The annual Camp Kuleshov trailer competition, known as Camp K, concluded with a series of live and virtual celebrations across Los Angeles and New York to recognize the talented winners and honorable mentions in categories such as Editing, Sound Design, Graphics, and the newly introduced Music Score category.
This competition aims to provide emerging creative artists in post-production with the opportunity to hone their skills, gain mentorship, and showcase their creativity.
Emerging talent was challenged to re-imagine existing films and transform their trailers into fresh and inventive creations. The diverse range of source films and categories pushed entrants to think outside the box and craft unique cinematic experiences.
Camp K West/Southwest Winners
The West and Southwest Camp K winners were announced at a celebration held at Vaudeville Sound in Culver City, with a simultaneous virtual presentation. Jay Nelson, an editor at Cut + Run who also served as a Camp K Coach, emceed the event.
Editing Category
First Place went to Ellen Culver of Nomad Edit in Austin, TX for her Absurd Horror reworking of House Party.
Noah Leggett, also of Nomad Edit, secured Second Place with a mashup of the 1978 Clint Eastwood comedy Every Which Way But Loose and the 2018 version of A Star is Born into an Absurd Horror picture.
Edward Schroer of Cosmo Street in L.A. won Third Place for his mashup of the 2001 live-action teen comedy Josie & The Pussycats and the 1994 thriller Clear and Present Danger, presented as a film Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Music Score Category
Alex Doty of Swell Music + Sound in San Francisco received an Honorable Mention for his original score for a suspenseful scene in No Country For Old Men.
The event featured insights on mentorship and career development from post-production professionals, emphasizing the importance of learning from experienced mentors.
Camp K East/Southeast Winners
Winners in the East and Southeast Camp K competition were celebrated at The Mill’s offices, with Chris Franklin of Big Sky Edit and Val Lasser, a Big Sky Editor, leading the festivities.
Editing Category
First Place was awarded to Spencer King of Northern Lights for his innovative reworking of Unfaithfully Yours, Demon Seed, and House Party into a thriller Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Santiago Figueira Wilson, also of Northern Lights, secured Second Place with a comic combo of Clear and Present Danger and March of the Penguins, presented as an Unsolved Mystery.
Third Place went to Setareh Jalali of Cut + Run for her take on The Prestige as a Buddy Comedy. Honorable Mentions were also presented in the Editing category.
Two Editing entries were awarded Honorable Mention: they went to Abby Doherty of Cut + Run for her Absurd Horror take on House Party, and Lauren Hughes of Uppercut for her Evil Artificial Intelligence recasting of Josie & the Pussycats.
Sound Design Category
Carly Morgan of Sonic Union claimed First Place for her hilarious twist on a frightening scene in The Conversation.
Zoltan Monori of Heard City secured Second Place for his unique take on the 2010 crime thriller The American.
Graphics Category
Irving Zarate of Northern Lights won First Place for his animated, distressed title sequence for the 2001 cocaine caper film Blow.
Music Score Category
Alex Thiel of Sonic Union earned an Honorable Mention for a suspenseful score in No Country For Old Men.
REELated:
“Our East/SE entries really hit it out of the park this year, with stellar work that was clearly taken very seriously by each and every entrant,” says Franklin. “We were impressed with the fact that all the work was very polished to look and sound great, regardless of which category, and many embraced the challenge of mash-ups in editorial.”
“I think coaching had a lot to do with the quality of work this year,” added Lasser. “We really pushed this on social media with our @campkuleshov IG feed, and got a great response. We had a record number of coaching requests, which underscores our focus on mentoring and using the competitions to push assistants out of their comfort zone. It matters not if you win, but what you learn along the way are lifelong lessons towards your craft. The end-of-season viewing party is pretty wonderful when we get to watch all the work together and celebrate all the assistants who participated. I can’t thank them enough for the inspiration.”
Camp K continues to provide opportunities for up-and-coming post-production talent to challenge themselves, learn, and gain recognition in their field. All First Place winners from each competition will compete for The Lev, Camp K’s national Grand Prize, and have a chance to win $1,000, provided by Camp K sponsor Musicbed + Filmsupply. Musicbed also made selections from its production music library available to entrants free of charge.
As the entertainment industry emerges from the recent strikes, it’s inspiring to see the enthusiasm, creativity, and mentorship that Camp K continues to foster, ensuring the next generation of storytellers is well-prepared for success.
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