A film based on a story by children’s author Dr. Seuss won University of Wisconsin-Stout’s second annual 4:51 Short Film Festival, held April 7 as part of Family Weekend.
“Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” received the gold medal, topping the 14 student entries. It was created by Rand Dickson, of Glidden; Rayna Figueroa, of Reedsville; Jenny Johnson, of Madison; and Lukas Medin, of St Paul.
"The reimagining of this classic book tells a compelling story of three young adults as they each face their own personal challenges. The film brings this out best in its use of shot composition, character building and parallel narratives,” judges said about the film.
Coincidentally, the festival coincided with University Theatre’s production at Harvey Hall Theatre of “Seussical,” a musical based on Dr. Seuss’ works.
Second place went to “The Road Not Taken,” based on the classic poem by Robert Frost. The film was made by Tyler Bethke, of Star Prairie; Danielle Edwards, of Menomonie; Aaron Houpt, of Mequon; Gus Metzdorff, of Minneapolis; Ben Schullo, of St. Paul; Ryan Thorpe, of Byron, Minn.; and Cheenue Yang, of Stevens Point.
"A beautifully shot, well-edited film that tells a clear story and leaves the viewer on a poignant high note,” judges said.
Third place went to “Changers,” based on a young adult fantasy novel by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper. The film was made by Hannah Baker, of Silver Bay, Minn.; Spencer Davidsz, of Oak Creek; Miranda Dehmer, of St. Michael, Minn.; Grace Hartley, of Wisconsin Rapids; Lauren Humphrey, of Minneapolis; Stephanie Morzewski, of Wisconsin Rapids; Zachery Porter, of Appleton; Niko Zeller, of Baldwin; and Brian Weyker, of Random Lake.
Judges called “Changers” a “delightfully fresh journey of discovery and self-identification.”
The festival, held in Huff’s Lounge of the Memorial Student Center, drew about 100 people.
In addition to being based on a work of published literature, films had to be 4 minutes, 51 seconds or less and the event began at 4:51 p.m., a nod to the science fiction classic “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury.
The festival coordinator was Associate Professor Joan Navarre, English and philosophy department, a fellow in the UW-Stout Nakatani Teaching and Learning Center.
“Creating a film demands vision, planning, collaboration, critical thinking and technical proficiency. The result is a product that is truly greater than the sum of its parts — a balance of art and technology that speaks eloquently to UW-Stout’s polytechnic mission,” Navarre said.
One of the judges was alumnus Andrew Steidtmann, a 2015 entertainment design graduate. He works for Ingenuity Studios in Los Angeles and has contributed to several major motion pictures.
Event sponsors were the English and philosophy department; the Literature Committee; the College of Arts, Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences; and the Involvement Center.
The 2018 festival will require students to create a film based on literature published by a foreign author.
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Photos
UW-Stout student Lukas Medin plays piano in a scene from the film “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” The film, based on a Dr. Seuss story and created by Medin and three other students, won UW-Stout’s 4:51 Short Film Festival.
Joan Navarre
