Baylor Graduate Student Named Finalist in Nationwide Film Competition

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One Baylor student is ready for his close-up.
Grant Hall, a master's candidate of communication studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, will join the company of some of the nation's top filmmakers at the annual American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddie Awards this month as one of three finalists in the ACE Student Editing Competition.
ACE, an organization of top editors in film and television, accepts the first 50 student entries to include an edited short film or show using the footage ACE provides each year. Hall said he found the competition while browsing through the ACE website and decided to apply.
"(The competition) is judged by a panel of editors, and I believe they are looking for who can tell the best story with the strongest cuts," Hall said. "Editing is not just about throwing film clips together, it is about figuring out how to tell a story in a way that emotionally involves your audience."
The application deadline was Jan. 13, and Hall learned of his selection two weeks later.
"I happened to be driving when I got the call, and I instantly wondered if I needed to pull the car over," Hall said. "I couldn't believe that I was heading to Los Angeles to meet editors whose films have inspired me over the years, and it still blows my mind to the point where I have to take a step back and ask myself if this is really happening."
ACE will announce the student competition winner at the ACE Eddie Awards Saturday, Feb. 18., at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., but all three finalists will receive a plaque. However, the winning student also will receive a Student Award and publicity in the Hollywood trade papers.
"It's just so cool to be going that it's not even about winning the award. Winning would just be icing on the cake," Hall said. "It's a total blessing to be in this situation, and I give God all of the glory for giving me this opportunity."
Faculty members in the department of communication studies are supportive of Hall and are excited for his future.
"Grant has been a part of our program since his undergraduate days, and he's always been highly respected by the faculty for his intellectual and professional curiosity," said Christopher Hansen, an award-winning writer and director and now director of the film and digital media division in the department of communication studies.
"Being named a finalist for such a prestigious student award is great for Grant and a wonderful reflection of what he's gotten out of his time at Baylor," Hansen said. "We're immensely proud of him and really believe he'll go far in his professional life."
by Carmen Galvan, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805