The Cleveland chapter of the National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences handed out five Emmy nominations to Ball State University productions in late June, adding to the school's already robust reputation as a telecommunications powerhouse. This is the 43 rd regional nomination Ball State has been awarded since 2000.
"Connections," a student-produced magazine program, is nominated in the professional magazine format category, while its adviser was nominated in the public service announcement category, and one of its participants earned three
nominations of his own.
Jim Shasky, faculty adviser for "Connections," said that the secret of their success can be found in the dedicated of the students who work to come up with the completely original story ideas for their broadcasts.
"I'm really proud of the students. It's not like we have someone talking to the camera for an hour," Shasky said. "We have to go out and do a bunch of different pieces every time."
This diligence has paid off in the award program's student category since 2001, with 'Connections' taking home the Emmy for professional magazine format last year.
Shasky was nominated as a producer in the public service announcement category for "Even Experts Make Mistakes." Some of the footage, which was originally filmed for a 'Connections' piece on gun safety, shows a gun safety expert whose firearm accidentally discharges during the taping.
Jaron Henrie-McCrea, this year's winner of the Student Academy Award in the alternative storytelling category for his high definition film "Knock Knock," is named on the 'Connections' entry and has three nominations of his own -- one in the director of tape category for his eight-minute film 'Rose' and two in the feature entertainment category for the short films 'Times Square Dance' and 'Marry This.'
'Rose' focuses on the degenerating relationship of a couple, one that falls apart when the unnamed female character subdues her vitriolic unnamed male; 'Times Square Dance' is a stop-motion music video hoedown piece taking place in, yes, Times Square; 'Marry This' focuses on the interaction between a diner waitress, patron and intruding (at least in the patron's eyes) male.
Henrie-McCrea said that it was the encouragement of the telecommunications professors that helped create the unique and award-wining pieces coming from the school.
"It's encouragement. We're living in Muncie , and you have to think 'how can I make this Midwestern place exciting?'" Henrie-McCrea said. "It's not like we have a New York backdrop, so you have to be creative."
Shasky agrees that Ball State 's telecommunications students must take measures to set themselves apart from the pack.
"A lot of people think it's the equipment -- it's not. I believe the students here are willing to take more chances," Shasky said. "When you direct a story, you write it, you produce it, you control the creative process. This way, you're not directing bad writing. You get to be more creative."
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