Cutters Studios’ up-and-coming assistants were the big winners in AICE Chicago’s 14th annual 2015 Camp Kuleshov Chicago trailer editing contest, going home with a total of five awards.
A record crowd of around 175 attended the awards night at the Headquarters Beercade in River North to applaud the 16 winners from among 56 entrants.
The contest is held exclusively for assistant editors, assistant audio engineers and assistant or junior designer employees of the AICE Chicago’s 18 member companies.
“It’s the AICE board’s way of fostering, recognizing and encouraging emerging talent in our post community,” comments Jonathan Desir, Optimus’ EP/visual effects, a member of AICE board and Camp Kuleshow’s organizing committee.
The assistants’ challenge was to choose a movie from a list of 27 titles, genre and directors, and cut a 90-second trailer that promotes their work as a film of a different genre or by a different director or combining two films to promote a third genre.
Cutters Studios’ assistants in editorial, Another Country sound and Flavor design divisions rose to the challenge to score five awards. The Colonie garnered four awards; two each went to Optimus and Particle and one each to Hootenanny and Protokulture.
Non-assistants, or everyone else who works for an AICE member company, from intern to the president, may participate in the the Tent City part of the competition.
A shout out to all the winners:
EDITORIAL:
Winner, David Rubin of Cutters, for “A Life Exposed: Behind Steve Zissou.”
First Runner-Up, assistant Jimmy Helm of The Colonie, for “Maniac.”
Second Runner-Up, assistant Ben Winter (last year’s Editorial Winner) of Optimus, for “The Punisher.”
Honorable Mentions, assistants Christina Bolanos of Hootenanny for “Peter” and Dustin Kaufman of Cutters for “Attack of the Iron Mullet.”
SOUND DESIGN:
Winner, Mike Regan of Cutters’ Another Country for “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
First Runner-Up, Jordan Stalling of Particle Audio for “Un Chien Andalou.”
Second Runner-Up, Alison Ho of Another Country for “Star Wars.”
GRAPHIC DESIGN:
Winner, Ben Pokorny, of The Colonie for his intro to “Brazil.”
First Runner-Up, Danny Noren of Optimus for “The Matrix.”
Second Runner-Up, Justin Harenchar of Protokulture for “Donnie Darko.”
CHICAGO’S TENT CITY:
Editorial winner, Michael Dowdle, an intern at The Colonie for “Devil’s Due.”
First Runner-Up, Brandon Danziger of The Colonie for “8 Horrible Bosses.”
Second Runner-Up, Austin Andries of Cutters for “Dorothy.”
Graphic Design winner, Jacob Wilson of Cutters’ Flavor division for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
Sound Design Winner, Jordy Wise of Particle Audio for “Star Wars.”
Camp Kuleshov was started in Chicago in 2001 by Cutters’ editor/partner Kathryn Hemple and the first winning assistants were named in 2002. “Now all of the AICE chapters hold the contest,” says Cutters EP Craig Duncan, president of AICE’s International Board.
“This is my always my favorite night every year watching all the young talent in the post community take the stage and display their blossoming talent.”
Adds board member Kendall Fash of Beast, “It’s amazing to see the amount of time, talent, passion and work they invest in their entries.”