Film: "Holding Back The Tide."
"This impressionist hybrid documentary traces the oyster through its many life cycles in New York, once the world’s oyster capital. Now their specter haunts the city through queer characters embodying ancient myth, discovering the overlooked history and biology of the bivalve that built the city. As environmentalists restore them to the harbor, Holding Back The Tide looks to the oyster as a queer icon, entangled with nature, with much to teach about our continued survival."
- Emily Packer
Collage
For this project with the DC Environmental Film Festival, I was tasked with creating a collage that visually represents my group's documentary, focusing on the natural elements in the documentary such as plants, animals, and/or environments. I utilized digital techniques, incorporating public domain images to craft a unique, visually impactful collage that reflects the essence of the film featuring oysters and their beauty. This was created using Adobe Photoshop.
This collage will be printed onto an article of clothing to complement the shirt with the embroidered logo (below) to create an outfit for the campaign installation.
New Logo Variation
For this project, I reimagined the DCEFF logo by incorporating imagery inspired by my assigned film, Holding Back the Tide. The final design features the Statue of Liberty, a NYC street grate, an oyster worker in the water, the ocean, and the side of a Brooklyn ship. These elements are carefully integrated into the logo to create a dynamic representation of New York’s waterfront and oyster industry, emphasizing the environmental themes of the film. The images extend out of the letterforms, creating a vivid, immersive window into the world of the film while staying true to the integrity of the DCEFF lettering.
Above: The original logo
Below: My redesigned film logo
Vectorized Logo For Embroidery Patch (installation piece)
For this assignment, I focused on simplifying my DCEFF logo for embroidery, turning the detailed images into cleaner, more graphic representations suitable for a 5-inch embroidered patch. The logo elements, such as the Statue of Liberty, oyster worker, and Brooklyn ship, were vectorized and simplified, reducing the level of detail while maintaining their core features. I chose a ThredUp garment that aligns with DCEFF’s mission and the outdoor, recycled fabric vibe from my t-shirt mood board. The embroidered logo will be ironed onto this garment, creating a piece that represents the environmental focus of both the organization and the film Holding Back the Tide.
This was created through Adobe Illustrator.
The Outfit
The outfit consists of a custom mini skirt with my collage printed onto it(oyster and pearl pattern) and an upcycled top featuring my custom DCEFF embroidered patch. I handcrafted the shell pieces atop the upcycled shoes and also thrifted accessories to complete the New York City look.
This outfit was in the DCEFF Fashion Show on April 21, 2025.
Firefly AI Perfume
For this project, I created a colored pencil-styled illustration of a perfume bottle inspired by the habitat in the documentary film I was assigned using Firefly. My goal was to bring the environment to life through a conceptual perfume design, imagining what the scent of the habitat would be like. I carefully selected creative scent notes and crafted a unique perfume name. The design of the bottle, including its shape, color, and label, reflects the species and visual elements from the film’s habitat. I used Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to incorporate typography for the perfume logo and scent notes, ensuring that each visual element enhances the world of the film.
(Left to Right) My sketch idea, a redesign using Firefly, the final edition
Scent Notes: Driftwood, Salt, and Sea Breeze
The Final
Postcard- Printed Material for Installation
For this project, I designed a printed piece to support my team's film installation, incorporating design elements that deepened the connection with our intended audience. The design features at least two typefaces, including DCEFF’s Montserrat in "Regular" weight, and was crafted using DCEFF primary colors along with complementary accent colors. This project allowed me to refine my skills in balancing typography, color, and imagery to create an impactful, aesthetic design.
I chose to design a postcard for my printed material because it allowed me to creatively connect the themes of New York, pride, oysters, and the film Holding Back the Tide from the DCEFF. The postcard format was ideal for a piece that people could take from the installation and send to a friend, spreading awareness of the film's environmental message. It also reflects New York's vibrant connection to its waterfront and oyster industry. By designing a postcard, I was able to create a tangible, shareable piece that not only represents the city’s pride and resilience but also promotes the film’s call to action in a way that encourages further conversation and engagement with the film's message.
The final design was created in Adobe InDesign, with the use of Firefly to craft the postage stamp.
The Shoot
As the art director, I led a concept-driven environmental campaign photoshoot by coordinating a team consisting of a photographer, a model, and a stylist/makeup artist. I created a detailed shoot bible, directed the team using visual boards and a shot list, and ensured every element aligned with the campaign’s message. I evaluated styling, composition, and overall concept execution on set, then selected and refined three final images, including one with a tagline and branding. The final deliverables also included an advertising mockup and original unedited files, demonstrating both conceptual strength and technical attention to detail.
The Mockup
The Show
For our film, my professor chose one of the four options made for each element to be displayed at the installation with the fashion show: one hero image, one perfume, and one scent. I was chosen to represent my group for all three elements.
