deadCenter Film Festival

Award Design (2021)

I was the chosen designer for the official award for the 2021 deadCenter Film Festival, Oklahoma’s largest and only Oscar-qualifying film festival, recognized as one of the “20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World.”

This was the first award I developed for the festival, establishing a foundation for future iterations. The goal was to create an object that felt distinctly cinematic while celebrating deadCenter’s identity and sense of place.

The concept centers around a working zoetrope, an early form of motion picture technology, bringing the award to life through animation. A running buffalo, the festival’s mascot, appears in motion as the piece spins, transforming the object from a static trophy into an interactive experience. This connection to the origins of film creates a direct link between early cinema and the contemporary storytelling celebrated at the festival.

Physically, the award combines layered materials and mechanical movement to create a sense of depth and engagement. The spinning form invites interaction, encouraging recipients to activate the piece and experience the illusion of motion firsthand.

The result is an award that functions as both a recognition object and a kinetic sculpture, capturing the spirit of filmmaking through movement, storytelling, and play.

This project established the conceptual and experiential foundation for future deadCenter awards, which would continue to evolve in material, form, and functionality in subsequent years.