Byram Hills High School senior Ethan Sutton won a Presidents’ Award for film from the Lower Hudson Region of the New York State Media Arts Teachers Association in May.
The honor goes to a student “whose entire body of work shows noteworthy content, a creative approach, attention to composition, a command of craft, is visually and technically outstanding, or a Video/Film that was considered “‘visually or technically outstanding.’”
A record 251 high school students from 14 Lower Hudson Region high schools submitted 475 works of art, and 32 short films. Ethan was one of seven students to win the Presidents’ Award.
In his Moviemaking & Media class taught by Michael Chuney, Ethan was assigned to create a metaphor movie with unique audio. He and his classmates were challenged to explore the uses of colors, sounds, and even character traits within a visual motif.
Ethan created “Doll,” an interpretive short film inspired by the 1971 work of women's rights activist and poet Marge Piercy. He spent about three months creating the movie and told an important story without actors.
“I feel deeply humbled and honored to earn this recognition and I am excited to continue creating work that highlights important topics,” Ethan said. “This film would not have been made possible without Mr. Chuney's constant support. I also want to congratulate the other talented artists whose work was recognized!”
