Two students shine spotlight on local talent

For two IU students, a desire to showcase local talent might be their ticket to Hollywood. \nJunior Michael Diamond created "Student Spotlight" with the help of junior Andrew Gant last spring. The show airs on IU Student Television and showcases the shortened narratives of films submitted by locals, as well as profiles of the students who submit their work. Diamond described the show as an "open forum," since many of the students stay in contact with one another to network. Though Diamond is responsible for much of the production of the show, he said much of his time is spent advertising.\n"I accumulate as many student short films as possible," he said.\nA telecommunications and business major, and a member of Phi Kappa Psi, Diamond uses word-of-mouth advertisement and his connections with friends to encourage more students to submit their films. He said he enjoys giving students the opportunity to show works that otherwise would not have been seen. In addition to profiling the individuals, Diamond and Gant once produced vignettes to complement the shorts. The lack of time and resources, however, made that task a burden. \n"It just got too crazy, it was just the two of us," Diamond said. \nInspired by film directors Woody Allen, Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese and Milos Forman, Diamond said working on "Student Spotlight" equipped him with the skills necessary to work elsewhere in the industry. Last summer, Diamond assisted the producer of the film "Capote" with post-production activities. Diamond said working on the film helped him "narrow his focus" and pursue a career in directing. \nGant is responsible for the editing of "Student Spotlight" and said he and Diamond often bicker when working on the show. Gant said that although he and Diamond are completely different people, they feed off each other well and make a great team. \n"He has good ideas, and so do I," Gant said. "Michael is more creative." \nThrough working on the show, Gant acquired the skills to land an internship with Greenestreet Films. Gant said the films he and Diamond receive are very advanced works, which might discourage other students from submitting. Gant said he would like to see a wide variety of films on the show, and originally intended to feature "anything entertaining," including the films of students who might not intend to pursue a career in the industry. \nWhen it comes to film and television, both Diamond and Gant said IU is not well-known. Still, Diamond said he does believe he has the tools to succeed in the industry. \n"If you're aggressive enough early on in the industry, you can definitely find your place and be ready to succeed after you graduate," he said.