Renaissance Center’s The Funeral Man picks up 2 Midsouth Emmys

Release Date: 2/3/2004. Expired: 3/3/2004

A short film produced by The Renaissance Center’s Multimedia Department received two Emmy awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Nashville/Midsouth Chapter Saturday.

David VanHooser, a producer at The Renaissance Center, won an Emmy in the Director/Non-news category for The Funeral Man, which he wrote, directed and produced.

Craig Anderson, studio manager at The Renaissance Center, received an Emmy in the Lighting/Location category for his work on The Funeral Man.

The Nashville/Midsouth Chapter of NATAS presented its 18th annual Midsouth Regional Emmy awards at a banquet and telecast at the Gaylord Opryland Resort on Saturday, Jan. 24. Awards were handed out in 59 categories from 760 entries submitted by television stations and productions companies in Tennessee, North Carolina and northern Alabama. Judging for the competition was conducted by the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of NATAS based in Phoenix.

The Renaissance Center’s Multimedia Department had received 11 nominations in eight categories, including six nominations for The Funeral Man.

The Funeral Man is a dramatization based on local stories of a real man who was known in the area for attending funerals and comforting the bereaved even if he didn’t know them. The narrative production was shot completely in Dickson and Humphreys counties and features several local citizens as well as professional actors from Nashville. It was written, directed and produced by VanHooser, an award-winning producer for the Multimedia Department who has produced several short films and also has won an award for a science fiction screenplay from the Sundance Film Festival.

Nominations for The Funeral Man were in the Entertainment Program, Camera, Director, Lighting, Music and Writer categories.

VanHooser picked up his 18th Emmy award in a 20-year career in television production, the last four at The Renaissance Center.

“The Funeral Man is an unusual and unique project,” said VanHooser. “But it’s also a classic example of the talent, passion and creativity found in the people of The Renaissance Center. It’s not a ‘one-man show.’”

Anderson, studio manager, jib operator and videographer at The Renaissance Center for four years, received his first Emmy award for his lighting work on The Funeral Man production.

“I am greatly honored to have received this recognition and excited to have the chance to work on projects like The Funeral Man and with talented people like David VanHooser and the staff here at The Renaissance Center,” Anderson said.

The host of the Emmy Awards live telecast was Joe Elmore, who also hosts public television’s Tennessee Crossroads and Spike TV’s Horsepower TV. Steve Hall, Ken Tucker, VanHooser, Trina Avril and the multimedia staff at The Renaissance Center handled the pre-production work for the awards broadcast.

Since its opening in 1999, The Renaissance Center has received 31 nominations for Midsouth Regional Emmy awards and brought home nine statuettes.