Student filmmakers score prizes, accolades at Purdue contest

Daniel Skubal, a sophomore from West Lafayette, Ind., studying film and communications, won the video category with his trailer-length preview of his "not-yet-made" horror film, "Regenisis," about a disease that turns people into zombies. His production gained the attention of local law enforcement when dozens of bloody "brain-eaters" showed up for middle-of-the-night shoots in public locations.

"Wow! The young Steven Spielberg is actually a Purdue student," one judge wrote in an evaluation. "Skubal has the smarts, sense of humor and patience to put together an extremely professional production."

Dustin Hlava, a junior from Greenwood, Ind., studying computer graphics technology, took top animated honors for "Egg of the Apocalypse: The Big Eye Bill Chronicles," the tale of a superhero with a yolk of gold who saves the world from his nemesis Chiquito El Platano, a banana-shaped villain inspired by the stereotypical Mexican revolutionary. Hlava's crew worked around the clock for the two weeks prior to the submission deadline, including distributing time-consuming rendering jobs to unused computers around campus. Purdue is the only university in the nation to make such distributed digital rendering available to undergraduates, according to John Campbell, associate vice president for Purdue's Teaching and Learning Technologies.

Skubal won a collection of video-making software and hardware and free entry into the Action Cut Film seminar and competition. Hlava received video-making software and a gift certificate for pizza.

"These directors are immensely talented," said judge Jason Doty, a professional producer and director in Purdue's information technology department. "They may not pursue filmmaking professionally — but they could."

The Digital Cinema Contest is sponsored by Purdue's Digital Learning Collaboratory to encourage students to pursue creative opportunities made possible by teaching and learning technologies. The collaboratory, a joint venture between Information Technology at Purdue and Purdue Libraries, helps support and integrate learning of information and technology literacy. It provides access to cameras, computers, software and training needed to conduct professional-caliber video and animated productions for the contest and a variety of academic applications.

"The excitement generated by this event can inspire these contestants and other students to tap into their creativity throughout their academic and professional careers," collaboratory director David Eisert said.

Other top video productions included "Falling Down," a black and white music video by communications and film studies student Matthew Mann, a sophomore from Champaign, Ill. Eisert described Mann's second-place film about a couple's breakup as "visually stunning." Deborah Witherspoon, a junior film studies major from Gary, Ind., placed third in the video category with "Another Place," a documentary about a child in the Purdue University child care program.

Tim Dale, a senior computer graphics technology student from Warrenville, Ill., placed second in the animated category with "Parcel Post Pandemonium," a short film about a character impatiently waiting for a package, then struggling to open it when it finally arrives. Alex Donkle, a freshman engineering student from Valparaiso, Ind., finished third with "Jaws 13.14159," a technologically primitive, two-dimensional paper and pencil spoof on the "Jaws" movies asserting that each film has the same plot, which can be condensed to 30 seconds.

"Alex demonstrated an outstanding grasp of the underlying technology of moviemaking and the importance of story-telling," Eisert said. "Without that, no amount of supercomputing digital rendering technology will yield a movie worth watching."

Most student participants learned scriptwriting, story boarding, cast and crew recruitment and supervision, as well as detailed audio and video editing.

"That kind of strategic thinking and communication is valuable in any field," Campbell said. "We're giving students the tools they need to hone those skills."

Additional contest and event information is available on the Digital Cinema Contest Web site. This year's winning film entries, as well as 2005 winners "Well Wishers," "Cells" and "Premiere, " also are available online.

Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu

Sources: David Eisert, (765) 494-4209, eisert@purdue.edu

John Campbell, (765) 496-3952, john-campbell@purdue.edu

Jason Doty, (765) 494-7091, rjdoty@purdue.edu

Daniel Skubal, (765) 567-2551, dskubal@purdue.edu

Dustin Hlava, (317) 850-4291, dhlava@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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