Includes trailer, stills, synopsis,
director's biography, and technical credits.
Trailer
Stills
Synopsis
A small quiet park filled with people hoping to cast their wishes in the park's fountain
is invaded by a sinister character aiming to steal their wishing coins. He devises a disguise
to conceal himself, and plunges unnoticed beneath the fountain's surface. He begins to
collect all the coins being cast into the fountain, as well as those piled at the bottom.
He is eventually discovered by a curious goose, and in the process of evading the bird, reveals
himself to the park-goers. A small girl is especially upset by the theft of her special wishing coin.
He is then chased out of the park, spilling his stolen coins as he attempts to outrun the
victims of his thievery.
Director's Biography
Barbara Mones is a Principal Lecturer in the School of Computer Science & Engineering, and Director of the Reality Studio, a part of the Reality Lab. She also leads the Facial Expression Research Group ( FERG). She has worked in both academia and industry in the areas of computer graphics and animation production for over thirty years. She was a tenured Associate Professor and the Founder and Director of the Visual Information Technology Graduate program at George Mason University, a Visiting Researcher in the Department of Computer Science at George Washington University, Fellow at the Human Interface Technology Lab at University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and worked for the White House and National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Al Gore's GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program. For this she was presented with a NASA Group Achievement award. She designed and wrote training programs for all aspects of the production pipeline at both Pacific Data Images/Dreamworks and Industrial Light and Magic. In her role as faculty, she has directed and produced nineteen animated shorts since 1999. Most recently she is developing curriculum that incorporates the potential of Virtual Reality into storytelling, content development and filmmaking. She has lectured extensively on an international level on topics related to animation and curriculum development. Her films have been shown in theaters and museums internationally including the SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater and the Smithsonian Institution. Barbara received her undergraduate degree from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Thereafter, she studied animation at Sheridan College and received an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design.
