Musical Storytelling Films
Feather Pen Films is a collection of musical stories told through short films written and produced by Art Beyond the Ink. Our films use musical storytelling as the narrative foundation; we pair a piece of music with another art form (like dance, animation, silent film, etc.) to tell a story directly based on the musical nuances and emotional arc, serving as a visual representation of our creative listening process.
PROJECT ROLES
Writer
All stories were co-written by Emmalie Tello and me.
Producer
All films were co-produced by Emmalie Tello and me, which includes the following tasks: communicating story plans and concepts, raising funding, hiring film crews, hiring animators and illustrators, managing the team members, and coordinating schedules and timeline.
Editor
On two of the films (The Treasure Hunters and Unbreakable) and the paired interactive video presentations (The Treasure Hunters, Unbreakable and Sketches of Love) I edited the recorded videos and art/animation together.
Performer
I performed as the flutist in The Treasure Hunters and acted as one of the video instructors in the interactive presentation.
Find Me in the Clouds
Find Me in the Clouds animates the dream of a young girl and her mother as they climb up into the clouds before facing the world down below, based on Nizar Bredan's piano solo, "Journey".
Music: Journey by Nizar Bredan
Musician: Nizar Bredan (piano)
Director of Animation: Jorinde Hol of Studio IJlie
Find Me in the Clouds was selected as a finalist in the 2022 Canberra Short Film Festival and was be screened on November 15, 2022 at the Smith’s Alternative in Canberra, Australia.
Sketches of Love
Each day, a shy artist visits her favorite park to sketch her beautiful surroundings. When she notices a girl on a bench across from her, she lets her mind wander. Will she gather the courage to talk to her, or will they only dance in her daydreams? Listen along as the violin and piano bring to life a charming, art-inspired romance.
Music: Violin Sonata in A Major, mvmt. 1 by Cesar Franck
Director & Editor: Em Messana
Director of Photography: Claire Haughey
Dancers: Izzy Hanson-Johnston and Julia D’Angelo
Musicians: Edward Li (violin) and Artyom Pak (piano)
Assistant Director: Lu Fine
Sketch Artist: Isabella Roca
Sketches of Love was screened at the Backyard at Hudson Yards in June 2021 for Pride Month.
Sketches of Love was comissioned by the New York Public Library and is accompanied by an interactive video presentation for kids, produced and written by Art Beyond the Ink.
Featuring: Emmalie Tello, Rebecca Schifilliti, and Izzy Hanson-Johnston
Editor: Rebecca Schifilliti
Mouse Trap
Mouse Trap pairs Katie Jenkins' duo for flute and piano "Constructions" with dance to comically depict protagonist Ruby's irrational fear of mice and her panic when she sees one in her kitchen while preparing for an anniversary dinner.
Music: Constructions by Katie Jenkins
Director & Director of Photography: Kenneth Sousie
Dancer-Choreographers: Jessica Ferretti and Jake Vincent
Musicians: Ji Young Kim (flute) and Lucia Li (piano)
Assistant Director: Baylee Brown
Production Designer: Kayley Saade
Gaffer: Claire Halloran
Editor: Lu Fine
Unbreakable
Empress is an outcast. Even though she keeps to herself, her clunky, metal form sticks out in the glass world she lives in. Will she ever see that her unbreakable power is just as valuable as delicate beauty? Listen along as the bass clarinet and piano premiere Jens Ibsen's contemporary classical work, narrating a journey of self-love and empowerment.
Music: Empress by Jens Ibsen
Illustrator and Storyboard Artist: Rick Troula
Musicians: Emmalie Tello (bass clarinet) and Yifei Xu (piano)
Editor: Rebecca Schifilliti
Unbreakable was comissioned by the New York Public Library and is accompanied by an interactive video presentation for kids, produced and written by Art Beyond the Ink.
Featuring: Emmalie Tello, Rebecca Schifilliti, and Jens Ibsen
Editor: Rebecca Schifilliti
When the Bell Rang
Inspired by Ziyi Tao's "收铁人" (Ironware Collector) for solo guitar, When the Bell Rang recounts the story of a young man who returns to his childhood home, only to find it abandoned.
Music: 收铁人 (Ironware Collector) by Ziyi Tao
Director: Xiwen Miao
Director of Photography: Moss Rios Rehm
Starring: Leon Qin, Romo Lee, John Squires, Mingjie Li, Chang Liu, and Tran Nguyen
Musician: Ziyi Tao (guitar)
Assistant Director: Baylee Brown
Production Designer: Kayley Saade
Gaffer: Claire Halloran
Art Production Assistant: Ella Murray
Editor: Lu Fine
The Treasure Hunters
Music: Wind Quintet No. 3, mvmt. 1 by David Maslanka
Musicians: Rebecca Schifilliti (flute), Yejin Kim (oboe), Emmalie Tello (clarinet), Devin Cohen (bassoon), Sarah Morris (french horn)
Illustrator & Animator: Hazal Mestci
Editor: Rebecca Schifilliti
The Treasure Hunters was comissioned by the New York Public Library and is accompanied by an interactive video presentation for kids, produced and written by Art Beyond the Ink.
Featuring: Emmalie Tello and Rebecca Schifilliti
Editor: Rebecca Schifilliti
