UTA Grad Student Wins ASC Honors

Raval Receives ASC Student Heritage Award

15-Dec-04

PJ Raval will receive the Charles B. Lang, Jr. Heritage Award from the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). The award is presented annually to one or more promising film school students or recent graduates. Raval will be feted during the 19th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards on February 20, 2005, at the Century Plaza Hotel.Raval earned a master's degree in film production from the University of Texas at Austin (UTA). ASC will also present awards of merit to runner-ups Maximilian Gutierrez and Gavin Kelly from the University of Southern California (USC), Johnpaul Perry from Florida State University (FSU), and Logan Schneider from Montana State University.""Our purpose is to inspire talented young filmmakers to pursue their dreams of becoming cinematographers by providing recognition as well as tangible support at a crucial time in their lives,"" says Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, Chairman of the ASC Education Committee. ""We hope this recognition encourages the recipients to believe in themselves at a time when they are attempting to enter a competitive career field.""Kovacs says that many talented students and recent graduates were nominated for the ASC Heritage award by their instructors. The jury consisted of ASC members who reviewed the written nominations and watched short films submitted by the students. He says the judges were impressed by Raval's originality and ability to execute his vision. Wake, his 17-minute Super 16 mm film directed by UTA grad student Keun-Pyo Park, is the heartbreaking story about a 5-year-old girl who spends four days in a small apartment when her mother doesn't wake up from sleeping, and not understanding the concept of death.Raval was born in Princeton, New Jersey, and grew up in Clovis, a small town in central California. He initially studied molecular biology and visual arts at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD). ""When I ran out of photography classes, I signed up for an introduction to film production and film history class,"" he says. ""I was exposed to the works of great filmmakers. It was inspirational. My instructor was French filmmaker-cinematographer Babette Mangolte. She taught, encouraged, and inspired me. It's a special honor to be recognized by ASC, because I admire the artistry of their members. Shooting Wake was a great experience. It's very gratifying to be acknowledged for its cinematography.""Kovacs says the ASC judges were also impressed by the runner-ups and their films. He notes they were chosen for this recognition out of a deep pool of contenders.The ASC Heritage Award is dedicated annually to preserving the memory of a different cinematographer who played an important role in the history of the industry. Lang compiled more than 100 narrative film credits and earned 18 OscarÆ nominations for cinematography during a career which spanned the transitions from silent movies to sound and from black-and-white to color images. He won an Academy AwardÆ for Best Cinematography in 1934 for A Farewell to Arms. Lang was honored by his peers in 1990, when he received the coveted ASC Lifetime Achievement Award.ìCharles Lang was a talented artist who was dedicated to progress,"" says Kovacs. ""He played a unique and important role in both the evolution of the art of cinematography and in the history of ASC. PJ Raval should be proud that it is dedicated to his memory, and find inspiration in his films and values.""