WC Wisconsin News

The University of Wisconsin–River Falls is set to host a film premiere on Sunday, Sept. 21, showcasing two student-led projects: the short film “Vigil” and the documentary “Screen Scoring at UWRF.” The event will take place at the Blanche Davis Theatre in Kleinpell Fine Arts, starting at 7 p.m.

“Vigil,” directed by Landon Zientara, a junior majoring in music and stage and screen arts from Lakeville, Minnesota, presents a narrative focused on mental suffering through personification of setting and the impact of despair. Zientara also composed the score for the film and conducted the orchestra during a recording session held April 26 in Abbot Concert Hall.

Zientara described his experience with the project as significant but challenging. “‘Vigil’ was a really challenging story to tell, but I’m really thankful for some special friends who helped me develop the project in its earlier stages, more than they will ever know,” he said. “Even though it was an incredible burden to create, this project means so much to me, because I think it is a really important story.”

The musical score for “Vigil” was performed by the UWRF Cinema Symphony. This group includes students, faculty, alumni, and local teachers. Several works were recorded during this session for use in both film and video game scoring projects. The process was documented by Casey Palbicki, senior lecturer in the department.

Palbicki’s documentary “Screen Scoring at UWRF” examines how UWRF hosted its first Hollywood-style recording session with contributions from students and community musicians creating original music for visual media such as films and video games.

“This is my first documentary, and it examines the process of planning and producing a Hollywood style film/game scoring session in a small community with a small budget,” Palbicki said. “It offers testimonies from the composers, performers, producers and others who were involved with the project.”

The upcoming premiere allows attendees to view both completed creative works as well as gain insight into how screen scores are recorded.

“The screen scoring program at UWRF offers students a cutting-edge education in composing music and creating sound design elements for visual media,” Palbicki said. “Students in this exciting program develop screen scoring projects leading to a portfolio for prospective employers within the Hollywood film and video game industries.”

More information about UWRF’s screen scoring program can be found at https://www.uwrf.edu/MUS/Screen-Scoring.cfm.