The Broadcast Educators Association of Canada (BEAC) presented the 2009 National Awards at the annual BEAC conference in Halifax on May 30th. Media students from across Canada compete for these prestigious honours. The Loyalist College Television and New Media Production students received three of the 12 awards: Best Promo Video Category for Visionaries with Producer Kyle Barker and Director Brian Hardy; Best Corporate/PSA Video Category for Quinte Sailability by Director and Editor Jon Morrison; and, Best Drama for The Pact by Producer Jodi Cooper and Director Chidi Nwaozomudoh. The Pact also received the President’s Award for the best overall video submission, chosen from the winners in the 12 categories.
Chidi Nwaozomudoh, Director of The Pact, graduated from the three-year Television and New Media Production program in June. “I was watching the live stream of the awards presentation via the BEAC website and was ecstatic when they announced that The Pact had won. I’m glad that all of the work by the cast and crew is being acknowledged. It took a lot of time and effort to make the movie so it is a great feeling for it to receive this recognition.”
Each entry is original work by Loyalist Television and New Media Production students, from concept, to creation, to the finished production. Members of the Loyalist and Quinte region communities have become active participants in these initiatives by responding to the casting calls each production requires. An exciting balance of creativity and technical expertise is showcased each year when the finished productions are presented at The Empire Theatre in downtown Belleville.
“It’s really gratifying to have our students win in three out of 12 video categories and the President’s Award,” said Professor Cathy Goddard. “With 3D television being touted as the next big thing in TV, it was appropriate that a group of our students produced Visionaries, a piece done entirely in 3D. I think this confirms that Loyalist Television and New Media Production students can successfully compete at a national level.”
Media Contact: Marilyn Warren, Communications, Loyalist College, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2332 or Jane Harrison, Acting Dean of Media Studies, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2437.