(Oops...should be
the 32nd Annual logo....)

"Matt's Story" wins two Telly Awards 

In a field of more than 11,000, the team that volunteered to produce the seven-minute video for the Concord Boys and Girls Club wins both First and Second Highest Honors in this year's Telly Awards.

The New Hampshire production team that originally met in the Concord Boys and Girls Club to produce the Emmy-nominated Public Service Announcement for Rhode Island Big Sisters, has landed the top honor—a  Silver Telly Award (Cinematography)—and the second-highest honor—a Bronze Telly Award (Fundraising Video)—for “Matt’s Story,” produced for the Concord Boys and Girls Club’s Breakfast of Champions fundraising event. 

Since 1978 Telly Awards have been honoring the work of creative video artists from the 50 states and around the globe. Annually, more than 11,000 entries are judged by over 500 professionals and prior award winners, and rated on a scale of one to ten.

Those projects that earn a nine or ten are awarded the highest honor: the Silver Telly Award; only seven to ten percent of all entries earn this highest honor. The Silver Telly in Cinematography for “Matt’s Story” is awarded to Kent Rich of Granite River Studios.

Bronze Telly Awards are given to the projects that earn a 7.0 to 8.9 score. Roughly 18 to 25 percent of all submissions receive this Finalist Prize. The Bronze Telly in Fundraising Video for “Matt’s Story” is awarded to the entire production team.

The Silver rather than the Gold is the highest award possible in the annual Telly Awards, as originally directed by the award’s founder. The Gold Telly Award is reserved for Classic Telly Award Winners, an honor that, according to the company, is presented approximately every five years.

Last year's crew answered a call by the Concord Boys and Girls Club to produce the seven-minute video for the Club's first annual fundraising breakfast. The video featured Matt Anderson, a young man who grew up in the Club, and one of his counselors, Tom Parizo, plus interviews with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson about their son.

Many of the crew were pulled from the original Smoky Quartz Productions team, which earlier in the year produced the Emmy-nominated Public Service Announcement, "To the Power of You." That project won Best Public Service Announcement in the inaugural 7DayPSA Competition sponsored by FLICKERS in Rhode Island.

Joining us on the "Matt's Story" project were:

Executive Producer - Carol Morse

Producer - Dana Biscotti Myskowski

Director - Adam Jones

Director of Photography - Kent Rich

Editor - David Bradley

Art Director - Mary-Catherine Jones

Set Decorator - Susan Tinkham

Hair & Make-Up - Annette Sousa

Lighting Assistant - Tom Dooley

Production Assistants - Leo & Abby Myskowski

A Classy Send-Off

Thanks to my Awesome Screenwriting Students who surprised me today with a cake and a card and lots of other goodies! Not sure if Amy captured a photo of the cake before it was cut into, so I thought I'd grab a quick pic before we sliced in for seconds here at home.

Thanks, Guys & Gals! See many of you next week at graduation! 

Congratulations to Connie Rosemont,
Executive Director of Red River Theatres,
one of two recipients of
the 2011 Governors Arts Awards
in the Category of
Distinguished Arts Leadership! 

Bragging Writes...

She's done it! Abby was just accepted to SNHU. And received an academic scholarship that brings the total cost nearly level with the cost of in-state tuition at UNH. So proud of her!

She'll start as a business major this fall, transferring the credits from her Associate's Degree that she'll earn this spring. To top it all off: she'll be graduating from community college at the time when most of her classmates will be accepting their high school diplomas.

A mom can brag, no? Especially as the author of my own blog.... :)

Fascinating Tales 

Behind the scenes & on location at the Concord Boys & Girls Club's Suncook facility where we captured a compelling story told to us by a boy who is growing up in this remarkable organization. Today we sat with an alumna of the club, a "lifer" as she dubbed herself and her friends, who shared another intriguing tale of growing up with--and largely thanks to--the Boys & Girls Club.

(From Left: Kent Rich, videographer; John Albert, production intern; Kevin Mason, production assistant; Dana Biscotti Myskowski, producer/director. Photo by Susan Tinkham, set decorator & stills photographer.)

Big stories in small packages

Study of a birdhouse; charcoal by Leo.

Next week I'm pulling some of the Smoky Quartz Productions crew* together to shoot the June 2011 Concord Boys & Girls Club video.

This year we're interviewing four club members from three locations: Suncook, Concord, and Hopkinton. Each of the kids and the one young adult who grew up in the club has a remarkable story to tell, though I'm not sure what those stories are yet as I prep my list of questions for them.

Thanks to all who are helping out on this project; look forward to working with you again!

Cheers,

Dana

* 2011 Crew:

Carol Morse, Executive Producer

Kent Rich, DP, Audio, and Editor

Susan Tinkham, Set Decorator/Art Designer

Kevin Mason & Patrick Witherell, Production Assistants

John Albert & Leo Myskowski, Production Interns

Dana Biscotti Myskowski, Producer/Director

Great Idea - Three Word Wednesday!

Thanks to the Author of Three Word Wednesday for posting this writing prompt. This week's words are occasion, kind, and blink. The challenge is to use them in your writing. I chose to pen a bit of Twitter Fiction:

On this occasion he was actually kind to the guards. But in a blink he was gone; the last death penalty case of his state.