After taking her first class on documentary filmmaking, Pyle realized that’s where her calling was. “I think I am much better at doing stories in post-production [rather than a script],” she said. “Being able to tell stories this way is so enthralling—to have to figure out all the puzzle pieces.”

Rianne’s first documentary was the aforementioned portrait of an environmental activist. “When I moved into [the] doc [field], it became more about being a director that’s a voice for social causes and marginalized groups,” she explained. “I also knew I wanted to tell stories about people of color and about people who were being great role models in their communities.”

Her most recent documentary had to be directed virtually due to the pandemic. “Zoom was my best friend,” Rianne says. But dealing with the pandemic and directing a documentary is similar. “You just have to adapt. [COVID-19] upended everything you knew about school and your life. Documentary reflects that. You have to be open-minded that some things you thought were going to happen aren’t going to work.”

Applications for the Fall 2022 semester are open now. Visit sva.edu/apply for more details.

A version of this article, written by Sheilah Ledwidge, appears in the 2021-2022 SVA Undergraduate Viewbook.

Features

This first feature in a series about recent graduates focuses on Pyle’s growth as a documentary filmmaker.