Film and TV nominees – Orange County Register

The following 53 students have been nominated for the 2023 Artist of the Year in Film and TV by teachers and private instructors at Orange County high schools and arts organizations.

This arts discipline has been divided into five specialties: cinematography, film direction, promo/commercial making, TV/broadcast journalism, and visual effects and editing. Semifinalists in each specialty will be chosen by a panel of film teachers and announced on April 23 at ocregister.com.

The nominees are listed with an endorsement from their nominating teacher. We have not included links to students’ films because some film festivals, into which the students may submit their films, typically request that the films not be posted publicly online.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Yishai Bellgreene

“Yishai has really come into his own as a senior this year. He has become the go-to producer and cinematographer for our advanced video production class. In particular, he has taken on cinematography as a passion and has advanced his learning of composition, and camera operation to produce some amazing images.” — Rod Boaz, Valencia High School

Owen Thomas Blum

“Since his earliest days as my student, Owen has shown a precociousness and eagerness to experiment with film visuals and redefine cinema language. … Owen is passionate about both technology and art. He loves cameras and the instruments used to create movie magic. But he also loves the art of cinema and telling stories with flair and visual intention. For him the image tells more than just a story, it transports us to a new reality.” – Aaron Orullian, Orange County School of the Arts

Sebastian Faller

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“Sebastian is a jack of all trades when it comes to filmmaking. He takes chances with his storytelling. He has a trained eye when it comes to cinematography. He’s got acting chops. He puts in the time and effort in pre-production. But above all else, he cares about his art and it’s apparent.” — Kenny Connolly, Mater Dei High School

Jason George

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“Jason is the hardest working student in my class and is always helping other students. His specialty is cinematography and live-event videography. As a videographer, Jason is our most prolific sports and event camera-op. In a class of 40 students, he probably films about 20-25% of our overall footage with is amazing. … He has an ability to capture images that really reflect the characters and elevate the story.” — Mark Switzer, El Dorado High School

Andrew Kim

“For the last year Andrew has been working tirelessly on perfecting his cinematography skills. He has a unique combination of technical creative skill that can be seen in all his work, and that I believe is necessary for any great cinematographer. He is constantly drawing inspiration from other work and thinking of ways he can try new camera and lighting techniques in upcoming films. I have been impressed not only with his technical mastery of how to control light, but also how to apply that creatively to add meaning to the films he shoots.” — Nathan Boice, Beckman High School

Victoria Luong

“Victoria’s skills in sketching, painting, line art, and coloring guide her cinematic concepts and visuals. Always energetic, the pictures that Victoria conveys are guided by foundational art, experimenting with things like lighting, color, shadows, and composition. What makes Victoria even more formidable as a cinematographer is her fearless sense of experimentation and adventure. If there’s a concept that Victoria’s interested in utilizing for her cinematography, she studies it relentlessly and builds a repertoire of knowledge and understanding of said concept” — Michael Simmons, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts

Cruiz Thwint Nick Nay Lynn

“Throughout the time I’ve had the pleasure of teaching Cruiz, I came to appreciate his work ethic and steadfast dependability. Whichever role he plays in the production team on various projects, Cruiz would collaborate, motivate, and lead in order to attain the best possible end product. … Beyond just the requirements of my video production class, Cruiz has shown great initiative to expand his filmmaking skills at any opportunity, often volunteering for projects commissioned by other departments and programs at our school, and the community beyond.” — Jun Shen, Laguna Beach High School

Natalie Neal

“Natalie has an amazing eye for composition and lighting. Her work is absolutely gorgeous, and everyone in our class knows it. When students are writing and directing their films, they often come to Natalie if they are in need of a director of photography because they know how beautiful her camerawork is. Numerous students in my class have been nominated and/or won awards for films that Natalie has shot. Natalie has also been recognized personally with nominations and awards for her stunning cinematography.” — Richard Cadra, Yorba Linda High School

Ethan Nguyen

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“He has a natural eye for cinematography and is able to capture the world in ways that enhance any narrative he gets his hands on. He has also been a member of Husky Vision, our student news and variety show, for the past 3 years and regularly leads everyone in coming up with ideas and ensuring that people are being productive in class. … He has a great relationship with everyone in the class and the students respect and admire him.” — Nick Ochoa, Fairmont Preparatory Academy

Zen Sing Thai

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“Zen loves film and can’t wait to get out and be a cinematographer. She has been making films since starting in my program in the 9th grade, including commercials for White Barn Candles and Snapware products. When COVID hit, Zen took an online After Effects workshop to continue improving her visual skills. … Her junior year, Zen began focusing more earnestly on cinematography and shot the pilot episode for her junior web series “Sanguine,” about an office grunt who thinks his boss is a vampire. She shot this in B&W and was able to create a beautiful horror/comedy noir look.” — Aaron Orullian, Orange County School of the Arts

Nicolas Eric Tung

“Nicolas is great to work with. He’s a really talented cinematographer, director, editor and visual effects artist. He has a great work ethic, communicates well with his teammates, and is always looking for new ways to challenge himself. I’ve been really impressed with his versatility. There is literally nothing that Nicolas can’t do, and if he does encounter a problem, he does whatever it takes to figure it out.” — Mark Switzer, El Dorado High School

Winston Verdult

“Winston is incredibly passionate about cinematography and has shown himself to be a dedicated and proficient visual storyteller. His films are always highly creative in their lighting design and thoughtful use of color. With each film project, Winston goes out of his way to experiment and try new techniques.” — Karen Bennett, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

Sabrinna Yeh

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“When you look at her resume you obviously notice that she is involved, motivated, and artistic – from her sticker shop to the art competitions, film festival selections, and her YouTube channel you can see that she is a true artist.  But it is the kind of art she photographs that really separates her from her peers.  While many students her age are struggling to find their voice, Sabrinna has already found hers.  And her “voice” is one that is centered around Asian culture.” — Jim Falletta, Troy High School

FILM DIRECTING

Rozhina Akbari

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“Without Rose Akbari’s effort and ability to see CAPO.360, not just as a class, but as an on campus business that needs to work within a budget, deadlines, and clients that deserve a project done at its highest level we would not have had the success we have had in this program. Rose has led clubs and other on campus events outside of the film program. These have helped her to become a fantastic leader in which she is incredibly collaborative, steps up to lead when it’s needed, is great fun to be around, and an example to all my other students.” — Craig Landino, Capistrano Valley High School

Magdalena Aparicio

“This year Magdalena is serving as the Producer of Mustang Mix, our biweekly, schoolwide broadcast. It is the highest position in my class and one that Magdalena has handled deftly. Magdalena earned this top position because of her passion for film as well as her dedication to our program. She is very skilled with all of the equipment and software, and she also has wonderfully creative ideas for short films and always comes though with her deadlines.” — Richard Cadra, Yorba Linda High School

Lindsay Nicole Carren

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“As the lead producer for our advanced video production class, Lindsay has proven herself as a strong leader and creative powerhouse. Her focus on telling a good story has led to success in many of her productions. With that in mind, she has excelled as a director, coaching actors and on-screen talent to convey clarity, emotion and conviction on screen.” — Rod Boaz, Valencia High School

Josh Choi

“The best part about Josh is his unique ability to understand all aspects of production.  Whether he’s holding the camera himself, directing the actors (which includes himself sometimes), recruiting talented cast and crew members, scouting locations, designing wardrobe, creating sets, and orchestrating the sound mixes for his films … he can do everything.” — Jim Falletta, Troy High School

Cooper Rey Kawase Cuya

“Cooper Cuya is one of the most passionate filmmakers in our video production program and he is a complete joy to work with. I have been Cooper’s teacher for the past 2 and a half years and he continues to impress me every single day with his unique ideas, fantastic attitude, and his approach to filmmaking. His work is the most diverse of any of my students — ranging from animation, to narrative, to documentary, to experimental filmmaking. Additionally, he is among my best students at every aspect of the filmmaking process – writing, directing, lighting, design, sound, and editing.  He can do it all.” — Mark Switzer, El Dorado High School

Sophia D’Auria

“This year I selected Sophia from all of my film students to direct our class’s original short film. … Sophia headed all aspects of the project often taking on more than a director is typically responsible for. …Sophia handled lots of different personalities in an extremely professional manner, always making sure everyone felt validated and part of a collaborative team while also asserting strong leadership exactly when necessary. I am so proud of the class for accomplishing such a large film project and especially for Sophia’s consistent leadership in the entire process!” – David Amrein, JSerra Catholic High School

Jackson Flemming

“Since his first day in my Video Production class over three years ago, Jackson has let his creativity shine. Whichever team he worked on, whichever project he tackled, he always thought of ways to push his artistic and creative boundaries. Every day in class, he worked tirelessly, eventually learning to excel at cinematography, editing, and eventually directing. Even in his off-time, Jackson undertakes video projects for the community, his friends, and even paying clients.” — Jun Shen, Laguna Beach High School

Quinten Franks

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“Quinten is without hesitation our first-call student — when we need something done, he’s already standing there saying ‘I got it!’ His leadership capabilities coupled with his professionalism when working with others propels him to be a fantastic director. … Quinten is the program’s go-to for class projects, but shines brightest when he gets to run the show. His work is always amazing to watch.” — Michael Simmons, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts

Jack T. Goble

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“Jack himself would say that no one really works under him, but this is exactly the kind of collaborative spirit that propels him forward as an artist and compels other students to follow him. Observant, bright, and infectiously optimistic, Jack’s products all have a kind of hopeful humorous glow to them. That said, he doesn’t shy away from using the problems of the world around him as a foil to play with. This goes hand in hand with who Jack is as both an artist and a human.” — Michael Simmons, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts

Dominic Gonzalez

“Dominic is one of our most inquisitive and committed students as well as one of our top directors and storytellers. Right from the start, Dominic showed an interest and commitment to filmmaking. He blew me away (and had everyone on the edge of their seats) with the horror short ‘Rabbits,’ about a girl who gets a series of terrifying, anonymous texts. … Dominic Gonzalez is a true artist, always seeking and learning, wondering and trying. I can’t wait to see how he grows as a filmmaker.” — Aaron Orullian, Orange County School of the Arts

Glorien Gough

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“When I think of Glorien, I think of his passion for filmmaking. He’s the first student in every day, and odds are he’s waiting outside of the classroom to get access to an editing station. Not only is he determined to create content he loves, his approach in doing so is infectious. Glorien’s classmates love working alongside him because his ideas and the manner in which he executes those ideas are fun.” — Kenny Connolly, Mater Dei High School

Jordan Held

“Jordan is one of my most eager, curious, and committed student artists. She came into my program with a background in acting and has brought a good sense of performance to her directing work. … This year Jordan will be co-directing the short film ‘Figaro’ about a grieving man who bonds with a cat. It’s a lovely and humanistic film with tragic and comic notes and completely life-affirming. I’m excited to see the stories Jordan will tell in the future!” — Aaron Orullian, Orange County School of the Arts

Nicole Wanyun Lee

“Nicole is a passionate filmmaker, one who gets excited about ideas and gets things done. In the last 6 months she has come into her own as both a director and a cinematographer. This year she has focused on creating films that she has a personal connection to. She frequently uses both her cultural background and experience as a musician as inspiration for her film and to hone voice as an artist. The best films are those that have a personal connection to the filmmaker, Nicole has embodied this this year in the work she creates.” — Nathan Boice, Beckman High School

Juntong Liao

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“Juntong is an incredible artist. She has designed many of our sets. Her imagination and ability to make things happen is off the charts. …She created a new hard set for our news broadcast that is fresh, creative and fun. The students love it. Documentaries, PSAs, and short films seem to be her forte this year. Her projects are creative and unique.” — Tina Murphy, Portola High School

Kate J. Marcus

“Kate’s work always carries with it the heavy, dark, and disorientating tones of an auteur of suspense. Her innate understanding of how viewers interact with her medium allows her to create visuals that shock, startle, and disturb.  She demonstrates the ‘show don’t tell’ rule in everything she does, and deliberately plans everything you see or hear in one of her films. Kate’s leadership is often understated, yet those who flock to her understand her influences and tend to replicate them.” — Michael Simmons, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts

Shaunessy Mclaughlin

“Something as simple as her willingness to apply to this competition speaks volumes about what art has done for her. Shaunessy isn’t shy by any means, but when it came to sharing her art or expressing ideas through her art, there was hesitancy in the past. It’s apparent her art is very personal and her films speak to larger issues and themes of the present day high schooler.” — Kenny Connolly, Mater Dei High School

Peyton Nguyen

“This is my first year with Peyton in class, and from day one, her vision as a filmmaker has been extremely impressive. Peyton is clinical in her pre-production process. Her creativity is apparent, and when others dread the pre-production phase, Peyton is the standard for storyboarding and script writing. She takes all the necessary steps to execute her vision.” — Kenny Connolly, Mater Dei High School

Evan Nowack

“One of his greatest traits is his ability to take suffusions and criticism without feeling defeated or giving up. When there have been times with I’ve had to be very direct about considering who his audience is and what was made. Not an easy conversation. Instead of pouting and complaining about it Evan applied himself in ways that proved that he is dependable and capable to handle difficult decisions.” — Craig Landino, Capistrano Valley High School

John Park

“John consistently shows an affinity for cinematography and the camera, but he has so many more layers than that. He spends time before and after class asking about different lenses and equipment.  … Every conversation I have with John is motivated by story. Which lens would best depict the plight of his character? Which lighting set-up would establish and define the world he was creating? It is this very appreciation and admiration for telling stories that is ultimately going to lead to his success.” — Jim Falletta, Troy High School

Tahlia Pompel

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“Tahlia Pompel has been a student of mine for the past two and a half years, and is one of the most talented filmmakers I have ever worked with in our video production program. For the past two years, most of Tahlia’s work prior to this year has been co-directed with the same partner, but this year, she has begun to branch out on her own. Her work has tons of heart and she always has her audience rooting for the underdog to overcome obstacles in their lives.” — Mark Switzer, El Dorado High School

Charlotte Quintanar

“Charlotte Quintanar spends most of her free time thinking about, researching, shooting, and editing documentary films. She has a huge passion for helping people understand the profound importance of climate justices issues. Most of my film students are narrative filmmakers but Charlotte has carved out her own path in our Cinematic Arts department with her documentary projects.” — Karen Bennett, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

Karina Ramirez

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“Karina has become a real leader for her class. … As a filmmaker, Karina has proven herself to be one of our best narrative and documentary film directors over the past couple years. Last year, she directed our class’s largest production called “Rocket Science,” and this year she was the director of our recent 24-hour music video contest entry.  Additionally Karina has directed several of our most intensive documentary projects on the subjects of wrestling, academic challenges and band camp.” — Kathleen Switzer, El Dorado High School

Olivia Sheng

“Olivia is bright, mature, uninhibited, and intensely motivated. She has a wonderful sense of humor and warm personality, and she always strives for excellence with a hunger for success. She is also a wonderful communicator and an excellent critical thinker who is very well respected by her peers and teachers alike.” — Mary Kildare, Sage Hill School

Dylan Stewart

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“With every film Dylan creates he pushes the envelope of his skill level, always reaching to make his next project better than his last. He has been working tirelessly for nearly a year on a personal project to enter in film festivals both locally and nationally. Dylan wants to make a name for himself before he even leaves high school, and his work speaks for itself.” — Nathan Boice, Beckman High School

Katherine Yu

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“Katherine has a strong ability to tell compelling stories through her work, whether it be in a narrative or documentary film style. She is a master at crafting visually striking scenes and knows how to engage an audience through her storytelling. Katherine has a strong vision for her project and is able to effectively communicate that vision to her cast and crew. She is able to understand the script and bring out the best performances from the actors, while also making creative decisions about how to shoot and edit the film.” – Hali Kessler, University High School

PROMO/COMMERCIAL MAKING

Hunaina Hirji

“Hunaina has incredible skills in directing and editing, and one area she has really showcased her talents is in creating PSAs and commercials. Using her incredible skills in directing and cinematography, she has created numerous visually stunning pieces for our broadcasts. One way her commercials and PSAs really stand out is in sound design. Hunaina has really pushed her storytelling through audio design, and she spent endless hours creating the perfect audio compilation for her pieces.” — Richard Cadra, Yorba Linda High School

Benny Nguyen

Benny Nguyen of Fountain Valley, a senior studying at Fountain Valley High School, is a film and TV nominee in the specialty of promo/commercial making for Artist of the Year in 2023. (Photo courtesy of Kaylee Nguyen)

“Call him the Energizer Benny! Benny Nguyen crackles with creative energy and a surprising sense of humor. Benny is always working on his craft. It’s not uncommon for me to find Benny, armed with just his smartphone, and a couple friends filming a fight scene — Benny choreographing different moves, working the room — lying on the floor, standing on a desk — to get a variety of angles. He always attracts a small audience as he does this — just like his work does.” — Sean Ziebarth, Fountain Valley High School

Evan Padilla

“Evan is a wonderfully creative and playful promotional/commercial filmmaker. He started in my program just as COVID hit and spent the first year online. Relying on his own surroundings and imagination, he produced one of the best TV show programs we had our students make (and we awarded him for Outstanding TV Show in 2021). Through this I got to see the promo side of Evan and his cheeky creative vision for commercial filmmaking. … He has an ease with the technology and can crystalize an amusing idea into something short and sweet (and fun).” — Aaron Orullian, Orange County School of the Arts

TV / BROADCAST JOURNALISM

Catherine Arriaza

“With a focus on telling a good objective story, writing for clarity and precision, and presenting with an ability to keep things simple, Catherine has excelled as a producer, writer and on-camera talent for our regular world news segment series at our high school. Her reports engage the audience visually and audibly where people come away each and every time saying, ‘Wow….that was really interesting.’” — Rod Boaz, Valencia High School

Roslyn Brown-Bilyeu

“She uses sophisticated techniques in building her stories, with hooks throughout.  Where most of my students over the years just do voice-overs or at the minimum gather interviews, she does both while using her voice-overs to punctuate and re-hook the audience throughout the segment. Roslyn also creates visually with the camera as well as on it, and cares about the quality of the final product in a way that her peers do not.” — Michael Simmons, Huntington Beach High School

Kalika Lothian

“Kiki came to us with no experience in video or broadcast, and in the span of a year became one of my most trusted and reliable students. Not only can she read cold copy like the actress she is, but has shown astounding leadership and team-building skills. Her team comes up with the most consistently creative and satisfying story ideas, and they work together so well that they seem to share a brain.” — Michael Simmons, Huntington Beach High School

Leilani Pongco

“Leilani helped recreate Broadcast at our school as a fast-paced and exciting 30 seconds to 2 minute burst of news. She has become part of the face of El Modena, recognizable to the staff and student body as trusted and communicative students. … Leilani also steps up for any directorial and cinematographic endeavor. She enjoys leading students to understand the narrative of our school, as well as helping to bring that story to fruition.” — Vicki Mull, El Modena High School

Cole Robertson

“Cole Robertson started creating films during the pandemic to make his school feel more connected during the isolation. His films have one major thing in common, giving an escape from the sometimes dull reality that tends to dwell on people. His films make people happy. He finds inspiration from older movies, taking directing styles from George Romero to Sergio Leone with his choice of acting direction and applying it to the student broadcast, Bolt TV, and his short films.” — Kristin Cooley, Edison High School

VISUAL EFFECTS and EDITING

Riley Harrison

“What sets Riley’s visual effects apart from other students’ work is that his visual effects are composited to blend seamlessly with the footage and they are always integral to the storyline. Riley doesn’t do visual effects just because they’re ‘cool,’ he uses visual effects to help emphasize the actors’ emotional journeys or help develop a storyline that evolves outside the box. In this way, his visual effects are incredibly relevant and impactful to the audience whether they’re aware of how difficult the effect was to pull off or not.” — Karen Bennett, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

Tyler Hom

“Tyler is supervising editor for our school broadcast, Beckman Beat, and somebody that people frequently ask for advice on their projects. Even though he has only been pursuing film seriously for about a year, Tyler’s talent and ability has skyrocketed beyond many in my program. I am nominating him for editing because that is what he has focused on, but he is one of those films students that just ‘gets it.’” — Nathan Boice, Beckman High School

Ryan Kubota

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“Ryan is very talented with computer generated special effects, as well as with other forms of visual storytelling. His creativity, intelligence and commitment make him an asset to the creative process of the collaborative environment. Ryan also shines in both graphic design and cinematography.” — Hali Kessler, University High School

Brandon Park

“The first conversation I had with Brandon in August of 2021 revolved around his interest in VFX.  “Will I have the opportunity to explore this in your film program,” he asked?  “I’ve been experimenting with Blender and building sets and worlds — I think I want to make a career out of it.” My response? Yes, Brandon. You can pursue anything you want here … and oh how he has done so!” — Jim Falletta, Troy High School

Hailey Kay Peterson

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“Hailey Kay edits our EMTV Episodes, as well as many of our segments such as “AND NOW,” and many promotional videos for El Modena High School. She edits with humor and nuance and always knows how to best represent the artist’s vision. Hailey Kay is also always eager to step up and edit another student’s video.” — Vicki Mull, El Modena High School

Zoe K. Stone

“Zoe entered this class like a flame to gasoline. There’s not a single person in class that hasn’t been ignited by her ideas and passion for filmmaking. Her unique ability to combine animation and film as a seamless experience is unparalleled from anyone who has ever been a part of Marina’s film program.” — Doug Brown, Marina High School

Benjamin Weil

“Ben has always had an explosive personality, but you would never know from any typical interaction with him. He’s the most polite, respectful, and observant member of our team; watching and learning from afar. But when it’s time to explore and express his ideas, Ben always manages to excite and surprise those around him with his bountiful creativity and his wonderful self expression, communicating an often chaotic yet powerful vision and theme.” — Michael Simmons, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts