Moore Norman Technology Center’s Digital Video Production and Graphic Design classes will host the 11th annual Red Carpet Film Festival at 7 p.m. May 10 at the Sooner Theatre in Norman. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased by cash or check at MNTC’s Franklin Road Campus inside the IT Building, or call 801-5000 for more information.

The Red Carpet Film Festival was first created to provide a way for students to experience deeper learning while working on extensive, industry-level projects in a collaborative environment. Students from both programs are empowered to create complex projects that they see through from concept to distribution. 

MNTC Digital Video Instructor Amy Smith said they tried to incorporate a theme of following along a journey or a road trip with the main characters in the students' short films. 

Smith said, "This theme helped me focus the students on character arcs. The characters in a movie do not have to take an actual trip or adventure in order to go on some type of journey; good characters grow and change when faced with conflict. All I had to ask was, ‘What is their road trip?’"

The seven student-produced short films to be showcased at the event are: “Evil Division,” “Meredith,” “Nightcall,” “Plight,” “One of a Kind,” “The Final Thrill" and "The Spell."

Students in both DVP and Graphic Design complete a capstone course during their second year of instruction. DVP students write, shoot, direct and edit short films while Graphic Design students work as an advertising agency producing movie posters, DVD boxes, invitations and other print support materials for the event. 

Smith and MNTC Digital Video Instructor Joe Magrini said their students developed, wrote and pitched their short film ideas to a panel of local film professionals in November. Judges were Executive Director of deadCenter Film Festival Lance McDaniel, President and Creative Director of Boiling Point Media Ryan Bellgardt and Kim Haywood, executive director of Rodeo Cinema.

During the remainder of the fall semester MNTC’s students cast their films and this semester the students shot and completed post-production editing and color correcting on their projects.

Smith said,

Our students follow the production process in real way. With the Red Carpet Film Festival, we create a capstone experience for our students that goes beyond any normal classroom assignment.

Students from the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma provided original scores and sound design for the movies. 

Patrick Conlon is the assistant director of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma and has been involved with the RCFF for four years. He said they typically have almost four weeks to compose prior to the festival.

“The first week the class screens the films in class; this is an especially important screening because I emphasize that you only get to see the film for the first time once. Since that’s how most people interact with film, it’s why that first screening is so important,” Conlon said. “Then we divvy out who gets which films. After each film has a composer or composition team, we break down the films by story and feel. We make a list of adjectives, things like soft, tender, driving, that will help form the basic building blocks for the overall musical feel for the film."

MNTC Graphic Design Instructor Trisha Marlow said her students pitch their movie poster designs to a panel of local graphic designers at an open house event in March. The judges provide feedback, while also selecting the posters that are then presented to the student directors in DVP.

She said, "For the first time my students paired-up in teams of two to create this year’s campaign with the theme “Road Trip.” Southmoore High School senior Carizzma Carrion and Westmoore High School senior Madison McFarland were our winning team. They brainstormed and createed the logo, tickets, invites, shirts, and digital advertising for this event.

"Carizzma has continued on as our project manager for the event and is selling tickets. We're excited because this year the first 200 tickets sold come with a limited edition RCFF lapel pin."

Conlon said,

This is a fully realized, true film festival that is run by a group of incredible artists. If you want to build the film industry in Oklahoma, investing expertise, artistry and time in future generations of local artists is the only sustainable way to do it. 

To learn more about MNTC’s Digital Video Production or Graphic Design classes visit here or call 405-801-5000.