“Obscured” Director Veronika Kapetiy and Producer Ryan Duquette Interview

Student films are an excellent way for students to gain work experience and taste what it’s like to work in a professional production. Students will carry the lessons learned during this process throughout the entirety of their professional careers. Also, students need to get involved in productions to gain teamwork experience. One production that caught my attention as I walked through Montgomery Hall was the poster advertising the production of the short film “Obscured.” I reached out to Director Veronika Kapetiy and Producer Ryan Duquette to ask them about the project.

As described by the director, the story is “about a character working through depressive episodes in the world where his emotions affect the real world and manifest in real life. His name is Forest, and for several days of his life, we see his emotions get progressively sadder and see how it affects and the more depressed she gets, the more dangerous everything in the background becomes.”

Some of the running themes in the story include finding happiness within yourself and finding the strength to let go of people that are not right for you. The film will also give viewers an appreciation of the little things in life.

The inspiration for the story came from some of the experiences the director felt during the COVID-19 lockdown last year, where she said she felt trapped; therefore, she learned to appreciate her life and all the little things about it.

I had also asked her about the visual style, and she told me that it would be 2-D animated but with some of the team members utilizing their skills in 3-D animation. The style is inspired by Gobelins Animation School, which is known for its high-quality painted backgrounds.

I also spoke with Producer Ryan Duquette to ask about the project and his responsibilities. Ryan had worked as a producer on previous projects. So he jumped at the opportunity to work with Veronika on “Obscured.” During the film’s production, he will be focused primarily on making sure shots are in on time and will be assisting in the compositing of the shots.

The project has wrapped up with the pre-production stage and is about to head towards post-production. The team started with six initial members but has since expanded to 19 total crew members. However, they are still looking for people to join the team. They are currently looking for 2D Character Animators, 2D FX Animators, and Layout Artists. If you are interested in joining, you can use the contact information listed below.

Email: vkapet20@student.scad.edu

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