Portfolios 2024
artist bio
Trevor Mastro graduated in 2023 as a BA candidate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he concentrated on animation and film. He has written and directed three live-action short films,one animated short film, and multiple music videos for artists all over the United States. Such works have been accepted and shown in multiple film festivals nationally. He has also exhibited work in various galleries in Birmingham, such as the Birmingham Museum of Art and the UAB AEIVA building. His work primarily focuses on conjoining aspects of film, illustration, and music together into lively animated bodies of work. Illustrating, editing, and making the music all on his own, he tends to focus on fantastical themes that aim to spark wonder in the eyes of the audience. His most recent achievement is having his short film accepted into the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, and he is currently working on his second animated short film. In the future, he plans the keep making both animated and live-action films and showcasing them in galleries and festivals.
artist statement
I view my work as a way to escape into this dream-like world for a while but also experience a story. I aim to form this image of a vibrant place where anything goes. I don’t always try to find a serious message to embed in the piece. I just want to make something exciting. Most of the time, I have an idea in my head that speaks to me, and if it gets me excited enough to start sketching, then that’s what my next piece will be. I tend to freestyle my way through most of my projects, but I also have themes and styles that seem to have a constant reoccurrence in my work. I always incorporate aspects of both space and nature. Space helps me build this mystical and dream-like atmosphere where anything is possible, and nature helps me ground the work and relate it both to myself and the viewer. It’s a combination of this spiritual feeling, that connects us to the infinite and unknown, to this other primal feeling that brings us back to Earth. One aspect of my style is that I add various textures to my pieces. For me, it helps ground the work and gives it character; It gives me this nostalgic feeling, but not for any specific time period. I have also found that my work is most meaningful when animated. It brings the piece to life and adds to the story when it’s in constant motion. Sometimes, I like to shoot real footage and layer it with animations and visual effects as well. But my main goal is to make animations and short films that can entertain and inspire people.