Students at the NFTS 2015 Grad Show were awarded industry prizes presented by Avid, Christie, IOSH, Panalux, and Sargent-Disc.
The Christie prize for the Most Promising NFTS student was awarded by Cindy Symons, Christie content & media marketing manager EMEA, and Brian Connolly, creative production manager EMEA, to NFTS graduating Screenwriter Joe Murtagh.
Jon Wardle, NFTS Director of Curriculum and Registrar, praised Joe Murtagh saying: “He arrived at the NFTS with very little experience as a writer, so it’s to his enormous credit that he’s produced work of such an exceptionally high standard. He has also proved to be an exceptional collaborator, and in his two years as a student, has managed to write seven short films – a feat unprecedented in the recent history of the NFTS.”
The Panalux Prize for Cinematography was awarded by Ole Mienert (Marketing/Account Handler at Panalux Lighting Ltd) to NFTS graduating Cinematographer Alastair Little for his work on the film The Earth Belongs to No One, The film was shot on location in the English country Moors. A special commendation and bottle of champagne was awarded to runner up Ian Forbes.
The Sargent-Disc awards were presented by Director Dr Laurence Sargent and Founder John Sargent to students graduating from the Production Management diploma course. The Scheduling award was won by Philipp Karg (winner of Movie Magic Scheduling software); the Budgeting award was won by Kirsty Barham (pictured below - winner of Movie Magic Budgeting software) and the Best Overall Award was given to Caroline Houghton (winner of both Movie Magic & Scheduling software).
Production Manager Phil Karg said: "At the NFTS I used Movie Magic Scheduling for the first time and it has since been a reliable companion on my productions. The software proved very helpful in cutting down time-consuming tasks and freed up my time to concentrate on more imminent matters. I am looking forward to using Movie Magic on many occasions in the future!"
Production Manager Kirsty Barham said: “Winning the Sargent Disc Movie Magic Budgeting award is a huge achievement for me and I am truly grateful to them for recognising my work. Having the MM Budgeting software will be invaluable to my career, from working on smaller projects to larger productions as I climb the ladder within the industry.”
Production Manager Caroline Houghton said: “One of the aspects of the NFTS Production Management diploma most useful to me, was learning the Movie Magic software. It is an invaluable tool for Production Managers, especially when the inevitable script changes, location changes, and many other factors come into play. I know that the Movie Magic software will be a tool I use again and again in my future production manager career.”
The IOSH Award of £1,500 for Health and Safety Management in Film Production - Best Safety Plan on a Fiction Shoot was presented by Graham Parker and Chris Stops from IOSH. This year they split the prize between two films: Group B and Patriot. The prize was presented to graduating producer Alex Breede and production manager Tom While for their work on Group B, a short film about high speed rally car racing, and producer Michelangelo Fano and production manager Timea Huszar for their work on Patriot, which involved filming with children on location in the countryside.
Simon Mallin, NFTS Head of Health and Safety, said: "Again our thanks to IOSH for giving external support and guidance in our provision of production safety. Especially this year for increasing their award to two film: Group B successfully controlled the classic movie risks of shooting racing cars. But equally well managed by the Patriot team were the day-to-day hazards of filming - the logistics of travel, working hours and welfare conditions. The shared award is salutary reminder that we have to be continually vigilant of both ends of the risk spectrum."
Group B producer Alexandra Breede said:"We always knew with a Rally Film that Health and Safety was going to be a challenge so we made sure that we integrated these requirements into the creative process, utilizing all the tricks of movie magic. The team is thrilled that we were able to achieve our vision in a safe and creative environment."
Patriot producer Michaelangelo Fano said: "From a safety planning perspective PATRIOT was a challenging shoot firstly due to the fact that it had two children as the lead actors. When you have children on set you have to automatically adjust every single aspect of the production, ie. Working hours, catering, transportation to the needs of the child actors. This was very useful from a health and safety perspective, making sure the production schedule wasn't too taxing for them and the rest of the crew."
The Avid Award for Excellence in Sound Design was presented by Simon Caton, Avid UK and Ireland Pro Audio Sales Manager, to Sound Designer Matis Rei for his work on the film Group B. He received the prize of Pro Tools 12 and an Avid Artist Mix.
Congratulations to all of the prize-winning students!
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