Cal Poly Student Ryan Vannucci Wins Gold in 2019 AVA Digital Awards

Cal Poly Liberal Arts Engineering Studies Major and California Cybersecurity Institute (CCI) Videographer Ryan Vannucci was awarded a 2019 Gold AVA Digital Award for marketing new Oblong technology in a short form web video.

The AVA Digital Awards is an international competition recognizing excellence by creative professionals for the process of producing digital communication. Vannucci submitted an 87 second video showcasing how Mezzanine from Oblong Industries, a multi-stream collaboration platform, enhances the group project experience for students.

“It was the longest, most fleshed out production schedule we’ve attempted so far. Pre-production planning involved thinking with a marketing focus, production involved delegating roles to get everything shot on schedule, and post-production was an exercise in precision and refinement on a level I haven’t worked with before. Overall, it was a fantastic learning experience,” said Vannucci.

The video displays Mezzanine’s ability to unite multiple streams of content from different contributors and locations simultaneously on large displays allowing students and teachers to compare different source materials, contrast options, annotate visual details and highlight data on the fly.

“We are utterly delighted by Ryan’s video and the compelling job it does of capturing the core value of Mezzanine. It’s both illuminating and gratifying to hear the video's participants speak to a deep alignment with Mezzanine's dynamic take on collaboration,” said John Underkoffler, founder and CEO of Oblong Industries.

“Here at the CCI, we are proud to have innovative and talented Cal Poly students as a part of the family. Vannucci is an amazing addition to the team who will surely go on to accomplish even greater strides in video production after college,” said Martin Minnich, CCI program manager.

“My experience at the CCI has developed me as a learner. I have been given countless opportunities to try new things, work with new equipment, shoot new styles, and much more. It has both diversified my portfolio and taught me how to be confident and flexible,” said Vannucci.

As a part of Cal Poly’s College of Engineering, the CCI aims to educate the next generation of cyber workforce and provide faculty and students with a new, hands-on research and learning environment. To see current student assistant opportunities with the CCI, visit cci.calpoly.edu/get-involved/jobs-internships.