CAT-TV & CHAMBER SERIES, “BENNINGTON MADE” WINS TWO NATIONAL TELLY AWARDS
Left to right - Bob Pinsonneault of Vermont Wooden Blocks - bronze Telly recipient; Matt Harrington, executive director of the Bennington Area Chamber and host of Bennington Made; Will Gardner, Head Brewer at Madison Brewing Co. - silver Telly recipient; Mike Cutler, executive producer and videographer of Bennington Made
Bennington, VT – “Bennington Made,” a local series developed by CAT-TV and the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce has won two 2017 Telly Awards. The specific episodes that were entered were “Bennington Made – Vermont Wooden Blocks” and “Bennington Made – Madison Brewing Company”.
The partnered organizations took home a bronze award and a silver award (the highest honor) in the How To/DIY category of the award competition.
The Bennington Made series, which already had won a Chamber Innovation Award in 2016 from Chamber Master, is a behind-the-scenes TV series that showcases unique Bennington businesses. Similar in format to Discovery Science’s “How It’s Made” and ABC News’ “Made in America,” the production is both modern and intriguing. With a focus on quality, craftsmanship, and locally-made products, the series puts a spotlight on the pride and celebration of products made by residents of Bennington.
The Telly Awards were founded in 1979 to honor excellence in local, regional and cable TV commercials. Non-broadcast video and TV program categories were soon added. Today, the Telly is one of the most sought-after awards by industry leaders, from large international firms to local production companies and ad agencies. The Telly Awards mission has been to strengthen the visual arts community by inspiring, promoting, and supporting creativity. On average, The Telly Awards receives over 13,000 entries yearly from all 50 states and 5 continents.
Judges evaluate entries to recognize distinction in creative work — entries do not compete against each other. Instead, entries are judged against a high standard of merit. Judges score entries on a performance scale and winning entries are recognized and awarded as Silver or Bronze Winners based on the combined scoring of the judges who evaluate each entry. Empowered to uphold the historical standards of the Telly competition, judges may award top honors to more than one entry or no entries in a particular category. All decisions of judges are final.
“What makes Bennington Made work is a couple of key ingredients,” indicated Matt Harrington, Executive Director of the Bennington Area Chamber. “One, its story telling at its best. We take people and their business in their environment and have them share with us what they are passionate about. Story is king in film and our series highlights those storytellers that are crafting a narrative about the quality and production happening in this region. The true stars of the show are the products and their producers. Second, you have to have a great team of highly committed, highly competent people behind you building this series. Our staff at the Chamber and Mike, Lisa and the team at CAT-TV bring a level of sophistication, design and expectation to the series. Everyone understands the brand and what were looking for. We shoot for excellence; that’s what makes a great show!”
Bronze Telly Award (Bennington Made - Vermont Wooden Blocks), Silver Telly Award (Bennington Made - Madison Brewing Co.)
“CAT-TV has a long history of partnering with area Non-Profits and Businesses.” states Lisa Byer, executive director of CAT-TV. “We are thrilled to be able to continue this work with the Bennington Chamber anddo so in a way that is engaging and fresh. The combined effort of our talented Production Staff and the energy from the Bennington Chamber has produced a series that showcases the wonderful craftsmanship produced by local businesses. We look forward to watching Bennington Made grow and highlight more of the hidden talents we have right here in our community.”
“This series is a blast to make!” says Mike Cutler, executive producer of Bennington Made. “When Matt approached me about this show idea, I took it and ran with it. Everything is created in house here at CAT-TV, and it’s fantastic to see how the show has matured. Winning two Telly’s is certainly a feather in CAT-TV’s cap, and a highlight of my career. We look forward to seeing where Bennington Made takes us, and I’m amazed to see what our local businesses are making right here in Bennington. We certainly are fortunate to live in a small, thriving town.”
Now in its second season, Bennington Made has filmed over 12 local businesses with season two focusing so far on Madison Brewing Co, NSK Steering and GVH Studios. To watch all of the episodes go to Bennington.com/BenningtonMade.