Summer Semester Recap!

WOW! Another semester done, and this one goes in the record books as one of the busiest and most successful to date for the Digital Video Program.

May

Two of our films, the family adventure "Flight of the Melvin" and the supernatural thriller "Covet" were selected for Phoenix Comicon.

Two of our videos from TEDxPhoenix 2011 made it to the front page of TED.com and scored over 3000,000 views combined.

The new Digital Video Program "highlights reel" debuted on YouTube and Vimeo, featuring some of the best work by our students from 2005 to the present.

The trailer for our Mass Effect fan film "Red Sand" debuted on YouTube and has racked up over 40,000 views to date. (The previous teaser for the film is at over 110,000 views.) The trailer also brought us significant press coverage by the likes of MSNBC, Kotaku, and more.

After screening at Phoenix Comicon, our multi-award-winning film "Covet" debuted online.

Professor Paul DeNigris' thesis film "Parallax" screened as part of the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival.


June

The UAT DV crew took a road trip up to Salt Lake City, Utah, to collaborate with the folks at Frogpants Productions to produce the DVD of their "Nerdtacular '12" event.

"Flight of the Melvin" was selected for GenCon Indy (a HUGE gaming convention in Indianapolis) and Dragon*Con (another HUGE convention for games, comics, and genre entertainment in Atlanta).

The videos produced by UAT DV for February's "Geeks' Night Out" event in Tempe were published to YouTube.


July

"Flight of the Melvin" got a rave review on Arizona film criticism site Apocalypse Later. So did "Parallax."

Professor Paul DeNigris and student Jared Oppie traveled to San Diego to film w00tstock 4.0, a "geek variety show" event held concurrently with San Diego Comicon. w00tstock was founded by MythBuster Adam Savage, Star Trek alum Wil Wheaton, and comedy music duo Paul & Storm (who had met the DV crew at Nerdtacular and invited us to come to w00tstock). The resulting videos are online on YouTube.

Our big film festival hit from last year, "Fallout," continued its amazing run by screening at the Fright Night Film Festival in Louisville, KY, where it won "Best CGI" and "Best Action Film."


August

"Flight of the Melvin" was selected for the Atlanta Horror Film Festival.

UAT Digital Video took home the award for BEST FILM in this year's IFP Phoenix 48-Hour "Beat the Clock" Film Challenge for our psychological thriller "Screaming in Silence."

Professor DeNigris' film "Parallax" screened at the landmark Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood as part of the 2012 Hollyshorts Film Festival.

'Covet' Now Online!

Two crooked cops unleash an evil that corrupts and destroys everyone it touches.

Produced for the IFP/Phoenix 48-Hour Film Challenge, Summer 2011. A co-production of UAT Digital Video, Locked Horns Productions, and SWAT HD. Required prop: battery or helmet (we chose battery). Required line: "As long as it's free..."

The film won 4 awards at the 48 Hour Challenge Screening (Best Director, Best Use of Line, Best Ensemble, 2nd Place Film) and was also an official selection of the 2012 Phoenix Film Festival and 2012 Phoenix Comicon.

'Covet' and 'Melvin' Selected for Phoenix Comicon!

Two films produced by UAT Digital Video will screen at the 2012 Phoenix Comicon Film Festival! First up is our supernatural cop thriller "Covet," produced for last summer's IFP/Phoenix 48-Hour Film Challenge.

"Covet" screens Friday, May 25 at 8:55 p.m. in the Phoenix Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Phoenix.

Next comes our sci-fi adventure comedy "Flight of the Melvin." Having screened at Sedona and Arizona International Film Festivals recently, "Melvin" will be making its Phoenix Metro Area debut!

"Flight of the Melvin" screens Sunday, May 27 at 10:58 a.m., also in the Phoenix Ballroom.

More information about Phoenix Comicon - including their incredible lineup of guests (including practically the entire cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation) - can be found on their official website at http://www.phoenixcomicon.com/

'Parallax'' and 'Covet' Selected for 2012 Phoenix Film Festival!

We've just gotten notification that two films created by our faculty, students, and alumni have been selected for the 2012 Phoenix Film Festival!

First up is Professor Paul DeNigris' Master's Thesis film, the Iraq War drama "Parallax." Shot in April, the film involved a massive crew of UAT Digital Video alumni and current students who volunteered to help Paul complete the requirements for his Master's Degree. The film tells the story of a wounded U.S. soldier who is cared for by an Iraqi civilian and his son, which forces the soldier to re-examine his own prejudices and undergo a life-changing shift in perspective. The genesis of the story came from a presentation at UAT Inservice by former Student Government President Alexander Snyder and UAT Student Services staff member Hiba al-Fatle about their own experiences during the Iraq War. The entire UAT community supported the production of the film in one way or another! "Parallax" will be part of the "Arizona Shorts" competition group at the festival.

Next is "Covet," an entry for the IFP/Phoenix 48 Hour Film Challenge last July which was co-produced by UAT Digital Video, Professor DeNigris' Locked Horns Productions, and Steve Wargo's SWAT HD (a frequent employer of UAT DV interns and a co-producer of "Parallax"). "Covet" won 4 awards in the 48 hour challenge and will now be part of the "Arizona Showcase" group of shorts at the festival!