Ian Gaadt is an artist, filmmaker, animator, and illustrator who graduated with honors from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2024. He majored in illustration and film and was honored with the Joseph Lefevre Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration. Ian is deeply passionate about filmmaking and is dedicated to exploring the intersections of storytelling, illustration/storyboarding, and music.
For part of his RISD thesis, Ian directed and animated the short film, "GLARE", which is currently being submitted to film festivals. He also co-directed a live-action short film, "Un Viaje Mal", and collaborated with actors and filmmakers from Brown University. In addition to his filmmaking pursuits, Ian is an accomplished musician, having performed violin at Carnegie Hall and with Brown University chamber groups during his time at RISD. His love of music significantly influences his professional work as well. He often creates musical compositions for his films and spends his days animating/storyboarding for various feature films, promotional trailers, and music videos with collaborators like Lil Yachty, Duckworth, Academy Award winning director Michael Uno, Netflix, Jamie Fox, Cameron Diaz, Midwxst, Delta Airlines, and Narrator Inc.
Ian’s enthusiasm for popular culture is reflected heavily in his free-time, where he illustrates current events, musicians, and other notable figures. He shares much of his art on Instagram and Tik Tok, engaging with fellow artists and garnering recognition from actors and musicians like Don Toliver, Metro Boomin, Tony Starr, and Colman Domingo. His recent film shot series highlights cinematography through illustrated storyboards, and has gained over half a million views.
