STUDENT TELEVISION AWARDS 2014
Awards Ceremony
Monday, 29 June, 2015
Student programme makers from across the UK were recognised for their work at a ceremony at the BFI Southbank.
The RTS Student Television Awards 2014 reward outstanding work produced during the 2013/2014 academic year.
Undergraduate entries were judged at a regional level, with the winners being put forward for consideration at national level, while postgraduate entries automatically qualified for national assessment.
Sky's Director of Entertainment Channels, Stuart Murphy, chaired the awards, overseeing the judging of five categories: Animation, Comedy & Entertainment, Drama, Factual and, new for this year, Open – for films that are a maximum of three minutes in length and of any subject matter.
In addition, to reward excellence in craft skills, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Awards were presented for Camerawork, Editing and Sound.
The 20th annual RTS Student Awards took place at the BFI in London, and were hosted by comedian Romesh Ranganathan.
This year, for the first time, the nominated films will be transmitted on Sky Arts, together with highlights from the Awards ceremony.
Winners
Undergraduate Animation: Rory Conway, Sammy Khalid, David Slattery and Kieran Noone
Title: Shoot
Production Company: Ballyfermot College of Further Education
Nominees:
“An ambitious and professional film with great comic timing. Every stage of production is of a high standard, from scripting through boarding, design, lighting and animation. A well-paced and genuinely funny film.”
Undergraduate Comedy & Entertainment: Harry Jackson, Alfred Johnson and Team
Title: Little
Production Company: The Arts University Bournemouth
Nominees:
“Thoroughly charming, a very well written script, funny, surprising and beautifully performed.”
Undergraduate Drama: James Fitzgerald, Paddy Slattery and Team
Title: Skunky Dog
Production Company: The National Film School, Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Laoghaire
Nominees:
“This was an ambitious, professional, deeply felt piece of storytelling. The performances were of the highest class; a poetic, absorbing, uneasy and truthful film with a strong sense of place.”
Undergraduate Factual: Despina Christodoulou and Robert Dalton
Title: Thick Skin
Production Company: University of Leeds
Nominees:
“The jury loved this. Beautifully shot, the film swept you away into an unusual world that we knew nothing about. Cleverly and evocatively structured, this really left you wanting to know more.”
Undergraduate Open: Lauren Clark
Title: LA Larry
Production Company: University of Central Lancashire
Nominees:
“A wonderfully realised, well-executed submission with a feel good visual identity all of its own. The judges were impressed with the seemingly effortless juxtapositioning of two worlds and the pacey synching of images and music.”
Undergraduate Craft Skills - Camerawork: James Fitzgerald, Paddy Slattery and Team
Title: Skunky Dog
Production Company: The National Film School, Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Laoghaire
Nominees:
“The winner’s cinematography lifted what was a normal slice of life into something interesting and intimate. There were clever choices when it came to composition and framing, thus truly supporting the context and storyline. The exterior scenes on the hill were particularly breathtaking and intelligently executed.”
Undergraduate Craft Skills - Editing: James Dougan, Max Cutting and Dan Ridgeon
Title: Porters
Production Company: University of South Wales
Nominees:
Undergraduate Craft Skills - Sound: Sophie Piggott
Title: Archie
Production Company: Staffordshire University
Nominees:
“Displaying film-quality sound design, a real flair for imaginative processing and mixing…it was clear there had been a passionate and collaborative dialogue between the sound team and the director; real quality choices were made throughout the whole process. Above all else, the sound used was a perfect example of the obvious heart and soul that had gone into every aspect of the film. We’ll never look at tin foil in the same way again.”
Postgraduate Animation: Daisy Jacobs, Jennifer Majka, Chris Hees and Team
Title: The Bigger Picture
Production Company: National Film and Television School
Nominees:
“The authenticity of the storytelling in this film is matched by the originality of the technique. A complicated, emotive subject is explored with gentle humour, insight and understanding. An accomplished film in all respects.”
Postgraduate Comedy & Entertainment: James Spokioni, Sipho Sondiyazi and Team
Title: Secret Studio
Production Company: National Film and Television School
Nominees:
“A show within a show that felt truly original. A clever concept matched with high production values; a very entertaining watch.”
Postgraduate Drama: Tommaso Pitta, Christopher Hees and Team
Title: How I Didn't Become a Piano Player
Production Company: National Film and Television School
Nominees:
“This film united the jury. Funny and engaging with a high end cast and beautifully paced. Confident direction, as a story should be.”
Postgraduate Factual: Jack Warrender and Team
Title: Side by Side
Production Company: National Film and Television School
Nominees:
“The jury was blown away by this film with its surprising relationships, revelations and a compelling narrative. Impressively directed and beautifully observed.”
Postgraduate Open: Dan Neeson and Team
Title: Once She Was Just Like You
Production Company: National Film and Television School
Nominees:
“A powerful film with a powerful message, this short-form piece, telling a long-form story was clearly a labour of love for a devoted film-maker. The many hours in production using stop-motion photography have created both a shocking and elegant piece of film art that deserves as wide an audience as possible.”
Postgraduate Craft Skills - Camerawork: Stuart Edwards, Noe Mendelle and Emma Davie
Title: A Wee Night In
Production Company: Edinburgh College of Art, Screen Academy Scotland
Nominees:
“This was an incredibly competitive category across all the genres but the winner was felt to have used the camera with great wit and confidence, allowing the story and characters to unfold with elegant pace and to capture the beauty of an intimate world.”
Postgraduate Craft Skills - Editing: Jack Warrender and Team
Title: Side by Side
Production Company: National Film and Television School
Nominees:
“There was some terrific editing across the board with drama and documentary particularly pushing through. The winner was praised for their storytelling, elegance and confidence with the subject matter, an emotional sensitivity to the story and an innate understanding of the audience experience of the film.”
Postgraduate Craft Skills - Sound: Peter Akar and Team
Title: Sing Your Heart Out
Production Company: National Film and Television School
Nominees:
“Displaying great knowledge and technique, capturing extraordinary moments in audio that were moving and powerful without falling into cliché or sentiment in difficult locations and with many real life challenges.”