“The Rider”

An Animated Short by Caitlin-Marie Miner Ong

Now winner of “Best Animated Short” from the Atlanta Women’s Film Festival! and “Best Animated Film” from the Toronto Beaches Film Festival!

A loosely autobiographical animated short, "The Rider” chronicles my recent discovery of surfing in NYC, proving that the ocean can bring us together with nature even in the most surprising of places. 

The short centers around a character who discovers surfing while on the subway and, after a few mishaps, rides their first wave.

The Score

The film's score, by Brookyn artist and producer Bandit Lu, is inspired by Duke Ellington's "Take the A Train." It was developed using modular synthesis and lofi production techniques, giving the sound a unique art-house texture.

The Creative Concept

"The Rider" hyper focuses on the often underrated achievement of trying something new for the first time. The limited color palette, bold linework and cell animation are used to mirror the single-day scope of the narrative. This short is the first longform animation and film by Caitlin-Marie Miner Ong.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THIS FILM

On average, it took 10 hours to complete 10 seconds of animation

There are over 160 illustrative items in the short

The score was developed using modular synthesis and lofi production techniques