By Ncamisile Mtshali
The Durban University of Technology (DUT) held its annual Video Tech Student Awards ceremony recently at the City Campus’s Arthur Smith Hall.
The event included student work exhibits, award presentations and speeches.
A Video Technology lecturer and the event organiser, Samuel Ntsanwisi, said that the event aimed to acknowledge the hard work of the students.
“The purpose of this ceremony is to reward excellence of those who did well in 2023 and celebrate their achievements. This event means a lot to the Video Technology Programme because we get to celebrate with the students as they go out in the world, represent us and showcase the best that they have learnt.”
He said that the university environment fosters creativity and innovation among students by encouraging them to think creatively and providing them with top-quality equipment.
“We encourage students to think big and beyond the status quo that is out there,
and we also try to provide the best innovative equipment, such as VR shooting tools.”
The head of the Video Technology Department, Lance Lütge, emphasised the importance of the awards in promoting students’ creative abilities and preparing them for the workplace.
He said: “We want to make sure that our students are ready, not only practically and academically, but also in terms of work ethic, for them to go to the work environment, as in film and television, which is very demanding as a whole. We want students to leave our doors and be able to comfortably walk in the working industry.”
He added that students must be willing to put in the effort and dedication that is
required to hone their skills if they want to excel in their work.
“The advice I can give students is that what matters is how much work you are willing to put into any part of your studies or academics. I always (say) that a lot of people are born with talent, but without hard work talent goes nowhere.
“To become someone who is formidable in our industry, you need to make sure that you are willing to work harder than the next person. No matter how much talent you are born with, hard work will always triumph over talent.”
The award winner for the Documentary Insert award and Best Third-year Programme Sttudent award, Chiko Mujeni, expressed gratitude for the award, saying that it has motivated him to excel.
He said: “Winning these awards encouraged me to continue in the direction that I have already been going and also to study more and make more creative films that touch people out there. These awards mean that I’m in the right place at the right time. Jesus Christ is the one who (has) brought me here, so it is good that I’m here to do this for His glory.”
The winner for Best Third-year Drama Student Ward, Ulubanzi Nhlabati, said: “It feels good to be nominated and actually win because a lot of work was put into this. The first six months were just preparations before even shooting. This award means a lot to me because I was a writer, director, location scout and editor. Also, I would like to thank my casting crew because they brought the vision to life. As much as I was writing it, but they were the ones who made it happen.”
