Student Takes Stage at Oscars

As filmmakers, actors, actresses and Columbia College alumni prepared for the Academy Awards on Feb. 24, Columbia College Film & Video student A.J. Young was also preparing for the show. Young was in Los Angeles touring film industry establishments and attended the Oscar broadcast with his own special role – appearing on stage to deliver Oscar statuettes to ceremony presenters.

Young was one of the six winners of the “Oscar Experience College Search,” a contest created by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and mtvU, aimed at current college students who are interested in pursuing careers in film. In the press release announcing the winners, Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron say they created the contest because they “felt that every person on the Oscar stage should have a passion for film and its future, and there is no better way to inspire young filmmakers than to make them part of film's most important night.”

In an interview with FOX Chicago, AJ says, "I would like to be a cinematographer, and that's why I go to Columbia College. They've got an amazing cinematography program there." He continued, "Being at this event was superb. I was able to talk to a few of my idols...cinematographers like Roger Deakins."

In addition to his appearance on the Oscar stage, Young and the rest of the student winners were treated to film industry experiences including a visit to The Academy Library to see its renowned memorabilia collections, studio tours and a meet and greet with this year's Academy Award Nominees in the Short Film category.

Applicants last fall had to submit a 30-second video answering the question “How will you contribute to the future of movies?” While Young has already shot 17 short films and music videos, he hopes to also impact the future of film through digital cinematography, and has even designed a duel-sensor cinema camera which he outlines in his video submission: