West Liberty University’s MAD FEST, a Media Arts Design festival, celebrates its 15th anniversary, Friday, April 10.
The academic event begins at 8:30 a.m. and continues through 4 p.m. and involves high school students from West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania, along with WLU’s media arts design students. Twenty-six different workshops, professional presentations and an award ceremony complete the activities designed to give students a look at the academic and professional world of the media arts.
“We had to close registrations for this year’s MAD FEST due to being maxed out at 370 high school students. We also had 480 entries to the festival competition,” said Professor Jim Haizlett, director of the festival. Entries are judged by a panel of professionals.
“One of our jurors this year is world-class illustrator C.F. Payne of Cincinnati,” Haizlett said.
An artist-illustrator whose work has graced the covers of Time Magazine, Readers Digest, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times Book Review and Sunday Magazine, MAD Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, The Atlantic Monthly and more, Payne has been commissioned to paint countless politicians, authors and entertainers and has illustrated 10 children’s books, including The Remarkable Farkle McBride and Micawber, written by John Lithgow.
Both WLU students as well as high school sophomores, juniors and seniors enter original pieces into the competition part of the festival, though they compete in two separate competitions.
“I entered two animations I created into the 2013 MAD FEST during my senior year in high school. It felt very satisfying to see my animations up on the big screen for people to watch, especially college professors and students. It not only made me want to go to West Liberty University, but it also made me want to be a better creator,” said Avery Drake, a digital media design major who participated while a student at Brooke High School, in both 2013 and 2014.
Tyler Rodgers, formerly of Weirton, is now working as a production assistant for Firecracker Films of London, and lives in Winchester, Va. He participated as an undergraduate and submitted songs to MAD FEST.
“MAD FEST gave me a professional look into the industry and a way to network. Professionals critique your work and this motivates you as a student. It’s inspiring,” Rodgers said.
MAD FEST student art projects fall into the following categories:
- Short Film – Fictional stories written and produced by a student or group
- Digital Imaging – Original art created using digital processes
- Electronic Music – Original compositions, up to five minutes in length
- Animation – Original animated project
- Illustration – Original illustration using digital and/or traditional techniques
- Mixed Media – Original static mixed media piece, traditional or non-traditional
- Multimedia – Original dynamic multimedia piece
- Interactive – Web design, mobile apps, interactive music or storytelling
- Photography – Traditional or digital original photography
- Graphic Design – Visual communication of ideas through typography, images
- Audio Documentary – Non-fiction audio stories by one or two students
- Video Documentary – Non-fiction video stories by up to three students
Contest winners will be announced during the 10 a.m. – noon award ceremony, just prior to lunch. Jurors take part in the award ceremony and comment on stage about each of the award-winning student presentations, giving all students valuable feedback.
“This is a day of learning first hand from professionals and is invaluable for students considering careers in media arts and design,” Haizlett said.
Sean Ritner, who graduated from WLU in 2014 and now lives in Pittsburgh, participated in the festival all four years that he was a student.
“MAD FEST was one of the best experiences of my time at WLU, from being a participant, a volunteer, and even the designing the brand one year, I was able to experience all it had to offer. I felt inspired by the sea of creativity that was present from our special guests, WLU students, and the fresh minds of the high school participants. It does so much more for the school and the students beyond being a competition – it makes you feel like you are a part of something great!” he said.
Ritner is a design contractor working with Giant Eagle in the Advertising and Digital Commerce department.
The MAD Festival opens at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 9, with a film screening by professional filmmaker Kori Feener.
A special live music concert “MAD Electronica” follows at 8:30 p.m., April 9, in the College Union. The concert will feature the West Liberty University Electronic Music Ensemble as well as DJ Aversive and special guest Will Kuhn.
For more information, please contact Haizlett, at madfest@westliberty.edu or 304.336.8077.
