Sarasota
FILM
FESTIVAL
The Sarasota Film Festival, held annually in Sarasota, Florida, celebrates independent cinema through diverse film screenings, including features, documentaries, and shorts, while fostering year-round education and outreach initiatives. With programs like workshops, summer film camps, and outdoor screenings, the festival supports emerging and established filmmakers and enriches the local community culturally, educationally, and economically.
2022 Festival Intro
At the beginning of 2022, we were still navigating the new reality brought on by the global pandemic, working to develop a festival that could exist both in-person and virtually for the very first time.
"Up Stream with a Paddle" — This intro explored the evolving world of digital streaming, weaving that year’s film trailers into a flowing digital current. The concept blended digital and natural elements, reflecting how we were all striving to find balance between the two during uncertain times.
The Partnership
In 2017, I participated in a Ringling College competition to design the campaign art for the Sarasota Film Festival—and won. This achievement sparked a lasting partnership with the festival, where I’ve contributed annually to its visual identity. Over the years, my work has included designing posters, creating TV spots, crafting festival intros, and producing screen washes, helping to shape the festival's branding and audience experience.
2025 Festival Intro
For the 27th Annual Sarasota Film Festival, AI was a key topic of discussion during several of the festival’s panels. As an artist in a field experiencing rapid advancements in AI capabilities, I still see it as a tool rather than a threat (so far).
With this in mind, I set out to incorporate AI-generated assets alongside traditional animation techniques, demonstrating how AI can enhance an artist’s workflow while ensuring the creative direction remains in the artist’s hands. After all, no one wants AI to do all the work.
Utilizing AI
For this project, I utilized ChatGPT’s newly released image generation capabilities to isolate clouds from photographs and generate a variety of cloud iterations. This allowed me to quickly create a wide range of assets for distribution in 3D space.
Using AI significantly sped up my workflow by eliminating the need to search for stock images, match cloud styles, or color correct different assets to fit seamlessly within the scene I was developing.
I believe that as long as you’re not relying on AI to make all the creative decisions for you, it’s a great tool to have in your toolbox.
