Author: Grand Providentia United

Firmly rooted in the moment. Consciously aware. I practice Authenticity.
The Art of Film

Intentional Artistic Evolution

Grand Providentia United

Brief Artist’s Biography – My Transition from Fine Art and Commercial Sculpture into the Art of Filmmaking

In an effort to keep this post brief, I’ve included a select number of pictures to spark your interest! If you’re excited to explore more amazing artwork and discover the fascinating processes behind limited-edition sculpture castings, I invite you to visit the new page on this site! Check out the VISUAL ART PORTFOLIO page to enjoy the wonders of Moore Art.

In 1969, I proudly won my first award for art at the age of six. The thrill of the award and the joy of recognition inspired me to embark on a lifelong journey of artistic exploration, fueling my dream to “become a famous artist” as I grew older. Many believe we choose our life paths when we enter this world, and while I may not have understood that as a child, over the past forty years of striving, struggling, and persevering, I’ve come to wholeheartedly embrace this belief. Today, I view purposeful creativity as my higher calling—my ultimate reason for being here. Expressing myself through the creation of visual art feels like a natural extension of who I am.

Yes, that’s me. I’m third from the left with the wide-striped shirt. And about fifty-five years after I won that award at Hope Elementary School in Hope, RI, I was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA.

Whether I’m creating custom art for a client, manufacturing a product for an international corporation, or using all of my skills and talents to express a powerful artistic vision from within, I always feel like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be, doing precisely what I’m meant to be doing. Without reservation, I embrace the life of an artist, as I truly can’t imagine living any other way. As I’ve navigated through this vibrant journey in the visual arts and skilled labor industries, I have consistently prioritized the enrichment of knowledge and hands-on experience. During the 8+ years I spent in college classrooms and studios, my intention was always to remain open-minded, stay present, and soak in as much wisdom from my professors and classmates as I was able to absorb. In my younger days, during moments of uncertainty, I questioned my own motivations for pursuing my passion for creation. Despite some naysayers in the peanut gallery suggesting that I’m “… just looking for attention,” I know that isn’t the case. I’ve realized that attracting attention to artwork requires much more energy and persistence than the pleasurable act of creating it. I treasure the process of making art so much that promoting it often feels secondary. At this stage in my journey, I’ve come to understand that I study, practice, and create art as an adventurous way to explore the truth of who I am. When I’m immersed in creation, I feel more like myself than at any other time. And so, I joyfully persist.

An artist smiling while working on a colorful art piece in a studio.
During the eleven years that I was Owner and Creative Director at S.M.art Castings & Sculpture Services, LLC and Moore Art Expressions, I was constantly learning new art production processes and materials. I was also learning critical business management skills. In retrospect I see that the most valuable lesson I learned is that I am just as comfortable leading as I am following when it comes to the creative process.

Recently, I’ve been asked by both close friends and new acquaintances about my journey to the Savannah College of Art and Design at this timely moment in my creative exploration. I firmly believe this has been the long-term plan all along. It was by intentional design that I earned my first college degree at the Ringling College of Art and Design in 2000. My decision to apply to their BFA program in Computer Animation back in 1996 was a strategic move aimed at building momentum toward the live-action movie industry. Following the groundbreaking success of films like Jurassic Park and Independence Day, which showcased extraordinary VFX sequences, the computer animation industry was booming, and I was eager to secure my front-row seat on this exhilarating ride. While my true passion lay in creating practical SFX—such as model making, monster crafting, and lifelike animatronics—I recognized that mastering computer art would significantly enhance my transition into the movie model shop.

In my fourth year of studies at the Ringling College of Art and Design, I was required to develop and produce a thesis animation project from concept through completion. The project required the understanding and implementation of nearly all of the same principles and considerations used to produce live action films, including casting actors (character design and development), production design (digital props and environments), cinematography (virtual camera placement and shot design), lighting considerations (virtual light systems), sound design (digital sound effects and music score), and SFX (in this case VFX particle systems for flames and explosions). Learning and utilizing Maya (a premiere computer animation software) to produce my RCAD thesis project was an extraordinary experience. The RCAD animation program’s guidelines only allowed us 60 seconds of computer-generated animation with title sequence and end credits included. I learned that 60 seconds is a lot of time when you have to fill it with dynamic imagery and a compelling storyline. Above is a still frame from “Element of Desire”, my thesis animation about a pyromaniac’s obsession with fire.
To the left and to the right in this composition are single frame renders of environments that I designed and digitally modeled in Maya for “Buster’s Christmas Wish”, a 3D animated Christmas Special I worked on at Aston Worldwide Entertainment after graduating from RCAD. The central image is from a 3D Computer Modeling class project I rendered while at the Ringling College of Art and Design.
When Aston closed down unexpectedly, I did some freelance work for a few weeks while I was in job search mode. These are custom digital designs (3D models) I created for StarDuster’s Workshop. They were designs intended to be sculpted in real-world materials, molded and cast in fiberglass. These themed fiberglass “skins” would then be retrofitted onto pre-existing replication devices (injection molding machines). Some of my readers may have seen these replication devices out in the real world at zoos or theme parks. A child puts their money in the machine, and they watch while the machine produces a small commemorative wax/plastic sculpture by way of injection molding.

Life in the arts has provided me with invaluable lessons in flexibility and adaptability when faced with the unexpected. After an enriching two years in the computer animation field and witnessing the closure of the animation studio where I had been working, I enthusiastically redirected my career toward fine art sculpture production by mastering the fascinating process of lost wax bronze casting at Bronzart Foundry in Sarasota, Florida. With years of experience in the skilled trades, working with metal, wood, gypsum, plastics, and other materials, I quickly flourished in the foundry environment, excelling at shop work using industrial-level tools and techniques to transform bronze ingots into breathtaking end products. In just a few months, I became proficient in smelting and pouring, welding, grinding, finishing, patina application, and the installation of bronze sculptures, ranging from charming tabletop pieces to impressive monumental multi-figure works. I also enjoyed the distinct honor to be the sole patina artist on the first four editions (out of five) of the late Robert Rauschenberg’s bronze sculptures titled The Ancient Incident (Kabal American Zephyr). During the two years before his passing, I visited “Bob” on multiple occasions at his amazing studio on Captiva Island, even sharing in a champagne toast with the iconic artist. While catering to artist clientele and collaborating on their projects, I also devoted time to my own innovative designs, continually inspired by the journey ahead.

The late Richard Frignoca (owner of Bronzart) gave me permission to set up an ad-hoc studio at the back end of the warehouse space. It was in this space that I sculpted the original clay models which would become my first body of work in bronze. The white conic shape on the far right is the humble beginnings of “Providentia” (lower half of image).

After a 6-year stint at Bronzart, once I had mastered the skills and processes of bronze sculpture casting and there was no further room for advancement, I decided to make a bold move by leaving the foundry and establishing the first of two commercial art sculpture businesses I owned and operated in Florida. I founded S.M.art Castings & Sculpture Services, LLC in Sarasota in 2008.

S.M.art Castings quickly earned a reputation in Sarasota as a gathering place for creatives. The studio evolved as a gallery venue for art events, while also being a production facility for custom sculpture production, art castings, fabrications, and mold making services. During the slow months, usually in the summer when all of my clients returned to their summer homes in the north, I would work on the signature sculpting projects that I couldn’t afford to focus on when there was client work in the shop.
My brother Kevin and I curated a show featuring our personal work in 2011. The show was billed as “Art in the Industrial Park” and it included client projects on display in the back section of the studio. The paintings of nudes throughout the gallery area, the “Nude on Coca Cola” sculpture, and the sinker cypress (wood) piece in the foreground are Kevin A Moore’s work. Kevin was also the photographer for this promotional gallery image.

Those first few years in business were an undeniable trial by fire. While my studies at Ringling College had provided valuable insights into the commercial art industry, I quickly realized that solid business courses beyond art school would have been invaluable. Looking back, I see that a deeper understanding of the challenges of running a business might have made me pause before embarking on this particular leg of the journey. Strategically, when I launched S.M.art, I made a decisive choice to rent a space near downtown Sarasota. Upon discovering the warehouse in the Sarasota Industrial Park, just three miles from the city, I seized the opportunity with confidence. Five years later, to optimize my overhead and fuel smart growth, I relocated an hour south to Port Charlotte, where I found industrial spaces at roughly half the cost per square foot. With this move, I also embraced a name change, opting for something more creatively expressive: Thus, Moore Art Expressions was born.

They refer to it as the “Sunshine State” with good reason! Our creative team at Moore Art Expressions was happy and industrious in Port Charlotte, Florida.
We worked on projects in a wide range of materials and applications, so it helped that we had multiple distinctly facilitated workspaces. Keeping a clean work environment was critical to avoid cross-contamination of materials, but it also kept us healthy and mindfully inventive in our space.
Mold making and casting limited editions in Forton were two of our bread-and-butter processes at MAE.
We also participated in many community art events and hosted a few of our own. This event was held at Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota.

For readers eager to explore the exciting art projects we brought into reality at S.M.art and MAE, simply scroll up to the main menu and click on the VISUAL ART PORTFOLIO button. You’ll find a treasure trove of photos and descriptions showcasing the specialized processes behind our work. As I pen this post, I’m thrilled to share that I have even more inspiring content to add to the new page, and I can’t wait to update it very soon to support my job search efforts!

A Natural Progression into Storytelling Through the Art Form of Motion Pictures

I put together this trio of images taken from the production of my thesis film to use as a headliner for my LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmooresmartcastings/ . From left: Behind the scenes photo taken on the backlot at SCAD in the alleyway (Gotham section). My friend and classmate, Damian Standen played the role of Maynard, and I played his Uncle Neil. The central photo is a still from the final film – Neil is trying to convince his nephew to take over his work on a conscious energy device he’s invented. On the right: Maynard comes out of a trance state initiated by the device and rejects Uncle Neil’s offer.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been transitioning from static visual art (fine art) to the dynamic realm of film since my teenage years. My ambition to enter the movie industry has intensified with each passing year, particularly following my transformative experience at the Ringling College of Art and Design. Since graduating from RCAD, I have consistently monitored the college for the introduction of an MFA program in film, though they still only offer 4-year degrees. I proudly taught as an adjunct professor for two semesters at RCAD during the 2011-2012 academic year, where I aided in the development of a course to equip computer animation students with essential real-world sculpture techniques and materials.

In early 2022, as the world was fiercely rebounding from the challenges of the pandemic and I was navigating the tumult of emotions following my mother’s passing, I took an invigorating moment to dive deep into the incredible journey I had forged in the realm of visual art. In reflecting on my path, I felt a powerful sense of fulfillment for all that I had accomplished, yet an undeniable yearning surged within me for one last artistic adventure before this chapter came to a close. My beloved Mom, always my loudest cheerleader, inspired me to strive for greatness and ascend to new heights. She passionately encouraged me to follow my bliss, consistently reminding me, “Scott, you’re a talented artist. I believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.” In her loving memory, I made the bold decision to embrace her words, testing my limits to see if I had the tenacity to go the extra mile. I resolutely committed to believing in my own abilities and talents as I embarked on the exciting journey of returning to college to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design.

These six images are still frames from my first film titled “Return to Hope”. It was my portfolio submission when I applied to SCAD in February 2023. I was accepted and awarded a Presidential Fellowship to the college. This is a link to the film on my Vimeo channel – https://vimeo.com/1094080450?share=copy#t=0 Be sure to watch the other videos on my channel while you’re there and please leave a comment if you’d like to support my creative endeavor.

In September of 2023, I confidently entered into a transformative program of study at SCAD, culminating in my graduation on May 29th of 2025. Throughout those two years, I encountered challenges that tested my resolve, but each experience only strengthened my determination. I was steadfast in my commitment to take 3 classes per quarter, enabling me to graduate in just six quarters. While I absorbed a wealth of knowledge in a short timeframe, I relished the exhilarating growth it brought! The Film and Television program at SCAD is intentionally designed to be intensive and rigorous, pushing me to excel. In my second year, I took great pride in writing a 15+ page thesis research paper connected to my thesis film. Writing, directing and acting in the “Third Eye from the Sun” was an extraordinary learning experience that significantly enriched my skills. I wanted the film to stand out as an “Art Film”, so I designed and fabricated the conscious energy device that was central to the storyline (see photos below). With a dynamic team of over 40 creative minds collaborating on the project, the energy and support we shared were truly remarkable, even as we wrestled with the challenges of requiring additional help both physically and financially!

Logline: Maynard must face his deepest fears before he can take over his dying uncle’s life work and inherit the conscious energy device he’s invented.

“Third Eye from the Sun” is based on an ongoing true story. Uncle Neil, the role I embody in this short film, draws from a fictional alter ego that I have been meticulously developing for nearly 20 years. Although, it definitely hasn’t felt like such a lengthy process, because time seemingly passes swiftly when one is entirely engaged in the creation of art. While working at Bronzart in 2006, I began the practice of reading (and re-reading) literature focused on achieving success in both business and life. A client at the foundry generously gifted me Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, which subsequently led me to explore numerous other works by authors outlining similar strategies for wealth accumulation and prosperity. These business success books ultimately directed me to metaphysical texts and literature centered on conscious awareness. Explorations concerned with the manifestation of desired outcomes, the laws of attraction, and related themes increasingly replaced the fictional novels that had occupied my reading time for most of my life.

Still frame from the opening sequence of TEFTS. When I started writing the screenplay for my thesis film back in September of 2024, I intended it to be a surreal psychological thriller. All the way back to the original Twin Peaks (1990), I’ve been inspired by the film work of David Lynch, so when he passed away just a few days before we started principal photography for Third Eye from the Sun, it seemed appropriate to dedicate the film to the director I’ve most admired. In truth, I may not have even committed to SCAD’s program if I hadn’t seen the amazing work Lynch did in his celebrated Twin Peaks: The Return (2017).

The group of images above are representative of the creative process I used to design and fabricate the “Conscious Energy Device – A transmitter, receiver, and reservoir for consciousness” purportedly created by Maynard’s uncle, Neil Barrett. I aspire to create a feature length version of this short film one day. When that day comes, I envision a much more elaborate device with functional accessories, incorporating light, sound and animatronic mechanization. I had sold my welding machine when I closed Moore Art Expressions and moved north, so I subcontracted Patrick Sell (a local Savannah tradesman) to weld the steel frame for me, per the rudimentary design sketch I provided to him.

The following images showcase selected still frames from “Third Eye from the Sun,” my thesis film from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Currently, I’m keeping the film under wraps as I prepare to submit it to various film festivals throughout the year ahead. Many prestigious festivals require that they have the exclusive premiere screening if they choose to include the film in their lineup. For my readers who are interested in seeing the finished short film “Third Eye from the Sun”, here’s a link – https://vimeo.com/1097614638/d48cb9a6d3?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Maynard’s moment of truth.

I trust you’ve found this insightful synopsis of “Third Eye from the Sun” and the overview of my dynamic transition into the film industry engaging. Thank you for exploring it on the Grand Providentia United website. I encourage you to support this page and my artistic journey by subscribing and sharing your thoughts here. I’m confident that there will be an abundance of thrilling news to share in the near future.

Thesis Film Development

Third Eye from the Sun ~ Creative Vision

Grand Providentia United

Suspend your conditioned disbelief and open your mind to the possibility that you’ve been shortsighted from the start. Now, try to imagine a world far beyond your understanding. Why am I instructing you to do this? Because that’s the reality of this world. It’s the reality of the world we’ve all been born into.

“Artifice Unreal”

Vision Statement:

Human beings have historically relied on their limited physical perceptions to find reason and make sense of the world around them. This ‘making sense of things’ has given rise to the amassment of a vast database of accepted knowledge in every field of study that’s piqued the curiosity of mankind since the beginning of time. Our need to label and categorize each new discovery and experience and subsequently place it in the appropriate field of study, has often led to disputes between the various ologies. Notoriously, theology, philosophy, sociology and the physical and theoretical sciences, have been judged as incompatible, incomparable, and even adversarial in their belief systems. This disunifying categorization of ideas has invariably led to one blind spot after another, one war of ideology after another, and yes, one battered and bruised ego after another. But can one belief system ever completely negate another? I think not. And even if the human race could unanimously agree on which belief system we should follow, how could we ever know if we’re heading toward the purest or truest perception of reality. Third Eye from the Sun will seek to blur the boundaries between ideologies. The film will question the commonly accepted ‘sensible’ nature of reality. It is likely that human beings will never fully unravel the mysteries of the Universe, let alone understand how consciousness affects our perception of what is actually happening here. Can the energy fields emitted by collective consciousness be captured and contained to be selectively deployed as curing agents for the existential threats we humans are currently facing? I don’t know for sure, but intuition is telling me that this fringe ideology is worth a thorough exploration.

Preferred location for Uncle Neil’s secluded workshop. The place where Maynard will design and build a conscious energy transmitter and receiver. Rose Dhu Island, Chatham County, GA.

Synopsis:

Maynard Otto Barrett, a discredited and disillusioned quantum physicist, finds himself ostracized by family, friends and associates because he’s been increasingly outspoken about his nonconventional theories concerning the nature of human consciousness. As a boy, Maynard’s favorite relative, and the person who introduced him to the wonders of physics and philosophy in the first place, was his mother’s brother, Uncle Neil. Maynard would visit his uncle’s house out on the marshes whenever he was given permission by his mother, but it was only on rare occasions that she would grant him that permission because she didn’t trust her brother’s judgment. Cindy Barrett knew her older brother Neil was always getting completely wrapped up in his crazy experiments and she feared her little boy would be easily influenced by his madcap imaginings. As any good son would, Maynard tried to assuage his mother’s worries about the time he was spending with Uncle Neil, but the more time he spent with him, the more apparent his intrigue became and the less convincing his arguments were. His uncle’s strange stories and ideas were indeed unrealistic, but Maynard truly enjoyed the way he felt when he was hanging out with Uncle Neil in his ad-hoc laboratory. There, he felt like the world was a magical place. A place where anything could happen at any given time.

Maynard’s father had never shown much interest in his son, or anything else for that matter, so when he abandoned Cindy and Maynard just after the boy’s seventh birthday, Uncle Neil became the one and only male role model in young Maynard’s life. Uncle Neil taught his nephew everything he’d learned through a lifetime of studying physics and metaphysics, but the most important thing he taught him was how to think for himself. At ten years old, when his mother informed him that they would be moving away from the rural coastline of southern Georgia to look for better employment opportunities in Atlanta, Maynard rebelled. At first, he tried to reason with her, telling her that they were doing just fine in Shellman Bluff, but he knew how unreasonable that sounded, so his second strategy was to go to his uncle and ask him to talk to his mother. Neil knew his sister well. He knew that when she made a decision to do something, there was really no point in trying to talk her out of it. Maynard and his mom never made it to Atlanta. Instead, they settled in the city of Athens, where Cindy found work at the University of Georgia, the college that Maynard would attend for the first four years of his undergraduate studies. When they first arrived in Athens, Maynard and his mom talked often about returning to Shellman Bluff, at least to visit Uncle Neil, but within months they were both so caught up in building new lives for themselves that they only rarely mentioned his name, and when they did, it was with a nostalgic reverence that left them both shaking their heads in wonder. In the isolated social environment of Shellman Bluff, Uncle Neil’s outlandish ideas had seemed fairly rational, but in the brightly lit and intellectually progressive city of Athens, those same ideas seemed to be completely delusional.

During his graduate studies at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, Maynard attempted to contact his Uncle Neil a couple of times through the mail but never received a response. The last time Maynard had seen or heard from him was the day he and his mom drove out of Shellman Bluff heading for Athens. His uncle had always been an off-the-grid kind of guy. As far as Maynard knew, he had never owned a cell phone and he mistrusted the government to the point of paranoia, so it was understandable that it was difficult to contact him. Every time that Maynard thought about driving north to check on Uncle Neil, something would keep him from it. Years went by, and life went on. Maynard earned a PhD in quantum physics, minoring in philosophy from MIT. He was forty-three, married and living in Cambridge, Massachusetts and his world seemed to be spiraling out of control. For the past twenty years his internal thoughts had been waging war with every exterior source of knowledge that he’d been introduced to during his studies. In both his professional and his personal life Maynard felt like an imposter. He was losing touch with everything that had ever mattered to him, which now included an estranged wife and two children of his own. When he took an honest look back at his life, he realized that the day he said goodbye to Uncle Neil was the day that he had stopped considering the unlimited possibilities of life and had started instead to imagine only the limitations.

Maynard knew that it was time to return to Shellman Bluff. He’d concluded that the only way he could untangle the mess he’d made of things was to return to his uncle’s laboratory to see for himself if the man he knew as Uncle Neil was legitimately insane or simply misunderstood by society. He had no idea whether his uncle was alive or dead, but he knew this journey was likely to change his long-held perceptions about everything and everyone. Against all opposition and inquisition, Maynard leaves Cambridge and heads for Shellman Bluff and his uncle’s home in the marsh. What he discovers there is so far outside the boundaries of his previous experience that it makes him not only question his own sanity, but it leads him down a pathway and into an alternative reality from which he may never return.

Third Eye Candy

No Beginning ~ No End ~ In Cyclical Perpetuity

Grand Providentia United

To unveil the new fantastic, we’ll first need to extract some sturdy threads which have been woven into the fabric of our perceived reality by the acclaimed visionaries and exiled heretics who came before us. By simply weaving more unique threading’s into a tapestry that’s already overladen with ideas and imaginings (both antiquated and revolutionary) we’d be bound to obliterate some clear sightlines into the timeless realm of the unimaginable. If just one bold and unadulterated look should bring us beyond the borderlands of the known, we might yet bear witness to the vast unknown. “Purveyor of nonsense!”, you exclaim, “There’s nothing new under the sun. Just old ideas reimagined, rehashed and regurgitated.” Let’s suppose I do acknowledge and agree with what you say. Subsequently, I might wonder if that’s why the most memorable modern tales seem to start somewhere in the middle of the story. The story I’ll begin telling you today may not be entirely unique, or even original, in your estimation, but I assure you that it comes from a primordial place within my own psyche. A place that I perceive is eternally in direct contact with all that exists. The story’s origins are ancient and futuristic, both. It’s place in time is ambiguous although its theme is ubiquitous. A story like this one needs an introduction that is outside the norm. And so, it begins, on an outer ripple, somewhere in the middle… –

Once upon a mind, there was an itch, an itch that seemed nearly impossible to scratch.

“Sacred Symmetry – Trees Speaking to the Stars”

Third Eye from the Sun

“It’s happening again. I’ve been driven into social exile enough times to know why it’s happening this time. In fact, if I was getting to know someone who behaved like myself, I would be inclined to exile me too.” Maynard was speaking out loud in the park again. Parents and children were staring again. And although the others couldn’t tell, the air around Maynard felt like wadded wool again. What’s worse, the woolen air was penetrating his scalp and skull again. His itching mind rolled over, presenting its pale underbelly to May’s inward gaze. “Scratch me!” This last was blurted out so emphatically that even the brazen birds went silent. Maynard needed to move. He needed to move now. How long had he been sitting there, back against the chain link fence, communing with plastic cups and cigarette butts? He had no idea how long he’d been there, but he was sure it was longer than the last time the itch had come to visit. Even in the depths of his misery, Maynard was consciously aware of one particularly positive aspect of his current dilemma. He knew that every other time he’d experienced this type of cognitive maelstrom, he’d had a major breakthrough in his metaphysical expansion within days after the worst of the itching had subsided. He was getting close to something magnificent. He knew it. He knew it just as well as he knew that he and Sammy were through. And how did he know that he and Sammy were through? She had told him so, in no uncertain terms. Stiffly, Maynard pulled himself into a standing position and lurched away through the woolen air and the silent stares.

“Third Eye Supreme”

Concept development has always been my favorite part of the process of creation. For the coming months, leading up to the fall quarter of my studies at SCAD, I’ll be developing the concept and the visual language that will be used to tell the story of “Third Eye from the Sun”. This story will be told in the form of a 15-minute film and a supporting research paper. I’ve begun the preliminary research for the paper. I intend to study relevant materials from the fields of physical science (physics), philosophy, metaphysics, theology, and the environmental and social sciences. I’ll be using my intuition to guide me in these studies to keep me from chasing too many rabbits down too many holes. This is but one of the pathways I intend to explore on the march toward the realization of the “Grand Providentia Projection”. Subscribe to this site if you’d like to get email notifications whenever I add a new chapter to the “True story, as yet unfolding…”

Film Journey, New Day, Fresh Start

Nine Months of Positive Growth

Grand Providentia United

Before I delve into the future, or even the present for that matter, I thought I should revisit the recent past. When I started my studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design on September 11 of last year, I was confident that I could publish regular updates to this blog while also being enrolled in three courses per quarter at the college. I knew that the blog would have to take a backseat to my education at SCAD, but I thought that I could accomplish both tasks simultaneously, as long as I kept my primary focus on the coursework. Within the first couple weeks of classes I realized that it would take all of my creative energies and my undivided focus just to reserve ample head space for the learning curve that would be required for my academic success. Was the past statement wordy? Yes. In short form, it reads more like this – I had to abandon my blog posts temporarily and adopt a new outlet for creative expression, namely the Film and Television Program at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

I feel extremely fortunate to be enrolled as a graduate student at the Savannah College of Art and Design! I’ve completed my first year of studies in the MFA Film and Television Program with a focus on Directing and Experimental Filmmaking. My current unofficial GPA – 3.66. I could never have made it this far without the incredible support of friends and family who have generously invested in my success! Thank you all, I truly appreciate your help!

Now, I’ll move on to a more comprehensive and detailed description of my experiences over the past nine months at SCAD. For readers who are satisfied with the big picture as I’ve already described it, this would be a good place to click your way to some other worthy story on the vast dataspace of the world wide web. Thank you kindly for visiting the “Grand Providentia United” blog site!

These photos were taken the first time I toured the Backlot at SCAD (September 2023). This is a partial view of Phase 1 of the Backlot project. Phase 2 is currently being built and construction on Phase 3, the final phase (likely to be completed after I graduate in the spring of 2025) has already begun. It’s an exciting time to be learning film production at the Savannah College of Art and Design!

As a sexagenarian and someone who had not been in the role of student at college for more than twenty years, I was quite self-conscious about my age while attending the first few weeks of class at SCAD. My classmates were all at least twenty years younger than me and most of them were obviously well ahead of me in terms of their technological proficiencies and knowledge concerned with the art of filmmaking. This self-consciousness was expected, in truth it had been nagging at me since I made the decision to apply to the program in February of 2022. In the lead-up to the first quarter of classes, I spent many an hour during sleepless nights worrying about my ability to make the grade and ultimately graduate with an MFA in Film. Throughout the first two quarters of classes, a nagging uncertainty dogged me day and night. I badgered myself with constant internal questions: Was I up to the challenge of graduate level studies at my age? Was I delusional, thinking that I could keep up with the academic demands and ultimately make the grade? Was the dream of becoming an independent filmmaker beyond my creative reach? All these questions, and many others, came to a climax at the beginning of the second quarter when I realized how much work was required to make it through just two of the three classes, I’d registered for during the winter session. Toward the end of January, I was so worried about the amount of course work in front of me, that I had an experience that I can only describe as a panic attack brought on by a massive wave of the imposter syndrome. Thankfully, a classmate (a new friend) was there to provide a more positive perspective on my circumstances. He advised me to stop looking at the whole staircase and focus on one step at a time. As soon as he gave me the advice, I realized that it was the same advice that I would have given to someone else if the roles were reversed. This snapped me out of my spiral thinking almost immediately, and once I had returned my focus to the work at hand rather than wasting energy on what-ifs and worries about inadequacies, I was able to prioritize the course work and finish the quarter on a high note. Even more importantly, I was able to relax and do my best work in the third and final quarter of my first academic year in the MFA program at SCAD.

From the 26th Annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival, October 21-28, 2023. What an exciting event it was, albeit a little overstimulating for me, considering that it took place during my first quarter of studies!

Graduate studies at SCAD are said to be comprehensive and fast paced no matter what creative discipline or area of focus you are there to study. In my opinion, that comprehensiveness and learning pace demonstrates that they are adequately earning their tuition fees, and this educational strategy on its own, effectively and continually grows their reputation as one of the top art colleges in the world. One of the things that I’ve come to recognize after finishing my first year at the college, is that I would right now be feeling disappointed and less accomplished had the last nine months been intellectually easy on me. As a result of my struggles, I experience growth, physically, spiritually and intellectually. The way I see it, my first year at SCAD was a great success!

Various BTS photos – Muta, Samantha, Ian, Ved, Eric and Scott
Left to Right – Will – Skeleton King vs. Timber Rattler – Scott, Lilly, Damian – Damian – Ved
Images above are behind the scenes photos taken on set of Father Nature. Photography by Kris Patel.

Father Nature was the first time I directed a film with a team of talented filmmakers. I wrote the script during December of 2023 and captured the principal photography in February of 24. I edited the film over the course of the Spring quarter, adding sound as I learned the process in Sound Design for Film and Television. There are certain aspects of the film that I am still not satisfied with, but I decided it was time to put it to rest and move on to the next big idea. Something I’ve practiced throughout a lifetime of creating art – know when to say the work is finished.

Link –https://youtu.be/no8V6ev5eC4?si=7XLJYKDAvFeE3BOV

This film was intended to be a proof-of-concept piece and I was planning to further explore the concept for my thesis project. I decided at the last moment (during the Graduate Review Meeting) to leave further exploration of Father Nature until after graduation. The thesis will instead be a short film introducing the “Grand Providentia Projection”

Over the course of the spring quarter, I decided how I wanted to proceed with my education and the remainder of my creative journey. I enrolled in a class called Experimental Film and there I found an enormous amount of inspiration. One of the driving forces behind my decision to apply to SCAD was inspired by the work of the surrealist filmmaker David Lynch. After taking this course I decided to lean into the surreal – gravitate toward the supernatural – run straight into the horror – experiment with science fiction – and dream a fantastic dream. I want to make films that make people wonder.

Link to “Green Blind Man” – https://vimeo.com/1094456817?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Mindful Creativity

Welcome to Exploratory Sunday!

Grand Providentia United

We stand on the banks of a river of consciousness. Except that this is no ordinary river of consciousness, it is the tumultuous accumulation of every trickling stream of consciousness that has ever found its way into the one massive torrent of universal potentiality. Where we are now standing, has been the starting point of every great physical, metaphysical, and spiritual exploration ever embarked upon. We have the choice to stay here on these solid shores of security, these granite outcroppings of little risk, or we can choose to trust in the current, and allow its beckoning calls to entice us into its liquid embrace. For sure, there will be dark depths and shallows of light along the course of this magnificent flow. There will be risks taken and rewards earned. And knowing all of this, we will make the choice to explore with abandon or stay stagnant in our stasis and watch the others let go. The entrance is by way of a shimmering trail, a pathway of light, hovering just above the surface of our shared consciousness. For some, the pathway appears to be a rickety wooden dock, for others it is as solid as a golden brick road. I am now walking just above the surface of the river, following the vaporous scales of a rainbow serpent’s body. Dive in with me; as you will see; the only threats found here are the ones we ourselves conjure, using the well-rehearsed incantations of our deepest fears.

Now, we’re releasing the rainbow serpent’s head, as it dips down and withdraws, we become one with the fluidity, two with the solidity, and three with the ambiguity. We are at once a musical note with twice the reverberation of a bull moose bellow, but we’re also a smartphone ringtone described by a cello. We wonder about the stars, on Hollywood Boulevard, while we are dreaming with Costner about wolves dressed in baseball uniforms. Not old school uniforms, they’re not worn in uniformity at all, more in tune with motley crew outfits, donned by the cast of the Deadliest Catch. We all catch a chill, and we release it as well. These days there is a shortage of every fish it seems. Even white wine served at room temperature has a short fuse. Bullets and bombs should be stored in root cellars, let the roots stay connected to the tree trunks who need them. Gold crowns encrusted with white flour by star studded bakers, are eaten by preachers, leading their flocks of daily bread takers. We’ve now entered an eddy, a roundabout in the road, our way forward is spiral, ham-hocks and tick-tocks gone viral. To avoid motion sickness, we’ll watch the horizon, where every big event appears smaller, with the exclusions of waterfalls and sun rises. Back to the main flow, orientation a given, we now understand, why our lives are worth living. It’s not for the fame, the cash flow, the glory. It’s not for the pain we attach to our story. We live to experience what it’s like to be human. To experience the love and forgiveness we offer to ourselves and each other. To break bread and share joy and relish the wonder of this incredible adventure we call existence.

Exploratory Sundays are likely to continue indefinitely. Hopefully, they will always be enjoyable, and ideally, they will encourage a smile!