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Emily McFarlane holding a costume from the short film "Moderation." (provided)

OCT.1, 2025—2023 Pal-Mac graduate Emily McFarlane is no stranger to award-winning work, but nothing quite like this.

McFarlane is part of a team nominated for several awards at the 2025 New York Long Island Film Festival, including Best Student Film and Best Costume/Set. McFarlane, a junior at SUNY Oswego, was the primary costume designer for a student senior thesis film, "Moderation."

The short film is set in the late Victorian era and tells the story of a woman who must choose between her own happiness and continuing to conform to societal norms.

“It is so very exciting to see our film receive this nomination,” McFarlane said. “We were so blessed to have been able to work with the amazing crew.”

McFarlane spoke to us via email, as she is currently working on another film set.

She said she was initially approached to work on Moderation by the film’s director after the two had previously collaborated on Oswego theatrical productions in various costuming roles.

McFarlane is a creative writing and theater major.

Poster for "Moderation" (provided)

She said the director approached her midway through the fall semester, with production beginning the first weekend of the following March. That gave McFarlane a little over five months to costume the film.

On set, she was in charge of everything from design, sourcing, and construction to the care of the garments. But like with any crew, she wasn’t alone, she worked closely with the director and cinematographer to tell the story as thoroughly as possible.

“Costumes are a key part of mise en scène, which is something I learned about in [Pal-Mac High School teacher] Mr. Schlegel's IB Film class,” McFarlane said. “So it's very important that the design process is a collaborative one.”

The experience was completely new for her, and she said it provided quite the learning curve as she transitioned from theater to film. For several years at Pal-Mac, McFarlane was part of the award-winning Technical Theater Design team under director Doug Blackall. This included musicals such as Mary Poppins her senior year. She was also a member of the award-winning High School Select Choir, among other roles.

She credited her time at Pal-Mac, as well as theater director Kimberly Day and head costume designer Kasi Marshall, for sparking her interest in design.

Emily McFarlane (far left) pictured with her mother, Cimberly ('88), sister Nella, and brother Jacob ('21) at the Pal-Mac 75th Anniversary celebration in June

This was her first big break into the film industry, and the production was shot on analog film, which meant she had to learn how colors would interact differently. McFarlane said she also learned how camera angles and shots could manipulate costume shapes and design lines, and even how textures could be perceived through the lens.

As the film was a period piece, she also worked alongside Oswego’s costume shop. Even some the jewelry used in the film was personal, with pieces that were gifted to her over the years by family members who shared her interest in historical fashion.

Despite the adjustments, she called working on the film “the most wonderful” learning and networking opportunity.

“It was one of those projects that validated our dreams, as going to school to work in creative fields can be quite intimidating and scary,” McFarlane said. “There's a sense of vulnerability when we put our work out into the world, and to see our art succeed is a very joyous notion.”

McFarlane said she would love to continue designing for film, with a long-term goal of working in the technical side of the entertainment industry. She added that her passion lies with costuming.

“With every set I have the opportunity to work on, there is so much networking involved,” McFarlane said. “So I hope to continue to meet more amazing people who enjoy my work.”

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