Your vote could help local filmmakers achieve their dream

By Sean Leary / MOLINE DISPATCH / October 28, 2005

It was a beautiful fall day, only a few years ago. I could've been outside doing any number of productive, entertaining things, but instead, I was sitting in a near-empty schoolroom and watching countless films over and over as a judge for the Iowa Motion Picture Awards.

Many of the movies -- even those in the professional category -- were fairly painful. Some films that had pristine lighting, sound and technical aspects had sloppy, hackneyed or ultra-pretentious scripts. Movies with some imagination and creativity were hamstrung by low-budget sets or effects or amateurish techniques.

The eventual winners, and those that challenged them for trophy spots, stood out in high relief from the rest.

Among those that took honors, there were a few that immediately struck me like the proverbial lightning bolt.

These films had their flaws, but you could see them easily being corrected with time and experience. What was more impressive was the imagination, reach, skill and obvious talent displayed by the filmmakers.

This was my first experience with Bluebox Limited.

What I quickly found out was that these films were made by a couple of Bettendorf teens still in high school -- Bryan Woods and Scott Beck. That impressed me all the more. So much so that I wrote a column about them, and eventually collaborated with them on three film projects I wrote and produced.

What has struck me about the two as I have spoken with them, worked with them and hung out with them is how devoted they are to their craft. These guys aren't getting into movies primarily to get dates, get attention or get fame. They have a passion for what they're doing that completely consumes them. They could do nothing else.

That's what makes witnessing their success all the more satisfying. These guys deserve it.

This week, they got word that for the second consecutive year, they are among the top 10 finalists in a national, MTV-sponsored film contest. Bluebox's two-minute teasers for the flicks "University Heights" and "Her Summer" have reached the money round in MTV's Best Film on Campus: Trailer Challenge Competition.

Keep in mind that this comes after a year in which Woods and Beck won eight Iowa Motion Picture Awards and were finalists in a little contest called Project Greenlight, which was run by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Finalists will be chosen in another round of online voting (MTV staffers and/or celebrity judges also will cast votes). Trailers will be available online for voting through Nov. 8 at www.mtvu.com/contests/best_film_on_campus/2005/.

The winner will be announced Dec. 12. The first-place finisher will receive a home-theater system and a development deal with MTV Films. True to form, the Bluebox guys are far more excited about the latter than the former.

"What Bryan and I really care about is the development deal," Beck said. "It'd be nice to get a foot in the door and have a major studio back our next project."

That next project is an ambitious script called "Coast" that they've been working on for the past year, with a targeted budget far beyond the few hundred dollars allocated for most of their films.

The MTV deal would go a long way toward getting them that budget. That's why they're crossing their fingers for a win.

"We're lucky to come this far, and now we need all the support we can get," Beck said.

So why not help them out? Log on and give them your vote. You could make a real difference in the lives of two talented creators in your own back yard. Not a bad way to spend a few minutes on a beautiful fall day.