Valerie Hird
Artist/Filmmaker
Valerie Hird is a multi-media visual artist who lives and works between Vermont, New York, and the MENA regions. Hird’s work explores cultural mythologies and the impact they have on self-perception and communities. Hird has spent years moving across cultures (the Near and Middle East, Central Asia, and Andalusia, Spain.) Her work explores cultural mythologies and the impact they have on our self-perception and sense of community. She’s fascinated by their porous borders – the way myths evolve to slip easily between fact, fiction, and metaphor.
Hird received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design 1977 and an MFA from Vermont College 2007. She is represented by the Nohra Haime Gallery, 500 West 21st New York, NY 10011, NH Galeria, Cartagena, Colombia and the Furchgott Sourdiff Gallery, Shelburne, VT. Retired Professor of Art, Saint Michaels College, and Professor of Visual Linguistics, CORE Division, Champlain College, in Vermont. (2000-2019)
Hird’s recent solo exhibitions include (2022) THE GARDEN OF ABSOLUTE TRUTHS, The Studios of Key West, Key West, FL., Burlington Center for the Arts, Burlington, VT., (2021) WHAT DID HAPPEN TO ALICE – MY AVATAR at the Nohra Haime Gallery, NYC, 2021.
Group exhibitions include: University of Puget Sound, MASSMoCA (Sol LeWitt) Portsmouth Museum, Tampa Art Museum, DIVA in Paris, American University of Dubai, Global Center for Drawing, Melbourne, Australia and at the American Center, University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan.
Hird’s recent awards include 2023/4 The Puffin Foundation Grant Award, (2023) NWB International Film Festival Exceptional Merit, THE GARDEN OF ABSOLUTE TRUTHS, (2022) Aesthetica Art Prize, shortlisted, WHAT DID HAPPEN TO ALICE? Animated video, (2022) Finalist, Berlin Shorts Award, THE UNATTENDED MOMENT, animated video (2021) Best Shorts Humanitarian Award for WHAT DID HAPPEN TO ALICE? Animated video, (2021) Finalist Toronto Indie Film Festival of Cift for THE UNATTENDED MOMENT animated video, Outstanding Excellence award from WRPN Shorts Global Film Festival
Amanda Pollack
Supervising Editor
Amanda Pollack is a born and raised New Yorker, who spent a number of years in Great Britain. She has always loved the way pictures, sound and music work together to tell stories. Amanda is musical, and believes her affinity for music and sense of rhythm contribute greatly to the craft of editing.
In Feature Films, Amanda has worked with an impressive list of directors which include Robert Altman, Terry Gilliam, Ang Lee, Sidney Pollack, Martin Brest and David Frankel. Amanda also earned Additional Music Editor credit on The Devil Wears Prada, after finding and editing much of its songs and score.
Television Credits include The Patient, The Sinner, The Good Fight, Smash, Filthy Rich, Skins, In Treatment, and all six seasons of the critically acclaimed series, The Americans. Premiering in Spring will be Palm Royale, starring Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, and the incomparable Carol Burnett.
Amanda loves her work, and feels very fortunate to be in this collaborative business of storytelling as Editor.
Blackwell Hird
Editor
Blackwell Pond Hird is an accomplished Video Editor with a passion for meticulously crafting visual storytelling. With a dynamic career spanning film, gaming, and digital design, Blackwell brings a wealth of expertise and creativity to every project.
Throughout his career, Blackwell has had the privilege of collaborating with the visual artist Valerie Hird on several projects, including the award-winning film “THE UNATTENDED MOMENT.” Adept at refining the visual narrative and amplifying artistic vision, Blackwell’s role in these collaborations has been instrumental. Notably, Blackwell provided invaluable guidance and consultation for the acclaimed project “WHAT DID HAPPEN TO ALICE,” showcasing expertise in shot setup, fabrication, and visual storytelling best practices. Each project has been a rich learning experience, fueling a deep passion for contributing to the creative process.
In the realm of film and gaming, Blackwell’s portfolio credits include collaborative work on award-winning projects such as “THE UNATTENDED MOMENT,” celebrated for Outstanding Excellence at the WRPN film Festival. Additional projects, including “THE GARDEN OF ULTIMATE TRUTHS” and “MINDLINES,” showcase Blackwell’s dedication to pushing creative boundaries. Beyond film, Blackwell has made significant contributions to the gaming industry and boasts an impressive tenure at Lock ‘n Load Publishing LLC, further establishing expertise and versatility in the realm of tabletop and digital game publishing.
Blackwell Pond Hird earned a Bachelors in Design with a focus on Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in 2007. This foundational education was complemented by an Associates degree in Game Design from the Vancouver Film School, where he earned the prestigious “Best Machinima” award for his work in 2011.
Beyond the editing suite, Blackwell remains deeply entrenched in creative pursuits. Actively engaged in indie filmmaking, Blackwell is an integral part of the team behind the film “Voyage of the Chimera,” contributing to storyboarding and FX consultation. Simultaneously, Blackwell is a driving force in game development, continually innovating and crafting new experiences for Lock ‘n Load Publishing LLC. A dedicated tabletop gamer, Blackwell’s passion for storytelling and creativity permeates both personal and professional endeavors.
Ryan Dunleavy
Animator/VFX
Ryan Dunleavy is a freelance artist and adjunct professor in film and design working out of Colchester, Vermont. He specializes in post production work – video editing, motion graphics, and 2D & 3D animation but occasionally works in production as well. He is also an illustrator, designer of maps for tabletop roleplaying games and is a game designer. He lives on a small farm called North 10 with 2 dogs, 3 goats, and 7 chickens.
You must be logged in to post a comment.