Students are involved with the Unspooled Film and Animation Festival in every aspect of production. The perspectives of students from Wisconsin and Minnesota, but also from around the world are built into the DNA of the festival. We have over 100 submissions from student filmmakers!
Learn more about students who are involved
Connor Schiebsted
Growing up in the Midwest, you had to scrape me off of the tv every night before bed because I'd be glued to the screen as soon as I got home from school. I spent a lot of time with my own imagination as a kid, building worlds and stories in my head while swinging pretend swords at my sister. Most of that time was spent in front of cartoons or videogames, both of which inspired the trajectory of my college experience. I've studied and worked in game design, animation, illustration, and even a little bit of graphic design, and it's all culminated in my "Space Cadets" series of illustrations and my upcoming (2025) animated series "Space Cadets: Cosmic Cookbook".
Joseph Bliss
My name is Joseph Bliss, and my current major is Arts Administration and Entrepreneurship. My role in the Unspooled Film Festival is to essentially help with whatever is asked of me; currently that involves designing and making the trophies for the festival.
Cole Finn
Cole is a fifth year Video Production student, working with Unspooled as part of an Independent Study. His contributions have been contacting potential festival sponsors, posting Unspooled-related social media content, and serving as a volunteer for workshops and the event itself. He has experience working with film festivals, serving as a board member of the Cheyenne Youth Short Film Festival for the past four years.
Cole's astrological sign is Leo.
Payton Kosiorek
My name is Payton Kosiorek and I'm currently a Senior in the Video Production major. My role in the Unspooled Film Festival is a Student Ambassador. For my capstone this semester I'm producing a western that is being shot in Anaconda, Montana. It's the most ambitious project that has ever been attempted in the Video Production major. As a Producer I'm coordinating cast, crew, travel plans, equipment lists, and most importantly the budget. Once I graduate, I plan to move out to California and work in Hollywood as a Producer. Lastly I'm an Aries.
Promotional Videos & Images
The Advertising Class has pitched, planned, and produced short-form commercials for social media and digital ads. "Direct your Stay" was chosen as the lead campaign for the 2024 Unspooled.
"Direct Your Stay" was created by Kaiden Rush
and was produced with help from his class group.
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