The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is proud to announce the contributions of more than 150 alumni who have contributed their talents to films nominated for the 94th Academy Awards®. This year, SCAD alumni and students contributed to a total of 21 films that received nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
These talented SCAD Bees represent a variety of award-winning degree programs, including animation, visual effects, film and television, production design, sound design, performing arts, sequential art, illustration, motion media design, fashion, painting, and photography.
Notably, SCAD alumni worked on all five films nominated for Best Visual Effects, including Dune, Free Guy, No Time to Die, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Four of the five nominees for Best Animated Feature also featured the work of SCAD alumni, including Encanto, Luca, Raya and the Last Dragon, and The Mitchells vs the Machines.
Standout SCAD alumni Andrew Finley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) and Alejandro Solorzano (B.F.A., animation, 2011) each worked on three different nominated films. Finley is currently Look Development Artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios; Solorzano is Lead Technical Animator at Luma Pictures.
SCAD alumni also made notable contributions to the look of Academy Award-nominated films outside of digital media. Jurasama Arunchai (M.A., production design, 2010) worked as assistant art director on West Side Story, nominated for Best Production Design and Best Picture; Lauren Stewart (B.F.A., film & television, 2010) and Jordan Law (B.F.A., fashion, 2013) worked on props and costumes for The Tragedy of Macbeth, also nominated for Best Production Design.
Three 2021 graduates contributed to nominated films: Hope Schroers (B.F.A., visual effects) was an effects intern for Luca; Vivian Amaro (B.F.A., visual effects) worked on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: No Way Home (both nominated for Best Visual Effects) as a VFX artist for Perception; and Madison Boehme (M.A., creative business leadership) worked as Production Supervisor at Disney on Best Animated Feature nominated films Encanto and Raya and the Last Dragon.
“Our students work in an environment of collaboration where the classroom is a living model of the industry,” said Andra Reeve-Rabb, dean of the SCAD School of Entertainment Arts. “Cutting edge facilities, equipment and mentorship by Oscar-winning professors elevate student experience and creative content. Unique to our university, students work on professional film sets in above and below the line roles in Savannah and Atlanta during their time at SCAD, making them ready to launch the
moment they graduate!”
Max Almy, the dean of the SCAD School of Digital Media said, “Our programs in the School of Digital Media are top rated in the world! Our graduates are working at Pixar, Disney, ILM, Blue Sky, DreamWorks and dozens of great companies and the word is that they are the most talented, prepared and professional. It’s no surprise that so many of our alumni have worked on Academy Award®-winning and nominated films. We are the best and we are so proud!”
SCAD is the only university named by the Hollywood Reporter in all of its top entertainment rankings: film, performing arts/drama, production design, costume design and visual effects. Furthermore, for the past four years, 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation.
SCAD students/alumni who contributed to Oscar-nominated films:
• Aaron McGriff (B.F.A., animation, 2005) “Luca”
• Adnan Hussain (B.F.A., computer art, 2000) “Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Alasdair Willson (B.F.A., broadcast, 2008) “No Way Home:
• Alejandro Solorzano (B.F.A., animation, 2011) “King Richard”, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten
• Rings”, and “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Alex Dubois (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) “West Side Story”
• Alex Moed (B.F.A.,visual effects, 2011) “Free Guy”
• Alex Wood (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014) Free Guy”
• Alexander Snow (B.F.A.,animation, 2009) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Alexander Wilson (B.F.A., sequential art, 2007) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Alexis Cabone (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018) “Cruella”
• Alireza Bidar (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Allan Cox (B.F.A., sound design, 2009) “Coming to America”
• Andre Danylevich (B.F.A., film and television, 2009) “Lost Daughter”
• Andrew Finley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) “Encanto”, “Luca”, and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Andrew Hudson (B.F.A., sound design, 2010) ”tick, tick…BOOM!” and “West Side Story”
• Annie Taylor (M.A., sound design, 2019) “Lost Daughter”
• Austin Bonang (B.F.A., computer art, 2005) “Dune”
• Ben Girmann (M.F.A., animation, 2016) “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Benjamin Lopatin (B.F.A.,visual effects, 2014) “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Bianca Gee (B.F.A., animation, 2012) “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Bobby Taylor (B.F.A., animation, 2009, “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Brandon Martin (B.F.A., animation, 2008) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Brandon Nelson (M.F.A., visual effects, 2008) “King Richard”
• Brian Freesh (B.F.A. film and television, 2005) “The Tragedy of Macbeth”
• Brooke Eilers (M.F.A., visual effects, 2019) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Caitlin Low (M.F.A., animation, 2017) “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Cameron Black (B.F.A., naimation, 2014) “Raya and the Last Dragon
• Carlos Alarcon (M.A., visual effects, 2010) Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Carmen Wong (M.F.A., visual effects, 2014) “King Richard”
• Chad Cox (B.F.A., animation, 2012) “King Richard”
• Chana Klein (B.F.A., film and television, 2018) “Coming 2 America”
• Charles Cronkite (B.F.A., animation, 2012) “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Charles Ehrlinger (B.F.A., visual effects/film and television, 2004) “The Tragedy of Macbeth”
• Chien-I Kao (B.F.A., animation, 2006) “Free Guy”
• Christine Uyemura (M.F.A., visual effects, 2017) “Cruella
• Courtland Jones (M.F.A. performing arts, 2012) “CODA”
• Courtney Stephens (B.F.A., film and television, 2013) “CODA”
• Daniel Irons (B.F.A., film and television, 2015) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Daniel Jardin (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• David Butler (B.F.A., computer art, 1997) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• David Michaels (B.F.A., computer art, 2002) “Free Guy” and “West Side Story”
• Davies Rushing (B.F.A., animation, 2019) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Dawoon Kim (B.F.A., animation, 2018) “Don’t Look Up”
• Demorrius Sims (B.F.A., animation, 2014) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Diana Chu (M.F.A., visual effects, 2019) “Coming 2 America”
• Diana Li (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• D’Lun Wong (M.F.A., visual effects, 2001) “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Douglas Addy (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007) “Encanto”
• Dwayne Green (M.F.A., film and television, 2014) “Coming 2 America”
• Dylan Nett (B.F.A., visual effects, 2020) “House of Gucci”
• Elise Hannon (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018) “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Emily Cramer (B.F.A., film and television, 2018) “Cruella”
• Enna Chow (B.F.A., production design, 2017) “Coming 2 America”
• Erin Choroszylow (B.F.A., film and television, 2012) “Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Eryn Gruttadauria (B.F.A., film and television, 2020) “Free Guy”
• Gal Roiter (B.F.A., animation, 2006) “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Galina Pak (B.F.A., animation, 2018) “Cruella”
• George Watson (B.F.A., film and television, 2014) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Gian Ignacio Lombardi (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Hope Schroers (B.F.A., visual effects, 2021) “Luca”
• Ian Ruhfass (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Ian Steplowski (animation, 2003) “Luca”
• James Kuroda (M.F.A., computer art, 2002) “Free Guy”
• James Spadafora (M.F.A., visual effects, 2017) “Free Guy”
• Jameson Everett (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) “Free Guy”
• Jamie German (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Jason Koh (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016) “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Jayda Cardoza (B.F.A., film and television, 2020) “Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Jeannine Kernisan (B.F.A., animation, 2015) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Jenn Epstein (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) “House of Gucci”
• Jeremy Carroll (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) “Free Guy” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home:
• Jesse Erickson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Jesse Hildreth (B.F.A.,visual effects, 2008) “No Time to Die”
• Jessica Spinelli (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Jie Meng (M.F.A.,visual effects, 2015) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Jocelyn Cofer (B.F.A., animation, 2009) “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Johnathan Nixon (B.F.A.,visual effects, 2007)“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”
• Johnny Nam (B.F.A., animation, 2016) “Cruella”
• Jon Balcome (M.F.A., visual effects, 2011) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Jordan Law (B.F.A., fashion, 2013) “The Tragedy of Macbeth”
• Jordan Schilling (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
• Joseph Hayden (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) “Free Guy”
• Josh Holtsclaw (B.F.A., illustration, 2006) “Luca”
• Jurasama Arunchai (M.A., production design, 2010) “West Side Story”
• Ka Yaw Tan (B.F.A., computer art, 1995) “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Kaitlin Duchene (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Karen Heston (photography, 1998) “King Richard”
• Kate Kirby-O’Connell (B.F.A.,animation, 2013) “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Kirsten Yamaguchi (M.F.A., animation, 2009) “Luca”
• Kori Amacker (M.F.A., animation, 2017) “Encanto” and “Ray and the Last Dragon”
• Kurt Judson (B.F.A., computer art, 1997) “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Landon Lott (B.F.A., sound design, 2010) “Free Guy” and The Tragedy of Macbeth”
• Lauren Driskill (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management, 2011) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Lauren Longoria (B.F.A., film and television, 2017) “Cyrano: 1 Tale 3 Hearts”
• Lauren Stewart (B.F.A., film and television, 2010) “The Power of the Dog”
• Liaowei Chen (M.F.A., animation, 2017) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Lindsey Butterworth Langston (B.F.A., animation, 2007) “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Liz Feldstein (M.F.A., visual effects, 2015) “Free Guy”
• Lucas Gregg (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) “Coming 2 America”
• Madison Boehme (M.A., creative business leadership, 2021) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last
• Dragon”
• Mallory Mahar (M.A., animation, 2011) The Mitchells vs the Machines
• Margaret Cardell (B.F.A., motion media design, 2013) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Marla Walkuski (B.F.A., production design, 2017) “Coming 2 America”
• Marq Faulkner (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Matt Ward (B.F.A., film and television, 1999) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Maya Peart (B.F.A., sound design, 2016) “tick, tick…BOOM!”
• Melanie Weldon (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Meredith O’Malley (B.F.A., animation, 2018) “Luca”
• Michael DalBello (B.F.A., sound design, 2016) “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Michael Rogers (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”
• Michelle Gao (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) “The Mitchells vs the Machines
• Mitchell Snary (B.F.A., computer art, 1999) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Nancy Cummings (2000) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Nathan Engelhardt (B.F.A., animation, 2007) “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Naveen Sabesan (M.F.A., animation, 2017) “Free Guy” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the
• Ten Rings”
• Nicholas Cochran (B.F.A., sound design, 2011) “Coming 2 America”
• Nicholas Leone (B.F.A., film and television, 2010) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Nick Bartone (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) “Luca”
• Noah Hamdan (B.F.A., visual effects, 2012) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Paris Smith (B.F.A., animation, 2017) “Free Guy”
• Patrick O’Connor (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Prasad Kamalakar Narse (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Rachel Bell (B.A., production design, 2019) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Rachel Clarke (B.F.A., visual effects, 2012) “Cruella”
• Rattanin Sirinaruemarn (M.A., visual effects, 2013) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Rebecca Ulmo (MA., film and television, 2012) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Rich Fallat (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Ross Macaluso (M.F.A., visual effects, 2014) “Spider Man: No Way Home”
• Ryan Duhaime (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’
• Ryan Magid (B.F.A., computer art, 2003) “Cruella”
• Sam Klock (B.F.A., visual effects, 2011) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Samantha Lee (B.F.A., painting, 2014) “Free Guy”
• Sarah Ridenour (B.F.A., animation, 2016) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Scott Clark (B.F.A., illustration, 1992) “Luca”
• Scott Johnson (B.F.A., film and television, 2007) “The Eye of Tammy Faye”
• Scott Lebeda (B.F.A., film and television, 2005) “CODA”
• Sean Loughran (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) “Coming 2 America” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
• Sean Palmer (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Shannon Dingle (B.F.A., animation, 2011) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Sharmishtha Sohoni (M.A., computer art, 2000) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Shaun Galinak (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) “Luca”
• Sophia Yu (B.F.A., animation, 2015) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings”
• Stephen Null (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Suan Tan (M.A., computer art, 1999) “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Taylor Aseere (B.F.A., animation, 2017) “Free Guy”
• Taylor Tiahrt (B.F.A., animation, 2013) “Encanto”
• Thomas Neugebauer (B.F.A., sound design, 2020) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Trevor Young (B.F.A., animation, 2008) “Encanto”
• Tyler Kupferer (M.F.A., animation, 2011) “Encanto”
• Tyler Old (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) “Spider-Many: No Way Home”
• Viki Chan (B.F.A., illustration, 2016) “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Vivian Amaro (B.F.A., visual effects, 2021) “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings” and
• “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
• Walker Kennedy (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) “Encanto” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”
• Wuyang Wang (M.F.A., visual effects, 2018) “Mitchell vs the Machines”
• Yuna Chen (M.A., visual effects, 2019) “Mitchells vs the Machines”
• Zane Yarbrough (B.F.A., sequential art, 2010) “Encanto”
