Optimus, Cutters Studios Creatives Highlight Camp Kuleshov Midwest Winners

The winners are in! AICP’s Camp Kuleshov challenge for the Midwest region was a success once again and accolades were awarded Thursday in Downtown Chicago. The nightlife hotspot Tree House at 149 W Kinzie Street was the host for the well-attended festivities. The Chicago celebration capped off a week of events recognizing the winners from the West, Southwest and East competitions. Let’s see who was saluted at the soiree…

The challenge at hand was the ultimate in post production creativity. Editorial category entrants must change the movie’s genre from its original to another genre on the list. Per the rules, “Now your camp counselors may have given a genre very specific to its movie’s storyline, but if it’s obviously a general comedy or horror we suggest you steer as far away from anything like its original intentions. The broadening of the genres we list are meant to further the possibilities. We hope you embrace that. Additionally, you may mash up two movies to tell a story that is neither of their original genres, but another genre on the list.”

Sound Design category entrants choose a section of a film from a list of movie options to create an entirely new sound design. The interpretation of the scene through sound design must be noticeably different from the original and be original in and of itself.  Genre changes are not required, but allowable.  Most importantly, you must not mimic the original. 

Mind you, this is no ordinary movie list.  The Camp Kuleshov team has worked hard to make a wide selection of “Kuleshov”-worthy feature films. The hope is that “Campers” are introduced to new types of films and filmmakers.

This year’s film list ranged from Richard III to Cats to Body Heat. Click here for the full roster.

And the Winners Are…

Here are the winners in Editing:

1st Place went to Caralyn Moore of Optimus for her creativity with the 1967 classic The Producers 

2nd Place to Brian Naughton of Cutters Studios for his work with the 2009 award winner Inglorious Basterds.

3rd Place was earned by Charlie Kehoe of Cutters Studios for his efforts with the 1963 Fellini classic 8 1/2.

Honorable Mention for Isabella Paulitz of Cutters Studios and her work with the 2004 comedy 13 Going on 30.

Here are the winners in Sound Design:

Another Country’s Brett Rossiter brought home 1st Place for his creativity with the 1953 movie The Wages of Fear.

2nd Place for Optimus’ Harrison Gill for his work with the 1959 classic French film Pickpocket.

Congratulations to the Midwest and Chicago Honorees! And if you’re brand new to Camp Kuleshov and wondering how you can get involved next time around…

How Did Camp Kuleshov Begin?

According to AICP, “It was a dark and stormy night in Russia, the dim light of the moviola was all that flickered in the depths of the editing room where Lev Vladimirovich Kuleshov discovered how to influence specific human emotions by juxtaposing images. “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.” -Dr. Frankenstein (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

And so the Kuleshov Effect was born. Cutaway after cutaway, learning how different reactions can be achieved in any sequence, and undeniably shape your story. Hitchcock, “the Master of Suspense” himself has referred to the Kuleshov Effect as “pure editing”. Lev did all of his experiments with pre-existing footage, re-arranging, re-assembling, creating a new juxtaposition to demonstrate the power of editing, and claim it to be its own artform as early as 1910.

And now we celebrate the great and powerful Kuleshov with the AICP’s Camp Kuleshov competition of storytelling through movie trailers, opening titles sequences, and sound design. Participants are assistant editors, assistant audio mixers/sound designers or assistant graphic/visual effects artists employed or sponsored by AICP member companies. Participating chapters all work from the same creative brief and winners from each local competition move on to compete against each other for “The Lev” – the international grand prize awarded to the top assistant in each category.”

Click here for more about Camp Kuleshov and the winners across the country.

Check back here at SCREEN for more of the latest from the Chicago and Midwest advertising community. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.