Shahar Amit

Ironi-D High School · Tel Aviv, Israel

It is rare to find such a creative student with a bursting passion for films who is also so keen for learning.

. . . he was always happy to help other kids. And, his name is credited in most of the department’s projects!

Shahar Amit brings an unmatched combination of qualities together in his film-making. His hunger for learning and his deep connection to feeling and emotion are well-balanced by his clear vision and his ability to work and manage a set.

I can say without a doubt that he is one of the most talented kids I’ve ever met in my twenty years of teaching. At such a young age he created an extremely mature film. He understood the world of each of his characters and led the untrained actors in their roles beautifully.

Nominated by David Crainer.

Cody Crljen

Lakewood Christian Schools · Long Beach, CA

Cody showed his ability to problem solve and work in a group . . . His creative mind looks beyond the obvious and to the unique.

Never in the history of the Video Club has a member taken on so much responsibility.

I had several students with special learning needs. Cody’s kind and compassionate heart made him the best choice to work with those students.

Cody’s legacy at LCS is his willingness to take time out for others. Leadership, commitment, work ethic and compassion combine to make the creative vision a reality. Cody embodies all these qualities, and he exemplifies what the future of media production should be.

Nominated by Dana Leach.

Ethan Wellin

Eastwood Middle & North Central High · Indianapolis, IN

Ethan worked to expand video and media opportunities in our school district and pursued his love of movies beyond the classroom.

A three-time ISMF “Best of Festival” award recipient between 2004 and 2008. His featured works included the claymation movies “Revenge of the Evil Batteries” and “Kingdom on a Mountain”, sponsored by Daniel Stillerman and Soo Han.

Update
Ethan (age 21) is currently enrolled as a Junior at the University of Southern California, majoring in Film Production with a minor in Animation. He is slated to co-produce one of four school-sponsored advanced production projects in Spring of 2012, while simultaneously completing his Animated Thesis Film. He aspires to someday work as a Director on feature films. Ethan also serves as the President of the USC School of Cinematic Arts Ambassadors, which functions as a representative body for the schools’ undergraduate population. He participated in ISMF Anaheim as a workshop instructor, and continues to mentor high school filmmakers.

Adam Bretsch

Lora Batchelor Middle & Bloomington High School South, Bloomington, IN

Adam has been an outstanding leader in our B-TV program for the last two years. He is very talented as a director, an editor, and as a videographer. He has produced several ISMF winning projects including the original screenplay “Choices”, a Judges’ Favorite. In that film, Adam directed, edited the film, and produced music for the film on Garage Band. “Choices” required a lot of on-location filming. Adam coordinated all of the sessions, making sure we had a full crew, and all of the necessary actors/actresses. He is very organized and exceptionally patient with the other students. His leadership skills are outstanding. Upon completion of the film, Adam spent hours of after school time in the video lab editing the project. He also worked very hard to create music for the soundtrack. After he finished, he helped other students finish their projects.

Adam has meant a lot to our B-TV program. Whenever we needed someone to edit a newscast, help finish another project, or simply work on organizing our lab, Adam is always eager to volunteer. He has great skill, great leadership qualities, and will be a strong candidate for the top film schools in the country, should he choose that path.

Nominated by Jeff Rudkin.

Logan Collier

Davidson Fine Arts School, Augusta, GA

Logan Collier has been a part of the Broadcasting and Film Department at Davidson Fine Arts School for the last seven years.  As a sixth grader, Logan enrolled in entry level production courses to learn the fundamentals.  His knowledge grew in the areas of sound, live television, and technical theatre.

As a freshman, he became the sound engineer for the Davidson Drama Program.  He operated 18 body mics and sound effects for over a dozen stage plays and theatrical events.  Logan’s work was dependable, and literally thousands of dollars of ticket sales and the school’s reputation rested upon his sound engineering performance.

Logan’s freshman year also saw him joining the staff of WDFA-TV 11, our live daily news broadcast.  Logan worked his way up from camera operator, to anchor, to producer and director.  On the days I am away from campus, I can tell Logan to “make sure everything works,” with the confidence that the show will air on time and correctly.

Over the years, Logan’s assistance to teachers has become so dependable and frequent; it has been woven into the fabric of the school. He deserves the Digital Promise Award for his persistent commitment to excellence in production. Logan’s work inspires other students to push themselves and their creativity.

Nominated by Michael G. Hennessy.

Sam Evenson

Kokomo Area Career Center, Kokomo, IN

In 2010, Sam was an advanced student in the Television Production program at the Kokomo Area Career Center.  I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Sam in that program for two years and have seen first-hand his skill development and work ethic as he uses a variety of technology to create works that communicate with an identified audience.

Sam’s efforts also have a positive effect on other students in the lab.  Sam’s production teams include students of all skill levels and, as a result, I’ve seen the skills of other students improve.  In fact, many of the students share clips and discuss production outside of the lab. 

Sam has also enriched the lab by introducing us to the power of Adobe.  Sam often works on projects in the lab using our Final Cut software then takes it home to add effects using Adobe products.  Using his work as an example, I gained approval to buy some Adobe software, including After Effects, adding another area of skill development to our lab. 

I believe Sam Evenson exemplifies the communicator of tomorrow.

Nominated by Alice Guest-McKellar.

• Creation of original scores for student work
• Original artwork
• Screenwriting
• Production team leadership
• Innovative videography
• Exceptional creative contribution
• Artistic interpretation of visual imagery

Individuals are nominated by a teacher or school administrator. You may send a letter to ismf@ismf.net to nominate a student you believe meets the criteria above.

Letters of nomination, not to exceed 500 words, should include:

• Student’s name, age, school
• Your name and contact information
• How long you have known the nominee
• How you know about the student’s work
• A narrative relating the student’s work and contributions to media production. Help us fully understand this student’s exceptional talent and the way that it amplifies and enriches student media production. Convey how the student creatively applies media production skills to learning (or teaching peers) across the curriculum. Please provide several concrete examples. If links to student work are available, please include that information.

The deadline for nominations is September 10, 2012.

This award of merit is conferred on a student who exemplifies exceptional promise as a creator and communicator of tomorrow. The number of awards given will be determined by the strength of the nominations. Award winners will be presented with a personalized plaque and will be featured on the ISMF website as examples of media producers who are going places!