Old Stories, Bold Style: A Conversation with Animator Jared Hall

by Aislinn Green ’28

These days, it seems like inventing a distinct, cohesive “art style” is something on every artist’s mind. Aspiring visual artists look up to the illustrious figureheads of the Cubist and Impressionist movements and see how each artist has their own tells, little details in each painting that distinguish their work from that of others. From the geometric portraits of Picasso to the tiny colorful points of Seurat, being able to create a piece of art that is effortlessly distinguishable as your own in its unique qualities is a significant goal for the contemporary artist. 

Here at Montserrat, we’ve got our fair share of unique artistic identities both visually and thematically. From our professors to our student body, it’s safe to say that Montserrat definitely has style. We’ve (I’ve) spoken with Emma Oliver about her radically decadent and interdisciplinary approach, Trevon Coleman and the photo/film-based inner workings of personal artistic process, even our Dean Meg Rennie and her personal artwork. With the flow of Artist Educators in Residence coming into, but never truly out of, our little community, there really is no shortage of inspiration, whether you’re discovering your own unique style or exploring a variety. 

Last year I personally welcomed Trevon Coleman to the college (by immediately harassing him for an interview) and we all got to know him a bit. Now that fall has rolled around once again, it is time to greet some new faces. This year, we welcome another Artist Educator in Residence, Jared Hall. 

When I first took a look at his website, I started getting really excited for this interview. Incredible storybook illustrations come to life, swimming about the browser in flashes of illumination. I scrolled down to find vivid swathes of color, the background still now but vibrant and full of texture. “Old stories retold in a striking visual style,” it read. The webpage ends. 

I’m hooked. I’m clicking all the hyperlinks, I’m watching all the videos. On every page, every illustration and animation has that same sketchy texture accompanied by those bold colors. Ladies and gentlemen, he’s done it. He’s developed a cohesive visual identity. After complimenting him profusely on his compelling aesthetic and beautiful animations, I got straight to work figuring out how exactly he did that. 

AZ: Your animations have a very bold style that I feel like carries across through all of them. Did you always have a style like that or did you kind of find it as you’ve made animations?

JARED: It was… It was a real trial. Back in high school I was just sort of doing whatever. There was a lot of emphasis on realism, which is kind of annoying because I’m like, oh, we’re making art. I want to be able to make stuff that could not happen in reality.”

He explained how even as he went through his undergraduate studies at RISD, learning all these different mediums and techniques, he still hadn’t really found his style yet. He told me, “We had a big show at the end of the 4 years where you put up all the pieces you’re proud of. And I looked at my wall, found the pieces I liked the most, and I just thought, like, where’s the vision? Who am I as an artist?” Even now, this is a question that Jared, and all of us, are seeking answers for. 

Things started to really make sense as Jared transitioned into his master’s program. “Literally, as soon as I started my master’s, I picked one piece that I’d worked on while I was at RISD, and I just made a whole series out of it. It was a creature from mythology, a manticore. And I just kept drawing different creatures from it. I was like– oh, shoot. This is my style.”

Soon after this discovery, he created his first drawing of Anansi the Spider, the titular character from his 2024 short animated film. For Jared, it seems like it all comes back to Anansi. Anansi the Spider is a figure from Akan folklore, the story of which Jared remembers hearing during his time growing up in Jamaica. It follows a spider that must outsmart some of the jungle’s fiercest predators in order to survive. Oral storytelling is a significant tradition in the Caribbean, one that he attempts to honor in his animated retelling. 

“I really wanted to advertise more Jamaican retellings of it, you know? Because that’s where it is slightly different than even the African stuff. There are slight differences between their versions of Anansi and ours.”

Anansi really was the figure Jared needed to revitalize his creative spirit. After he started drawing Anansi, everything clicked into place. That final piece of the puzzle allowed him to create a smash hit of a debut. 

AZ: So you said you submitted this film, to, like, a bunch of different things. 
Have you submitted stuff before or was this your first time submitting this? 

JARED: That was my first time submitting. 

AZ: So your first time submitting and you got in? 


JARED: I mean, okay, let me be clear. I submitted to, like, a lot of things. I only got into like…”

Jared’s film was accepted by Slamdance Film Festival, as well as many other festivals, and received multiple awards. Being Jared’s first film, he obviously hadn’t ever submitted anything to a film festival before. Despite that, he got into not one, but many festivals and now has the opportunity to showcase his work in front of a greater audience. I was impressed by his success in the festival realm as I had always (perhaps naively) assumed it was incredibly, incredibly difficult to get into a Film Festival. I asked him how he managed to do it, and he had no shortage of good information for any aspiring filmmakers or animators out there. 

Here are Jared’s Tips for Film Fest Acceptance 

1. Expect to pay. Don’t pay a lot; usually under 40 is worth it unless it’s a big festival, like Slamdance. 
2. Apply to as many places as possible. The more times you try, the higher the likelihood of success. 
3. Have a poster, trailer, and logline ready. These festivals might want to see them!
4. Don’t post it anywhere! At least until later. Some festivals care about being the first place the film is shown; others don’t. You can submit work that is up to 2 years old, so keep that in mind when you’re posting.

All my motion-picture makers out there, this one is for you. If you follow these tips, 9/10 scientists say that you’re 100x more likely to be accepted into a film festival (real statistic). All jokes aside, I hope my investigatory work has provided some insight into the inner workings of the film festival acceptance process. Who knows, your very own film, dear reader, could be featured alongside the illustrious Jared Hall at the next epic film festival. 

It seems like Jared is going to fit in just fine here at Montserrat. 

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT HERE

Image: Kiana Rodriguez, Class of 2027