'Trouble' is good luck for three Binghamton youngsters
BY NINA NOCCIOLINO - Correspondent
Following in the footsteps of such movie greats as Steven Spielberg and Jerry Bruckheimer is an accomplishment, especially if you're still in school.
But that's what three students at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School did when they won best of show in their age group for their claymation film Trouble on an Imaginary Planet in the annual Rod Serling Video Festival. There were about 10 entries in the category.
"We added the Best in Show category for students in grades K-6 because sometimes they're reluctant to compete with high school-age students," said Lawrence Kassan, festival coordinator and director of special projects for the Binghamton City School District. "We want them to know they are just as welcome as the kids in the high school."
The Rod Serling Video Festival, which began in 1995 as a county-wide festival, has grown into a state-wide competition for student filmmakers in grades K-12.
This year more than 70 students from around New York entered the festival in hopes of winning one of eight major awards, or one of seven honorable mentions, in categories including best of show, best direction, best comedy, best computer animation, best claymation, best editing and best special effects.
Haris Hadziabdic, Daniel Karnauch and Chris Sabath, the fourth- and fifth-grade members of the Video Club at Woodrow Wilson, worked with teacher Laura Lamish to bring their Trouble on an Imaginary Planet to life.
The students have experienced troubles in the real world as well. Haris, an immigrant from Bosnia, temporarily lived in Italy before coming to the United States, Lamish said. It was in Italy where he first heard his "most favorite song," Finiculi, Finicula, and he brought it in for his teacher to hear.
After listening to the song, Lamish was convinced they had to make a movie to go with it.
"It really wasn't about winning," Lamish said. "These were just a group of kids with a lot of different ideas."
Once the awards were announced, both teacher and students were shocked.
"They're still beaming, they're so proud," Lamish said.
Seth Bernstein, a high school junior in Ithaca, won best of show for high schoolers for his short film Canvas. Bernstein was inspired by a girl in his French class who constantly drew on paper rather than paying attention in class. In his movie, her doodles come to life for the brief period of time before the bell rings.
This was the first video for Bernstein, who has always been more interested in the technical aspect of production.
"When I came home and saw the envelope on the table from the Binghamton City School District, I freaked out," Bernstein said. "This is the first thing I've ever really won, so it's pretty amazing."
The panel of judges in the festival look for clarity, sound, use of music, acting and a good story.
"You have to have an idea, you have to have a story," Kassan said. "If you don't have a good story, it doesn't matter how flashy it is."
Christopher Scales, a junior at Chenango Forks High School, won the award for best claymation video. Scales worked for six months, on and off, on his project about a fox who's working hard to get a free chicken dinner.
"I'm serious about animation, I'll see where it takes me," Scales said.
Kassan is promoting student filmmaking along with the festival by speaking at high schools and arts councils around the state.
"We're trying to encourage student filmmaking in the schools," Kassan said.
Who picks the winners?
This year's judges were: John Scaturro, a local filmmaker; Cynthia Filetto, a BHS art teacher; Karen Koyanagi, artistic director of the Rod Serling School of Dance; Gene Grey, former arts reporter for the Press & Sun-Bulletin; Mark Levy, a local patent attorney; Andy LaViola of JL Video; Naima Kradjian of First Night; and Tom Milligan, media services director for WSKG.
Check out the winners The winners of this year's Rod Serling Video Festival will be presented at an awards ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Helen Foley Theatre in Binghamton.
WSKG public television will air a one-hour special beginning at 8 p.m. Friday featuring the winning films and the young faces behind the camera.
