A snippet of Claire Jesionowski’s senior capstone film, “Nostalgia”. The entire film was animated by Jesionowski. Credit: Courtesy of Claire Jesionowski
As the semester wraps up, so do the journeys of Ohio State’s graduating seniors, ushering in a series of end-of-year showcases to celebrate their final projects.
This Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m., 17 students in the moving-image production capstone course will show their final work on the big screen at the Wexner Center for the Arts — located at 1871 N. High St. This year’s showcase is free and will have a reception after the screenings each day, according to the center’s website.
Janet Parrott, a professor in the Department of Theatre, Film and Media Arts, said though students may be completing assignments for a grade, their collaborative efforts in combining various aspects of filmmaking are deeply recognized and valued beyond the classroom.
In addition, she said these students have been collaborating for quite some time and have become each other’s support systems as they work through their final projects.
“They will crew for each other and offer feedback in and out of the classroom as they show dailies and rough cuts,” Parrott said. “They are each other’s critics and audience, and they are very supportive of each other. They should be very proud of their work.”
Parrott, one of the faculty members who helped create the MIP Program at Ohio State, said this year’s graduating seniors — the program’s fifth-ever graduating class — are considered the “sole authors” of their projects. While leading a project alone can be daunting, she said careful planning allows the work to be spread out over several months.
Millie Dube, a fourth-year in MIP, said she began thinking about her project nearly a year ago and got to work shortly after.
“I finalized my idea around August, and since then, I have been focused on the film,” Dube said. “A few things have been changed since my original pitch, due to circumstances outside my control, [but] the whole film took from August to April.”
Claire Jesionowski, a fourth-year in MIP, said she faced a similar timeline with her final project. From last summer to this past March, she said she spent “every waking moment of [her] senior year” working on her film.
“The idea originally came to me last summer when I was on a walk around Mirror Lake,” Jesionowski said. “My work truly began at the start of the fall semester, and I spent the first couple months fleshing out the concept. The entire first semester was spent in this pre-production phase, tweaking my ideas and concepts and gathering everything I needed to start the animation process. Winter break began the actual production process.”
Jesionowski said the project is largely about showcasing creativity, and since few limits were imposed on content, students explored a wide range of styles, from animation to live action to dramatic fiction. This meant students could draw inspiration from their personal interests, like Dube’s focus on mental health and Jesionowski’s use of old family tape audio.
“I wanted to find a way to use these tapes in my project and came up with the idea of using the voices of myself and my brother as the voices in the animations of us,” Jesionowski said.
Dominic Spradlin, a fifth-year in MIP, said he’s keenly aware of all the elements that elevate the capstone. More specifically, he said students appreciate the rare opportunity to create their own short films from start to finish, taking control of both physical aspects like lighting and editing, as well as creative elements such as varied shot types.
“This project is a culmination of everything I have learned in my time here at Ohio State and in the moving-image program,” Spradlin said. “From writing, developing characters, to storyboarding, knowing how to use equipment, picking which camera to shoot with, what lens for what scene, how to block a scene, how to direct my actors and get the most out of their performances; It has all led up to this.”
Dube said many students spent the past few weeks reflecting on their early work compared to their final projects, noting that growth is often overlooked by the creator.
“I’ve fine-tuned my technical aspects — camerawork, editing, coloring, etc.,” Dube said. “I have a better sense of pacing, and I’ve found interest in exploring mental health and self-identity.”
Spradlin shared the sentiment.
“My work for this program started out as small, one-minute videos that demonstrated simple skills and the understanding of [foundational] concepts,” Spradlin said. “As time went on, my projects became more ambitious. I like to think that as a director, I have evolved but also stayed true to myself. I try to incorporate techniques I love, the feelings I love to evoke, in each of my pieces. I think you see that as you watch my work over the past four years.”
Tackling a large-scale project at the end of one’s college career can be stressful, but the reward that comes at the end of the journey makes it all worth it, Jesionowski said.
“This project was one of the hardest hurdles I’ve faced, and I’m glad to see all my work come to fruition,” Jesionowski said. “Seeing it on the big screen at the Wexner Center, along with my family and friends, has been something that’s motivated me throughout the past year. I won’t lie, I’m both excited and completely terrified for it to actually happen.”
The screenings are free to attend, but tickets are required for entry. For more information and to get tickets, visit the center’s website.
