2019 Electronic Arts thesis “Recoiled” shows excellence both at home and abroad
At the end of the 2018 spring semester, when the juniors in the electronic art program (EA) participated in Associate Professor Bryan “Colby” Jenning’s ART 300 course to start brainstorming and eventually pitch their ideas for their collaborative and interdisciplinary graduation project, they could not have imagined what was to come. The electronic arts program is a selective, interdisciplinary major that primarily leverages the resources, expertise, and knowledge of the departments of music, art and designAnd media, journalism and film.
In the fall of 2018, during their ART/MED 498 course, this talented team of students (Claire Grim, Shalom Simmons, Kersten Schatz, Shelby Corley, Brandon Huddleston, and Matthew Fuller) had gone from the blank page to a script project, which got “green light” for production. This project had the working title ‘Coiled’ at the time. Over the next year, with the help of Jennings and fellow faculty members Mark Biggs and Andrew Twibell, who are credited as executive producers on the project, and a long list of student artists, musicians, and creatives from other departments within The College of Arts and Lettersthis exceptional team transformed ‘Coiled’ into the incredibly moving animated short film ‘Recoiled’ in 3D.
“‘Recoiled’ is further evidence that the work being done in the College of Arts and Letters, and in the state of Missouri, is competitive on a global scale.” —Andrew Twibell
Awards recognition for “Recoiled”
In the short time since its completion, “Recoiled” has been submitted to short film festivals and competitions around the world. To date, it has been chosen by the International Inter University Short Film Festival (IIUSFF), a partnership of the Dhaka University Film Society (DUFS) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as an Official Selection of the 11th IIUSFF Top 200 films from 1,401 entries from 100 different countries. It will also be screened on October 7, 2019 at 3:15 PM at the Galileu Galiei Theater on Gávea Planetário (Rua Vice-Governador Rubens Bernardo, 100 – Gavea, Rio de Janeiro – RJ 22451-070 BRAZIL) as an official selection of the 15th Anim!Arte – International Student Animation Festival of Brazil as an official selection of their international students – Maxi (for participants aged 18 and over), program 07.
“From a faculty standpoint, teaching students how to navigate the creative process is just as important as the end result, but it’s nice to have that result recognized,” said Andrew Twibell, EA coordinator and assistant professor at MJF.
And recognized as exemplary work it certainly is, both within the community of the state of Missouri and around the world.
“Recoiled is an excellent example of the extraordinary work created by students in the electronic arts program,” said Dr. Shawn T. Wahl, Dean of the College of Arts and Letters.
For students seeking to major in the EA program, they should feel both encouraged and excited about emerging at a time of so much innovation and creativity within their field of study. However, they should definitely anticipate a rigorous and challenging experience.
On the topic of “Recoiled” and how it affects the electronic arts program, Twibell continued, “Recoiled is further evidence that the work being done in the College of Arts and Letters and in the state of Missouri is competitive on a global scale. We have high expectations of our students and they continually exceed them, so we will continue to raise the bar – we know they can achieve it.
Andrew Twibell is currently the Program Coordinator for the EA Program, a selective, interdisciplinary major in the College of Arts and Letters between the Departments of Music, MJF, and A&D that was established in 1998.
