Unspooled Film & Animation Festival Returns To UW-Stout
fourth annual fest will include student films, panel discussions, workshops, guest speakers and more
V1 Staff |
Expect Girl Scouts, turkeys, zombies and more to hit the big screen at the fourth annual Unspooled Film & Animation Festival at the University of Wisconsin-Stout from May 9-10.
Senior students' capstone projects (featuring the aforementioned characters and monsters) slated to premiere at Unspooled include the six-minute animation short Badge of the Dead and You Must Destroy, a 15-minute short film.
Unspooled showcases the very best in independent filmmaking and animation from both emerging and seasoned storytellers, offering a diverse lineup of genres and styles to enjoy.
The two-day film fest will also offer workshops led by industry professionals, guest speakers and panel discussions. Tickets are $20 for the full event or $10 for a one-day pass.
Badge of the Dead by Studio Juice
After they’re left to the mercies of the undead during a zombie apocalypse, scouts Charlie, Mack and Sana must find a way to get along and work together to escape camp or be eaten by an onslaught of other campers and zombified forest creatures.
Badge of the Dead is created by Studio Juice:
- Creative director, writer: Hannah Brown
- Technical producer, master editor: Mady Hill
- Character design lead: Jenna Good
- Key art, background, merchandise: Kaleigh Kahl
- Background, cleanup, social media: Renee Smith
- Background, sound design: Novie Touchstone
- Special effects, compositing, editing: Jordan Grover
- Rough animation: Paige Atherton
- Rough animation, cleanup: Jack Carson
Brown was a Girl Scout and would often play around with the idea of apocalyptic survival scenarios. She was inspired to make “Badge of the Dead” during an animation class last summer. “I created this weird art in class of a hardened warrior-scout with a nail bat and a gas mask,” she said.
“Every good idea starts with a piece of art,” Grover added.
With a heavy emphasis on character relationships, “Badge of the Dead” is geared toward teenagers and pre-teens. The setting is similar to the popular graphic novel-turned Netflix hit “The Last Kids on Earth.” Their style of animation in Good’s character designs and Kahl’s stylistic backgrounds are reminiscent of the Disney XD show “Gravity Falls.” Their capstone advisor, Professor Michael Heagle, worked with Touchstone to compose several soundtracks.
Studio Juice received a Student Research Grant through UW-Stout’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to study how having the biggest animation capstone group to date affects their productivity and project management. They’re looking to prove that a larger capstone group works if structured right and will set UW-Stout up to have better animated shorts in the future, replicating the industry standard for larger crews.
Historically, UW-Stout has had small capstone groups. With Studio Juice having nine members, they feel that their group is the most on track this semester to have their project completed ahead of time. From December through mid-April, they clocked 1,037 hours working on “Badge of the Dead.”
“Larger teams allow people to work at their best within their niche. It leaves room for specialization,” Good said. “It also helps with consistency between shots because it’s easier to catch errors with more eyes in the editing process.”
Follow the progress and view concept art for “Badge of the Dead” on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
You Must Destroy by Doran Acero
You Must Destroy is set in the fictitious town of Devils Kettle in northern Minnesota and follows two U.S. Forest Service personnel, Glen and Joey, who are tasked by Head Ranger Rusty to destroy their old mascot costume, Twigs the Turkey. When they improperly dispose of the suit, they find out why there were strict protocols in place – it’s alive and is coming back after them.
You Must Destroy crew includes video production alumni, students and friends of Acero's:
- Assistant director: MG Gillis-Gambrell
- Director of photography: Ethan Kulinski
- Assistant camera: Bennet Johnson
- Runner: Shelby Kraco
- Gaffer: Nick Houchin
- Craft services: Hartley Newell-Acero
- Scrip supervisor: Brynn Crandal
- Sound: Adam Trampel
- Production assistants: Cami Bertossi & Nina Kitts
Growing up in Grand Marais in the north woods on Lake Superior, Acero has both heard stories of and borne witness to natural wonders, the metaphysical world and strange true crime.
“I was lucky enough to grow up in this environment, and I wanted to make a short film that captures some of its humor and magic. This world has been bouncing around in my head for so long,” he said.
In his research, Acero found that the U.S. Forest Service had a protocol for destroying its old mascot costumes of Woodsy Owl, and that the costumes should be disposed of by incineration beyond recognition. “I don’t know. It seems extreme. It seems weird. It inspired me to make a short film,” he said.
Filmed in Grand Marais, featuring local establishments like The Fisherman’s Daughter and Hungry Jack Canoe Outfitters off the Gunflint Trail, Acero leveraged the perks of coming from a small town and generous community. And with filming completed in just three days, Acero acknowledged that “something like this, you cannot do as a team of one.”
The short film is supported through generous donations on the crowdfunding platform Seed & Spark. Acero also received a Student Research Grant through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to obtain a professionally-made turkey mascot costume. The suit arrived just two and a half weeks before shooting.
This article was originally published by UW-Stout and has been edited for publication through Volume One. The Unspooled Film & Animation Festival will be held at UW-Stout's Harvey Hall Theatre (721 3rd St. E, Menomonie) on Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10.
