The 2026 Best of Ringling 
Department of Motion Design 

 

JUROR'S GOLD AWARD  •  FutureProof '26 Opening Titles

Lucia Alonso Eiras & Brianna Haggerty  (MD '26)

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A joyous celebration of motion design – you can tell Lucia and Brianna put a huge amount of effort (and hard work!) into their opener for FutureProof 2026. What I enjoyed most was how tightly the animation was woven to the music, and how much character they brought to something as simple as folded paper. A masterful effort! - Joyce N. Ho

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JUROR'S SILVER AWARD  •  Seiko Sport

Hayden Kints  (MD '27)

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Hayden showcased an impressive range of skills in this Seiko Sport spot. The mix of techniques – all executed beautifully – comes together through a sleek edit that really caught my eye. Paired with a distinctive art direction, the piece stands out and highlights Hayden’s strong design sensibility alongside the animation. Great work!  - Joyce N. Ho

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JUROR'S BRONZE AWARD  •  Giovanni Weissman

Giovanni Weissman  (MD '25)

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A soulful short piece by Giovanni! Beautifully designed, with strong compositions throughout. The character design was very unique and perfectly matched the tone of the VO – all coming together in the animation that felt rich with feeling, leaving me wanting to see more.  - Joyce N. Ho​

 

​​​​THE PRESIDENT'S AWARD  •  PINC Conference Opening Titles

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Kiu Cheung & Lucia Alonso Eiras  (MD '26)

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MOTION DESIGN DEPARTMENT AWARDS

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DEPT. HEAD AWARD  •  Which Major is for You?

 

Ana Kuster (MD '26)

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An interactive touch-based experience that recommends prospective Ringling students certain majors depending on their artistic interests.  Appealing design and interactive game play that hides a complex logical structure that accurately interprets user input and makes appropriate suggestions on which major is right for them.  Beautiful combination of style and substance. ​

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FACULTY AWARD  •  How Does a Gumball Machine Work

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James Greenleaf  (MD '28)

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The animation conveys satisfyingly realistic physics with enough exaggeration to make it expressive and fun to watch. The design is clean, but playful, making it the perfect compliment to the movement. A strong blend of motion and design.

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VFX AWARD  •  IKEA- Make it Home

Ryan Cross (MD '26)

Ryan's piece truly encapsulated all aspects of what it means to merge VFX and Motion Design, from the expressive animation, to the high quality design, to the attention to detail in the composite, this work of art is absolutely top notch.