Jessica Moss is this year’s recipient of the Monterey County Film Commission’s student scholarship.

Moss is a senior at Cal State Monterey Bay, where she studies Cinematic Arts and Technology. She plans to use the $2,000 grant to help with expenses for her capstone project, “The Maw,” an animated film short.

She chose the challenge of an animated film, which entails doing frame-by-frame traditional animation in addition to digital animation. It requires specialized equipment as well as an extended time commitment.

“With animation I will be drawing approximately 4,000 frames over the course of two semesters and three summer months,” Moss said. “Thanks to this award, I can upgrade equipment, purchase light boxes and more.”

As a student employee at CSUMB, she presents camera and after-effects workshops and helps other students with technical issues. She recently served as director of photography on a fellow student’s short film, “Will o’-the-Wisp.”

The annual Monterey County Film Commission’s Director Emeritus Richard Tyler Scholarship Award is named in memory of Tyler, who served for 20 years on the film commission’s board of directors. It was created to provide financial aid and incentive to students of film and beginning filmmakers who reside in Monterey County or are enrolled in a college or university in the county. The fund was established as a permanent endowment with the Community Foundation for Monterey County.

The scholarship was first awarded in 2008 and has gone to CSUMB students each year. Estee Blancher and Veronica Calvillo shared the inaugural award. In 2009, Juan Ramirez – who now works in the Cinematic Arts Department as a media specialist – was the winner. Rachel Asendorf received the award in 2010; Dominic Parisi won it in 2011; Joey Blackburn won in 2012, and Nicholas Fryou was last year’s recipient.

Learn more about the Cinematic Arts and Technology Department Learn more about the Monterey County Film Commission

Photo courtesy of the Monterey County Film Commission Jeff Clark, scholarship program chair and film commission board member, and winner Jessica Moss