Recent Clarion University graduate Megan Laskowski has achieved a first, becoming the first student to receive a Telly Award. She was recognized in the Non-Broadcast Video or Film Productions in the promotions category.
Dr. Robert Nulph, associate professor of mass media arts, journalism, and communication studies at Clarion University, presented the statuette to Laskowski. Nulph also received a certificate for advising on the project.
"This film was the capstone project for my 21-credit minor in the Honors Program," explained Laskowski about the production entitled, "In Front of the Cameras: Honors." "I wanted to use my degree to help promote the Honors Program. It had a promotion video, but it was not as direct as what I completed. I wanted to redesign it to be a better tool for the program. The project is about using the language of film for informing and promoting purposes."
The success of her efforts was recognized with the Telly Award, which honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the Web. Since 1978, the mission of the Telly Awards has been to strengthen the visual arts community by inspiring, promoting, and supporting creativity. The 28th Annual Telly Awards received over 14,000 entries from all 50 states and five continent.
"I took an advertising course and that helped me with the promotions aspect of the project," said Laskowski about the five-minute film. "Courses I took from Dr. Joanne Washington and Dr. Susan Hilton in research and application helped me too. Every camera movement I used, I learned from Dr. Nulph."
"Megan took everything from our programs and really made it work in the video," said Nulph, who provided lighting design and technical support for the project. "It had solid and clean concepts. Every shoot I went on, Megan knew what she wanted to do and how to do it. All I had to do was set up the lights and check her shots."
The video featured two students from the Honors Program, Chris Wike of Shippenville and Kathryn Miesko of Johnstown, Honors Program Director Dr. Hallie Savage, and a special appearance by Clarion University senior faculty member, Dr. Bernard Vavrek, professor of library science. The award winning video will be placed at the Honors Program website for the benefit of future students.
"This was such a collaborative effort," said Nulph. "It was entered in the competition as a student/faculty effort, a complete role reversal from the usual project."
Laskowski received her degree from Clarion University in mass media arts, journalism, and communication studies major with a minor in business administration, in May 2008. She is a daughter of John and Cheryl Laskowski of Lake Aerial and is a graduate of Western Wayne High School.
She completed her undergraduate degree in three years with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. She was a member of the Honors Program, an academic opportunity for students whose intellectual and creative interests and abilities are beyond conventional university offerings. She was a news anchor/reporter/producer for two years for WCUB-TV, Clarion University's student television station, belonged to the National Broadcasting Society, worked in the Clarion University Human Resource Office for one year, and volunteered with a youth group at Clarion's First Baptist Church.
Laskowski started the paperwork for the project in Fall 2007. From January to March 2008 she met with Nulph two to three times a week consulting on script and research for the film. The filming was completed in a week's time, with two plans for each scene filmed. The filming was followed by 14 hours of editing by Laskowski and Nulph.
This summer, Laskowski completed a 12-week internship with WNEP-Newswatch 16 television in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. "I had the opportunity to go out as a reporter, help cover news, practice standup reporting, and write and edit my own news packages," she said about that experience.
Laskowski plans to marry Clarion graduate Seth Hampton, a 2007 Clarion University graduate, who teaches in the Northern Tioga School District, in October. She is currently looking for a job in broadcasting focusing her search in the Tioga County and lower New York State areas.
This was the second Telly Award won by Clarion University, but the first by an individual student. In 2001, a Clarion University team of students Carrie Arnold and Wayne Anderson and faculty members Dr. Susan Hilton and Bill Adams won a vidography Telly for their production, "A Clarion Call for Heritage," made for the Clarion University Department for University Advancement.
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