Avid Everywhere Used By AFI Students

Students from the American Film Institute (AFI) have utilised Avid Everywhere to create films that were honoured at the 42nd Student Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

AFI students used Avid Artist Suite and Storage Suite solutions to craft their films, which are now eligible for an Oscar, including all three films that won the Narrative Award – This Way Up, Day One and Stealth.

AFI made history this year by being the first school to win all three medals in the Narrative category, winning more awards than any other film school. Established in 1972, the Student Academy Awards recognise and honour student filmmakers who demonstrate excellence in the creation of motion pictures.

'This Way Up' tells the story of a hardworking homeless man who creates a 'fake' life so his daughter won't see what he has become. The filmmakers relied on Avid Media Composer and the Avid ISIS shared storage system to cut the film in a very short space of time.

"Our project was on a tight schedule – we finished our first cut two days after we wrapped principle photography," explained Editor and Post Supervisor, Steven Pristin. "Media Composer allowed our assistant editor to continually prep incoming footage while I watched dailies with the team and put together my cut."

Pristin worked with director Jeremy Cloe to cut the film. "I was thrilled and honored to win a Student Academy Award," said Cloe. "After working on a movie for so long it's hard to view it objectively, so it's an amazing feeling to have new eyes view it and respond in the way you'd hoped."

Editor Leo Chan relied on Media Composer to cut 'Stealth', which follows a transgender child as she faces the challenges associated with being her 'whole self'.

"Using the same tools as they do in Hollywood provides us with good practice and habits that will be useful in the future," said Chan.

Bennett Lasseter, Stealth Director, added: "AFI was outfitted with a great Avid workflow that gave the Fellows the tools to craft their stories in post-production. The lab becomes your second home for a while, so Avid is what your days start to revolve around. It was always efficient and smooth to use day in and day out. It’s clear why it’s the industry standard."

"Together with leading films schools like AFI, Avid is committed to nurturing the filmmakers of tomorrow," commented Kyle Kim-Hays, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Avid. "By embracing Avid Everywhere, AFI's students have access to industry-standard tools and workflows, enabling them to create the highest quality films and giving them a head start in their future careers."

Image: Avid Artist | DNxIO

www.avid.com

(JP/LM)