GameZombie.tv site to earn Webby Award

For the second year in a row, GameZombie.tv is being recognized as more than just a student organization.

The student-run Web site has been selected again as an honoree by the Webby Awards and will be recognized Monday in New York at the awards ceremony that honors Internet excellence.

“GameZombie is the sixth-best student online video company, so we are getting recognized but not getting the trophy,” said Andrew Benninghoff, an IU graduate and executive creative director of GameZombie.tv.

Created by IU graduate student Spencer Stuart, the multimedia project has produced 230 original game videos. The selection of videos includes ButtonMashers, which is a video variety show, and interviews with top names in the video game industry.

“At the E3 conference, we will interview people from BioWare, D3 and Trion about the games they have created and any upcoming projects,” said junior Chelsey McKrill, a member of the team.

This spring is a busy time for the students involved with GameZombie. After attending E3, the biggest video gaming conference in the world, they are working hard to get the next episode of ButtonMashers on the Web.

“We take a topic in gaming culture, brainstorm it and start making characters and writing dialogue,” lead writer John Quick said.

After the script is written, actors rehearse twice that week and shoot the film Friday.

“They pump videos into the Net like crazy,” said senior Roger Lou, who is involved with the production and business side of GameZombie.

GameZombie comprises a team of students with all different educational backgrounds.

Besides volunteering, students can participate in GameZombie through an internship program offered by the IU College of Arts and Sciences.

“People hear about it through word of mouth, and they also promote it in some telecommunication classes,” Benninghoff said. “You put more effort into your work and do the best you can because you want it to be professional.”

While the people involved with GameZombie said they have fun getting together and creating these videos, they take their work very seriously.

“As a newcomer I was not expecting the level of professionalism I saw on the business side of things,” Lou said. “They are very fiscally responsible and looking for new ways to optimize income.”