12 student films with original scores premiere at Double Exposure
McKenna Cardona
April 11, 2024
A still from “The Lady of Shalott” by Lilly Luse and Shixin Zhang, one of the films shown in the Double Exposure festival. (Courtesy)
Twelve short films made by Media School students and scored by Jacobs School of Music students screened at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the IU Cinema in the 12th annual Double Exposure film festival.
The Double Exposure program offers an interdisciplinary approach to filmmaking through various partnerships across campus. The festival partners with the IU Student Composers Association, The Media School, Jacobs School of Music’s Music Scoring for Visual Media program, Audio Engineering, and Sound Production, and IU Cinema.
“The goal for Double Exposure is two-fold: students can create a film from script to screen that is worthy of a public screening, and they experience a complex, collaborative workflow typical of real-life productions,” said Susanne Schwibs, senior lecturer and project organizer.
Schwibs said that Double Exposure allows students to see the collaboration of specialists in the making of a film. Filmmaking students use different tools, processes, and language than composers do, and they need to learn to communicate through that.
“With a Friend,” directed by Tessa Haag and scored by Tyler Kowal, premiered at the Double Exposure film festival. (Courtesy)
“If this collaboration works well, the resulting film is greater than the sum of its parts—an exhilarating experience for all participants,” Schwibs said.
During the program, Media School students make films in the fall semester and are paired with Jacobs School of Music composing students in the spring semester to finalize film scores and sound design. Faculty members advise students throughout the process. In April, each film is screened at the film festival at the IU Cinema.
Schwibs considers the festival to be the best part, and the IU Cinema provides a great viewing experience while students’ family and friends are invited to cheer them on.
“Nothing beats seeing the students’ ideas and hard work come to fruition,” she said. “They rightfully are proud of what they have achieved…and so are we faculty.”
Films
Director: Nate Linville | Music: Gexuan An
A cinematic drone piece that highlights the beautiful landscapes of nearby Hoosier National Forest and Bloomington’s Griffy Lake, Lake Monroe, and Harris Ford Bridge. A casual stroll through nature is all you need to reset the mind and heal the soul.
Director: Madeleine Swift | Music: Roberto Aravena, Jr.
“Poser” handles the doppelgänger motif in a refreshing way that nods to other elements traditionally associated with the horror genre such as found footage and the corrupted individual. My goal with this film primarily serves to illustrate the illusion of safety as the unknowns of the past seep into the present while showcasing moments of inspiration found across 2000s horror.
Director: David Woods | Music: Gan Yang
Since I first began writing this project, it has evolved in ways I never saw coming. It aims to explore the art of storytelling by pushing the boundaries of my own comfort zone. It has challenged me and taught me in ways I didn’t expect. Above all, this project is a display of passion from the many talented collaborators who helped bring it to life.
Director: Paige Falcon | Music: Nathan Dillon
For most, birthdays are the best day of the year, but for some it’s a day filled with dread. “20 Years” captures the nuances of birthdays, friendship, and the unexpected joys that emerge in the passage of time, while encouraging viewers to reflect on their own lives and appreciate those who make our time on this earth worthwhile.
Director: Tessa Haag | Music: Tyler Kowal
This is a film exploring grief, acceptance, and the process of moving forward. Everyone does these things in different ways, and I wanted to capture how memories can be a crucial part of this process. In my experience with grief, memories have held me back and also helped me move forward with my life.
Director: Saniya Patel | Music: Linlin Wang
This film puts a spotlight on the art that is ballet and the complex artistry and technique of ballet dancers. Three ballet students from the IU Jacobs School of Music share insights about their journey and hardships with the dance. While remaining true to their stories, I aim to portray the poetic side of ballet and the nature of dance which is as elegant as it is challenging.
Director: MaxDiBella & MaxDiFrisco | Music: Aneas Douglas
Remembering an old relationship is much harder than it sounds. Every memory is wrapped up with emotion, grief, and the knowledge of what happens after. All your best and worst times would bounce back and forth — like flippers bounce a pinball. If you had to remember your time with someone all at once, how would it look?
Director: Graham Hastings | Music: Niko Slaughter
I’ve always had a fascination with absurdist comedy. To me, comedy can transcend genres and create something ingenious. Many action films these days flirt with the idea of extremist violence giving way to a polarizing split reaction: shock and awe or chuckles and laughter. Like the Looney Tunes classics, my film seeks to explore those reactions through a detective who doesn’t have it easy — but would rather die before he quits the profession he loves.
Director: Lilly Luse | Music: Shixin Zhang
A young woman trapped in a tower is cursed to weave at a loom for eternity, isolated from everyone with only an enchanted mirror to cast mere reflections of the outside world. She knows that if she turns from the mirror to look at the real world through her own eyes, the curse will fall with fatal consequences. One day, she takes her life into her own hands.
Director: Florence Chappell | Music: Xinyu (Doris) Liu
An exploration into the violent forces that undergird human society. How different are we really from the animals we call savage? How do we manage the cognitive dissonance required to distance ourselves from our primal nature? How loosely are our conceptions of humanity constructed, and what happens when that conception is stripped and laid bare for everyone to see? What motivates men to act against one another?
Director: Vlada Lodesk | Music: Arda Turhan
A playful portrait of an actress who investigates an unusual role and a filmmaker who searches for a home. The film juxtaposes the warmth of the filmmaker’s memories with the challenges of being far from home, capturing the bittersweet essence of her experience. It is an exploration of familiar and unfamiliar, longing and belonging, and the universal ties that connect us all.
Director: Rob Bola | Music: Adam Schreiber
“Hear, After” is a memorial to my mother who passed away last June, but it’s also a film that aims to be curious and adventurous through its acting, camerawork, and musical scoring. Although grief is a component, the film is more than just a meditation on sadness. We strove to provide a visceral and engaging experience, seeking to capture the mysteries and wonder of both life … and the hereafter.
