That Puppet Show — Los Angeles Film School Thesis Film: Written, Directed & Produced
That Puppet Show is an original puppet short film rooted in Plato's Allegory of the Cave, exploring the emotional complexity of leaving home and finding your true identity through the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. At only six minutes, the film is intentionally brief and uncomfortable, mirroring the disorienting speed at which life moves during periods of change. Leading a team of ten, the project spanned from initial concept through final production, encompassing original character design, a handcrafted faux-cave set, and color theory to guide the narrative's emotional arc. The film closes on a deliberately ambiguous ending, sitting with the particular loneliness of leaving people behind without resolution or goodbye. Edited in Avid, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe After Effects, every stage of production was held to the same level of intention as the story itself.
