H
armony’s Alex Collinger, a 2017 graduate of
Seneca Valley Senior High School, recently won
two regional Emmys for his work as a student
producer and camera operator for two films—“The
Reel Teens: Arts and Entertainment” under the Arts and
Entertainments/Cultural Affairs category and “The Reel
Teens: Remake Learning” under the Long Form-Nonfiction
category.
Collinger is the son of George and Lisa Collinger. In
middle school, he volunteered at the Strand Theater and
began to cultivate his interest in movies and filming. “I
bought my first video camera in seventh grade, just for fun,”
he says. During that time, Collinger was mentored by his
teacher Mr. Wiehe, and with each
passing day became more interested
in the art of film.
For three summers following
seventh grade, Collinger attended the
Joey Travolta Film Camp in Pittsburgh
to perfect his skills. There he learned
about the entire process of film and
studied screenwriting, cameras,
lighting, sound, editing and pitching
a script.
In high school, Collinger took
every film class available including
multiple Video Production classes,
Studio Broadcast, Documentary,
Film History, Animation & Design and Narrative Film—all
offered at Seneca Valley. “I was lucky to have these classes
available to me at Seneca Valley High School—in addition
to great teachers like Mr. McKosky and Mrs. Plutnicki,” he
notes.
Also while in high school, Collinger took part in
Robert Morris University’s yearly High School Video
Award program and won an Award of Excellence for his
documentary “Hollywood of the East: Film Production in
Pittsburgh.” He was a member and president of SVTV—
Seneca Valley’s high school broadcast studio, responsible for
filming many school events and producing the high school
TV morning announcements.
Collinger had also been chosen as one of 17 Pittsburgh-
area teens to work for Steeltown Entertainment as a member
of the “Teen Film Crew,” where he filmed various Pittsburgh
events to showcase the company’s involvement in the
Pittsburgh community. Additionally, he completed a work
co-op at Steeltown Entertainment as a Post Production
Assistant. Later, Collinger became a part of Steeltown’s
“Pittsburgh Reel Teens,” where he produced, directed
and filmed a TV show that airs on the local Fox station,
highlighting many important topics in the Pittsburgh area.
Collinger was part of a team of seven students from
various Pittsburgh schools that submitted and won two
Mid-Atlantic High School Student Emmy Awards from the
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS)
in May. “We learned that it is a lot of work to produce a TV
show, but it was exciting and rewarding as well,” he says.
“Winning two Emmys was even
more exciting! We were shocked
and thrilled when we learned of our
accomplishments amongst the stiff
competition.”
Now in the 15th year, the NATAS
Mid-Atlantic Chapter’s student
awards are intended to recognize
outstanding cultural, educational,
technological, entertainment, news
and informational achievements by
high school students.
“During any free time I had in
high school, I worked on various
independent films, doing audio,
assistant camera and production assistant responsibilities,”
says Collinger. “Now that I have graduated, I hope to
work on more films and make some of my own films with
friends, too.”
Collinger also has an interest in exotic sports cars, boating,
and riding his jet ski during the summer.
His parents are proud of him and pleased with how much
he has accomplished at a young age: “We are thrilled he has
found his passion, and we’re confident he will be successful
in whatever he chooses to do with his talents.”
With Collinger’s interest in cinematography and building
his own business, he is enrolled in CCAC’s film program
while continuing to develop a personal film production
company—Alva Media Company. His ultimate goal is to
enjoy a long career in the film and entertainment industry as
a cinematographer. n
Cranberry | Fall 2017 | icmags.com 47