The Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) Student Production Awards were announced at a ceremony on Sunday, April 14, 2013, at the Theaters at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Bethany Lutheran College students received eleven nominations in eight categories and claimed five awards. Bethany and St. Cloud State University both went home with five awards followed by Minnesota State University, Moorhead with three. The Upper Midwest Chapter of the NATAS includes universities and colleges from Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Wisconsin. Winners include:

Arts and Entertainment/Cultural Affairs

Spin Cycle– Bethany Lutheran College

Aimee Bruss (Layfayette, MN) Director of Photography

Megan Poehler (Nicollet, MN) Producer

Alex Sina (St. Louis Park, MN) Director

Long Form: Non-Fiction

Project 24 –Bethany Lutheran College

Stephanie Erlandson (Henning, MN) Producer

Christopher Johnson, Advisor

Commercial

PromaxBDA Student Story Challenge Promo– Bethany Lutheran College

Aaron Evans (St. Peter, MN) Producer/Animator

Christopher Johnson, Advisor

Animation/Graphics/Special Effects

Aaron Evans Motion Graphics Montage – Bethany Lutheran College

Aaron Evans, Designer

Christopher Johnson, Advisor

Writing

Two Minutes in the Box– Bethany Lutheran College

Andrew Asp (Fridley, MN) Writer

Scott Fasset (Alexandria, MN) Writer

NATAS created the Student Production Awards to recognize and encourage excellent student work in media. Entries were judged by industry professionals against a set of standards generated by the NATAS.

The Bethany student recipients will be recognized locally at an awards presentation that will take place on the Bethany campus as part of the production studio’s Festival of Communication and Media Arts held during Bethany’s Media Week in May 2013.