place winners.
The first-place awards went to "Suburban Monogamy" (USC) for
Comedy, "Deo Gratias" (University of Oklahoma) for Music, "Texas
and the Death Penalty" (University of Texas/Austin) for
Documentary, "On the Beat" (UC Berkeley) for News Magazine, "Smoke"
(California Institute of the Arts) for Traditional Animation, and
"Pets" (USC) for Non-Traditional Animation.
As well, "Texas and the Death Penalty" and its director Tassos
Rigopuolos were awarded the prestigious Seymour Bricker College
Award, given annually to the College Award winner who best
demonstrates a humanitarian concern. The Bricker Award also comes
with a $2,000 prize.
All the first and second-place winners were screened at the
Academy’s office on Monday, in a presentation hosted by longtime
film critic Charles Champlin. This event – open to the public – was
designed to provide a potentially larger audience for student
films.
Among those winning second-place honors were two UCLA students:
Marriott for his dramatic film "The Snow Child" and Levine for his
traditional animation "Unborn Baby Blues."
Marriott, whose film career is expanding with several possible
features on the horizon, made "The Snow Child" with help from the
James Bridges Foundation earlier this year. He hopes to use this
film to expand his career in motion pictures.
"You have to get a lot of things up in the air to ever get a
film made," Marriott said. "Right now I have a few solid projects,
and hopefully, I’ll actually get a feature made sometime this
year."
Among the potential projects Marriott has in the works is a
translation of a John Updike novel, with a screenplay authored by
accomplished director Jack Larson ("The China Syndrome") and a
studio comedy about rock climbing. Marriott’s success, as well as
the good fortune of other collegiate directors, can only help other
young people who are trying to break into the business of
movie-making.
"Every time a student makes a film, it helps all of us,"
Marriott said. "There is plenty of room in this industry for
everyone, and I have a whole lot of colleagues with a lot of
talent."
The recognition of this talent was the ultimate goal for many a
Sunday night. After the last award was handed out and the crowds
made their way to the exit, many reflected that the media of
television and film rested on their shoulders.
Presenter Larry Carroll was one of those people who took part in
the ceremony to advance the medium to which he has dedicated his
life.
"The art and science of television will all be advanced by what
these young people are doing, and I am very, very impressed,"
Carroll said.AARON TOUT/Daily Bruin
Bruin Mark Levine receives an award for producing and directing
"Unborn Baby Blues."
AARON TOUT/Daily Bruin
Marc Marriott and his wife. Marriot won second place for
producing, directing and writing "The Snow Child."
AARON TOUT/Daily Bruin
Art Linkletter was the Master of Ceremonies at the 19th annual
College Awards.