Out of 60 nominees, the following 16 students have been selected as semifinalists for the 2024 Artist of the Year in film and TV. The students were chosen by a panel of teachers based on written statements, sample films and artistic résumés.
In submitting their work, students identified their strongest specialty within the discipline and the judges use that specialty to help focus their evaluations.
Students are also placed into divisions based on the number of years they have been studying film and TV. Students with a combination of three years of film and TV training in middle school, high school and private training are placed into Division 1. Students with less than three years of combined training are placed into Division 2. A minimum of two Division 2 students are guaranteed to be invited to be semifinalists.
During the final round of adjudication, students are interviewed by a panel of distinguished artistic professionals and faculty members from Southern California universities. Interviews include a live presentation by the students followed by a question-and answer-session.
Up to five top students may be chosen in each discipline — four finalists plus the Artist of the Year.
The finalists and Artists of the Year will be announced next Sunday, April 28.
On Wednesday, May 8, an awards ceremony will be held at Memorial Hall on the campus of Chapman University which is free and open to the public. This event will include performances and presentations by the top students.
This program is generously sponsored by the Chapman University College of Performing Arts. Additional support is provided by Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and the UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
If you would like to become a sponsor for the Artist of the Year program, contact Heide Janssen at ocartistoftheyear@aoy.scng.com.
Aztlalt Aguirre Paredes
Senior, Buena Park High School
Division 2
Strongest specialty: Editing
“In my opinion, what it means to be an artist is to have the ability to pursue a hobby or passion with the mentality that you can put yourself into that certain thing and creatively express yourself. In other words, I think people such as cooks, authors, actors, content creators, and many more are all artists. Although it may seem like an arbitrary way to put things, I think it’s the best way I can come to understand it for myself.”
Austin Bonar
Junior, Fairmont Preparatory Academy
Division 2
Strongest specialty: Cinematography
“What I wanna do as an artist is just make stuff that people will enjoy. I want to continue making films because it’s such a diverse medium. Movies open up a realm into worlds that we could only imagine in our dreams. Whether it be animated, action packed, or just a simple story. Movies showcase stories that can be so thought-provoking and meaningful to our history as humans.”
James Conlee
Junior, El Dorado High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Directing
“In my opinion, to be an artist is to be a communicator. Art almost always communicates something, emotionally or figuratively. It doesn’t have to be through words, like many talented writers and poets out there. I never found myself much of a writer. … I’ve found cinematography to be my language of choice. From just an offset angle of the camera, it can communicate an offset feeling to the audience. It speaks volumes.”
Cooper Rey Kawase Cuya
Senior, El Dorado High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Directing
“My personal drive to create art comes from inspiration. The works of writers and painters, musicians and moviemakers made up my childhood, have shaped my values. Each story I read, listened to, watched or saw was a person at one point. The canvases, film strips, pages and notes are the fingerprints of someone’s journey through this world, somewhere, sometime. The people we find in these stories tell us lessons, warnings, give advice and comfort and beauty. They guide us through the test of time. As I create, I only hope to leave such an impression on some young soul’s heart.”
David Du
Senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Cinematography
“To me, to be an artist is to be human and humane. We are emotional creatures, eager to share our stories and experiences as a form of bonding and communication. As an artist, I strive to be true to my experiences and to bond with others through the stories that I tell.”
Riley Harrison
Senior, St. Margaret’s Episcopal SchoolDivision 1Strongest specialty: Cinematography
“For me, art is all about seeking a form of communication that goes beyond just a simple statement. Sometimes art can hold a profound message, and sometimes it’s just for fun, but the art that I enjoy making and consuming always has something in it that speaks to me, touches me, or makes me smile.”
Hunaina Hirji
Senior, Yorba Linda High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Sound design/scoring
“Being an artist feels like standing on the hull of a ship in turbulent waters. The adrenaline coursing through my veins primes my body for what it yearns to unleash: my voice. Sometimes, my voice gets lost in the vast ocean of thoughts, but at other times, it reverberates back as an echo. No matter what, my voice is always projected out into the universe.”
Elise Park
Senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Editing
“In my life, art takes the form of film. Whether through editing a highlight reel of my school’s culinary throwdown to portraying a young man’s struggle with addiction in a ten-minute narrative, I am able to tell stories that represent all kinds of human experiences. Art is also about building a culture and community; on every film set, I learn something new from my peers and am inspired by their talent and creativity.”
Macy Patterson
Senior, El Dorado High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Directing
“Art is something you do not control, but rather something you have a relationship with. There is give and take. I bring my perspective yet can succumb to the emotions of the moment. Despite a polished script, choreographed blocking, dynamic lighting, and precise framing, there is magic and mystery in the creative process and an elusiveness in what is captured.”
Dominic Phan
Senior, Capistrano Valley High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Directing
“I aspire to create films within the sports industry in the future. Recognizing the artistic work presented in my nomination, I’ve been able to dive into the dynamics present in sports, especially the interplay of physical and mental factors that reveal a distinctive aspect of human nature.”
Tahlia Pompel
Senior, El Dorado High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Cinematography
“To be an artist is to have the courage to have the difficult conversations with art as your vehicle. To pursue the complex, confrontational topics. To break barriers. To innovate, to create. To push the envelope, to be controversial. Who are we as artists if we do not take those risks? To be vulnerable is the greatest risk of all.”
Zoey Rodriguez
Junior, El Dorado High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Directing
“I think one of the best things you can do is make people happy in this lifetime. Storytelling is how I achieve that goal. Being an artist has never been about creating greatness, it’s also about creating joy. I quote my biggest inspiration, Stan Lee, as to what art is about. ‘Beyond the meaning of a work of art, it’s important to people. Without it, lives would be dull.’”
Noah Villanueva
Junior, Northwood High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Directing
“I feel that my pieces ‘Alone Together’ and ‘Northwood’s State of the Student’ are able to display that desire of mine, and I hope that people are able to take away a sense of wonder from my work. Whether my movies leave them with more answers or questions about the world, I, from the bottom of my heart, want it to be something that they’ll never forget.”
Benjamin Weil
Senior, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Visual effects
“To truly be an artist is to expose a bit of yourself to the world with everything you create. Everyone is a creator to a degree, but what separates an artist from someone like a mechanic is that art is undeniably tethered to the identity of the artist, even if it is not obvious or intentional. Every piece an artist creates is a puzzle piece revealing how they see the world, sometimes exposing more than they even knew about themselves.”
Alex Wolff
Senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Division 1
Strongest dpecialty: Directing
“My lack of ‘normal’ human tendencies feel like they go directly against the rules of society and often it feels like it’s difficult to find my space in it. I am often scared of where I will end up. I think adaptability and perserverence are the most important factors in keeping myself satisfied and happy.”
Sadira Wong
Senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Directing
“I am drawn to the idea that meaning in art is subjective and personal. I don’t want to dictate what my audience should feel or understand, so I embrace ambiguity to encourage my audience to interpret my films in ways that resonate with their own experiences. For me, being an artist is to create something that fulfills my own creativity while also inviting others into a shared collaborative effort of interpretation.”
