Moorestown High School alumni and founders of A Butterfly Production Colin Llewellyn (left) and Nathan Krachman.
Moorestown High School alumnus and writer and producer Nathan Krachman has been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 44th College Television Awards.
The annual awards show recognizes and rewards excellence in student-produced programs from colleges across the country. Winners in the competition will be announced by television actors at the red-carpet awards ceremony on Saturday, April 5, at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California.
Krachman, along with four fellow University of California, Santa Barbara classmates, has been nominated in the drama series category for producing the short film, “The Circus Monkey,” selected from over 200 entries by foundation members.
“It’s a true honor to be recognized by something as big as the Television Academy,” Krachman said. “We’re up against two USC (University of Southern California) graduate student films, and to just know that somebody or a group of people thought that our film deserved to be included in that is truly mind-blowing.
“It’s been a whirlwind.”
“The Circus Monkey” – A Butterfly Production – is a dramatic short film that centers on the main character, Vivian, a cellist and music instructor confused about whether she wants to continue as a musician in the competitive world of classical music. She is forced by Arthur, her mentor and boss, to take on a stubborn but talented new cello student named Grace, who is interested in auditioning for the Beaumont Conservatory Orchestra in Texas.
The film stars Kirsten Hoj as Vivian, Blythe Davis as Grace and Paul Tassone as Arthur. Directed by Oliver Richards and written by Travers Tobis, “The Circus Monkey” was co-produced by Krachman and co-executive produced by Moorestown High alumnus and director and producer Colin Llewellyn.
“The Circus Monkey” was selected from over 200 entries for nomination in the Television Academy Foundation’s 44th College Television Awards.
“Just sitting there as a writer or the person who came up with the idea and watching all these people, all of these crew members and cast members work to accomplish one singular goal …” Llewellyn noted. ” … This is the one (art form) that takes a village.”
“Just seeing something on a page, either that came directly from our brains or that came from somebody who gave us a script and said, ‘Help us make this,’ seeing that become a thing that now … and seeing all those people work together towards creating this one line on a piece of paper, this one scene, is truly one of the most awe-inspiring experiences,” Krachman offered.
“We’re so incredibly honored and amazed at the recognition that “The Circus Monkey” is getting right now with the nomination, but the thing I’m even more astonished by is the fact that people let us do this,” he added, “that crews believe in us and that we’re making the projects that we really believe in.”
“The Circus Monkey” was the second film put into production and the third film distributed under A Butterfly Production, founded by Krachman and Llewellyn. Other works under the company include “Precious,” “841,” “Sock,” and “Valley of Growth.”
Believing in the principle of collaboration, Krachman and Llewellyn plan to grow the Butterfly team, as well as develop projects together that are meaningful and creatively therapeutic. For more information, visit www.abutterflyproduction.com.
“With novels and music and that type of stuff, it’s all doing the same thing, it’s all telling a story,” Llewellyn observed. “Film is that one place where you can kind of put it all together … You can take the cinematography and the writing, and the music and it all comes in one.
“That’s what makes film so special for me,” he added. “It’s everything. You don’t have to stick to one specific avenue. It’s to tell a story.”
