Two University of Iowa students are well on their way to the Mecca of motion pictures

By Meghan Hackett / VUE365 / December 2, 2005

The Hollywood film scene often brings two phrases to mind: altered egos and glitz.

Two University of Iowa students are well on their way to the Mecca of motion pictures; however, their down-to-earth qualities combined with their appreciation for their Iowa roots are sure to break stereotypes.

Both Scott Beck and Bryan Woods grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa, and what started as an interest for storytelling grew to a passion for film and in high school the two developed a production house called Bluebox Limited.

The two filmmakers’ original style and ability to weave a multitude of emotion through their films caught the eye of MTVu in their 2005 “Best Film on Campus: Trailer Challenge” competition. The premise of this contest is easy: develop a two-minute advertisement for your film. The actuality is much more complex: tell a story within two minutes that doesn’t give away the entire film, yet builds a climax and maintains a level of suspense.

“Sometimes it’s easier to make a feature film, rather than a trailer,” said Beck.

Beck and Woods’ trailers “University Heights” and “Her Summer” placed in the top 10, and a phone call on November 1 placed both of their entries in the final five.

“We’re lucky to come this far, and now we need all the support we can get,” said Beck. The winner will be announced on December 12, after the conglomeration of Hollywood directors, MTV staff, and a week long online voting on MTVu.com.

Awarded to the winner is a development deal with MTV Films and a home theatre system. “We only do competitions if there’s a prize that can further our film career,” said Beck, noting that the home theatre system wasn’t their main motivation.

Having placed in the top three in the 2004 “MTVu’s Best Film on Campus Competition,” Beck and Woods aren’t discouraged by not winning. “All we can do is do the best we can by putting the project out there,” said Beck. “It’s really cool to get a second chance,” said Woods. “We’re just crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.”

While they might not have won last year, the exposure generated great press, built relationships with members of the Iowa Film Community, and screened a few of their latest films at festivals across the country. Beck and Woods also placed in the Top 50 Director’s competition in the Project Greenlight contest, a production house created by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

No matter what happens on December 12, these two guys are determined to take their try in California. However, Beck plans to not sell out to the Hollywood business of big money. The two would like to remain true to independent minded films with the capacity of working in a studio, similar to director Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election) to whom they consider a great influence.

“If we’re lucky enough to make big budget films, we’d like to bring them back to Iowa,” said Beck. “The Iowa film community is a tight knit community, and we hope people will see what they have to offer.”