Alaya’s work:
• Self portrait, Her Quintessence (above)
• Animation Reel
• Adrift (June 2021 edit)
• The Elite (2020)
• Hinō, the Bard of Dregoria (illustration)
Website / Social:
Portfolio
I hope other people will come to love and be inspired by my work, experiencing wonder, inspiration, emotional impact, and profound healing.
JDogg Film Scholarship is proud to announce Alaya Knowlton as the 2022 scholar! Alaya graduated from Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida and is headed to the University of Southern California in August 2022 to begin her studies in 2D and 3D animation and art for television, games and film.
Alaya took initiative and leveraged scholarships, beginning in her freshman year of high school, to enroll in extracurricular classes at Ringling College of Art and Design (a fully accredited not-for-profit) in figure drawing, portfolio, and pen and ink drawing. Completing these advanced classes while maintaining stellar grades earned Alaya consecutive “Renaissance Gold” awards (14 at last count, for achieving a weighted GPA above 4.0 in a given quarter) at Booker High School. Alaya also received a scholarship to attend a Pre-College program at Ringling College and spent four weeks, the summer between her sophomore and junior year, learning skills in Computer Animation and Art relating to Game Design.
“I want to communicate themes of hope for the future,” states Alaya, emphasizing the importance of “found family” and her desire for our culture to understand and accept those who are different. She continues, “I find it wondrous how so many pieces of art can come together in film, to create a living, breathing world that people can watch – or directly experience.”
Alaya embarks on her journey’s next stage buoyed by numerous awards for her work. As a senior, her film Adrift received:
• Scholastic Gold Key Award, given for the best artwork submissions in each state, and American Visions Award Nomination (Award TBA) the national-level version (February 2022)
• All American High School Film Festival Selection (November 2021)
• Sarasota Film Festival Student Films Selection (April 2021)
• NFFTY Film Festival Final Rounds of selection (March 2021)
In her junior year, Alaya’s film The Elite was also lauded:
• All American High School Film Festival Selection, and Best Animation Nominee (November 2020)
• Sarasota Film Festival Student Films Selection (April 2020)
Alaya’s self-portrait, completed in her senior year and entitled Her Quintessence, was bestowed with the Scholastic Gold Key Award (February 2022), given for the best artwork submissions in each state.
Lori Burton, Department Head of Booker High School’s Film and Animation program, notes Alaya was “top of her class in academics.” Ms. Burton says Alaya’s gifts were apparent from freshman year and, after working with her for four years, states:
Her dedication to the program and her work ethic have been exemplary. Alaya has both talent and commitment. I have always been impressed with her skill set, which has served her well… Her award-winning work is high level and creative.
— Lori Burton, Department Head of Film and Animation, Booker High School
Alaya says that “By honing my ability to tell compelling stories and create interactive worlds, I hope to one day guide the artistic direction of outstanding games and films.” She believes the JDogg funding will help her “achieve my full creative potential” and insists “I know I will be able to create work of genuine value.”