A Film Portfolio
This page consists of several films made by Jacqueline Ratliff throughout her time at Montana State University in their MFA Science and Natural History Filmmaking Program. Her works have been screened in the Rocky Mountain region and nationally. The first section are short documentary films that were completed as final projects for each year of attendance. The second portion are under five minute shorts that were completed for numerous of assignments during each semester. Jacqueline works on stories with thrilling adventures and impactful, heartwarming emotions that speak the truth of the subjects she documents. Each story has a unique quality that brings the film to life.
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You can find her current Thesis Project on its own page in the menu. The shorter videos are posted on vimeo, which can be found by clicking on the icon at the bottom right of this page.
Logline:
Attempting a 300-mile dog sledding race for the first time in Northern Montana, a young female musher struggles to grant herself a qualifying run for The Last Great Race.
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Crew:
Filmmaker/Cinematographer : Jacqueline Ratliff
Second Cinematographer/Drone Operator: Braeden Meyer
Audio Recordist: Andie Madsen
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01
Racing the Dream
Narrated by: Charmanye Morrison
Run Time - 14:58
Completion Year - 2023
Second Year Final Film
Synopsis:
Twelve dogs, one musher. Charmayne Morrison is a 23-year-old musher competing in her first 300-mile attempt at Race to the Sky in Lincoln, Montana. Her training will push her and the team closer to the finish line as they go up against drowsiness, illness, and freezing temperatures. Crossing the finish line would place her closer to her dream by qualifying for the 1000-mile Iditarod, also known as “The Last Great Race,” where she and her canine companions would face the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness.
Awards/Recognition
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02
Second Chances
Run Time - 06:20
Completion Year - 2022
First Year Final Film
Synopsis:
The film is set in Livingston, Montana, at a Non-Profit Draft Horse Sanctuary called United In Light. UIL serves as a draft horse safe haven. They save draft horses from slaughter and death by bringing them to their sanctuary built for them to live out the rest of their lives in peace and harmony. Through interviews, the film explores the different healing tendencies of people and animals as both deal with their issues together. Second Chances illustrates why healing is a crucial step toward finding your inner happiness once more.
Logline:
People finding solace alongside beautiful draft horses, who are equally healing as they live out their retirement years at the United in Light Draft Horse Sanctuary.
Crew:
Filmmaker/Cinematographer : Jacqueline Ratliff
Second Cinematographer/Audio Recordist/Gaffer: Braeden Meyer
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Awards/Recognition
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03
Completion Year - 2021
First Semester Final Film
Soaring Through Life
Run Time - 05:59
Logline:
Follow a Montana State University professor in a short portrait film about her life up to present day.
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Crew:
Filmmaker/Cinematographer : Jacqueline Ratliff
Second Cinematographer: Braeden Meyer
Audio Recordist: Andie Madsen
Gaffer: Jack LaCalle
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Synopsis:
The film follows an Ecologist and Montana State University professor Mikaela Howie. Howie's career started as a field Ecologist and then, to a University Professor. Howie talks about her childhood and how her love for birds blossomed into a career full of travel, fieldwork, conservation, and teaching.
Short Assignment Films
Flow
Run Time - 05:59
Completion Year - 2023
Logline:
A mediative look into the natural landscapes of water.
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Synopsis:
A peaceful meditation on water flow usage within natural landscapes, using haptic visuality, ethnographical sound, and visual techniques.
Crew:
Filmmaker/Cinematographer: Jacqueline Ratliff
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A Sensory Experience
Run Time - 02:53
Completion Year - 2022
Logline:
An immersive insight into the intricate wonders of macro cinematography, while mixing an ethnographical soundscape alongside the visuals. Subject of focus is fire and ice (heat -vs-cold).
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Synopsis:
A world apart from human interaction comes an experience like none other. Extreme temperatures react against one another shown in the confinement of a film. Extreme close-ups using macro cinematography help memorize people watching things transform into something unique from a different perspective.
Crew:
Filmmaker/Cinematographer: Jacqueline Ratliff
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Goin Somewhere
Run Time - 3:00
Completion Year - 2022
Logline:
Past memories and moments watched through the lens of a smartphone.
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Synopsis:
A first-person POV of their past adventures through the lens of a smartphone. The film illustrates the usage of video within an environment and how it alters the person experience during those critical moments.
Crew:
Filmmaker/Cinematographer: Jacqueline Ratliff
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Land of the Shining Mountains
Run Time - 03:30
Completion Year - 2022
Logline:
A time breaking short, characterizing the peaceful mediation of the western Montana landscape through the big sky's.
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Synopsis:
Based off the works of ___________, this film switches the perception to cloudless wonders, involving the surrounding western Montana landscape.
Crew:
Filmmaker/Cinematographer: Jacqueline Ratliff
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Concentrate
Run Time - 02:20
Completion Year - 2022
Logline:
An Immersive experience into the wonders and co-existence between nature and humanity in a recreational site in western Montana.
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Synopsis:
A piece about the natural environment mixing alongside humanity. The short elaborates on the essence of taking breaks from everyday norms and be apart of nature as nature has adapted to humanity.
Crew:
Filmmaker/Cinematographer: Jacqueline Ratliff
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