Age
22
Gender
Gender Variant/Non-conforming
Religion
Jewish
Hobbies and interests
3D Modeling
Video Editing and Production
Ceramics And Pottery
Music Composition
Painting and Studio Art
Movies And Film
Animation
Coding And Computer Science
Reading
Contemporary
Art
Criticism
I read books multiple times per week
Ari Paltin
1,435
Bold Points1x
FinalistAri Paltin
1,435
Bold Points1x
FinalistBio
I’m an Experimental animation student at Calarts with a focus in stop motion and mixed media animation!
I like creating works that explore my experiences as a transgender woman and express the intricacies of that experience in a way that’s never been done before. I also adore working collaboratively with others and creating platforms for other artists to promote their work!
You can see my latest animated film “GURLSNIGHT” premiering in the Bentl Experimental animation festival 2024!
Education
California Institute of the Arts
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts
GPA:
3.9
Wagner College
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Visual and Performing Arts, General
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Career
Dream career field:
Animation
Dream career goals:
My long term goal is to be able to work consistently with an animation studio that focuses on mixed media animation. Being able to collaborate frequently is important to me as well.
Cage supervisor
Calarts silk-screen printing lab2023 – Present1 yearHead animator and editor
What the…? Productions2023 – Present1 yearAnimator, costume fabricator, writer
Reliable News2023 – Present1 year
Research
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
California institute of the arts — Film technician2023 – 2024
Arts
Bentl Experimental animation film festival
Animation2022 – 2023California Institute of the arts
Animation2023 – PresentNPCC Brooklyn film fest 2022
Animation2022 – 2022Reliable News
AnimationGURLSNIGHT (2024), Realiable news (ongoing series), MOOVE ON (2023)2023 – Present
Public services
Volunteering
Pacific marine mammal center — Classroom assistant2015 – 2015Volunteering
Spectrum Thereputic theater — Teachers assistant2014 – 2016
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Entrepreneurship
Froggycrossing's Creativity Scholarship
VIDEO PIECE ATTACHED BELOW:
For most of my life I was afraid to create. I was intimidated By all the “rules” one had to learn to make “quality” art, and quite frankly I was scared of the vulnerability that came along with it. I was a closeted trans-girl living on Staten Island was constantly asking myself if there was a space for me to fully express the variegated spectrum of messy and honest feelings I had at the time. I believed this to be how things were bound to be for the rest of my life, until I discovered that there was in fact an outlet I could use to express all of these truths; Experimental Animation.
Seeing the works of animators like Sally Cruikshank and Kathy Rose allowed me to see that creativity is at its best when it’s unfettered by the modern ideas of standards and norms. These films didn’t simply ignore the standard, they directly rebelled against them, both in their visuals and meanings. These films weren’t what many would consider “perfect”, but the boldness at which they attempted to push the boundaries of the medium, all while being so beautifully vulnerable, showed me that if I had an idea I so desperately wanted to create, I should do it.
Learning animation with this mindset was exciting. I embraced the messiness of my works as an expression of my own authenticity. A few months ago I finished my first full film which I attached in a link below. I had endless fun utilizing mediums that I never had before, throwing as much inside as I could fit to fully let loose my creativity. I’d be lying however, if I said I didn’t feel a little trepidation when I first started working on it.
I knew before I began that I wanted to create a film that encapsulated all of the fear, confusion, and love I experienced as a trans-woman. By the end of the process I felt no such trepidation at all, only hope that my film might one day reach someone the way all those other experimental animators works reached me. It was difficult work but now that it’s complete I feel confident to say that it exemplifies everything I believe experimentation in art is all about: Doing something no one else has done before, and doing so in a voice that’s truly “you”.