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"My hope is that the podcast will show that we can have difficult conversations," says Kacie Willis (M.F.A., sound design, 2013). A Fall 2020 SCAD Alumni Atelier ambassador, Willis is speaking of White-Angle, her new podcast exploring "empathy in documentary filmmaking, dissecting how perspective and privilege factor into storytelling in our modern time of civil unrest."

Born in Detroit and based in Atlanta, Willis is a founding producer at Could Be Pretty Cool, has worked at the Center for Puppetry Arts and 7 Stages Theatre, and was one of 10 participants in last year's Spotify Sound Up program, an initiative to amplify underrepresented voices in the podcasting world. Boost the levels on Kacie for maximum effect.

Kacie Willis:

Of the pitches I submitted to the SCAD Alumni Atelier program, I was surprised that White-Angle was the one selected. I'd submitted three or four fun and quirky ideas, but this was the topic that I was asked to explore.

White-Angle is a podcast that pairs a white documentary filmmaker who's made a film about Black trauma with a Black filmmaker in conversation. It's a podcast about storytelling, agency, ownership, and about who should be telling stories. It's flipping the script in the sense that the documentarian is now the documentary subject of the podcast.

I'm primarily a theatrical sound designer. Since COVID-19 shut down live theater, a conversation has been presenting itself in the theatrical world about the future of race in theater and how to address those issues. I was on a panel where someone said they didn't think a white director should be allowed to direct plays by Black writers. I felt really conflicted about that.

I have friends from all different backgrounds who take their work very seriously, including several cis white male friends who have made feature length-documentary films on Black trauma. One has a film premiering at the Atlanta Film Festival next week that was based on a cold case in Griffin, Georgia. Another made a film about a black male who was having a bipolar episode and was killed by police in 2014. I thought, what can I do to speak to this moment?

Two members of my White-Angle team are also SCAD sound design alumni: Cooper Skinner (M.F.A., sound design, 2013; B.F.A., sound design 2010) will be doing the mixing and mastering, and Jacob McCoy (B.F.A., sound design, 2010) is cutting together a video trailer for the show.

Everything is going to be hosted on a standalone website. There'll be three episodes, each one about 30 minutes. The first episode will feature Stephen Robert Morse, director of In the Cold Dark Night and filmmaker and puppeteer Raymond Carr. Episode two will pair Roee Messinger, director of American Trial: The Eric Garner Story with screenwriter and producer Nakia Stephens. The third episode will feature Erik Ljung, director of The Blood is at the Doorstep, in conversation with filmmaker Derrick Jones.

Part of my Alumni Atelier project is figuring out my target audience for this podcast. This means strategically marketing a difficult piece of work at difficult time where people are looking for levity. It means figuring out how to spark important conversations about difficult topics. As a creative community, we can help one another to tell these stories.

Visit Kacie at her excellent website. Stay tuned for more about the launch of White-Angle, coming October 2020.

The SCAD Alumni Atelier, conceived and endowed in 2015 by SCAD President Paula Wallace, supports select alumni with time, space, and resources to facilitate the creation of new work.

Interested alumni applicants should email [email protected] or visit www.scad.edu/success/alumni-programs/alumni-atelier for details.

photography: Kelley Raye

 

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More than 200 SCAD students and alumni contributed to Primetime Emmy-nominated productions this season, garnering 275 different credits across 88 unique titles. Nominations for Ozark, Stranger Things, The Outsider, and more highlight the Georgia entertainment industry. Many diverse majors are represented in top productions such as The Mandalorian, Succession, Watchmen, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Westworld, The Last Dance and Rick and Morty. Two alumni, Dirk Valk (B.F.A., animation, 2008) and Garette Warner Rose (B.F.A., film and television, 2007), were directly nominated for Emmy Awards this year for Outstanding Special Visual Effects (Lost in Space) and Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program (Queer Eye), respectively. Congratulations to all alumni who contributed to nominated shows – we look forward to continuing to watch your work!

Update: Two alumni won Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation Emmys this year: Jill Dykxhoorn (B.F.A., animation, 2013), lead background artist, Archer: 1999 (episode: "Road Trip"), and Dan MacKenzie (B.F.A., animation, 2011), character animator, Cosmos: Possible Worlds (episode: "Vavilov"). Congratualtions, Jill and Dan!

The following SCAD alumni worked on these Emmy-nominated and Emmy-winning shows:

#FreeRayshawn: Lori Snow (B.F.A., film and television, 2011).

American Factory: Xiao Hou (M.F.A., sound design, 2015); Cindy Takehara (M.F.A., sound design, 2015).

American Horror Story: J. Jeongyeon Son (B.F.A., visual effects, 2012); Austin Ramsey (B.A., film and television); Zachary Goodson (B.F.A., animation, 2010); Dale Bunten (M.A., visual effects, 2019); DeRon Horton (B.F.A., performing arts, 2015).

Archer: 1999: Jill Dykxhoorn (B.F.A., animation, 2013).

Bad Education: Colin Alexander (B.F.A., sound design, 2005); Patrick O'Keeffe (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010); Kayli Carter (B.F.A., performing arts, 2015).

Better Call Saul: Jimmy Fisher (B.F.A., broadcast design, 2011).

Between Two Ferns: Austin Ramsey (B.F.A., film and television); Bryan Godwin (B.F.A., computer art, 1998); Gabe Gilden (B.F.A., film and television, 2014).

Big Little Lies: Sara Chaisson (B.F.A., film and television).

Big Mouth: Erica Hayes (B.F.A., sequential art, 2012); Katie Tamboer (B.F.A., animation, 2014); Corey Barnes (B.F.A., sequential art, 2006); Hunter Curra (B.F.A., sound design, 2005).

Black Mirror: Reed Lovell (B.F.A., sound design, 2013); Richard Reed (M.F.A., visual effects, 2005).

Bob Hearts Abishola: Austin Ramsey (B.F.A., film and television).

Bob's Burgers: Drew Newman (B.F.A., animation, 2007).

BoJack Horseman: Louisa Lawler (B.F.A., animation, 2018); Tom Soulen (B.F.A., animation, 2010); Christopher Nance (B.F.A., sequential art, 2012); Hunter Curra (B.F.A., sound design, 2005); Michael Britt (B.F.A., sound design, 2018).

Carnival Row: Dixie Pizani (B.F.A., animation, 2010); Matthew Kiefer (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009); Andrew Maynard (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015); Ryan Ng (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016); Mimi Violette (B.F.A., industrial design, 2018).

Central Park: Lexy Naut (B.F.A., animation, 2012); Corey Barnes (B.F.A., sequential art, 2006); Jon Higgins (B.F.A., illustration, 2018); Drew Newman (B.F.A., animation, 2007); Dabney 'Hank' Hamner (B.F.A., animation, 2015); Betty Liao (B.F.A., sequential art, 2015); Sarah L. Pacetti (B.F.A., sequential art, 2011); Tiffany Rishel  (B.F.A., animation, 2014).

Cosmos: Possible Worlds: Michael Pickering (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018); Bria Jones (B.F.A., animation, 2015); Kitty Tomblin (B.F.A., animation, 2016); Erica Hayes (B.F.A., sequential art, 2012); Austin Ramsey (B.F.A., film and television); Josiah Howison (B.F.A., visual effects, 2004); Elliot Thompson (M.A., sound design, 2012), Dan MacKenzie (B.F.A., animation, 2011).

Crank Yankers: Kathryn Molloy (B.F.A., film and television).

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Ric Griffith (B.F.A., video, 1992).

Defending Jacob: Derek Mola (B.F.A., film and television).

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings: Dany Flores Arias (B.F.A., film and television, 2019); Keith Anderson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2011); Matthew X. Trinkle (B.F.A., architecture, 2016); Elizabeth Luis (M.A., production design, 2018).

Drunk History: DeRon Horton (B.F.A., performing arts, 2015).

Dummy: Brian Freesh (B.F.A., film and television, 2005).

El Camino: Jesse Meler (B.F.A., visual effects, 2012).

Euphoria: Brett Hinton (B.F.A., video, 2001).

Family Reuniuon: Sean Amlaner (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007).

Godfather of Harlem: Justin Diamond (B.F.A., computer art, 2003).

Grace and Frankie: Megan Librizzi (B.F.A., dramatic writing, 2018).

Hollywood: Logan Coffey (B.F.A., performing arts, 2016); Michael Metzner; Austin Ramsey (B.F.A., film and television); Zachary Goodson (B.F.A., animation, 2010).

Homecoming: Amy Christensen (B.F.A., computer art, 1997); Brett Hinton (B.F.A., film and television, 2001);

How to Get Away with Murder: Sean Amlaner (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007).

I Know This Much Is True: Michael Pickering (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018).

Insecure: Jordan Bridges (B.F.A., production design, 2019); Nicole Baker (M.A., film and television, 2008); Brian Freesh (B.F.A., film and television, 2005).

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Andrew Kaczynski (B.F.A., broadcast design, 2010).

Lost in Space: Cheri Fojtik (M.F.A., animation, 2011); Austin Ramsey (B.F.A., film and television); Dirk Valk (B.F.A., animation, 2008); Kristen Prahl (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005).

Love Is Blind: Nieshia Crawford (M.F.A., film and television, 2018); KP Hendry (B.F.A., photography); George Dunlap (B.F.A., film and television, 2009).

Modern Family: Leslie Merlin (B.F.A., film and television, 2005).

Modern Love: Colin Bright (B.F.A., sound design, 2010); Linzy Elliot (B.F.A., sound design, 2011).

Mr. Robot: Brett Hinton (B.F.A., video, 2001); Dionysius Vlachos (M.F.A., sound design, 2015).

Mrs. America: Ryan Ng (B.F.A., sound design, 2016); Kayli Carter (B.F.A., performing arts, 2015).

Orange is the New Black: Anna Tringali (B.F.A., production design, 2012).

Ozark: Grace Chahine (B.F.A., film and television, 2019); Camden St. Onge (B.F.A., film and television, 2018); Melissa Hansen (B.F.A., film and television, 2018); Rachel Kerby (B.F.A., film and television, 2019); Zachary Goodson (B.F.A., animation, 2010); Alyssa "Grizzly" Goldman (B.F.A., film and television); Layne Brightwell (B.F.A., illustration, 1985).

Pose: Noreen Souza-Bailey (B.F.A., film and television, 2005).

Queer Eye: Garrette Warner Rose (B.F.A., film and television, 2007).

Rick and Morty: Erica Hayes (B.F.A., sequential art, 2012); Kitty Tomblin (B.F.A., animation, 2016); Dan O'Connor (B.F.A., illustration, 1994); Ferguson Winston (B.F.A., animation, 2008); Joey McCormick (B.F.A., animation, 2011); Hunter Curra (B.F.A., sound design, 2005); Michael Britt (B.F.A., sound design, 2018).

Robot Chicken: Alex Kamer (B.F.A., film and television, 2004); Dan MacKenzie (B.F.A., animation, 2011); Savelen Forrest (B.F.A., computer art, 1999); Hunter Curra (B.F.A., sound design, 2005); Michael Britt (B.F.A., sound design, 2018); Steve Gallant (B.F.A., animation, 2012); Charles D'Avignon  (B.F.A., animation, 2016).

S.W.A.T.: Austin Ramsey (B.F.A., film and television).

Saturday Night Live: Milton Ladd (B.F.A., video, 2002).

Sea of Shadows: Dominque Koski (B.F.A., film and television, 2019).

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker: Ian Chase (B.F.A., sound design, 2017); Steven Blevins (B.F.A., sound design, 2018).

Shameless: Angela Gunn (M.F.A., film and television, 2008); Jie Meng (M.F.A., visual effects, 2015).

Silicon Valley: Chun Seong Ng (M.A., animation, 2007); Sarah Ridenour (B.F.A., animation, 2016).

Space Force: Rob Holland (B.F.A., film and television, 2009); Jonathan Nelson (M.F.A., computer art, 2004).

Star Trek: Short Treks: William Appleby (B.F.A., film and television, 2014); Zach Smith (B.F.A., visual effects, 2019); Sarah Hamilton (B.F.A., animation, 2018); Emily Shock (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015).

Star Trek: Picard: Dan Knight (B.F.A., computer art, 1996); Sean Amlaner (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007); Kristen Prahl (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005); Michael Rhima (M.A., visual effects, 2016).

Steven Universe Future: Julian De Perio (B.F.A., sequential art, 2016); Becky Dreistadt (B.F.A., sequential art, 2008).

Stranger Things: Sophie Wagman (B.F.A., production design, 2017); Chris Harris (B.F.A., sound design, 2007); Heather Fetter; Nathan Alexander (B.F.A., production design); Sarah Okun; Madison Eckler (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018); Steve DiNozzi (M.A., visual effects); Forrest Arnold (B.F.A., computer art, 2000); Burke Roane (B.F.A., computer art, 2003); Lucas Gregg (B.F.A., film and television, 2016); Joe Elfanbaum (B.F.A., sound design, 2016); Erin Choroszylow (B.F.A., film and television, 2012).

Succession: Kenzi Parker (B.F.A., animation, 2012); Grant Anderson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017); Greg Radcliffe (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010); David Anger (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016); Kelsey Drown (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017); Gabe Gilden (B.F.A., film and television, 2014).

Survivor: Jamie Gordon West (B.F.A., photography, 2011).

Tales from the Loop: Dionysius Vlachos (M.F.A., sound design, 2015).

The Blacklist: Haley Samms (B.F.A., animation, 2017).

The Boys: Kathryn Molloy (B.F.A., film and television); Amber Evans (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015); Ryan Ng (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016).

The Dark Crystal: Noah Hamdan (B.F.A., visual effects, 2012); Nikki (Makar) Pataracchia (B.F.A., computer art, 2004); Ian Chase (B.F.A., sound design, 2017); Steven Blevins (B.F.A., sound design, 2018); Eric Schultz (B.F.A., visual effect, 2014); Michael Rhima(B.F.A., visual effects, 2016); Timothy Preston (B.F.A., motion media design, 2015).

The Good Place: Dionysius Vlachos (M.F.A., sound design, 2015).

The Great Hack: Andres E. Marthe Gonzalez (M.A., sound design, 2018).

The Imagineering Story: Kevin Kabfeld (B.F.A., production design, 2016); Matthew Burgette (B.F.A., film and television, 2003).

The Kominsky Method: Rob Holland (B.F.A., film and television, 2009).

The Last Dance: Ian Chase(B.F.A., sound design, 2017); Steven Blevins (B.F.A., sound design, 2018).

The Mandalorian: Maia Kayser  (B.F.A., electronic arts, 2001); Dan Knight (B.F.A., CMPA, 1996); Steven Quinoñes Colón (B.F.A., painting); Siyu Niu (M.F.A., visual effects, 2018); Jesse Hildreth (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008); Shawn Monaghan (B.F.A., CMPA, 2004); Diana Chu (M.F.A., visual effects, 2019); Cheri Fojtik (M.F.A., animation, 2011); Cameron Kashtan (B.F.A., film and television, 2017); Douglas Addy (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007); William Appleby (B.F.A., film and television, 2014); Delane Leahy  (B.F.A., film and television); Brandon Martin  (B.F.A., animation, 2008); Michael Callahan (B.F.A., film and television, 2003).

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Kenzi Parker (B.F.A., animation, 2012); Grant Anderson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017); Greg Radcliffe (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010); David Anger (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016); Michael Pickering (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018); Carmine Picarello (B.F.A., sound design, 2006).

The Morning Show: Hilary Gayle (B.F.A., photography, 206); Heather Turner (B.F.A., film and television, 2006); Luis G. Reyes (B.F.A., production design).

The Outsider: Richard Weller (B.F.A., illustration, 1989); Megan Fudge (B.F.A., production design, 2016); Austin Ramsey (B.A., film and television); Zachary Goodson (B.F.A., animation, 2010); Darby Abraham (B.F.A., production design, 2016); Matthew X. Trinkle (B.F.A., architecture, 2016); Nate Foster (B.F.A., computer art, 2001); John Harton (B.F.A., production design, 2015); Ben Dishun (B.F.A., film and television, 2012).

The Plot Against America: Greg Radcliffe (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010); David Anger (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016); Steven Nyberg (M.F.A., film and television, 2015).

The Politician: Steven Nyberg (M.F.A., film and television, 2015); Zachary Goodson (B.F.A., animation, 2010); Morgan Lee Miller (M.F.A., production design, 2013).

The Rookie: Sarah Galley (B.F.A., film and television, 2008); Danielle Aziz (B.F.A., production design, 2012); Ric Griffith (B.F.A., video, 1992).

The Simpsons: Jon Higgins (B.F.A., illustration, 2018); Emma Barker (B.F.A., illustration, 2018); Matt Mantel (B.F.A., animation, 2017).

The Voice: Julie McReynolds (B.F.A., performing arts, 2002).

This Is Us: HanYun Chang (M.F.A., animation, 2019).

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Jaime Morgan (B.F.A., film and television, 2011); Carlos Alarcon(B.F.A., visual effects, 2010); Tommy Love (M.F.A., film and television, 2013); Gabe Gilden (B.F.A., film and television, 2014).

Unbelievable: Drew Huntley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2011); Alex Jansen (B.F.A., animation, 2010); Matt Klimek (B.F.A., sound design, 2011); Nicole Baker (M.A., film and television, 2008).

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend: Matthew T. Perry (B.F.A., film and television, 2011).

Unorthodox: Steven Blevins (B.F.A., sound design, 2018).

VICE: Brian McGee (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007); Josh Luddeni (B.F.A., film and television, 2008).

Vikings: Brittany Piacente (B.F.A., animation, 2012); Amber Evans (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015); Ryan Ng (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016).

Watchmen: Ziyan Tan (B.F.A., illustration, 2018); Nano Afrane (B.F.A., animation, 2017); Kristen Kuchenbecker (B.F.A., film and television, 2008); Jo Hepburn (B.F.A., fashion); Lauren Driskill (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management, 2010); Chris Richarson (B.F.A., sound design, 2008); William Appleby (B.F.A., film and television, 2014); Nicholas Leone (B.F.A., film and television, 2010); Sarah Okun; Ethan Guice (B.F.A., photography, 2016); Kang Hui (M.F.A., animation, 2019); Josh Tamburo (M.F.A., sound design, 2015); Adam Wagner (M.F.A., film and television, 2018); Jana Acevedo (M.F.A., production design, 2013); Noelle Jean-Baptiste (B.F.A., production design, 2011).

We're Here: Chloe Heidt (B.F.A., film and television, 2017).

Westworld: Dan Knight (B.F.A., computer art, 1996); Sean Amlaner (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007); Patrick Warner (B.F.A., animation, 2008); Casey Roberts (B.F.A., visual effects); William Appleby (B.F.A., film and television, 2014); Sarah Hamilton (B.F.A., animation, 2018); Dustin Colson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010); Philip Fraschetti (M.F.A., visual effects, 2007; B.F.A., computer art, 2005); Jorge Sanchez (B.F.A., film and television); Erik Zimmermann (M.F.A., visual effects, 2008); Brian Freesh (B.F.A., film and television, 2005).

What We Do In The Shadows: Abhishek Singh (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017).

Why We Hate: Josh Feezer (B.F.A., film and television, 2008); William Atkin (M.F.A., computer art, 2005).

Wu-Tang: An American Saga: Harrison Jaffee (B.F.A., film and television, 2012); Alex Dubois (B.F.A., film and television, 2016); Antonio Aguas (B.F.A., animation); Nathaniel K. Hearns (B.F.A., animation, 2017); Ali Lavoie (B.F.A., animation, 2018); Hannah Saunders (B.F.A., animation, 2018); Nana Boachie (B.F.A., animation, 2011); Laura Ceredona (B.F.A., animation, 2005); Tiffany Rishel Droke (B.F.A., animation, 2014); Reed Gauthier (B.F.A., animation, 2011); Kathy Kissinger (B.F.A., animation, 2013); Travis Lockhart (B.F.A., animation, 2011); Andrew VonGravely (B.F.A., dramatic writing, 2013); Andrew Lainhart (B.F.A., film and television, 2014).

 

See a name missing from the list? Send name and show the alumnus worked on to [email protected].

 

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"Zero waste design is a giant puzzle," explains Danielle Elsener (B.F.A., 2013, fashion). "Normally when you lay out patterns, there’s extra room between the pieces and about 15% of that gets wasted. Zero waste involves making garments where every inch of fabric is used in the creation."

Elsener is a puzzle-solver, an inventor, and the recipient of the inaugural Activate Movement Program €50,000 grant sustainable design. Her winning entry, called A020, was chosen by judges Virgil Abloh, artistic director at Louis Vuitton, and Evian Global VP Shweta Harit.

Currently based in Portland, Oregon, Danielle was previously an Alumni Atelier ambassador at SCAD Lacoste and a SCADpro alumni mentor. Her recent projects include an open source Zero Waste Scrub Set for front line health workers.

Danielle Elsener:

Receiving this Evian grant is super exciting. There are three things the grant will go towards. One is the creation of zero waste pattern tools that I use to teach how zero waste design works. You receive the tool and a set of instructions, and can get started with basics in zero waste design. I'm also hosting workshops, digitally for the time being, which is great because you can get engagement from all over the world. And I'll eventually create a factory that produces full run garments that are completely zero waste, the first of its kind.

Zero waste involves figuring out what on the pattern can be shifted so all the pieces interlink. I've made it my goal to make zero waste garments that don’t necessarily look like they’re zero waste, so more people are willing to wear them. It has a better industry application, and makes companies more willing to try out that type of design thinking.

My first edition of the Zero Waste Scrub Set pattern was uploaded April 10. Since then it’s been downloaded over 1500 times. There's a woman in the UK who's making tutorial videos about how to actually construct the scrubs. My sister is a doctor for the Navy, and she ordered a custom set of scrubs for her Covid testing unit. It's awesome that people are taking it on as their own thing.

SCAD has been a great partner for my journey of design. I had my heart set on SCAD from the first time I heard about it at Northport High in Northport, New York. I had a substitute teacher who’d gone on vacation to Savannah and said there’s a school down there that has a festival with chalk art all over the sidewalks. I looked at the brochure and was like yep, this is it! The New York industry is all bred from New York schools, and I felt like going somewhere different would create a fresh outlook on fashion. SCAD was the only school I applied to.

At SCAD, I had great professors who helped me think really differently about the world. My junior year I researched the work of Timo Rissanen and Holly McQuillan, who literally wrote the book Zero Waste Fashion Design (Fairchild Books, 2015). I thought, this seems like fun, let me just try it for one project. I was totally hooked. SCAD really set me up to get where I am today.

Visit Danielle Elsener at decodedecodedecode.

 

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Noah Sterling (M.F.A., motion media, 2017; B.F.A., film and television, 2015) tells stories millions of people love to see. The producer, director, and writer has collaborated with some of the world's biggest names, from Noah Cyrus to Captain America to the Los Angeles Galaxy. 

As a digital video intern at Marvel in 2015, Noah created "Marvel TL;DR", Marvel's highest-performing digital content and most-viewed webseries. In 2020, Sterling and his team won a Webby Award for the animated video series "Today in Marvel History." In big news for the new year, Noah is writing and directing pop star Zayn Malik's new comic book "Calamity," based on Zayn's third studio album, Nobody Is Listening (RCA Records, 2021). Sterling's work reflects his dedication to learning all facets of his craft, and his ability to tell a beautiful story through the art of animation.

Noah Sterling:

I will always be grateful to Marvel for the opportunity they gave me as a 19-year-old. I had the chance to work on and develop my own animated web series, where I was the director, producer, and writer. I understand the trust they placed in me. I can't imagine that level of creative control was easy to give to a young artist.

At first the Marvel team was a little unsure of the viability of my ‘Marvel TL;DR' series, but after we saw the initial response from the fans, it was easy to see this was going to be a success. We completed three seasons of the show, touching on everything from "Spider-Verse" to "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl."

And it all started as a class project at SCAD.

SCAD professors helped me become a better storyteller and producer. Professors Michael Cheney and Austin Shaw expanded my palate and my knowledge of different forms of design and mixed media. They helped me push the boundaries to make movement exciting, which really came in handy when I started working with Marvel.

At first, I had limited assets to work with. My budget was small, and my team was not the same as on a Marvel blockbuster. I was faced with the challenge of having to create dynamic movement without traditional animation. That's when my SCAD motion design training really kicked in.

My professors at SCAD got me comfortable working within different styles, and understanding how to create something memorable within scope. The series really took on a unique style and I think the initial restraints actually helped us create something special.

SCAD was also the right place for me because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do when I graduated. I was interested in live action film, animation, visual effects, and motion graphics. Those don't all fall neatly into one discipline, but that didn't matter. At SCAD, I was able to explore different fields within the arts, and that's been a huge advantage as I work on different projects.

My most recent projects have been music videos. I am the director for Noah Cyrus's latest single "Young and Sad" and the art director for Doja Cat's "Like That." I'm going to focus on producing going forward. I love leading a team and seeing an idea come to life from the page. I am currently developing an animated series. Hopefully I will have exciting news to share soon!

Animation still from Noah Cyrus' "Young and Sad" (2020).

See more at www.noahsterling.com.

 

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SCAD photography professor Thomas Sanders is an award-winning photo documentarian and the author of Vietnam War Portraits: The Faces and Voices (Casemate Publishers, 2020). Sanders' previous book, The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II (Random House, 2010) won "Non-Fiction Book of the Year: Editor's Choice" from Forwards Review, making Sanders the youngest ever recipient of that award, at age 25.

Sanders has photographed over 1,500 veterans throughout his career, the largest compilation of veteran portraits worldwide according to CBS. His work has been showcased in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and the World War II Museum in New Orleans. Sanders is the grandson of Army World War II veteran and photographer Willis Sanders.

Thomas Sanders:

My journey as a photo documentarian began when I was 21. I had a college assignment to take a photo of a World War II veteran. That experience was powerful. The impact of the conversation was life changing. I can still hear his story. He stepped on a mine in the European theatre, and the resulting explosion tore his stomach open. He used his canteen belt to hold his guts inside his body as he continued fighting.

That conversation took place in 2005, over 60 years from the date he stepped on the mine, and yet we were both transported back to that moment when he was a young man, 5,000 miles from home.

I was honored to be in that moment with him, and understood how fortunate I was to be hearing his story and taking his photo. I decided to travel the country and photograph as many World War II veterans as I could. Belmont Village Senior Living discovered my project and decided to send me to all their communities around the country and photograph veterans living in their communities.

That allowed me to create enough material for my first book, The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II. That book's success allowed me to continue telling and sharing these heroic stories.

Over time I became interested in the veterans of the Vietnam War, and was curious why those men and women didn't get the same reception as World War II veterans. Seemingly, they didn't come back as heroes, and I was drawn to that narrative and exploring the relationship between the World War II veterans and the Vietnam vets. In 2013 I started photographing Vietnam veterans for Vietnam War Portraits: The Faces and Voices.

Luckily, I was in San Jose, CA, the third largest Vietnamese community in the country, and home to a large number of Vietnam veterans. At the same time, I was working on my project, documentarian Ken Burns was working on The Vietnam War. I was able to meet Ken, and I photographed him as part of my book. His series was a pop culture hit, and really brought the plight and lives of these vets to the forefront in a way that had never happened before.

I wanted my book to tell the stories of everyone involved, vets, conscientious objectors, journalists who were on the ground, and Vietnamese immigrants. One of those stories is from a woman named Bic Truong. She was grateful for the U.S. forces, and believes she would have died at the hands of the opposition forces if not for our involvement.

I haven't stopped taking photos of vets and I can't imagine I ever will. Their stories are too important not to share, highlight, and preserve.

Learn more about the SCAD photography program.

 

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The work is more than skin deep. Yet the epidermis is important. In 2018, SCAD Museum of Art presented "Testing the Name," an exhibition of new drawings by Toyin Ojih Odutola. The exhibition continued her exploration of the merger of two fictional aristocratic Nigerian families through the marriage of two men. Working primarily in pastel on paper, Ojih Odutola constructed an episodic, virtuosic body of work. The following remarks are edited for concision from Ojih Odutola's conversation with SCAD MOA curatorial staff.

Toyin Ojih Odutola, "The Proposal," pastel, charcoal and pencil on paper, 53.5" x 47.9" x 2.5", 2017.

Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, New York. © Toyin Ojih Odutola.

 

Toyin Ojih Odutola:

"Testing the Name" is part of a larger project that I've been working on since 2016. It was predicated by the idea of analyzing and dissecting wealth through historically oppressed bodies, and having the spaces they occupy not be a factor in what they consider themselves to be. The whole experiment was to depict one family who weren't smiling for you, who didn't care about your comfort as a viewer, it was about what they chose to do.

From that, I started to hone in on the marriage of two Nigerian men, one Igbo, one Yoruba. It is illegal to be gay in Nigeria. People say, "Why would you tell this story? It's fictive!" But it could be true. It's about testing the honor of the family name. And the father is saying "The family name is not affected by this." So, you're coming into a space of acceptance, and being human, and the son's narrative is just as important as anyone else in the family. That's the core.

When I first started my career, I was working in ballpoint pen. I was engaging with not only blackness as a material, but also skin. I wanted to show an activated surface, a surface that didn't feel flattened and monolithic. Every material choice I've made since then has explored that or expanded that.

Skin is a dynamic entity. The stare that the subject gives is very direct, but the skin is unsettled and dynamic. It feels like they're breathing, that they could come to life at any moment. But their gaze is very direct, whether that's at you or somewhere else in the picture plane.

When I first came to this country, I was immediately aware of how this covering, my epidermis, read before I entered a room. It was somehow a cloud or a front that people would engage with before even speaking to me, before they got to know me. And that fascinated me as a kid, because I am a person. There are contradictions about me, there are a lot of things that come together to make me, and it can't just be one thing. I can't be one person based on an epidermis. So, I play on skin as one way to push against that idea of what we presume to be a person.

My advice for students is stay hungry. The thing that always drove me is that I was hungry, not just for respect and recognition, but to draw. There's a certain compulsion you have to have. There were times when I was in my apartment in Alabama, and I didn't know what my drawings were, but I loved them so much, because I thought: I just want to see this for me. That can be so powerful. And if you hold on to that, whatever comes will come. You have to be satisfied with your mark.

 

Toyin Ojih Odutola.

 

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A NYCxDESIGN award winner, architect, and furniture designer, Armando Mora Medina (M.F.A., furniture design) came to SCAD focused on turning ideas into reality. Movement, constant re-examination, and ongoing growth empower him to reach his ultimate goal — overseeing his own studio and design firm. For Armando, standing still is not an option. Design. Redesign. Innovate. Build upon that innovation. Don't hesitate to take risks, especially when you don't know what the limitations are. Always follow your own path — even when the furniture you build is seemingly on a journey of its own.

Armando Mora Medina:

"Walky" was a project I created in the class Furniture Studio: Process and Prototype (FURN 748). Professor Frederic Spector asked us to redesign the traditional café experience and I couldn't stop thinking about the kinetic energy of the space itself. Cafés are busy. They are full of people on the go. They are vibrant in nature. So why was the furniture static?

I just loved the play on movement with "Walky." People are hustling to get coffee and then off to their next meeting. Furniture should mirror that reality. I wanted the chair to be playful but striking, and worked to find the right balance.

The most difficult part of the project was building the chair. "Walky" was a sketch that immediately jumped off the page as the perfect idea, but when I showed it to my classmates and professor Spector, there was some concern. Could the "feet" take the weight? Could the wood be graceful, and strong enough to support the user? How could anyone assemble a chair without right edges or flat surfaces?

Not knowing how hard it was going to be was, in the end, a blessing. I designed the chair initially in CAD, but I'd never shaped wood like this before. Thankfully, professor Spector was there every step of the way. We honed the design to a place we believed was going to work, but there was definitely a moment in the shop where we had to hope the wood would cooperate.

The process of assembling the chair came into focus through hours in the studio. When I had finally finished and my friends and classmates sat on it and started rocking back and forth, Professor Spector suggested I submit it to the annual NYCxDESIGN Awards.

I really loved the design, but I was still shocked when I received the email announcing I was one of the six winners. Hopefully I will get calls for more chairs since I know how to assemble them now.

I met my wife Viviane (M.F.A., industrial design) when we were in enrolled in our undergraduate studies at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Guadalajara, Mexico. We were both studying architecture, but knew we wanted to have our own design business. Knowing we needed more knowledge, hands-on experience, and support, we began thinking about a masters program. We found SCAD, and moved to Savannah. I can't describe how much we have enjoyed our SCAD experience.

This year we will be working on our joint thesis. It will focus on how furniture, design, and art can serve multi-purpose functions in a home. Can a table be more that a table? Can chairs create a sense of tranquility or energy in a space? A lot of these ideas have been sparked by the COVID shelter-at-home order. We believe that our new normal has brought us to an understanding of what a home can and should be in the world tomorrow.

Learn more about SCAD furniture design and industrial design.

 

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Debbie Onyibe (B.F.A., advertising, 2020), SCAD Atlanta 2020 Salutatorian, is Chief Executive Officer of Spirête Inc., an Atlanta-based branding and advertising agency committed to creating “a global ripple effect with groundbreaking, creative ideas.” As a SCAD advertising student, Onyibe created prospective campaigns for brands including Oatly, Goat Story Coffee, The New York Times, and Cadillac. Her work utilizes an integrated advertising skill set including design, art direction, typography, copywriting, and business. As founder of Spirête Inc., Onyibe is dedicated to sharing new stories and tackling creative challenges in a changing world. Congratulations Debbie, and to the SCAD graduating class of 2020.

Art direction, photography, and editing by Debbie Onyibe.

 

Debbie Onyibe:

I moved from Nigeria to the United States when I was a teenager. I was interested in art, music and writing, and wanted to meet new people and experience new traditions and cultures. I toured SCAD and it spoke to me. I felt inspired when I walked into buildings and saw other students' art work. I could sense the excitement in my classrooms. SCAD felt like the place where I could grow into the person I envisioned becoming.

One of my favorite classes freshman year was in foundation studies. My professor, Chin-Cheng Hung, was there to help us grow. I never felt as though my talents were being judged solely against my classmates. He graded me off of my growth and development, which was different from anything I had experienced before. I felt cared for and seen as an individual. I loved my professors Trina Brown, Christopher Bundy, and Todd Wirth. I could name so many!

People I never imagined meeting were in my dorm, my classes and at my lunch table. I made friends from India, China, Korea, and Milwaukee. We shared stories of our parents, our homes and our love for creating. It didn't take long to realize I made the best decision of my life.

Those conversations with friends in Forsyth Park, or at Arts Café, are when I learned I wanted to study advertising. Advertising is not limited to traditional ideas or cultural norms. Advertising is constantly changing, connecting in a way today that it won't tomorrow.

Understanding what's going on in society and having a diverse look into other perspectives allows us to connect on a more meaningful level. I started to think of advertising as a superpower. When it is done right, it can change the world. I was not only working towards my degree, I was becoming someone who will drive change.

One of my favorite projects I got to work on was an assignment for The New York Times. A lot of consumers are not taking the time to sort out factual news from opinion pieces. News literacy is lacking in society. Headlines are all people read, and soundbites are what they remember. Our project focused on ways to draw readers deeper into the stories, emphasize facts, and highlight opinion vs. hard news. It changed the way I consume information and allowed me to see how others take in information.

SCAD fosters an environment where students from all around the world collaborate with each other, while learning to stretch ourselves. I made sure to dive fully in the opportunities and resources SCAD offers. One of the things I am most proud of was a campus ministry program I began. My faith is important to me and SCAD allowed me to bring that aspect of my life into the community. At its very core, SCAD is a place where we can all come together to grow, develop our skills and achieve our goals, regardless of discipline, regardless of where we started.

SCAD allowed me to be me, and in turn SCAD changed my life.

See more of Debbie's work here.

 

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Take a scroll down the sidewalk, and see the beauty of Sidewalk Arts 2020. The festival, a beloved SCAD tradition since 1981, went online this year, eliciting artwork from more than 650 SCAD students, SCAD alumni, and talented high school students. The scrollable "virtual sidewalk" gives a sense of the depth and breadth across many forms of expression.

Sidewalk Arts' kick-off event this year took place on April 24 at St. Joseph's Candler Hospital in Savannah, where members of the SCAD community, including alumni and professors, created a chalk mural at the main entrance to honor the health care community. That opened the month-long competition period, where online submissions were assessed by judges including popular illustrator Donato Giancola and Whitewall editor Eliza Jordan.

"El Sidewalk Arts Festival es un concurso que hace SCAD todos los años," said Daniela Torres Wong (B.F.A., advertising), winner of the People's Choice Award, student division, for her piece "Reflejos" (above). "Muchísimas gracias a todos los que votaron por mi!"

Amelia Jamerson (B.F.A., advertising, 2011), winner of the  SCAD Alumni Spirit Award for her mixed media piece "Apart Together" (above) said that this was the first time she has won an art award: "I'm happy, humbled, grateful, and incredibly inspired. I never thought to sell my work or even share it much. This award is so momentous for my journey and I'm flying on cloud nine."

Kathy Varadi (B.F.A., painting, 2018) received the People's Choice Alumni Award for her painting "What's Happening": "It's great to be part of this important SCAD tradition. My painting is of two sisters I saw at the magic hour at Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park in Maine. I've entered Sidewalk Arts twice before. I said to myself, I'm going to win this someday! I really appreciate the opportunity, especially this year."

Congratulation to all the winners, whose work can be seen here.

Special thanks to the judges, and to everyone who entered artwork and enjoyed Sidewalk Arts 2020!

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The small screen returns to the big time. It's aTVfest 2020, Atlanta's only festival dedicated to television. Now in its eighth year, the university's annual signature event celebrating the television industry will be held at SCADshow, February 27-29, 2020. Entertainment Weekly (EW) returns for the second year as Official Media Partner, SCAD aTVfest, for an exciting showcase of programs from ABC, CBS, Comedy Central, The CW, FOX, Freeform, NBC, Netflix, OWN, Paramount Network, Starz and more.

“This promises to be a fantastic aTVFest 2020 in Atlanta," said Christina Routhier, Executive Director, SCAD aTVfest. “We are excited to have Entertainment Weekly return as our official media partner. We appreciate the amazing support from networks and studios that bring top shows, talent, and below the line artists to our festival. aTVFest is dedicated to showcasing the best industry artists working in television today, from showrunners, directors and writers to costume designers, production designers and casting agents. Once again, we are thrilled to continue to highlight female talent in front of and behind the camera."

Producer/actress Kim Cattrall (FOX's Filthy Rich) will receive the Icon Award; Eric McCormack (NBC's Will & Grace) will receive the Impact Award; Tom Payne (FOX's Prodigal Son) will receive the Discovery Award, Actor; Hunter Schafer (HBO's Euphoria) will receive the Discovery Award, Actress; and the cast of NBC's Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist will receive the Rising Star Cast Award. Honorees are scheduled to attend screenings and participate in conversations regarding their work.  The festival's In Conversation Series includes talks with Eric McCormack, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Hunter Schafer, Miss J Alexander and Grown-ish costume designer Michelle Cole and actress Yara Shahidi.

As the Official Media Partner for SCAD aTVfest, EW co-curated this year's programming and will have staff on-site to moderate select talent panels. EW will also host a photo and video studio for talent. Galleries will be available exclusively on EW.com and its social platforms. Shows and representatives attending this year's festival include the following (subject to change):

• 68 Whiskey (Paramount Network) with actors Sam Keeley, Jeremy Tardy, Gage Golightly, Cristina Rodlo, Beth Reisgraf and Executive Producer/Director Michael Lehman.
• Animation Domination (FOX) with Executive Producers Julie Scully, Mike Scully, Danny Smith and character artist Mike Cassidy.
• Awkwafina is Nora from Queens (Comedy Central) with actor BD Wong.
• The Baker and the Beauty (ABC) with actors Victor Rasuk, Nathalie Kelley, Carlos Gómez, Dan Bucatinsky, Lisa Vidal, David Del Rio, Belissa Escobedo and Michelle Veintimilla.
• Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) with actors Alano Miller, Xosha Roquemore and Director Blitz Bazawule.
• Council of Dads (NBC) with actors Sarah Wayne Callies, Michael O'Neill, J August Richards, Clive Standen, Michelle Weaver and Co-creators/Showrunners Anthony “Tony" Phelan and Joan Rater.
• Deputy (FOX) with actors Brian Van Holt, Danielle Moné Truitt, annd Executive Producer Kimberly Ann Harrison.
• Filthy Rich (FOX) with actors Kim Cattrall, Melia Kreiling, Aubrey Dollar, Corey Cott, Benjamin Levy Aguilar, Mark L. Young, Olivia Macklin, and executive producers Tate Taylor and Abe Sylvia.
• For Life (ABC) with actors Joy Bryant, Nicholas Pinnock, and Executive Producers Doug Robinson, Hank Steinberg, Isaac Wright Jr.
• Legacies (The CW) with actors Jenny Boyd, Kaylee Bryant, Matthew Davis, Quincy Fouse, Chris Lee, Danielle Rose Russell, Aria Shahghasemi and Peyton Alex Smith.
• Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (NBC) with actors Russell Hornsby, Arielle Kebbel, Michael Imperioli and Showrunner/Writer/Executive Producer Barry O'Brien.
• Mixed-ish (ABC) with actors Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tika Sumpter, Arica Himmel and Executive Producer/Co-Creator Peter Saji.
• New Amsterdam (NBC) with actor Tyler Labine and showrunner David Schulner.
• October Faction (Netflix) with actors Tamara Taylor, J.C. MacKenzie, and Maxim Roy.
• Prodigal Son (FOX) with actors Tom Payne, Keiko Agena, Frank Harts, Aurora Perrineau, and Halston Sage.
• Roswell, New Mexico (The CW) with actors Heather Hemmens, Jeanine Mason, Michael Trevino, Nathan Dean and Executive Producer/creator Carina Adly MacKenzie.
• Strike Back (Cinemax) with actor Warren Brown, director Bill Eagles, military technical advisor Paul Biddiss and writer/showrunner/Executive Producer Jack Lothian.
• VIDA (STARZ) with actors Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda and Roberta Colindrez.
• Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (NBC) with actors Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart and Producer/Choreographer Mandy Moore.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit atvfest.com.