UNC alumnus showcases short film in Philly

Rooted in the personal but relatable to many, Rob Walker's short animated film, "I Studied Shakespeare…," is a glance at the trials and tribulations students may face after they graduate and enter the work force.

Walker, a 2005 UNC alumnus, began making movies around 2006 with friends. They started with big productions, but each film slowly became smaller until they were making shorts.

"As an artist, I appreciate and respect Walker's drive and passion," said Amanda Lemming, a freshman theater major. "Animation is no simple task, and his three minutes of film make his creation look effortless. I know that the plates he used must have taken him hours." 

Walker began experimenting with animated monologues because getting a large group of people together to film a live -action movie was becoming difficult. One of his first animations was "I Am Legend," which was followed by "Son of a Beach."

Walker posted "Son of a Beach" on YouTube and received positive feedback, including a response from Stephanie Yuhaf, co-founder of the Philadelphia Film and Animation Festival, who wanted Walker to submit "Son of a Beach" to the festival.

"I didn't know who she was," Walker said. "I'd never entered a film festival before, and I was able to go last year. First time at the East Coast was a good experience. I'm excited to go back this year for ‘I Studied Shakespeare….'"

"I Studied Shakespeare…" focuses on Walker's struggles to find a job that applies to his new degree, but he finally compromises with a job in corporate retail. Although the film is three minutes long, its raw and clever composition questions how students will utilize the educational tools provided to them upon graduation. Available for viewing on YouTube, "I Studied Shakespeare…" was shown at the Philadelphia Film and Animation Festival between Sept. 29 and Oct. 2.

Walker worked at a corporate flagship store for three months. During this time, he was asked to rearrange bras for six hours, was handed pennies by a customer who said he found them in the urinal and was made to clean "the most disgusting bathroom ever."

Nonetheless, Walker was amazed to find how many people had similar experiences working undesirable jobs that had nothing to do with their degrees.

"When I graduated, the world was my oyster," Walker said. "I had a degree; in fact, I had two degrees and a minor. I thought all these people would pay me big money, but it didn't matter to the guy (who) paid me in urinal pennies that I studied Shakespeare. It only mattered to me."

David Caldwell, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, instructed Walker in "Traditions in International Cinema."

"I like the way he looks at the world around him, and I think that ordinary objects and circumstances take on a new, heavier meaning," Caldwell said. "For example, his films examine how the environment around us can sometimes be very beneficial and at the same time very threatening." 

Walker is currently collaborating with the School of Theatre Arts and Dance and David Grapes, a theater professor, to film two of the shorts that he has written.