Three MDC-TV Productions Earn Communicator And Telly Awards
Miami Dade College’s TV station was honored six times, earning three Communicator Awards and three Telly’s.
The awards, which recognize excellence in multimedia communication, were announced on May 2 and 23 respectively. MDC-TV earned the following awards:
- A Gold Communicator Award and a Silver Telly for Breaking the Silence.
- A Gold Communicator and a Silver Telly for A Taste of MCI.
- A Silver Communicator and a Bronze Telly for Eye of the Tiger.
“It’s like being given a million-dollar check every time,” said MDC-TV Executive Director Ariel Rubalcava. “I’m just very happy that we’re doing educational projects to not only help our community, but the world.”
Breaking the Silence
Breaking the Silence is a 30-minute film featuring four different songs matched with silent films such as 1915’s The Champion and 1925’s The Unchastened Woman.
The project was directed by North Campus orchestral conductor Alberto Bade, who was inspired to create the film after seeing a silent film in Miami Beach that was completed using electronic dance music as the backdrop.
Bade began working on the project in the fall of 2021 with more than a dozen students. During the seven months of production, they learned how to hone the sounds of instruments like drums and violins to fit silent movie scenes.
“Music will always speak regardless of what time we are in,” Bade said. “The way we present things changes, but music continues to be a timeless and universal language.”
Aside from the Communicator and Telly Awards, Breaking the Silence earned two Suncoast Regional Emmys in January for its musical composition and long-format content.
A Taste of MCI
To help students get a sample of the Miami Culinary Institute’s curriculum, the A Taste of MCI series features chef and culinary professor Pam Williams preparing dishes such as bourbon apricot glazed chicken, cream of broccoli soup and split pea puree.
The nine-episode show was created in May of 2022 by MDC-TV producer Tony Leal and TV broadcast engineer Richard De La Vega.
Episodes last anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes and include step-by-step instructions on how to cook different dishes. It’s an ongoing series and featured on MDC-TV’s YouTube channel.
Williams stars in all nine episodes. They have been released sporadically since last May depending on her availability.
“Cooking is a necessary skill,” Williams said. “The world always needs to eat so you’re like the most popular person at every party.”
Eye of the Tiger
Eye of the Tiger is a three-minute-long video aimed at brightening the spirits of the MDC community following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Directed by Rubalcava, the project was inspired by a viral video College President Madeline Pumariega saw that features participants breaking into dance during a corporate presentation.
The end result is a video showcasing all eight campus presidents, vice-provost Malou Harrison and Pumariega practicing for a boxing match while Survivor’s 1982 classic Eye of the Tiger played in the background.
“We want to thrive as humans, not only here in the community, not only here in Miami, but around the world,” Rubalcava said.
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