Graduating RISD Film/Animation/Video Students Show Compelling Final Films

The mood was jubilant on opening night of the Film/Animation/Video department’s Senior Show 2024, as 45 graduating seniors presented their (mostly animated) final films to a receptive crowd in the RISD Auditorium. “The yearlong process is a rollercoaster of growth, setbacks, circuitous paths, flashes of joy and moments of clarity,” says Department Head Max Porter 03 FAV. “These experiences have shaped each artist and their work.”

Program A got underway with Dinner Building, a live-action short by Carter Hiett 24 FAV featuring original music by Jack English 24 FAV that perfectly suits the film’s hypnotic, kaleidoscopic imagery. Hiett describes himself as “a process-driven experimental filmmaker and photographer from the San Francisco Bay Area” and says that “the films he creates are the product of experimentation with the physicality of film itself.”

Two animated pieces came next: Home Base by Fenner Weeks 24 FAV and NAIA by Caz Shen 24 FAV. The former features animated illustrations on lined paper combined with real-world backdrops and audio captured on-site. “My animation emerges from my love of giving life to materials that can’t breathe on their own,” says Weeks.

Shen’s piece explores issues of identity through the adventures of Naia, the Wonder Woman-like title character. “The best part of filmmaking is finding out you have no idea what’s going on, turning your film over like a big rock and discovering there’s a whole other world on the flipside,” says Shen.

Another live-action piece, OK SO by English, takes a whack at the absurdities of modern life and left the audience in stitches. The film features an earnest protagonist played by Vinny Wang 24 FAV and his bonkers colleague who agrees to help him conquer his verbal tic using (what else?) a shock collar for training dogs.

Two animated pieces shown on opening night had the vibe and professional finish of cartoons you might come across while channel surfing on a Saturday morning: Tomato at Sea by Emily Zhang 24 FAV and Thyste by Eva Li Bretz 24 FAV. The former tells the story of Tomato’s failed attempts at befriending a giant squid and ultimate discovery of a desert isle community of friendly creatures. The latter follows the adventures of a team of futuristic warriors who set out to destroy an interplanetary prison. “In my work, I enjoy action, romance and exploring unconventional protagonists,” says Bretz, “especially those who do good things for selfish reasons.”

Some of the other standout films in the wide-ranging lineup include ICOSA by Lizzie Brown 24 FAV; Something about an Outgoing Tide by Jack Bryant 24 FAV (shot with a 1960s Bolex 16-mm camera); Apoptosis by Dan Hur 24 FAV; Revolver Superstar by Healey Koch 24 FAV, whose films combine 2D and 3D animation with live action; Latente by Brazilian artist Stephanie Ling 24 FAV; Bloom by Pichayapha Sabpisal 24 FAV; Amare Terram by V Tamburello 24 FAV; and the sadly nostalgic The Singing of Birds and What Is Drifting Away by Lezhi Yu 24 FAV.

“Each of these projects has been brought to life from the artist’s vision, commitment and passion,” Porter notes. “However, none of them would exist without the collaborative efforts and unwavering support of fellow students, faculty members, staff, friends and family. It truly takes a village.”

All of this year’s senior thesis films will be presented on YouTube on Friday, May 17 (Program A) and Saturday, May 18 (Program B) at 7 pm. 

Simone Solondz / top image: still from Bloom by Pichayapha Sabpisal
May 16, 2024