DAVE School Students and Faculty Filmmakers Nominated for Two Regional EMMY Awards

The nominations are for "The Dream Catcher", a short original film about a stuffed bear that will stop at nothing to protect his child owner from what lurks in the dark at bedtime.

News provided by

The DAVE School

Oct 20, 2017, 18:12 ET

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Dream Catcher", The Digital Animation & Visual Effects (DAVE) School's original short film, has been nominated for two Regional EMMY^® Awards in the categories of Graphic Arts – Animation and Director by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, Suncoast chapter. Winners will be announced on Dec. 2.

The 9-minute short draws inspiration from the experiences as a child of its director, Matt Killian, an instructor at The DAVE School.

"This is a story of loyal friendship and love that I hope will make people smile," said Killian, who also wrote the script. "I drew from my childhood. Some kids become attached to a blanket or a pillow, but like the child in the movie my comfort object was a stuffed animal. In my mind, it could protect me from the monster under my bed and much more."

The film, a project from The DAVE School graduating class of March 2016, tells the story of a gentle, stuffed bear who will stop at nothing to protect his child from a nightmare-inducing creature of the shadows. It was created by the combined efforts of The DAVE School students, faculty, and local Orlando industry professionals.

"The movie is a metaphor for the importance of loyalty and kindness in today's world," Killian said. "Sometimes it isn't until we go through terrible things - a natural disaster, a personal tragedy, sickness - that we can see who is on our side and what they are willing to do for us."

Killian, alongside The DAVE School, won a Regional Emmy last year in the category of Graphic Arts – Animation for "The Thief of Always – Book Trailer", based on the bestselling fable by Clive Barker and directed by Killian.

Academic Director, David Sushil, said the award and nominations are a testament to the quality of The Dave School's faculty and programs.

"We have amazingly talented instructors, real pros in the visual effects industry, who work tirelessly day in and day out to share their knowledge with our students," Sushil said. "Our students graduate ready to work at a studio because we begin equipping them with hands-on experience from day one."

For over 17 years, The DAVE School has been educating 3D artists on Sound Stage 25 located on the Back Lot of Universal Studios Orlando^®.

"We are very proud to be part of Orlando's entertainment industry legacy and are excited about receiving our third and fourth Regional Emmy^® nominations," said The DAVE School Executive Vice President Gino Natalicchio, Ph.D "The fact that The DAVE School simulates a real world industry environment and students work as a team to create wonderful projects like 'The Dream Catcher' shows how unique and invaluable our programs are."

Registration for the DAVE School is now open for on campus and online classes. For information, visit www.daveschool.com or for campus admissions, call 855-328-3839 or 1-407-385-1100.

About The DAVE School (Digital Animation & Visual Effects): The DAVE School, located on the backlot of Universal Studios, Orlando© in Sound Stage 25, includes a 35,000-square-foot facility that offers three labs, a shooting stage with a 65' x 25' green screen and a motion capture system. The DAVE School, which offers comprehensive training in 3D modeling and animation, game production, motion graphics creation, 3D visual effects production, and production programming, places graduates in the visual effects and gaming industries. The DAVE School is a division of Florida Technical College, an EduK Group institution. For more information, go to www.daveschool.com.

Contact: Jodie Beckstine
[email protected]
1-855-328-3839

SOURCE The DAVE School