SCAD is proud to announce the contributions of over 150 alumni who have contributed their talents to films nominated for the 95th Academy Awards®. This year, SCAD alumni contributed to a total of 18 films that received nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

These talented SCAD Bees represent a variety of top-ranked degree programs, including animation, visual effects, film and television, production design, sound design, dramatic writing, sequential art, illustration, architecture, interactive design and game development, fashion, painting, photography, and furniture design. Thirty alumni who worked on 2023 nominated films also contributed to 2022 Oscar-nominated films.

Six SCAD alumni contributed to best picture nominee Everything Everywhere All at Once. Art director Amelia Brooke (B.F.A., film and television, 2008) created the look of the film, which is nominated for 11 Oscars including best picture, costume design, directing, film editing, original score, original song, and screenplay. Five sound design alumni also worked on the film, testament to the fact that SCAD is the only university to both offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs in sound design.

"I am thrilled to see this year's incredible roster of talented alumni who are continuing to be a force in Hollywood, contributing to the biggest movies of the year," said Andra Reeve-Rabb, dean of the SCAD School of Film and Acting. "Our alumni are able to transition from the classroom to professional productions seamlessly, thanks to our cutting-edge filmmaking facilities, state of the art software and equipment, and mentorship by Oscar-winning professors. Many of my former students are collaborating on extraordinary films that entertain and impact audiences across the world."

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, nominated for best visual effects, makeup and hairstyling, and costume design includes 29 SCAD alumni credits, including lead visual effects artist Adam Wagner (M.F.A., film and television, 2018) and speciality costume fabricator Lindsay Hamilton (B.F.A., fashion, 2013). Avatar: The Way of Water, nominated for best picture, sound, visual effects, and production design, includes 22 SCAD alumni credits, including visual effects supervisor Austin Bonang (B.F.A., computer art, 2005) and senior compositor Brittany Piacente (B.F.A., animation, 2012).

Notably, SCAD alumni worked on all five films nominated for best animated feature: Turning Red, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, The Sea Beast, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

"From visual effects to costume design, SCAD alumni are always at the forefront of creative practice, working together to create ground-breaking cinematic experiences for audiences around the world," said Danyl Bartlett, dean of the School of Animation and Motion. "These nominations are testament to their hard work, and to the guidance and exceptional learning experiences provided by SCAD faculty. It is a joy to see SCAD alumni receive recognition from the Academy."

Congratulations to the students and alumni who contributed to this year's Oscar-nominated films:

Aaron McGriff (B.F.A., animation, 2005) Top Gun: Maverick
Abby Thomas (B.F.A., dramatic writing, 2017) Babylon
Adam Wagner (M.F.A., film and television, 2018) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Adnan Hussain (B.F.A., computer art, 2000) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Agnes Asplund (M.F.A., visual effects, 2012) Living
Aiden (Jangyong) Lee (M.A., animation, 2019) Avatar: The Way of Water
Alex Andrade (B.F.A., visual effects, 2019) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Alexander Snow (B.F.A., animation, 2009) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Allyssa Hill (B.F.A., animation, 2000) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Amba Moore (B.F.A., animation, 2000) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Amelia Brooke (B.F.A., film and television, 2008) Everything Everywhere All At Once
Andrew Finley (B.F.A. visual effects, 2015) Turning Red
Andrew Stadler (B.F.A., animation, 2022) The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Andrew Twite (B.F.A., sound design, 2006) Everything Everywhere All At Once
Andy Lin (B.F.A., animation, 2008) Turning Red
Annie Taylor (M.A., sound design, 2019) Blonde
Anthony Chappina (M.A., visual effects, 2008) The Batman
Arturo Espinoza Cruz (B.F.A., 2016) Top Gun: Maverick
Ashley Trawick (M.F.A., animation, 2015) The Batman
Austin Bonang (B.F.A., computer art, 2005) Avatar: The Way of Water
Austin Kemp (B.F.A., film and television, 2018) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Ben Watson (M.F.A., animation, 2008) Avatar: The Way of Water
Brent Kiser (B.F.A., sound design, 2006) Everything Everywhere All At Once
Brian Freesh (B.F.A., video and film, 2005) Babylon
Brian McCann (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010) The Batman
Bridget Underwood (B.F.A., animation, 2012) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Brittany Piacente (B.F.A., animation, 2012) Avatar: The Way of Water
Bryanna London (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Camryn Miller (B.F.A., animation, 2021) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Carmen Wong (M.F.A., visual effects, 2014) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Carol Madrigal (B.F.A., computer art, 2002) Avatar: The Way of Water
Casey Seabolt (B.F.A., visual effects, 2019) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Catlin Scroggie (B.F.A., animation, 2015) The Sea Beast
Chad Woelki (M.F.A., visual effects, 2009) Avatar: The Way of Water
Charles Cronkrite (B.F.A., animation, 2012) The Sea Beast
Chris Freihofer (M.F.A., animation, 2017) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; The Batman
Chris Wood (B.F.A., visual effects, 2020) The Whale
Craig Bilodeau (B.F.A., video, 1994) The Fabelmans
Dan Bollwerk (visual effects) Avatar: The Way of Water
Danny Barnhart (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018) Turning Red
Darren Sumich (B.F.A., animation, 2006) Avatar: The Way of Water
Dave Hale (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) Turning Red
David Lewis (M.F.A., visual effects, 2012) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
David Tennyson Thompson (B.F.A., film and television, 2018) Top Gun: Maverick
Derek Underwood (M.A., film and television, 2009) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Diana Ulzheimer (B.F.A., film and television, 2004) The Fabelmans
Diane Dwyer (B.F.A., production design, 2015) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Don Kim (B.F.A., animation, 2020) Avatar: The Way of Water
Dumaine Babcock (B.F.A., film and television, 2017) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elyssa Houser (B.F.A., visual effects, 2020) The Whale
Emily D. Myers (B.F.A., animation, 2007) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Emily Wimer (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
George Watson (B.F.A., film and television, 2014) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hannah Bragdon (B.F.A., film and television, 2021) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hiro Ren (B.F.A, visual effects, 2018) The Sea Beast
Hosuk Chang (M.A., visual effects, 2008) Turning Red
Ian Chase (B.F.A., sound design, 2017) Everything Everywhere All At Once
Isabella Herrera (M.F.A., film and television, 2021) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Ivory Stanton (B.F.A., painting, 1992) Avatar: The Way of Water
Jackie Nash (B.F.A., animation, 2017) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Jacob Flack (B.F.A., sound design, 2014) Everything Everywhere All At Once
James Spadafora (M.A., visual effects, 2017) The Batman
Jameson Everett (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) Babylon; Blonde; Top Gun: Maverick
Jangwoo Choi (M.F.A., computer art, 2003) The Batman
Jason Mayer (M.F.A., computer art, 2004) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Jayda Cardoza (B.F.A., film and television, 2020) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Jeannine Kernisan (B.F.A., animation, 2015) The Batman
Jedediah Voltz (B.F.A., sequential art, 2002) Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Jennifer Ely (illustration) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Jeremy Carroll (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Jess Escamillas (sequential art) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Jinguang Huang (M.A., visual effects, 2017) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Jocelyn Cofer (B.F.A., animation, 2009) The Sea Beast
John Harton (B.F.A, sound design, 2015) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Johnathan Nixon (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007) Avatar: The Way of Water
Jon Hartman (B.F.A., animation, 2014) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Jordan Law (B.F.A., fashion, 2013) Babylon
Jordan Rempel (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) Turning Red
Josh Evans (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) The Sea Beast
Joshua T.M. Matthews (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) Avatar: The Way of Water
Josiah Holmes Howison (B.F.A., visual effects, 2004) The Batman
Julie Diaz (B.F.A., sound design, 2016) Everything Everywhere All At Once
Jurasama Arunchai (M.A., production design, 2010) The Whale
Justin Holt (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) Top Gun: Maverick
Katie Lathrop (B.F.A., animation, 2020) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Katie Olson (M.F.A., animation, 2016) The Sea Beast
Keith Anderson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2011) The Batman
Kirsten Yamaguchi (M.F.A., animation, 2009) Avatar: The Way of Water; Turning Red
Kristen Eggleston (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) Avatar: The Way of Water
Lauren Stewart (B.F.A., film and television, 2007) The Fabelmans
Leslie Castiblanco (B.F.A., fashion, 2020) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Lia Towers (B.F.A., film and television, 2011) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Lindsay Hamilton (B.F.A., fashion, 2013) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Lindsey Langston (B.F.A., animation, 2007) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Luci Leary (B.F.A., furniture design, 1997) Causeway
Lyle Nagy (B.F.A., illustration, 2010) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Mallory Mahar (M.A., animation, 2011) The Sea Beast
Marc Casey (B.F.A., film and television, 2009) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Marley Mountcastle (B.F.A., film and television, 2014) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Maxwell Austin (B.F.A., visual effects, 2021) The Whale
Meredith O'Malley (B.F.A., animation, 2018) Turning Red
Michael Howell (B.F.A., film and television, 2011) Causeway
Michelle Gao (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) The Sea Beast
Mikail Ekiz (B.F.A., animation, 2019) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Miyako Yamamoto (B.F.A., animation, 2019) Top Gun: Maverick
Naomi Wiener (B.F.A., animation, 2017) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Neil Helm (B.F.A., animation, 2017) Turning Red
Nicholas Leone (B.F.A., film and television, 2010) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Nick Caramela (B.F.A., sound design, 2015) Causeway
Nick DeMaioribus (B.F.A., animation, 2019) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Nicole Keane (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) Avatar: The Way of Water
Peter Kerkvliet (B.F.A., animation, 2021) Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Philip Fraschetti (M.F.A., visual effects, 2007) Avatar: The Way of Water; The Batman
Praveen Kumar Mani (M.A., film and television, 2021) The Batman
Rebecca Baker (B.F.A, animation, 2019) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Renee Tam (B.F.A., computer art, 2003) Turning Red
Robert Bryce Milburn (B.F.A., photography, 2011) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Ryan Bowden (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) Avatar: The Way of Water
Ryan Duhaime (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Samuel Alicea (B.F.A., animation, 2007) The Batman
Sara Beth Bennett (M.F.A., film and television, 2014) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Seona Hwang (M.A., visual effects, 2014) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Seth Cobb (B.F.A., computer art, 2003) Top Gun: Maverick
Sharmishtha Sohoni (M.A., computer art, 2000) Avatar: The Way of Water
Shaun Galinak (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) Turning Red
Shravani Kulkarni (B.F.A., animation, 2020) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Sofia Hernandez (B.F.A., animation, 2019) Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Solomon Ching Yu Wong (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) Avatar: The Way of Water
Sophie Maurath (B.F.A., film and television, 2021) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 
Stefania Cancemi (M.A., animation, 2016) Elvis
Steven Schweickart (M.F.A., computer art, 2004) The Sea Beast
Tanner Owen (B.F.A., animation, 2005) Avatar: The Way of Water; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 
Taylor Aseere (B.F.A., animation, 2017) The Batman
Taylor Hasting (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Travis Nobles (B.F.A., computer art, 2003) Avatar: The Way of Water
Tyler Britton (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) Top Gun: Maverick
Van Franklin (M.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2014) Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Victor Makali (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) Top Gun: Maverick
Viki Chan (B.F.A., video and film, 2004) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Vincent Bates (M.Arch, 2013) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Virginia Berg (M.F.A., production design, 2015) Avatar: The Way of Water
William Maizel (B.F.A., production design, 2017) Babylon
Yolande Thame (M.F.A., production design, 2014) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Zach Parrish (B.F.A., animation, 2007) The Sea Beast

If you are aware of a name missing from this list, please email information (Name, Degree, Film) to [email protected].

Dive into a week of strong work as SCAD presents the 14th edition of SCAD deFINE ART, the university's annual program of talks, tours, and exhibitions featuring work by contemporary art's most vital voices. The celebrated event features new exhibitions at the SCAD Museum of Art, and programming with international contemporary artists, kicking off with the opening reception in Savannah at SCAD MOA, Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 6:30 p.m..

This year's deFINE ART, presented Feb. 28–March 2, includes a keynote conversation with renowned Cuban-American artist, sculptor, and 2023 SCAD deFINE ART honoree Jorge Pardo; a screening of Argentine-Israeli video artist Mika Rottenberg's feature film REMOTE; and a keynote lecture by New York-based multidisciplinary artist Rachel Feinstein, among other illuminating gallery talks, panels, and conversations.

The programming complements new exhibitions at SCAD MOA, featuring work by Pardo, Rottenberg, Feinstein, and other globally renowned artists including Ann Craven, Hassan Hajjaj, Chase Hall, Gyun Hur, Leung Chi Wo + Sara Wong, Josh Sperling, and Ana Bel Lee Washington — an international roster of artists representing countries and regions including Argentina, Cuba, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, South Korea, the U.K., and the U.S.

"SCAD deFINE ART 2023 challenges students, collectors, and lovers of beauty to query the quotidian and question the quixotic," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "Glowing glass installations, fantasy-inspired painted panoramas, and three-dimensional dioramas immerse viewers in ethereal elegance. In addition to renowned artist Jorge Pardo's magnificent work, SCAD deFINE ART guests will marvel at myriad other mediums and masterworks on display throughout SCAD MOA. Join us as we celebrate creators and inspire tomorrow's innovators. SCAD defines art."

Rachel Feinstein, "Panorama of Rome 2012" (detail), 2012, oil enamel on mirror, 47 7/8 x 469 in. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian Gallery.

Questioning our collective past and present with introspection and whimsy, the exhibitions capture the complexities of contemporary life and include an expansive site-related installation by Jorge Pardo (b. 1963, Cuba); a panoramic presentation of recent paintings by Ann Craven (b. 1967, Boston, Mass.); an installation and sculpture- centered survey of work by Rachel Feinstein (b. 1971, Fort Defiance, Ariz.); photographic work by Hassan Hajjaj (b. 1961, Larache, Morocco) and the artist duo Leung Chi Wo + Sara Wong (b. 1968, Hong Kong; b. 1968, Hong Kong); the first solo museum exhibition for Chase Hall (b. 1993, Saint Paul, Minn.), presented by SCAD MOA's Evans Center for African American Studies; a collection of connected bodies of work by SCAD alum Gyun Hur (b. Daegu, South Korea; M.F.A., sculpture, 2009); a video installation by Mika Rottenberg (b. 1976, Buenos Aires); a two-part solo exhibition showcasing new work by Josh Sperling (b. 1984, Oneonta, N.Y.); and an ode to the artistic vision of Ana Bel Lee Washington (b. 1924, Detroit, Michigan; d. 2000, St. Simons Island, Ga.).

Exhibitions programming also includes the group show Protégé, which celebrates the creative and professional relationships that grow and evolve between students and professors at SCAD and beyond, presented at the university's Gutstein Gallery.

SCAD Museum of Art chief curator Daniel S. Palmer said: "We are so honored to showcase these incredible artists here at the SCAD Museum of Art. They have created a diverse group of important exhibitions of the highest caliber that I am certain will inspire audiences of all types. As always, the artists we work with bring such ambition, thoughtfulness, and creativity to their projects here. We are so excited to share their brilliance with our students and visitors."

Many of the university's top-ranked degree programs — including sculpture, painting, fibers, photography, film, architecture, production design, and furniture design — are represented in this year's exhibitions and programming. SCAD students and community members can engage with the artists during the three-day event through gallery talks, conversations, master classes, collaborations, and public art.

For more information, visit scad.edu/defineart.

Banner image: Mika Rottenberg, Cosmic Generator (video still), 2017.

"So, what are you going to do next, superstar?" asks gaunt, troubled Darius of his singing, dancing brother Elijah in the ultimate moment of "Key of See," written and directed by Manni "Festo" Simon (M.F.A., sound design, 2022). The nimble, 15-minute film resonates like an epic, its depiction of a fraught family complemented by Simon's sound design and musical compositions—including Elijah's blistering raps.

On February 26, Manni will walk into the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles as a nominee at the 70th Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Golden Reel Awards. The Montclair, New Jersey native is vying for the Verna Fields Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing (Student Film) for "Key of See," his SCAD master's thesis. As supervising sound editor, Simon shares the nod with Foley artists Conor Van Slyke (M.F.A., sound design) and George Allan (M.F.A., sound design).

"The film is based on experiences with my brother and my family as a whole," Simon says. "A big thank you to SCAD for offering Bee Well mental health counseling to all students. I began seeing a counselor right around the time I started writing the script for 'Key of See,' and that really helped with the memories I was exploring."

The film tells the story of an aspiring rapper processing trauma through music while sparring with his miscreant sibling.  Tense, funny, and sad—with stunning musical sequences and narrative twists—the work is worthy of a vastly more experienced screenwriter, never mind a sound designer who decided to direct. "The idea was in my head and I had to get it out," Manni says, simply.

"With 'Key of See,' Manni has made a terrific audio-visual storytelling experience," says sound design professor Matthew Akers. "He put his soul into every moment. I tell my students to make opportunities for themselves and not wait for chances to be offered. As a sound designer, Manni took that advice to heart. He inspired a great group of filmmaking collaborators and created the perfect opportunity for them all to shine."

The process began with Manni coming to SCAD. In 2017, he graduated from college in New England and moved to Brooklyn, where he worked in technical production on off-Broadway shows. He connected with Carson Lewis (M.F.A., sound design, 2020), "who told me about SCAD, in this great mythical place called Savannah, which to me in New York might as well have been Mars."

During the pandemic, with live sound jobs shut down, Manni applied to SCAD and was offered a scholarship. He hopped in his car and drove straight to the Georgia coast, arriving in time for spring quarter, 2021.

"I started out taking [electives in] art history and cinema studies, which was cool—like, before we get into sound design, let's talk about what art is and what cinema is," Manni says. "That helped when that summer I took Theory and Practice in Sound Design (SNDS 729) with the great professor Rob Bridges and began to conceive of 'Key of See.'"

Manni mentions one of his favorite classes, Surround Sound for Media (SNDS 776) with sound design professor Robin Beauchamp, where he learned how to mix in 7.1 surround sound and Atmos, and "make it sound good." "Professor Beauchamp showed us how to use the audio board, which was intense and technical. He told us our artistry would appear once we knew how to use the board. He said, 'Come with a pencil and pad. Take notes. No exceptions.'"

An adherence to precision is manifest in Manni's movie. Simon cites shot design influences from the first season of Breaking Bad (2008), Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992), and Cab Calloway's performance in Stormy Weather (1943). "Key of See" achieves excellence through synthesis.

Posed the question from his own film ("So, what are you going to do next, superstar?"), Manni grins. He is currently employed full-time at Standard as lead audio engineer for streaming service Nebula, working on popular travel vlog "Jet Lag: The Game." "That being said, I'm starting to write a script, and cook up a production for my own next project." In the meantime, an award ceremony in Los Angeles awaits.

"Key of See" is screening at film festivals and coming to a streaming service soon. Witness the work of Manni Simon.

From Gulfstream grows greatness: Winner of multiple European Design and Core77 Awards, Devin Rooney (B.F.A., industrial design, 2022) is among SCAD's most decorated designers. "We're in a time when we need to push forward as designers and humanitarians," says the inspired award-winner.

Rooney's senior thesis project, Bandori, was a recent finalist for ArtsThread's Global Design Awards. The home aquaponics system "grows mushrooms and leafy greens with the waste of fish" using a sustainable mycelium filtration system. As Rooney wrote in her project notes: "Bandori elicits stewardship for the natural world by placing the user back in the food chain."

An attractive amalgam of ceramics and hand-blown glass, Bandori currently occupies pride of place in the lobby of SCAD's Gulfstream Center for Design. Understanding how her feat came to fruition means learning something of the designer herself. From Mount Olive, New Jersey, Devin believes SCAD "really changed my perception of intelligence. After high school, where so much is based on standardized testing, I've gained enormous confidence here."

"Devin grew as a designer during her studies at SCAD to become a powerhouse of creativity," says Paul McGroary, professor of industrial design. "She has a wonderful ability to alternate between lateral and logical thinking. She cares deeply about everything she designs, and Bandori is a great example of that. I am excited to see her journey evolve. "  

"Professor McGrory helped foster me into the designer that I am today," Devin says, emphasizing his course Development of Product Form (INDUS 250). "He helped me understand emotion as the key to storytelling, and how to talk to people through my work."

Devin acknowledges multiple professors who have been keys to her development. In a sense, her faculty ecosystem aligns with the principles at play in her work.

She deems Biomimicry: Collaborative, Nature-inspired Innovation (SUST 439) with design for sustainability professor Scott Boylston a life-changing experience: "We took field trips into the woods at 8 a.m. to do ‘quietening,' listening and looking, observing the way organisms interact and how nature comes together as a unified entity." Studio sessions with Cathy Sakas, Biologist at the Design Table, further clarified Rooney's commitment to integrating the scientific process and design. "When scientists and designers come together, we can effect better solutions," Rooney says.

Bandori rendering by Devin Rooney.

Devin's findings all flowed into Bandori. She consulted experts including Ronald Martinez of Hostess City Hot Glass and Claude Galipeau at True Earth Farms to ensure her physical prototype attained optimum function. She modeled in SolidWorks and rendered in physics simulator KeyShot 10. The clay component was informed by a structure printed on an Ender-3 3D printer. "It involved 24 prints that each took about 20 hours before I plastic-welded them together, to make the plaster molds."

With her prototype complete, Devin delivered a video trailer as gripping as a blockbuster and vivid as her beloved Chanterelle fungi. Sustainability is an active, ethical necessity, conceptually and practically. The basil and spinach look delicious.

"With Bandori, I wanted to create something that will bond people to their environment through an object," Devin concludes. "As a society, we need to reestablish the connection with who we are innately as human beings. There's something so powerful about working with nature."

See more of Devin's award-winning work — including her future footwear designs — at her website.

SCAD AnimationFest returns: in person, impressive, and in Atlanta for 2022. The three-day festival will take place Sept. 22-24, featuring screenings, panel discussions, presentations, and top talent from Hulu and Netflix, as well as the debut of SCAD Atlanta's new XR stage.

"SCAD's preeminence shines at SCAD AnimationFest," said President Paula Wallace. "This signature SCAD event returns to showcase our Bees' talents, from gaming to visual effects to motion media design to animation and beyond. In true SCAD style, we will unveil our second state-of-the-art XR stage, feauturing the same equipment Disney, Universal, and other major studios employ to conjure immersive virtual worlds. SCAD AnimationFest celebrates disciplines SCAD grads are poised to lead for decades to come."

The festival will feature sessions with SCAD alumni at the forefront of the industry. SCAD AnimationFest attendees will go behind-the-scenes of major films and TV shows to explore what's next in animation, motion media design, visual effects, virtual production, and all facets of creative technology in entertainment. Select sessions will go out via livestream for global audiences and animation enthusiasts.

At this year's SCAD AnimationFest, SCADFILM is honored to recognize Kelci Parker, Hulu's Vice President of Animation, with the 2022 Award of Excellence. Parker will be presented with her award at an "In Conversation" session where she will share insights about her illustrious career, industry achievements, and accolades.

The festival will see the debut of the university's newest state-of- the-art mixed reality (XR) stage for virtual production at SCAD Atlanta's Digital Media Center. The XR stage, designed exclusively for SCAD, is an innovative production game-changer and filmmaking's next frontier. SCAD School of Animation and Motion and SCAD School of Film and Acting students will be among the first in the world actively collaborating and working with this new technology, ensuring they will be industry-ready at an elite level upon graduation.

One of the most anticipated sessions at SCAD AnimationFest is the premiere of an original short film by student animators from SCAD Animation Studios, the world's only animation studio at a university. Through SCAD AnimationFest, students concept, write, perform, and animate 2D and 3D films. This year, the festival will present a screening and behind-the-scenes look at The Pope's Dog, an exceptional 2D animated film by a team of student collaborators from SCAD's top- ranked animation, visual effects, motion media design, sound design, and interactive design and game development programs.

Animation is one of the largest and most popular of SCAD's preeminent degree programs. The SCAD animation program has been named a top program in the U.S. year after year by Animation Career Review. SCAD continues to innovate its academic curriculum and recently announced the formation of four new schools of study, including the SCAD School of Animation and Motion, bringing together the university's top-ranked animation, motion media design, and visual effects programs to create a powerhouse of academics, talent, and next-generation technology. This advancement, along with the formation of the new School of Film and Acting, School of Creative Technology, and School of Visual Communication, exemplifies SCAD's reputation as the global leader for art and design in higher education and its mission to prepare students for creative careers.

"The restructuring of our academic programs to reflect technical and creative innovation places SCAD at the vanguard of educating the next generation of artists using animation, motion media design, visual effects, and other filmmaking professions to entertain and inform," said Leigh Seaman, Senior Executive Director of SCADFILM. "SCAD AnimationFest is our annual celebration of excellence in these fields and provides our audiences the unique opportunity to engage with industry luminaries whose work transcends traditional storytelling techniques. In 2022, accomplished SCAD alumni will join artists, directors, and executives to explore the ever-broadening scope of the animation industry."

SCAD AnimationFest is presented by SCADFILM, the university's leading programmer of events for students and working professionals in animation, film and television, interactive game design, motion media design, virtual reality, and digital media arts. SCAD AnimationFest passes will be available for sale starting Thursday, Sept. 1. View the full schedule here. For more information, please visit AnimationFest 2022.

"For 75 days I studied the lavender growth daily, waiting for the purple to appear," wrote Nikole Nelson (B.F.A., interior design, 2007) in a mid-June Instagram post. "And on my last few days in Provence, it did."

Nelson's words represent the wonder of surrender, and the corresponding potential for artistic creation. Of her experience as a Spring 2022 SCAD Lacoste Alumni Atelier ambassador, she says: "Awakening to the earth's rhythms in that place in time was powerful for me."

Founder of the Hawaii-based art and design studio BLKCORAL, Nelson is familiar with great expectations. She has created conceptual environments for clients including Coach, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, and New Balance. For her SCAD Alumni Atelier project, Nelson created botanical artworks from flora sourced in the Luberon Valley. Her sculptural work Emergence, an undulating wave of lavender and pressed peony, was purchased by local collectors Barbara Hummel and Xavier Coll. "I'm thrilled the original piece will live on in Lacoste," Nelson says.

Recounting her Alumni Atelier experience, the artist's gratitude is palpable.

Emergence, lavender and pressed peony, 25" x 30", 2022.

Nikole Nelson:

I was first in SCAD Lacoste as a student in 2006, sixteen years ago, in the fall. Lacoste is a medieval village, so not much has changed aesthetically over time. Being there this spring, I thought it was going to be green and in bloom. Reality connected me to the fact that the seasons have rhythms, just like there's a rhythm within us. The earth was saying, this is the pace, you can't go any faster. There's so much magic in the land that it's undeniable.

The day I arrived I went into Café Beauregard and walked table to table and let the students know to feel free to talk to me. No matter what discipline you're studying there's always an opportunity to collaborate and have a conversation. When students came to my studio, I would always give them something—perhaps a Palo Santo stick and dried flowers and twine—that they could create with in their journals when they left.

I've been mentoring students for 15 years, primarily interior design students, so it was exciting in Lacoste to work with animation and fibers and painting and all kinds of majors. I love giving back to our future generations. SCAD thrives on reciprocity.

My plan in Lacoste was to make a large round sea of lavender. I wanted to sculpt the base then place the lavender over it. I realized I was not going to have access to the lavender I needed. I was going to have to pivot, like I've done with clients a million times. I gathered what I could and went to nurseries and befriended gardeners and got pointers on where to find lavender.

At that point at Acorn Cottage a peony bloomed that was ten inches across. It barely fit in my press. It was so beautiful that it took my breath away. I'd never seen one before in nature. I waited until the bloom period was done to let it be in its full glory. I pressed the peony for a week then put it into the silica so it's still sculptural and retains its depth. The work was photographed by my fellow Alumni Atelier ambassador Justin Zeilke (M.F.A., animation, 2017).

My Alumni Atelier Lacoste experience keeps giving beyond the 10-week quarter. I came home with a bounty of pressed and dried flowers and new concepts to explore. Moving through the power of the blooms I've begun communicating with the roots, going deeper into both myself and the earth. I'm excited to continue a more sculptural approach and see where the French botanicals take me.

Botanical transnational: Nikole Nelson at SCAD Lacoste.

Nikole Nelson would like to extend thanks and mahalo to President Wallace and Alumni Atelier director Tiffani Taylor (M.F.A., painting, 2020; M.A., art history, 2003; B.F.A., painting, 2002).

The SCAD Alumni Atelier, conceived and endowed by SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace, enriches the creative and professional endeavors of distinguished SCAD graduates.

Learn more about the Alumni Atelier program here.  

"I want the lamp to be like the building's necklace," says Gabriela Saadia (M.A., furniture design) of her award-winning lighting fixture Aria. "Aria is borne from the idea that not only humans wear jewelry; buildings can wear it too."

A sleek fixture ten feet in length, Aria is a fabulous feat of fabrication. Its three acrylic orbs, inspired by a pearl necklace, nestle into sleek metal tubing. Saadia built her design by hand in Gulfstream Center, soldering, drilling, tube bending, belt grinding, and lathing. When the ceiling-mounted Aria illuminates, Saadia's extensive labor is invisible. Aria's Red Dot Award is well earned.

"I wanted to make something big, but not too heavy for the eyes," Saadia explains. "My intention with Aria is to highlight a building's beauty, just as a piece of jewelry highlights a person's beauty."

Hailing from Mexico City, Saadia earned her undergraduate degree in industrial design at Universidad Iberoamericana in 2020, then worked at Lamparas Yvonne, creating technical drawings and 3D models and interacting with clients and suppliers. Her experience prompted her to pursue a master's degree at SCAD focused on lamps and lighting.

"Gabriela's research, design exploration, and design development are always thorough and well-done," says associate chair of furniture design Frederic Spector, who taught Saadia in classes including Methods of Furniture Fabrication (FURN 715). "She has a great way of working through challenges and coming up with interesting design solutions, while continually developing a sophisticated design language. Her dedication is obvious, and her work ethic is awesome."

The M.A. program at SCAD has enabled Saadia to focus intensely on her work. "Not many universities have a program that felt complete in one year. SCAD allowed me to take extra classes, so I took three electives, including the class where I built Aria," she says, referring to Experimental Metal Fabrication (FURN 760) with professor Aaron Heisler (M.F.A., furniture design, 2004).

After three quarters in Savannah, Saadia is currently completing her degree via SCADnow online while living at home in Mexico City. 

"SCAD has been an amazing experience," Saadia says. "I love the furniture design department. As a student you get personal attention from professors who are always willing to help, both during class and outside class too. With my fellow students, many international, I made great friends, and their critiques were very important to my work. Living in Savannah was nice as well. I got a bicycle and was able to see the city."

Saadia's goal is to open her own lighting store in Mexico City, selling her own line. "I want to have a residential lighting store, fixtures for the home. I'll make a design like Aria, but smaller and suited for a dining room."

Now that will be the dinner party to attend.

View Gabriela's portfolio and follow Saadia Design.

This week promises to be a memorable one in the storied cinematic history of the Luberon Valley, as SCAD presents the SCAD Lacoste Film Festival, July 1–4, at the university's global location in majestic Lacoste, France. The four-day festival features exclusive screenings, industry insights, a special tribute to Agnès Varda, and the presentation of the SCAD Etoile for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema to honor Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons.

"For over 20 years, SCAD has imbued the Luberon Valley with beauty, art, and les superlatifs only SCAD can conjure, and once again we bring the magic of SCAD to our home among the lavender fields," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "Provence has long inspired artistry and legendary films. From Picasso to Paglieri, from Van Gogh to Vadim, Renoir to Reisz, artists the world over have flocked to this extraordinary pastoral gem. There could be no more fitting place for SCAD, higher education's leader in film and entertainment, to continue its world-renowned series of film festivals and celebrations of artistic achievement."

The SCAD Lacoste Film Festival commences Friday, July 1, with an opening-night gala screening, followed by a starlight soirée held on the gorgeous lawn of La Maison Basse. SCAD will present Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons with the SCAD Etoile for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema.

Throughout the festival, Irons' outstanding career will be honored with a dedicated film series titled Cinéma Elégance: A Celebration of Jeremy Irons that will include screenings of Reversal of Fortune and The Man Who Knew Infinity. On the evening of Sunday, July 3, following the screening of The French Lieutenant's Woman, Irons joins Andra Reeve-Rabb, dean of the SCAD School of Entertainment Arts, in conversation for an audience of festival attendees and students.

Additional SCAD Lacoste Film Festival highlights include a tribute to revolutionary filmmaker and artist Agnès Varda with screenings of Varda's films Cléo from 5 to 7 and Faces Places. Quinn Orear, SCAD associate chair of film and television, and Brantly Watts, director of SCADFILM, will also present Une lettre d'amour: The Original Multi-Hyphenate, Agnès Varda, which will explore Varda's multifaceted and boundless career. Other notable screenings include Murder in Provence on Sunday, July 3, followed by a panel discussion with executive producer Alison Owen, actor Keala Settle, and writer Shelagh Stephenson.

Throughout the festival, the university will screen SCAD original content in the breathtaking Chemin Parc, showcasing award-winning films, documentaries, animated shorts, and television series created and produced by SCAD professionals, faculty, and students. The festival will conclude with a Fourth of July celebration on the lawn of La Maison Basse with a quintessential BBQ cookout and a screening of the classic American blockbuster Jaws.

"Celebrating the entertainment arts at our beautiful SCAD Lacoste location provides us the opportunity to enjoy the thrill audiences regularly experience at SCAD festivals and events," said Leigh Seaman, senior executive director of SCADFILM. "Notable film and television luminaries from around the globe visit SCAD throughout the year to host screenings and share their expertise and insight, and it's exciting to expand our event programming to Lacoste with the SCAD Lacoste Film Festival this year."

The SCAD Lacoste Film Festival is presented by SCADFILM, the leading program for students and working professionals in film and television, animation, gaming, virtual reality, and digital media.

For more information and tickets, visit the SCAD Lacoste Film Festival.

Palmer Hefferan keeps sounding off. In 2017, the composer and sound designer made Broadway history as part the all-female design team for "The Lifespan of a Fact." This year, she returned to Broadway at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater for the new production of "The Skin of Our Teeth," Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play from 1942. Under the direction of Lileana Blain-Cruz, the lavish production offered what the New York Times called "the maximalist revival it deserves."

"A lot of times in theater I'm working on multiple shows at once, but for ‘The Skin of Our Teeth,' I blocked off two months to sit in on rehearsals," says Hefferan (B.F.A, sound design, 2007). "It was important for the actors to hear the sonic world that was going to be happening."

Across the play's three epic acts, Hefferan delivered the sounds of an Ice Age, a world war, and the Atlantic City Boardwalk in the Roaring Twenties. "I feel fortunate that SCAD gave me my solid foundation for the science of sound, and how sound conceptually engages with dialogue."

Hefferan has now received a Tony Award nomination for Best Sound Design of a Play, one of six nods for "The Skin of Our Teeth." With The Tony Awards set to broadcast this Sunday, she Zoom'd in to talk about her work. What follows is condensed from that discussion.

Photo by Julieta Cervantes — "The Skin of Our Teeth"

Palmer Hefferan: Sound designers are responsible for curating an experience for the audience, connecting them with the text and the performer as much as possible. I started my career at a moment when sound design was finally, rightly being acknowledged in a notable way. Sound design was first eligible for the Tony Awards in 2007, which happens to be the year I graduated from SCAD.

Our director Lileana Blain-Cruz chose this play as a feast of design, and because "The Skin of Our Teeth" is a story of human survival, encompassing cataclysmic events as one family moves through centuries. With climate change, war, and an ongoing pandemic, the play is a corollary to what we're experiencing today.

In my early conversations with Lileana, we knew we were going to have contemporary music in the show. Once we get to the Atlantic City Boardwalk, even though it's the 1920s, I knew I wanted electronic club music, so I found mashups of classic songs, like Cab Calloway's "The Hi Dee Ho Man." We embraced that anachronism.

One of the challenges, for me, was giving each audience member the ability to experience powerful sonic moments tethered to the play. The Vivian Beaumont Theater is one of the three largest theaters on Broadway. I created an umbrella of speakers, encompassing the space. At the end of Act Two there's a Noah's Ark moment where animals are collected and put on a ship. That means hearing a whale blowhole, seal chatter, or sea birds flying over the house. Every single person has a unique experience in their seat. When the dinosaur and mammoth appear, we'd placed a subwoofer under the stage, so the audience can feel those big, low-frequency sound waves.

This is my first time nominated for a Tony, and I have so many friends nominated too. We're all contemporaries. To me, it feels like this season represents an ushering in of new voices and ideas. I appreciate Broadway history and the generations of designers who made their mark, and it's exciting to be able to bring new ideas to the highest level. I tell students, you are the tastemakers of the future. As you become your own artist, your perspective is valuable, and you can make history.

Palmer Hefferan, Tony Awards "Meet the Nominees," May 11, 2022. Photo by Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/Alamy Live News

The 75th Annual Tony Awards air Sunday, June 12, 2022, with "Act One" design categories streaming from 7-8 p.m. ET on Paramount+, and the main event airing 8-11 p.m. ET on CBS.

Get ready to celebrate the SCAD Class of 2022! Fête the university's largest graduating class, with digital and in-person events Friday, June 3, and Saturday, June 4. Presented online, the Presidential Conferment of Degrees begins 9 a.m. ET, Friday, June 3, for all SCAD locations, uniting graduates, students, and audiences from around the world. Following the morning's ceremony, in-person Presentations of Degrees with esteemed faculty will take place in Savannah and Atlanta through Saturday, June 4, as graduates command the stage.

"The Class of 2022 will carry SCAD in their hearts wherever they go, into every boardroom, every brand they build, and every atelier and studio they launch," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "SCAD Bees make the world more beautiful. Together, we strengthen our communities and uplift our neighbors. These talented Bees may be graduating, but they never leave SCAD. They are SCAD. And they shine our love and light in everything they create for others."

The high-energy, digital conferment of degrees ceremony will be emceed by entertainer, actor, composer, YouTube sensation, and SCAD alum Daniel Thrasher (B.F.A., performing arts, 2015).

President Wallace will confer degrees and present two honorary degrees to visionary artists David Yurman and Tricky Stewart. Yurman is a jewelry designer and sculptor with a lifelong love for design an innovation. With his wife and co-founder, Sybil, Yurman created America's foremost luxury jewelry brand, David Yurman. Stewart is a multi-Grammy Award-winning songwriter, producer, and composer. In a career spanning more than three decades, Stewart's profound respect and appreciation for music has been the guiding force in more than 50 million records sold.

Acclaimed actor, writer, director, producer, and bestselling author Amy Poehler will deliver the commencement address to more than 3,200 graduates during the virtual ceremony. Poehler made her documentary directorial debut with Amazon's critically acclaimed documentary Lucy & Desi, which she executive produced through her production company Paper Kite Productions. She also executive produces Netflix's Emmy-Award winning series Russian Doll, Amazon's Harlem, NBC's Making It, which she co-hosts alongside Nick Offerman, Peacock's Baking It, and Fox's Duncanville, which she co-created and voices two characters. Her acting credits include Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live, Inside Out, and Mean Girls, among others.

Other programming includes remarks by SCAD alumni Erika Bazo (B.F.A., industrial design, 2014; B.F.A., service design, 2014) and Daniel Freyermuth (B.F.A., industrial design, 2012). The couple met at SCAD and have since led innovation and change in their respective creative careers. Bazo is a senior user experience manager at multinational financial services firm Charles Schwab. Freyermuth serves as the product strategy and development director for Flarespace,a Storyteller Overland subsidiary and adventure van parts manufacturer supporting RV manufacturers and the DIY community. Their remarks will encourage the new graduates to "live free, explore endlessly, and tell better stories."

The HoneyBees, SCAD's elite performance ensemble, will also be featured, along with a compilation video of the university's 2022 Outstanding Graduates from both the SCAD Savannah and Atlanta locations, and a special highlight reel dedicated to the Class of 2022. Outstanding graduates represent an array of the university's top- ranked degree programs including business of beauty and fragrance, interactive design and game development, industrial design, interior design, performing arts, visual effects, and user experience (UX) design.The digital event will be livestreamed via YouTube with a link to the live broadcast at scad.edu/commencement, giving at-home viewers a front-row seat to the show.

Following the morning ceremony, the Presentation of Degrees ceremonies will take place as in-person events at the Savannah Convention Center and the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Savannah graduates will participate in the ceremony designated for their school on either Friday, June 3, or Saturday, June 4. For friends and loved ones who are unable to attend in person, all Presentation of Degrees ceremonies will also be streamed live online via scad.edu/commencement.

SCAD Outstanding Graduates 2022:

ATLANTA
Valedictorian
Jabria Oliver (B.F.A., industrial design)

Salutatorian
Akebalan Etzioni (B.F.A., interactive design and game development)

Excelsus Laureate
You Li (M.F.A., interior design)

SAVANNAH
Valedictorian
Hannah Harris (B.F.A., business of beauty and fragrance)

Salutatorian
Andrew Goodridge ( B.F.A., user experience (UX) design)

Excelsus Laureate
Felipe Amaya Quintero (M.F.A., visual effects)

Congratulations SCAD Class of 2022!