Aaron Evans, a junior in the Bethany Lutheran College media arts program, has been selected as the winner of a national editing competition called Making the Cut. The event is sponsored by PromaxBDA, which describes itself as “the leading global resource for education, community, creative inspiration and career development for marketing, promotion and design professionals within the entertainment/information industry.” The competition is open nationally to all undergraduate students.
Evans will be receiving his award in San Francisco, California, at the Game Marketing Summit held on April 17, 2012. PromaxBDA paid for Evans’ flight as part of his award prize. Evans also earns a paid summer internship at The Ant Farm post-production facility in Los Angeles, California. The Ant Farm describes itself as a “leading entertainment advertising agency dedicated to creating unforgettable campaigns for every facet of the entertainment world, including movie and video game trailers and TV spots, print and interactive advertising, viral marketing, 2D and 3D motion graphics, music and sound design.” The Ant Farm has created award-winning work for major studios and video game publishers.
The Game Marketing Summit launched in 2006 as MI6 and today is seen as a must-attend annual event for marketing professionals focused on the issues, trends, and emerging opportunities crucial to success in the video gaming marketplace.
A prepared release from Promax/BDA stated:
“Congratulations to Aaron Evans, the 2012 Game Marketing Awards Making the Cut Winner. Aaron, a student at Bethany Lutheran College, submitted an amazing piece titled The Path You’ve Chosen. Judges graded all entries on creativity, production quality, and marketing objectives.”
Kurt Paulsen, a professor in the Bethany media arts program, noted, “Aaron’s first place award in the Making the Cut competition opened up new and exciting opportunities for him. Not only is he attending a national conference to receive an award, mingling with some of the top game advertisers in the country, he is also putting himself in a position to engage with the industry through an internship. He was planning on looking for one this summer, but this competition has made that search much easier! His award is something the media arts program is very proud of as well. This is the second year in a row that we have won the award and it is evidence of the extreme dedication and hard work displayed by the media arts students.”
Evans will also be recognized on the Bethany Campus at the 2012 BLC Studios Festival of Communication and Media Arts on May 6, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. in Bethany’s Honsey Hall film viewing room.