The annual Camp Kuleshov trailer competition, better known as Camp K, has once again recognized the outstanding talents of emerging creative artists in post-production.
Held across three cities—New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles—the event celebrated winners in Editing, Graphics, Sound Design, and Music Score, showcasing their skills in reimagining trailers, title sequences, and soundscapes.
With live presentations in New York and Chicago, and a hybrid in-person and virtual celebration in Los Angeles, the event brought together the post-production community to honor the next generation of creative talent.
Designed as a platform for emerging artists to refine their skills, Camp K tasks participants with transforming existing films into entirely new genres or styles. This year’s competition saw a blend of creativity and technical skill as participants crafted unique interpretations, pushing boundaries in storytelling, sound, and visual design.
East/Southeast Celebration in New York
New York hosted the East/Southeast Camp K awards on October 29 at The Mill, with Big Sky Edit’s Chris Franklin and Val Lasser leading the ceremony. The Editing category challenged contestants to create new trailers by blending up to three films and shifting the original genre to something completely different.
First Place went to Christian Frahme of PS 260 for his imaginative fusion, Tall Tale, combining Jack the Giant Slayer and Big Fish. JT Tsuchiya, also of PS 260, took Second Place for his Quentin Tarantino-inspired twist on 50 First Dates, while Jake Cannon of Uppercut came in Third with Operation Terraform, a mix of Moon and The Martian as an environmental warning.
In Graphics, Camila Dayson Aravena from Uppercut won First Place for her creative title sequence for Pan’s Labyrinth.
In Sound Design, Kennisa Ragland of Big Sky Edit took First Place with her inventive spoken-word interpretation of the mime tennis scene from Blow-Up, and in Music Score, Zoltan Monori of Heard City won for his dramatic composition for a key scene from Cast Away.
Lasser praised the event, noting, “Camp Kuleshov reaches new heights of sophistication each year, offering a unique platform for up-and-coming artists to showcase and refine their talents.”
West/Southwest Winners in Los Angeles
Los Angeles celebrated the combined West and Southwest winners on October 30 at The Mill in Culver City, with a simultaneous Zoom broadcast. The evening, hosted by Cut + Run editor Jay Nelson, featured insights from seasoned editors Chancler Haynes, Paul Martinez, and Zoë Mountain.
In Editing, Fernando Raigoza of Arcade Edit won First Place with Die Die Birdie, a mashup of Streets of Fire and Bye Bye Birdie, reimagined as a Tarantino-style blood fest.
Other winners included Sam Wichhart, who took Second Place, and Isabel Agtual of Uppercut in Third, both creating new spins on 50 First Dates.
Nelson applauded the turnout, saying, “This was the best event we’ve had in a while. Seeing the young talent reconnect with the editing community truly brought back a sense of unity and inspiration to our industry.”
A Bright Future Ahead
All First Place winners across each category now move on to compete for The Lev, Camp K’s national Grand Prize, judged by a select jury. Winners of The Lev will receive $1,000, courtesy of sponsor Musicbed + Filmsupply, which also provided music selections to entrants from its production library.
This year’s Camp K event has reinforced its place as a launchpad for fresh creative talent, while fostering community and mentorship within the post-production industry. With each winner demonstrating remarkable innovation and skill, Camp K continues to be a powerful platform for rising stars to make their mark on the creative landscape.
REELated:
This article was brought to you for FREE. Independent Journalism is not. Please support Reel 360 News and Reel Chicago by donating here.
