Small States

I initially went to Kenyon College to become an author. Kenyon has one of the finest writing programs in the country, and I was convinced I could become the next Fitzgerald if I just did my homework. By the time I graduated in 2000, I had indeed earned my English major with the concentration in Creative Writing, but I may be the only Kenyon alum in history to have animated the opening credits to his senior comps.

Small States is a magical realist love story that centers around a young couple falling in love over Edward Hopper paintings. The piece here borrows a collection of those paintings and sets them to a haunting tune by Bela Fleck. The result is a sort of bittersweet visual poem to love and everyday life, an experiment in mood that worked rather well.

The paintings and music were, of course, not mine. All I can take credit for here is the concept, direction and assembly, which was done using Photoshop and Premiere.