Interactive Design and Video Production

04/13/2026

BREAKING NEWS - Student Production Award!!!

"Light Snack", an animated short film produced by our students was awarded a Crystal Pillar from the Upper Midwest Emmy® Foundation. Congratulations to Peter Rudolph, Jack Hinze, Eduardo Dominguez Castillo, Aidan Lynch and John Genco!

Watch their award winning short here:

Light Snack is the story of an astronaut who has spent too much time alone on his spaceship. In this animated movie the students created all the models and a...

04/10/2026

Congratulations on Light Snack being chosen to be shown at the Twin Cities Intercollegiate Film Festival!

The festival recognizes the work of student filmmakers as part of an interconnected statewide film community. The festival provides networking opportunities...

03/10/2026

Interactive Design and Video Production are excited to announce we have SIX student projects nominated for the Crystal Pillar Student Production Awards from the Upper Midwest Emmy Foundation. The awards ceremony will be held on April 10.

Fiction Short Form Content Category
Light Snack
https://youtu.be/oHs0JC3vcJ0?si=dag62XWHsdLOmBoW
Animated by Peter Rudolph, Saadman Maheer, Aidan Lynch, Jack Hinze, John Genco, and Eduardo Dominguez Castillo.
John McCaffrey: Advisor

Fiction Short Form Content Category
The Forest
https://youtu.be/17TYTe19dnQ?si=Za8YvJms4HubsiiF
Kobe Session: Writer, Director, Editor
Additional crew and actors:
Nathan Petersen, Peter Rudolph, Ellie Mae Knudsen, Makizza Rich, Ezekiel Thurston, and Matthew Donath.
John McCaffrey: Advisor

Non-Fiction – Short Form Content Category
Dementia
https://youtu.be/-SpGfzqxX70?si=-_1ZTDHsusz99LcX
Makizza Rich: Director and Editor
Brian Schroeder: Advisor

Interview/Discussion Category
Reel 2 Real: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
https://youtu.be/GDkigFh58lA?si=_5z7lgfeCFMJpaBT
Makizza Rich: Director
Luna Miller: Writer
Jack Kleppe: Host
Ezekiel Thurston: Host
J Kolden: Technical Director
Matt Donath: Audio
Spencer Jones: Video Playback
Grayson Kohout-Spidahl: Audio
Ryan Hall: Advisor

Public Service Announcement (PSA) Category
Fatherhood
https://youtu.be/gaCwzRNEgJo?si=ofAAJHMprQeO0g0L
Ezekiel Thurston: Director
Spencer Jones: Cinematographer
Ava Muehlbauer: Writer
Brian Schroeder: Advisor

Animation/Graphics/Special Effects Craft Category
Light Snack
https://youtu.be/oHs0JC3vcJ0?si=dag62XWHsdLOmBoW
Peter Rudolph: Animator
John McCaffrey: Advisor

Light Snack is the story of an astronaut who has spent too much time alone on his spaceship. In this animated movie the students created all the models and a...

12/12/2025

Reel 2 Real | Jay Kelly | December 12, 2025
Directed by Luna Miller
This is a production by students of Hennepin Technical College.

12/12/2025

Reel 2 Real | An Inspector Calls | December 12, 2025
Directed by Jack Kleppe
This is a production by students of Hennepin Technical College.

10/02/2025

What if I told you there's a flower that unfurls its petals only once a year, under the gentle glow of the night sky? It sounds like fantasy, but it's a reality! This beautiful plant, called "The Queen of the Night", was donated to Hennepin Tech's Horticulture and Landscaping program, and we produced a time-lapse of this rare flower blooming.

Enjoy!

This rare cactus only blooms one a year - and only at night! Many thanks to the donor, Eric, and our videographer, Travis, for helping us show the lifecycle ...

05/14/2025

!!! TONIGHT ONLY - MAY 14th !!! STUDENT PORTFOLIO SHOWCASE !!!

Starting at 6pm at the Hennepin Technical College's Brooklyn Park campus, we'll be showing off the incredible talents of our wonderful students! Come one, come all, to the Student Portfolio Showcase!

04/18/2025

Our third and final award receiver of the year was:
"Reel 2 Real - Monster Summer" in the Interview/Discussion category!

Reel 2 Real is a weekly broadcast produced by Hennepin Technical College where we review new movie releases live every Friday during the fall semester as part of HTC's Interactive Design & Video Production: Videography and Directing course. This week's discussion focusses on the movie Monster Summer. (Originally aired October 11, 2024)

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/T8bAtKePFlw

Student Credits:
Directed by Ellie Mae Knudsen
Written by Angelo-Jason Gbeve & Dan Wilder
Hosted by Dan Wilder & Nathan Petersen
Audio Technician: Angelo-Jason Gbeve
Capture: Lyle Hoffmeister
Floor Director: Tanner Miller
B-roll Operator: Aaron Bennett
Teleprompter: Logan Frovarp
Camera Operator: Jack Kleppe
Technical Director: Kobe Session
Timer: Abram Hall

04/17/2025

The second of this year's award receivers was:
"Smooth Moves" in the Animation/Graphics/Special Effects category!

Smooth Moves is a short animation about a boy that receives a robot for Christmas.

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/ZiO98ZRU7hg

Student Credit:
Liam Barnett
Carter Frandsen
Biago Guagliardo
Dylan Johnson
Adam McKibben
Claire Minnihan
Scott Murray
Julian Velez
Derriana Yankaway

04/16/2025

The first of three awards received by our students was for:
"Remember Them - Honor Them" in the Public Affairs/Community Service category

This video program discusses the journey to make a Vietnam War Memorial in Oak Grove, Minnesota. Three organizers worked tirelessly to honor four local Vietnam veterans that were killed in action.

STUDENT CREDITS
Camera Operators:
- Patrick Erickson
- Abram Hall
- Kobe Session
- Lyle Hoffmeister
- Jakob Halberg
- Logan Frovarp
Boom Operators:
- Aaron Bennett
- Angelo-Jason Gbeve
Lighting:
- Ellie Mar Knudsen
Editor:
- Patrick Erickson

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/9DztMsVhJ_0

04/15/2025

Hey! Hey, you!

🎉✨ It's time to celebrate! ✨🎉

On April 11th, 2025, the 14th Annual Student Production Awards for the Upper Midwest were held. Can you guess who received some awards? Heck, yes you can! Our amazing students!

Not once! Not Twice! But Thrice! 🔥🔥🔥

Over the next three days we'll be showing off which projects received what reward and who worked on them! Stay tuned!

02/24/2025

🎬✨ Student Spotlight: Ellie Mae’s Promo Edit for Organ Mountain Outfitters! ✨🎬

We’re excited to showcase an incredible promotional video edited by Ellie Mae! Using assets from Blackmagic Design, including interviews and b-roll, Ellie crafted a compelling piece for Organ Mountain Outfitters that highlights the brand’s story and mission.

👉 Watch now: https://youtu.be/TXWfK08kWkA?si=NjdXUyYbcdXNEgxN

Show your support in the comments and let us know what you think! 🎥🔥

This is a promo video for Organ Mountain Outfitters. It was edited by Ellie Mae.