Four Directions wins awards

Four Directions Productions earns cinematography awardsThe Oneida Indian Nation’s involvement in the film industry recently stepped on to the national stage with four prestigious awards.

The Nation’s Four Directions Productions, a 3D animation/HD cinematography studio, won three Best of Show Platinum Aurora awards and one Gold Aurora Award in this international competition highlighting excellence in the film and video industry for regional commercials, as well as entertainment and corporate-sponsored video productions.

The promotional video the Nation produced and aired at Variety magazine’s screenings for major movie openings in New York City and Los Angeles in late 2010 and early 2011 won two Platinum awards in the category of sponsorship commercials. The 45-second spot featuring Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation Representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises, spoke about the power of film and the goal of getting more “of Indian country’s rich pool of talent” into the mainstream film and television industry. A second video won a Platinum Aurora award in the area of corporate promotion/image category, as well as a Gold Aurora award in the entertainment/amusement category. This 30-second commercial was produced in 2010 to promote the Turning Stone Resort Championship.Comment:  The interesting thing is here is Halbritter's talking about "the power of film and the goal of getting more 'of Indian country’s rich pool of talent' into the mainstream film and television industry." Sounds great, but we haven't seen any sign of its happening. Halbritter and company are still talking about Raccoon & Crawfish, a short CGI cartoon they completed in 2008. With their money, they could've completed one or two feature films since then and started developing half a dozen more.

For more on the subject, see Halbritter to Attend Oscars, Rising Stars in Native Animation, and Halbritter:  Indians Must Speak Up.