Elora resident Adrian Baker, a second year Conestoga College broadcast TV student, is the 2014 recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Writer/Producer Specialization Award – a $200 honour sponsored by the Media Producers Group of Ontario (mpGO).
Baker was presented the award on April 16 at the College’s Broadcast Television Awards Night, which took place at the Princess Twin Cinemas. That night, faculty, students and industry sponsors gathered to celebrate and congratulate the graduates.
The award was presented by mpGO chair Carol Ann Whalen, an award-winning alumna of the broadcast TV program and co-proprietor of Kitchener’s C to C Productions.
Baker was also awarded the Sony of Canada Award for Excellence as a TV/Video Producer, which officials say is testimony to his future potential.
“The award encourages students to strive for excellence in their work, while supporting them in taking their broadcast TV education to a level that will better prepare them for professional practice,” said Whalen.
In response to the win, Baker said, “This award means a lot to me, I really tried to push the envelope with Top Contender and not make it your usual Sports show. It’s quite an honour when someone not only sees all the hard work and passion you put into a project, but then recognizes you publicly for it.”
Baker summed up his future ambitions: “In the future, I hope to soon be writing and producing content for a television production house. I also have several film projects on the go over the summer, and I’m exploring the world of corporate video, too.
“So, I’m keeping my options open. I was born to be a storyteller; it’s what I’m good at. As long as I get to tell stories, I’ll really be happy anywhere.”
The award recognizes a full-time, second year Conestoga College student who best demonstrates outstanding and creative television writing/producing skills. Students are evaluated based on their ability to produce a segment or oversee segments for Conestoga Connected, a weekly show produced by students for Rogers Community Television.
“Adrian was the producer of Top Contender, a segment on Conestoga Connected,” explained professor Rachelle Cooper, who teaches the writer-producer specialization course in the School of Media and Design at Conestoga College’s Doon campus.
“The writer-producer specialization students had the opportunity of pitching show ideas to Shaw Media television executives on April 17 and Baker pitched his Top Contender idea, which was very well received.”
She added, “The jury chose Adrian for this year’s award because he demonstrated the professionalism, passion and organizational skills needed to succeed as a writer-producer.”
