"Perspective," a short film by telecommunications majors Travis Hatfield and Samuel Day, who served as codirectors, is one of two films nominated in the alternative category. The students will win either a gold or silver medal at the presentation ceremony June 10.

Ball State received its first Student Academy Award last year, and the first from a college or university in Indiana, with Jaron Henrie-McCrea's movie, "Knock Knock." The 2005 graduate is now working on his master's degree at Columbia University.

"Without a doubt, having finalists in two consecutive years is an example of the strength of our digital cinema program, which says a great deal about us since we don't have a film school," said Rodger Smith, associate director of Ball State's Center for Media Design (CMD), who served as the film's executive producer. "Whether we win or not, this second nomination says our students are doing outstanding work as a result of the collaboration of the College of Communication, Information, and Media and the College of Fine Arts."

Smith also is the director of Ball State's Institute for Digital Entertainment and Education (IDEE), one of three institutes created by the university as a result of a $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. IDEE and the CMD produced "Perspective" in cooperation with the College of Fine Arts and the College of Communication, Information, and Media.

"Our students are successful because they have an entire university structure behind them to help them succeed," Smith said. "These efforts have now served to help launch the experiments the new Digital Exchange grant will explore in immersive and innovative curriculum development."

All of the actors in the film are theater and dance majors, including leads Kelsey Richardson and Carley Cornelius and supporting cast members Sara Haworth and Peter Hawn. Julie Mills, a telecommunications major, served as coproducer with Hatfield and Day. Andy Burt, a 2005 Ball State graduate from theater and dance, wrote the story.  

To reach the finals, students competed in one of three regional competitions. Each of those regions is permitted to send to the academy up to three finalist films in each of the four categories.

The Student Academy Awards were established by the academy in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level.

About the Center for Media Design

The Center for Media Design (CMD) is a research and development facility focused on the creation, testing and practical application of digital technologies for business, classroom, home and community.

(Note to editors: For more information, contact Smith at rsmith@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8756.)