A YouTube series created by a BYU Theatre and Media Arts professor and alumnus is receiving recognition in festivals in Utah and throughout the country. “Pretty Darn Funny,” created by Jeff Parkin and Jared Cardon, is a web series sponsored by Deseret Book. The comedy has led the charge as the first Church-sponsored entry into scripted entertainment that has since yielded shows like “Studio C” and “Granite Flats.” It recently was nominated for 10 awards at the 3rd Annual Filmed in Utah Awards, where it won three: Best YouTube Channel, Best Ensemble Cast and Best Director. Parkin, the series’ director, said that he and many other colleagues wanted to create a show that anyone could watch and enjoy. “We hear from a lot of people that they watch it as a family, which is something that makes us really happy–families watching entertainment together,” Parkin said. The show recently finished its second season. The first season centers on Gracie Moore, played by Lisa Clark, a mother who forms a comedy troupe with local women to provide a clean venue for families to be entertained. The second season focuses more on Moore’s relationship with her family–ups and downs, and typical confrontations as well as successes. “I think we and Deseret Book are interested in telling stories about normal people and the fact that we makes mistakes–that it’s normal and it can be funny–instead of getting caught up in perfectionism,” Cardon said. “Laughing at your mistakes is good, and it’s healthy,” Parkin added. For the first season, BYU offered students an opportunity to work the series in exchange for university credit, and around 75 TMA students participated. For season two, about 95 percent of the current cast and crew are either BYU alumni or BYU students. The series has also produced three parody music videos. “Downton Abbey Rap,” “The Hunger Games: Moms vs. Kids!” and “Mom Footloose” have over 341,000 YouTube views combined. Though the series is targeted at an audience of LDS moms, the series gets exceptional engagement with nearly 700,000 views on its channel. Parkin and Cardon both agree that comedy can be family friendly and still be hilarious. “Even though the show is made in Utah and is sponsored by an LDS company, we continue to get lots of positive feedback from fans of divers backgrounds and faiths,” Cardon said. “It’s a great representation of who we are at BYU and as members of the Church.” Watch Pretty Darn Funny for free at www.youtube.com/user/prettydrnfunny Awards & Nominations (Wins are in Bold) Filmed in Utah Awards: 10 Nominations, 3 Wins

After a successful show and master class fall 2013, Frank Wildhorn has chosen BYU to be the venue for the upcoming 'Count of Monte Cristo' musical, for the first time on American soil. The show will be performed by BYU students in January 2015. Read complete article in the Deseret News.

BYU DEPT. OF THEATRE AND MEDIA ARTS and STUDENT FILM ASSOCIATION PRESENT FINAL CUT FILM FESTIVAL April 11–12 Pardoe Theatre This student-produced, student-created film festival features a collection of the best student-made fiction films, documentaries, commercials, animations, and more. Two separate programs will be featured: Program A: April 11 at 6:30 PM and April 12 at 8:30 PM Program B: April 11 at 8:30 PM and April 12 at 6:30 PM The awards ceremony will take place at 10:15 PM on Saturday, April 12, following the 8:30 PM screening of Program A. Tickets are not required for the awards ceremony, but tickets are required for the 8:30 PM screening. Program A (Fridal at 6:30 and Saturday at 8:30) Belfast and Furious The World Is Our Campus Christmas in L.A. Headliner Turn to Stone Beehive Stories: Morgan County Brita Spec Ad Not Kabob Bothered Brainsaver Christmas in L.A.: Behind the Scenes Harmonica Good Luck Don’t Wake up with a Hook For a Hand Without a Rope Program B (Friday at 8:20 and Saturday at 6:30) Ice Hotel “Arrows” Our Community Wilhelm Scream Ice Hotel “Arrows” Behind the Scenes Weeping Historical Fencing: Franco Belgium Beehive Stories: Kane County Adpot a Cat Wyrm Laerd Your Cocoon and You Sides of a Camera Owned A Sticky Situation Ghosts on the Mountain

Will run Jan. 31 through Feb. 8 in Margetts Theatre Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present a lighthearted adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” in the Margetts Theatre Friday, Jan. 31 through Saturday, Feb. 8, with matinee performances on Saturdays. Tickets are $6, with $2 discounts available to children ages 2-11. For tickets, visit the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981 or byuarts.com/tickets. Shakespeare’s adventurous romance gets the double treatment – and a happy ending – in two special adaptations: as a fairy tale suited for young people and as a noir mystery perfect for the young-at-heart. The performance schedule for the fairy tale adaptation includes Friday, Jan. 31; Tuesday, Feb. 4; Thursday, Feb. 6; Friday, Feb 7 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. The Thursday, Feb. 6 performance will be ASL interpreted. The performance schedule for the noir mystery adaptation includes Friday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 7 at 9 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.; Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.; and Saturday Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. There will be no performances Sundays or Mondays. Directed and adapted by Teresa Dayley Love, “Cymbeline” tells the story of a princess in a pickle, her banished husband, a villainous queen and lots of mayhem in Britain, all while exploring Shakespeare’s themes of mistaken identity, innocence wronged and jealousy. “I knew young audiences would like the twisty story as long as we told it clearly,” said Love. “After all, detail-heavy Pokémon, Harry Potter and Doctor Who have plenty of devoted young fans. And the humor would help, too. But which style to choose? Fairy tale or film noir? I liked them both!” After working with the text, her team made a welcome discovery: “We didn’t have to choose! With the talent of two fearless casts and our imaginative design team, we were able do both. If you come see both versions, you’ll see that the plot, stage movement and language are almost identical. But costumes, scenery, props, lighting, music, sound effects and the way characters are portrayed are very different,” she said. The film noir cast features Michael Comp as Phyllis; Charles Beckh as Chimo, Tony and Pa; Danny Brown as Leo; Jasmine Fullmer as the Queen and Big Luca; and Averill Corkin as Imogene. The fairy tale cast features Mary Beth Bosen as Philaria; Clyde Northrup as Iachimo, Pisanio and Papa; Bryson Alley as Leonatus; Amberly Plourde as the Queen and Lucius; and Lisa Moncur as Imogene. The design and technical crew features Julia Ashworth as the artistic director of Young Company, Michael Kraczek as design advisor, Jennifer Reed as production manager, Spencer Johnson and Heather Richardson as production stage managers, Ward Wright as technical director, Mckenzie Ottley as scenic designer, Amelia Dunlap as lighting designer, Julie Adams as costume designer, James Lyon as prop designer, Chelsi Hunsaker as makeup designer, Nicholas E. Sheets as dramaturg, Janine Sobeck as dramaturg advisor and Rebecca Wallin as theatre outreach coordinator. For more information, contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

Few universities enjoy the international name recognition of BYU, as proven by the recent triumph in the Hyundai Lens of Loyalty film contest in December 2013. This fall, Hyundai Motor Company challenged 25 universities ranging from the west to east coast including heavy hitters such as Oregon, Michigan and Florida to the film contest. After submitting a one-page treatment for a film, seven finalists were chosen to produce the final product, and were funded $10,000. Of the finalists, BYU was awarded the additional $10,000 prize by a panel of judges for its recent five-minute film highlighting BYU football fans around the world. The film was then created, produced, and edited by an innovative student team at The Laycock Center for Creative Collaboration. The team included students from all disciplines, including advertising, film and music. Students Dustin Locke headed the effort as advertising director, with Layne Russell as film director. The aim was for students to showcase football-related traditions unique to their school, according to a press release by Hyundai Motors. “We thought about it and unfortunately BYU can’t compete with tailgating,” explained Locke, advertising major. “But the one thing that sets us apart is reach and the fact that we bring a lot of people to away games.” The idea then developed to let the fans speak for themselves about their passion for BYU. “We have a uniquely true world-wide following here at BYU,” said Jeff Sheets, director of The Laycock Center. “We then cross-sourced and looked for the most unique and insightful fans to be featured.” Fans from as far away as Hawaii, London and South Africa were featured in the short film. One man, a foot cancer amputee living in Barcelona, Spain, proudly wears his BYU emblazoned prosthetic to show he bleeds blue. Another couple in Hawaii installed one of the first satellite dishes on the island in order to see the BYU football games. They then proceeded to invite their neighborhood to watch the Cougars fight their way to victory over the years. “It was a cool experience for us to go across the world and talk to BYU fans. I don’t get to play on the BYU football field, so it is cool to do something for the team,” commented Locke with a wry grin. Incredibly, the team put together the entire production, from recruitment of fans to editing in only two and a half weeks. Students worked night and day to put together the film, while scrambling to get homework done between traveling around the world. The dedication in these un-paid students embodies the mission of the Laycock Center to facilitate a collaborative environment for creative ideas and stunning talent. As Vanessa Mckenna, advertising major, excitedly exclaimed, “It’s all about collaboration!” and a literal love of the game on and off the field.

Film Maker and Projection Designer Alison Dobbins will be visiting Brigham Young University from November 20 to November 22 to present workshops and discussions on the integration of digital media with live performance. This is a great opportunity for new media artists, theatre designers, and live performance directors to hear about the growing field of projection design. The schedule of events available to attend are listed below. Alison is currently the head of Design and Technology and an Assistant Professor of Integrated Media Performance Design at Michigan State University. She received her M.F.A. in Digital Cinema from National University and her A.B. in Mathematics from Oberlin College. Alison is a motion graphics artist interested in documenting and exploring new ways of presenting creative activity as a projected performance art. Visit her website at TheatreBeans.com. Theatre and Media Arts Forum The World of Projection Design and Opportunities for Students in the Field Thursday, November 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. in the Nelke Theatre Open to students, faculty and staff. Come hear Alison Dobbins talk about what artists are doing with the integration of media and live performance, and how to get involved. Q & A Brown Bag Lunch with Alison Dobbins Thursday, November 21, from 12:00 p.m. to 12:50 pm in F-556 HFAC Open to students. Bring your lunch and have an informal question and answer discussion with Alison Dobbins about the life of a media artist and what ever else you would like to ask. Drinks and dessert will be provided.