Competing against about 400 college students from California and New York, Ecton placed second in the student movie poster competition of the Hollywood Reporter's 32nd Annual Key Art Awards.

Ecton graduated in June with a bachelor's degree in art with an emphasis in graphic design and illustration.

Ecton and the university's art department each were awarded $1,250 in May for Ecton's poster for director Rob Marshall's "Chicago."

"The award means a lot to me because it gives recognition in the art/design community that I'm good enough to compete with the best in this field," Ecton said. "It shows that it's possible for someone to get into a demanding industry."

Dedicated to honoring outstanding achievement in motion picture advertising, the Key Art Awards recognizes the dynamic movie posters, photography and trailers that were often primary ingredients in motion picture marketing.

Ecton's poster, inspired by posters for classic films such as Roman Polanski's "Chinatown," depicts an image of RenŽe Zellweger emerging from smoke stemming from a revolver's gun barrel. The smoke also outlines the silhouettes of co-stars Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

"I wanted a poster with a double meaning that takes more than a glance to read," Ecton said.

Ecton's intricate design proved to be successful.

"There are certain conventions that are consistently followed in this field," said Jim Kelley, CSUN art professor and Ecton's graphic design instructor. "Applicants that created their own art or created something completely new with the imagery that was provided seem to be more successful."

Ecton is the first in his family to graduate from college. At times Ecton worked two jobs while attending school, and during financial hardship, he did not have enough money to pay for supplies. Also Ecton never used his learning disability, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), as an excuse to not succeed academically.

"I wanted to be on the same playing field as others," he said. Ecton said he overcame his obstacles through "hard work and knowing what I want in life.

"I wanted to be the best in anything I put my mind too," he said crediting success in art and music to his attitude.

Ecton, who is also a bassist for an alternative band, is currently interning with a design studio and is still looking for different internships.