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Show Sunday, April 20, 1997 THE DAILY HERALD, Provo, Utah Local director earns awards making quality family films By LAURIE WILLIAMS SOWBY Special to The Daily Herald Blair Treu is getting used to earning awards as he earns a living making films that are "entertaining but don't violate our senses fun films that I wouldn't be shamed to show my family." The Orem resident, a graduate of BYU's film school, has been racking up the prizes for a number of projects he's worked on over the years, including several for the LDS Church and Walt Disney. Last year, he made his feature-fildirectorial debut with "Just Like Dad," which won the prestigious 1995 Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival and also won the audience award at the Santa Clarita International Film Festival. "Just Like Dad" the story of a kid who hires an athletic "replacement" for his nerdy father aired on the Disney Channel in December. It has national distribution on video by Warner Bros. Now Treu's second time in the feature film director's chair also for Leucadia films, based in Salt Lake City has earned an award from the Santa Clarita International Film Festival. "The Paper Brigade" was named best comedy in the feature category. (Distributed by Warner Bros., it's available at local video stores, including Smith's.) "The Paper Brigade" enjoyed a screening during the week long festival in California in February, when SCIFF showcases family films and sponsors semi m nars, awards and other events "relevant to the most the family," important concept within society according to Chris Shoemaker, executive director. "It's the perfect festival for someone who wants to promote family films," said Treu. The "Paper Brigade" is a comedy about a big- - city kid who moves to a very p small town named Pleasant Valley (Pop. 4,999) and learns some valuable lessons about life as well as the fine art of newspaper delivery. Gunther WheelKyle Howard stars as er, who discovers one thing he likes in the new town Allison (Kylee Cochran), only to be threatened by the bully, Chad (Travis Webster), who already has a claim on her. Gunther finds a way to pay off a debt by earning tips from becoming the best newspaper carrier the town has ever seen. Along the way, he has to deal with Crazy Man Cooper (Robert Englund of Freddy Kreuger fame) and paint pellets from rivals who want to take over his lucrative route. which is how Treu Of course, it all ends happily kid with it should. a lot of slapstick movie "It's a thought comedy," he said. "It's just a lot of good, clean fun." Another film making veteran, Provoan Brian Sullivan, was director of photography for "The Paper Brigade," teaming up with Treu as he did for "Just Like Dad." Both films were shot entirely in the Salt Lake area by Leucadia Films. Sullivan is a former film instructor at BYU and one of the few invited to return year after year to the Sundance Institute's film- - 11 i 4t '"4 - f -.- l Wsf&V Wy; Photo courtesy of Leucadia Film Corporation Gunther Wheeler (Kyle Howard) encounters mishaps as a newspaper carrier in "The Paper Brigade," which is directed by Blair Treu of Orem. Utah Symphony to perform for Provo students On Tuesday, The Utah Symphony travels to Timpview High School for a pair of concerts just for school kids. The concerts will begin at 9:30 and 10:40 a.m. "These are some of the most important concerts we do," says Jim Sowards, who coordinates educational programming for the symphony. "It's a way to enrich lives while we educate our future audience, and even future orchestra members." Associate Conductor Robert Henderson, who conducts most of the more than 50 educational concerts, performed this year agrees, "This is one of the biggest music education programs in the country, and has been for 35 or 40 years. (Educational concerts) , . J. n,.,,,.nm, .,. iRmmtiimwirriniiiii-T-- are very important to the symphony, and this is an efficient way to do them. It's easier to move 85 musicians than 1,000 students. That the entire symphony orchestra travels to these concerts is both significant, and in keeping with the vision of Maurice Abravanel. "There's a huge difference in the sound with a symphony orchestra," says Henderson, "you can't get the same sound or play the same music with a smaller ensemble." "Taking the entire orchestra allows the students all over the state to hear the same concert that is heard by students in Salt Lake City," adds Soward. Two programs "Musical Fables," aimed at younger audi- ol ences and "Shake, Rattle and Roll," deigned for older kids will be presented. Both concerts were created by Henderson. "Composers often use stories as inspiration," says Henderson of the program "Musical Fables." "Some, such as Cinderella Sleeping Beauty, are familiar to American children: some are from different cultures, but each composer on this program was telling a story with music." "Shake, Rattle and Roll contains all music which had its origins in dance," he explains. Most symphonic music started with dance, and this program uses pieces from the 17th to the 20th centuries to show how the music has changed. ikast - Xt -- 3 4 hiinnr1 ii i m 1 , Photo courtesy of Blair Treu Director Blair Treu of Orem, right, and Director of Photography Brian Sullivan of Provo, left, direct the Paper Brigade." The family film has earned an award from the Santa Clarita International Film Festi- -' val. film-"Th- makers' workshop. Though Treu is ready to move on to more "adult" projects in feature films, he has set his standard as a director, and that standard helps him decide which projects to say yes or no to. "Whether the film is commercial, educational or documentary," he said, "it must have some intrinsic social value. It must be uplifting. I won't do stuff or anything dark." He said that stand has made him somewhat of an outcast in the film industry, and economic necessity dictates that he must work in both LDS Church film circles and the "legitimate" industry. "I feel very out of place at the Sundance Film Festival," he admitted. He would especially like to be involved with a show such as the popular "Touched by an Angel", and "Promised Land" because their blend of family values, a good message and entertainment "the best of both worlds." "There are very few movies targeted for whole families to watch together," noted Treu, who moved to Orem from Burbank, Calif., with his wife, Cheryll, and four children from 3 to 9 years old. His "requirements" for a family film? "Above all else, it must be entertaining," he said, "or no one will ever see it. Secondary to that is an uplifting message. And of course, it shouldn't be offensive." Thus far, he said, "I've been very fortunate that I haven't had to compromise morally. Creatively, yes, but that's the nature of the art to deal in a collaborative environment." He hopes he can continue makHomefront spots, seminary ing LDS Church films films and documentaries "till I'm in my 70s." Saying there are "a few Mormons who are starting to break through" into the "legitimate" film industry, he tele-visi- . I un-hi- if i: II 1 TV IHi.h1i(iMsVd , back-to-ba- . c, cj i. - free-lancin- g. rrlrlr HaviH CrVain ininort fnnnHpH in 1QSQ nroduct-- . the comDanvf in 1990. manacins feature- film i" ,i tion. He was instrumental in the success of the g "Alan and Naomi," plus "Breaking Free,'(', -- c?t award-winnin- "WindRunner" and "The Undercover Kid." A teenl ' "sort of 'Freakv Friday' flick, "Wish Upon a Star" meets 'Clueless'," according to Treu is slated to the end of April. Kyle Howard, who played finnther in "The Paner Rriaade " akn annpars in the . Leucadia film, "Address Unknown," a mystery which., also was shown at the Santa Clarita festival. , . , Time Is Running Out! flash es nu nance. . ... V ft f uf..i J:ffA-.i.t;fn- - W to brilliant t M - non-membe- Jf - w r i. ' f t..jt Salt lake Downtown ...579-607- ...579-612- 4 Be Faxed Call 8 5 Sponsored By: UiMrix' THE SALON ZCMI Cottonwood For Application To 379-005- 379-255- rs Call today for an appointment f MATRIX. 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Treu graduated from BYU in 1985, after winning, festival honors for his student films.,' Those wins, along with his success in getting Holly-;- ; wood distribution deals, brought him to the attention of ; Frank Wells, president of the Walt Disney Company,., who brought the young director into the Disney family.. There, Treu worked on various production aspects. ; of such films as "Down and Out in Beverlv Hills.",.' 'The Color of Money," "Ruthless People" and "Flight,, of the Navigator." He also worked for two seasons on,, the Disney Sunday Movie. He left Disney in 1987 to. work independently on dozens of projects which have. won awards, includine Gold Camera. Gold Hu0 .' cm. ru: r.iAa vjuiueh iajac, oiivci 01.1 ecu, Liiiidgu unci 11a.- tional Gold, Heartland Festival Gold and New York Festival Gold. He is still ; :: Treu explained that Leucadia produces "low-budr- ;. ItAt" filrrtc nnHor rtaora4 trwimrA forv millinn 1111110 unuui oilu luwaiu icuiij"' iiiiiinju ilies. David Anderson is producer. "The Paper Brigade' is his eighth film for Leucadia, which he,r 4 I ; fast-pac- ' iil Page B3 ZIONS BANK |