UI junior wins MTV film award

By Margaret Poe / THE DAILY IOWAN / December 6, 2005

With a gregarious mtvU veejay thrusting a microphone in his face and a gaggle of extras from his latest film besieging him, the lanky UI junior could only manage a repeated "wow" as he stood frozen in the doorway, his jaw dropping toward the carpet.

As the outpouring subsided, astounded filmmaker Scott Beck realized he had just secured a development deal with MTV Films - a prize he thought his friend and fellow film guru Bryan Woods had snagged.

"It's just like MTV to punk the punker," said Beck, who had been duped by the college-focused television network into believing childhood pal Woods had secured the award. But Beck, on his way to give Woods the good news, suddenly found himself the center of attention.

Walking into an apartment bursting with yellow and black balloons and streamers was his last expectation Monday night.

Beck's trailer for his film University Heights - which follows the intertwining lives of four Iowa college students - snagged the mtvU Best Film on Campus prize after online voting elevated Beck from finalist status, which he also garnered last year.

mtvU veejay Gardner Loulan hosted the surprise gathering, which will later air on the TV network, simultaneously shushing and inducing the crowd into a fervor of excitement.

"It's either a family of raccoons in the hallway, or it's Scott," said the charismatic Loulan, as he guided the crowd through many close calls. His blond wavy hair and black hooded sweatshirt gave him the appearance of any college student, but, with his mtvU-emblazoned microphone, he commanded the authority of the shocked filmmaker.

Bettendorf natives Woods and Beck collaborated on both of their films, continuing a professional partnership that began in the sixth grade, when action figures served as their actors. The lifelong pals agreed they are willing to suspend their studies - both communication-studies majors- to rewrite and improve the award-winning movie.

"Filmmaking is a dream," Woods said, looking across his living room - its white walls plastered with M.N. Shyamalan posters - at fellow film junkies chugging Mountain Dew and reveling in the success of the "no-budget" movie. A piece of cheddar cheese whizzing over his head paused his response only a second; the level-minded director seemed accustomed to his friends' antics.

The Ben Affleck/Matt Damon-esque pair hope to own a big production company someday, but the glitz of Hollywood is not their aspiration - they want to retain their Iowa roots, basing their company in their home state.

"We grew up here," Woods said. "It's a state we love. The stories we write are, one way or the other, about this state."

Beck hopes Iowa's cinema scene will explode in the coming years.

"People in California think all there is is corn or potatoes here," he said. But some Californians - mtvU officials - have taken notice of the landlocked state's untapped talent.

Ross Martin, mtvU's vice president of programming, said the most significant innovation, trend-setting, and rule-breaking occurs on college campuses, and the UI is no exception.

"I think it says a lot about the school," the executive said, lauding Beck's and Woods' achievements.

All those gathered exuded pride and excitement for the ambitious filmmakers. Josh Guffey, a UI senior who acted as a classroom extra in University Heights, said the pair had finally gotten their due.

"These guys are living the dream," he said.