Each spring, students from the Film and Graphic Design departments attend a creative matchmaking event in the Studio Labs Soundstages. During the fast-paced collaborative gathering, Graphic Design students are briefly introduced to multiple Film thesis projects, helping them find the ideal director or concept to partner with and create a poster design.
The interdisciplinary project supports the development of professional skills for students from both majors. The Film students hone their pitching skills while also learning how to work with graphic designers to gather design assets for their films. The Graphic Design students gain experience working with real clients, who are deeply invested in the outcome of their projects. The promotional film posters that they create are used for years to come, as the films circulate the festival circuit.
The students create and participate in real-world creative industry workflows, encouraging collaborative problem-solving, visual communication, and the application of discipline-specific skills in a professional context.
Poster designer Isabelle Drischler ’25, Graphic Design, described her experience working on the project: “Honestly, I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about film at all. It was truly a whole new world for me. I learned a ton working with Michaela Cowan on her film Tin Can Sailors,” she said. “I got to talk to her about the process of making the film, see behind-the-scenes, and hear directly from her what made her film so special. I think my favorite part of the experience was just this deep appreciation between the designers and the film students. I knew I couldn’t do what they do, and it felt like they saw us in the same way. There was a very mutual respect, and I think it’s the biggest reason why we had so many amazing posters this year.”
Graphic Design students have the opportunity to work on a number of projects for real-life clients while they are at Ringling. Through the College’s in-house Design Center, students get credit or pay to work on real projects for the College or outside clients. Students delve deeper into their focused areas of interest through student groups, like the Screenprinting Club and the Type Club, which put together an annual typeface exhibition, Ligature.
“It’s so special when you get to work on projects that truly mean something to someone,” said Drischler.
Ringling College Film students graduate with a strong foundation in creative collaboration. They work on 60 films during their time in the program, and learn every aspect of the process, including screenwriting, cinematography, producing, directing, production design, editing, and sound design. Their senior thesis films are produced by crews comprised of other senior Film students.
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Office of Marketing and Communications
communications@ringling.edu
941-309-4008
