dramatic writing Archives - Reynolds College Blog

Emma Habert’s “The Will of the Mare” wins NATAS College EMMY® award

April 22, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Emma Habert has won a college EMMY® award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS)-Mid-America chapter.

Movie poster of The Will of the Mare depicting a woman and a horse — Movie poster for “The Will of the Mare.”

Her film, “The Will of the Mare,” won the Student Production Award for best Fiction – Short Form.

In addition to Habert’s win, nine other Missouri State students received honorable mentions for their work.

“We’re so proud of Emma and our honorable mentions this year,” said Dr. Deborah Larson, head of the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film (CMJF).

“To win a crystal pillar ‘Student Production Award’ from NATAS is to be recognized for extremely high standards by industry and academic alike,” Larson added.

“The Will of the Mare” will be shown during the CMJF Showcase on May 5 at the Moxie Cinema in Springfield, Missouri. The event starts at 7 p.m.

Cristina Pippa wins Austin Film Festival screenwriting award

November 18, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Cristina Pippa won the Josephson Entertainment Teleplay Award at the Austin Film Festival (AFF) Oct. 25 in Austin, Texas.

“Lady Em,” is a 60-page, hour-long drama created as a television series pilot,” said Pippa, associate professor and director of the MFA in Dramatic Writing program at Missouri State.

Pippa’s script was a finalist in two categories — Drama Teleplay Pilot and Josephson Entertainment Teleplay Award — and reached the semi-finals (the top 2%) in the AMC Pilot Award category.

Approximately 11,500 scripts were submitted to the festival.

So far, this is the only competition to which Pippa has submitted “Lady Em.” “It’s the one that means the most to me,” she noted. “It is ‘the writer’s festival,’ and they value a great story above all else.”

Special topics course on 16mm filmmaking revives traditional skills

July 8, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

During Missouri State University’s May 2025 intercession, students who enrolled in “The Art and Skill of Shooting Super 16mm Celluloid Film” (Media 300/600) course got a first-hand look at the craft of celluloid filmmaking.

Instructor Conci Nelson, from the Department of Communication, Media, Film and Journalism (CMJF), taught the three-week practicum. The course trained students on how to plan and shoot celluloid footage using two Bolex H16 film cameras.

“The goal of this course is for students to gain an appreciation for the origins of filmmaking and content creation and better understand the utility of thorough planning and economic execution in a production,” Nelson said.

Nelson will incorporate footage that the class created into a short film she is producing, “The Princess of Ildereen.”

Reviving traditional filmmaking

In the fall of 2024, Nelson pitched the idea of a course devoted to celluloid filmmaking to the CMJF department. The class was needed, she said, because current technologies tend to inhibit students’ ability to learn essential filmmaking skills. Moreover, while digital and AI technologies might speed production, they don’t always encourage creativity, she added.

“Many students rely far too heavily on digital technology for focus, [but] what happens when you don’t have access to power?” Nelson asked. “Without power in digital filmmaking, there likely won’t be any shooting happening.” For example, a filmmaker might not have access to important peripheral tools, like Bluetooth monitors and scopes, which are used to represent focus using color or grids.

Instead, Nelson’s course teaches students how to use external light meters, tape measures to calculate focus, manual focus techniques and how to plan a shot. Even understanding the tangible qualities of film, such as its feel and smell or how it sounds when rolling properly, is part of the course.