2011 Gold ADDY Award Winner
Bucky Challenge iPhone Game
The application, which was created by Reel to Red Productions, was a sports-themed game called “Bucky Challenge,” in which the user guides Bucky through a series of athletic challenges by using the touch screen. It was actually a marketing tool to expose Valley youth to the regional University. I got the idea of doing a game app because at the time The University of Texas at Austin had a utility app that was popular. It was number seven on the most popular free apps in the iTunes App store. I wanted an iTunes game that could be used to market UTPA. The idea behind the app was to expose the public to the University through the use of a fun game free to download. What is novel about “Bucky Challenge” is the entire game takes place on the UTPA campus.
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Webby People's Voice Award
and
W3 Award
for the website
ReeltoRed.com
ReeltoRed.com won various internet awards including a Webby People's Voice Award for it's website. It was a virtual production studio, showcasing all of the award-winning work the team created. Visitors could explore the studio by clicking on the different objects found on the virtual set. In addition, we created a blog to document our travels to the awards gala. The content that follows includes our visit to The Today Show set, the 5-Word Speech we gave at the gala, our blog, pictures from the event, pictures from the website, and our journey to recruit votes to win the People's Voice Award after being selected by the Webby Awards selection committee as a finalist.
Webby People's Voice Award
5-Word Acceptance Speech
Click on the image below to visit The Webby Adventure blog. The blog created by the R2R team documents our trip to New York City for the Webby Awards Gala. On this blog you will find footage of our trip.
WEBBY Awards Gala
Still Frames from Website
Promoting the Vote for the People's Voice Award
Voting for the Webby People's Voice Award
Gold Telly Award-winning
"Who Knew?"
Ad Campaign
This ad campaign was created using a similar technique used to build the opening of the movie "Juno". The idea was to highlight the different facets of the University that people may not think about, but are important when deciding to go to college, thus the name "Who Knew?"
Reel to Red Productions
YouTube Channel
Multiple award-winning productions
The Reel to Red Productions YouTube channel houses most of the productions, promos, ads, and behind-the-scenes coverage that R2R produced. The content includes the Lone Star Emmy nominated UTPA Today show, feature films, and award-winning documentary work. Click on any of the pictures to go to the channel and to some of the mentioned work.
Del Cazo
A web series on healthy cooking
The video below is a pilot Reel to Red Productions produced for a healthy cooking web video series. The team located a model home where we were allowed to film the pilot. It was a large-scale production incorporating all phases of production. The pilot's opening animation was built especially for the series.
The making of web series pilot, Del Cazo
Lone Star EMMY Award-winning
and
Ava Award - Platinum
Aurora Award - Platinum
McAllen Film Festival Audience Awards - Best Film
Videographer Awards - Award of Excellence
Dead Letter
film and graphic novel
This production was a collaboration between the UTPA TRiO Program and R2R, resulting in a weeklong overnight summer film camp called TRiO Summer Film Workshop. This production yielded a “trigger” film called Dead Letter, a graphic novel of the film, and a facilitator’s kit for TRiO counselors. This award-winning project provided a unique branding platform for UTPA at a national level and addressed the University’s recruitment mission to attract high school students for enrollment. Thirty-five selected students had a unique opportunity to work first-hand on a film project.
This was a massive undertaking that incorporated extensive pre-production development including: obtaining city permissions, location scouting, release forms, script & storyboard creation, planning of production shooting & catering schedules. The production sets included mocking a car wreck and staging a Rave on an abandoned city bridge; conducting interviews with inmates in the Hidalgo prison; filming the behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of the film. Post-production required three months of editing. In addition, sale and distribution plans were arranged for the film, graphic novel, and facilitator’s kit to be sent to all TRiO Programs nationwide. As a wrap-up celebration of the film, we held a movie premiere at the University Student Union Theater with decorations and a red carpet for everyone to walk down who participated and contributed to the film. A year later, the TRiO facilitator’s kit and film were presented at the Council for Opportunity in Education National Conference - Chicago, 2007.
This was a massive undertaking that incorporated extensive pre-production development including: obtaining city permissions, location scouting, release forms, script & storyboard creation, planning of production shooting & catering schedules. The production sets included mocking a car wreck and staging a Rave on an abandoned city bridge; conducting interviews with inmates in the Hidalgo prison; filming the behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of the film. Post-production required three months of editing. In addition, sale and distribution plans were arranged for the film, graphic novel, and facilitator’s kit to be sent to all TRiO Programs nationwide. As a wrap-up celebration of the film, we held a movie premiere at the University Student Union Theater with decorations and a red carpet for everyone to walk down who participated and contributed to the film. A year later, the TRiO facilitator’s kit and film were presented at the Council for Opportunity in Education National Conference - Chicago, 2007.
Click on each box below to go to the different sections of the Dead Letter dramatic film and to the documentary of the making of the film.
Dead Letter dramatic film – Produced with TRiO Program addressing serious social issues that affect teens regarding education, teen pregnancy, drug & alcohol abuse, and domestic violence.
Lone Star EMMY Awards UTPA Today Show segment
Dead Letter Graphic Novel
Media Coverage & Presentations
Dead Letter Premiere
Lone Star EMMY Award-winning
and
Communicator Award-winning
documentary
The Heart of Experience
This documentary followed UTPA Honor students during their three week mini-semester study abroad experience as they traveled through Austria, Czech Republic, and Hungary. The film incorporates the student presentations, interviews, original historical footage, and photography. It was organized in cooperation with the Office of the Provost, International Women's Board, The University Relations Office, and Reel to Red Productions. The goal was to show the impact and transformative experience that study abroad has on students. It was presented at the 43rd Annual Conference of National Collegiate Honors Council and was awarded the Lone Star Emmy.
Click on each box below to go to the different sections of the documentary.
Lone Star EMMY Awards UTPA Today Show segment
The Heart of Experience documentary film – Produced with UTPA Honors Program and the Office of International Programs documenting the transformative effect studying abroad has upon students.
Special Acknowledgment of Merit from
University President
and
a National Conference Presentation
Heart of Experience was presented at the 43rd Annual Conference of National Collegiate Honors Council and honored by The University of Texas Pan American President, Dr. Charles A. Sorber
Let The Eagle Fly:
The Story of Cesar Chavez & The Farm Workers
UTPA theatrical performance at Jeffers Theater filmed and edited by R2R Productions - This was filmed using a multiple camera setup and a roving camera.
Lone Star EMMY Nominated
Aurora Award - Gold
Communicator Award - Award of Distinction
Telly Award - Finalist
Going Nowhere
College for Texas trigger film
"Going Nowhere" was produced for the College for Texans initiative at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The film initiative was used to get the message out about Texas' $3 billion dollars in student funding and to promote higher education among teens. This project was the inchoate first step towards the ultimate establishment of the Reel to Red Productions Student Internship Program in the Office of University Relations.
Going Nowhere dramatic film – College for Texans trigger film addressing peer pressure, education and identifying support people. This was to be used in junior high and high schools around the State of Texas
1st Annual Lone Star EMMY Awards
Equipment Workshops
Pre-production
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Production
Post-Production
Bronc Beats Newsletter
Social Media Content
online newsletter from the UTPA Office of Social Media
Student Endorsements
“Chelse Benham is a leader of leaders. Anyone she’s ever taught can tell you that because that’s what she turns people into.
I had the privilege of working under and alongside Chelse over the span of about five years, starting initially as a graphics intern for Reel to Red Productions and eventually being molded into her assistant director. Over those years, I saw Chelse train and nurture a multi-award-winning team, one that faced challenges head-on and was fearless in trying new, innovative techniques in all aspects of digital media. Those innovations and Chelse’s high standards brought prestigious recognition to our tight-knit company in the form of national and international awards, including the coveted Webby, following our launch of the Reel to Red website – a huge undertaking for us considering our collective limited experience in web design.
I treasured my time at Reel to Red and will always consider it and Chelse’s guidance as some of the biggest and most critical building blocks of my career. I have yet to work under the wing of anyone who was as much a mentor as they are a supervisor. I learned lessons from Chelse that I still carry with me into the corporate world today – nuggets of wisdom she didn’t need to share, but did so without question.
It is my sincere pleasure to recommend Chelse to any employer looking to gain a valuable individual who does not settle for the mediocre; has the thirst, drive and energy to take on the unfamiliar and succeed; and someone who is relentless in her pursuit of bettering herself and those she directly impacts.”
- Alexis Carranza, Art director, designer and web developer at Freelance in NY, NY
Former R2R Student Intern
**************
“Chelse Benham was the director at Reel to Red Productions when I had the opportunity to work with her for almost 4 years. She not only is a great person but also a great, scratch that, an awesome leader who is willing to fight for her colleagues and will stick with you through thick and thin and I strongly admire that in her. I personally had never met anyone who had such a strong and passionate drive for what they do and Chelse does a little bit of everything and does it well.
Chelse may probably be the most innovative and determined person I have ever worked with. She would constantly come up with great projects for the team that would not only bring in awards, but also sharpen our skills and talents at the same time. It didn't matter if you didn't have much experience or knowledge for a particular project. The point was to make an effort and learn along the way. It seemed like there always had to be a learning curve, yet we always surpassed it. Her projects were always for the better of the team.
Chelse's initiative fueled the creativity of the team and her passion kept us going. I enjoyed our long and unforgettable brainstorming sessions, whether they ended up productive or not. All kidding aside, Chelse taught me many things about life in general and about succeeding in life. She demonstrated to me that you have to work hard, and even harder sometimes to get where you want to be in life and to never settle. She saw a talent and potential in me others did not and I am forever grateful for that.
Chelse Benham is and will be a great asset, partner, colleague, friend, confidant (you get the point) to whoever or whatever company, firm, team is interested in finding a strong, passionate, creative and bold leader to walk amongst them. With that said, I highly recommend her to anyone worth their salt”.
- Hilda Del Rio Vasquez
Former R2R Student Intern
***************
"Chelse is an excellent leader in every sense of the word: she has vision, she protects and defends her team, and she never settles for less.
In over four years I worked for her, Chelse guided me and taught me a lot of what I know today about video editing, storytelling, leadership, and getting the job done.
She utilized each team member's strengths and weaknesses in our efforts like our website reeltored.com, which won a Webby People's Voice Award, our Lone Star Emmy award-winning documentary "The Heart of Experience," and our Lone Star Emmy-nominated show "UTPA Today Show."
Nobody should think twice about inviting Chelse to his or her team. Chelse is an asset. She is relentless, creative, fearless in her endeavors, intelligent, professional, and a great leader."
Victor Ituarte
Former R2R Student Intern
****************
"Chelse excels as a leader and mentor. I was fortunate to have been a part of her award-winning team at Reel to Red Productions (R2R) at The University of Texas-Pan American. Her drive for excellence and to be the first to accomplish the impossible took R2R and her team to new heights.
During my almost two years at R2R, Chelse directed her team to undertake numerous projects, many of which were firsts for R2R and the university. These projects included a Telly Award-winning promotional campaign for the university, a virtual studio Website, which won a Webby People’s Voice Award, and the first iPhone/iPad game showcasing the campus.
Chelse inspired and allowed the team’s creativity to flow. She entrusted that the team she handpicked would be successful in any venture she directed. Chelse has taught me many things about the multi-media industry. As a mentor, she has helped me develop professionally and prepare me for the industry outside of R2R.
I highly recommend Chelse for any employer looking for an innovative leader that has an eye for success and strives for excellence."
James Hernandez
Former R2R Student Intern
User Experience Designer at Kibo