UTAH COUNTY, Utah — Brigham Young University is celebrating some Cougar success as they took home multiple trophies at this year’s National Student Emmys.
BYU earned top honors for the best comedy series, best commercials, and the best animation - for an animation project that brought a full-circle moment to life for a father and son on campus.
“‘Love & Gold’ is this really fun, Dungeons & Dragons-inspired, fantasy romance story about two thieves who go into the same dungeon, looking for the same treasure, and they end up falling in love with each other,” said recent BYU grad Connor VanDyke.
Tucked away in the school’s Talmage Building, Connor VanDyke directed the animated short as part of his capstone - with the help of a crew dozens strong.
“I think the best work, and the best learning, comes from being in the trenches beside others,” VanDyke said. “It’s about ten minutes of film - but it took two years to put together.”
They brought ‘Love & Gold’ from their animation labs all the way onto the national stage.
“When our name got called, the two of us almost jumped for joy!” VanDyke said.
The winning ways are becoming a tradition here. ‘Love & Gold’ earned the BYU Center for Animation its fifth-straight National Student Emmy at the recent College Television Awards.
There’s now a wall of success that spans decades within the Talmage Building. But if you look closely, it all started with one project that also shared the VanDyke name.
Called ‘Lemmings’, it was made in 2004, at the very genesis of this program.
“It was built inside of [the] industrial design [department], and the idea was we’re going to make a movie,” said Craig VanDyke. “It was just a story of a lemming who learns that his race is doomed.”
But through that movie about the fate of an arctic rodent, Connor’s dad, Craig, won BYU its first animation Emmy.
“It was always created with this idea that the most important asset BYU has is our student,” said Craig.
The theme has lifted plenty of Cougars to new heights in the industry…
“Everything you’re looking at - all the walls,” Craig said, looking back at posters of Toy Story 3, Cars, Up and more. “I can normally name a BYU grad that was involved in them.”
But the creative license the university has given the department also pulled Craig back to the university six years ago to become a professor.
When his son found that same passion, Craig said he tried to talk him out of it.
“He really did,” Connor said with a chuckle.
Their worlds collided in the Talmage Building - for good or for bad.
“You couldn’t lie to me,” Craig said. “I knew if you weren’t doing your homework.”
But Connor managed to fill some pretty big shoes, and this pair hopes it will inspire the next creative minds on campus.
If you want to watch either of the VanDyke’s award-winning projects for BYU, you can Love & Gold and Lemmings on Youtube.
