Date of Submission

Spring 2013

Academic Program

Film and Electronic Arts

Project Advisor 1

So Yong Kim

Project Advisor 2

Ben Coonley

Abstract/Artist's Statement

For my senior project film, I decided to take on a project outside of my comfort zone. Over my time here at Bard I have done a majority of satirical and comedic pieces and shorts, but for my first big film project, I wanted to explore something a little closer to home.

The film is a dramatization of a collection of experiences from my childhood. The main character, JOHNNY, is inspired by an old friend of mine, whom I have not seen since his incarceration. He was a close friend, and a teammate. But it has been so long since I've seen him, I struggled to portray him through my character. As a result of my struggles, in the film, Johnny is more of an extension of what I remember about him, rather than a direct portrayal. In addition to Johnny, the supporting characters in the film are loosely based on people from my childhood in Allentown Pennsylvania.

Johnny's Joyride is about a young man dealing with the sorrow of having lost his father in a violent shooting. I sought to show how this shaped Johnny's understanding of the world around him. Despite being sent away to live with his Uncle in safety after the incident, Johnny can't forget what happened and relives it through his drawings. In a moment of opportunity he leaves and goes back to the city where it happened in order to set things right. Johnny's character deals with the dilemma of letting go versus holding on.

In working on my senior film project, I gained a lot of experience and a deeper understanding of the complex process that goes into making a complete visual representation of a story. As I progress after Bard, I look forward to the challenges of improving my weaknesses and continuing to evolve as a filmmaker.

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